Back in the "bad old days" before we discovered how to cook, ape/humans had to spend a fair bit of energy digesting the raw food and meat we ate. Once we learned/lucked into starting to cook ---- we didn't need to use as much energy to digest our food. The cooking took care of that.
Dear Los Angeles DWP,
I would like to suggest a new incentive structure that will simultaneously
raise revenue for your organization and end the "water shortage" in Los Angeles.
I would like to suggest a new incentive structure that will simultaneously
raise revenue for your organization and end the "water shortage" in Los Angeles.
There is serious drought in the West. Higher prices could encourage a demand side conservation. Los Angeles Department of Water & Power is not doing its part to "solve" the problem.
Planning ahead is always a wise move. In this spirit, UCLA has announced its new 10 Year Plan . I suggest taking a look at the comments being posted there by faculty. Bill Zame offers some smart thoughts. I would like to offer a few thoughts for the Campus Leaders to consider.
The Internet offers some interesting information. Do you get paid $10,000+ to give a talk? This website "names names" and prices to see some of the big stars on your stage! Here is one data point of a well known economist making Good $ per talk .
When I was a graduate student, my famous macro teachers would say that a recession is a good time to take a vacation. We laughed but we wondered what the "real unemployed" were doing during recessions. Since the key models featured no geography and zero migration costs across islands (i.e.
I live 100 yards away from an elementary school. Each morning frantic parents pull up and park their cars in front of my house to deliver kids to school. The precious children impose an externality on my household.
I like this Grist Article from 5/18/2009 !
That was exciting. We were having a family disagreement about my son's effort on his homework when the house shook
pretty sharply. It felt like a subway train was arriving at our house. This stopped the family squabble as I yelled "earthquake" and hid under my desk (I'm kidding).
pretty sharply. It felt like a subway train was arriving at our house. This stopped the family squabble as I yelled "earthquake" and hid under my desk (I'm kidding).
Los Angeles needs more water (http://www.ladwp.com/ladwp/homepage.jsp). The Mayor has even agreed to increase the block tier rate in the second pricing tier. To protect the poor, he has not raised the first tier (the lowest) rate. The price is still not high.
Cragg and I have tried to do our part to inform public policy as the Carbon legislation takes shape. Here is our paper and here is a Grist article discussing it.
The legacy of the dirty urban past lingers. I did not love reading this NY Times article on lead in urban soil .
Have you ever wanted to be Larry Summers? Now, this is your chance. For a limited time only, UCLA research will show you how you can upgrade your processing chip.
Salient, shocking events such as Chernobyl or 9/11/2001 can lead to a surge of demand for regulation as the distracted populace wakes up and starts to focus on an issue as the news reports on it 24/7.
Let's contrast today's New York Post, New York Times and LA Times. I will show you why I moved from New York to Los Angeles.
Exhibit #1 "Sexy" NYU Economists (You decide)
Exhibit #2: The New York Times thought that Cyn was a dude but I knew. Here is their retraction.
Exhibit #1 "Sexy" NYU Economists (You decide)
Exhibit #2: The New York Times thought that Cyn was a dude but I knew. Here is their retraction.
This new political economy paper examines how Congressional District carbon emissions, ideology and per-capita income correlate with Congressional voting on carbon mitigation legislation.
What is the price of fame? If a famous person has lived in a house, does it sell for a price premium? Is this a selection effect? The famous live in nicer neighborhoods and homes? Or, are we status conscious and want to use a bathroom that was once used by Burt Reynolds?
Each Week, the Los Angeles
Each Week, the Los Angeles
To my great surprise, UCLA has picked Oliver Stone and the ex-leader of Spain (James Franco) to be the graduation speakers. As usual, I had high hopes that I would be selected. I won't forget this insult.
My UCLA colleague has put out a piece in Forbes that you should read.
This new UCLA research looks like a twist on Michael Kremer's work on elephants. Increasing supply lowers equilibrium price and this discourages degradation of the commons. Maybe I should take a course in archaeology. My son keeps talking about the University of Chicago's Indiana Jones.
Allan Meltzer has a thought provoking editorial in today's New York Times. He accuses Ben Bernanke of being "too close" to the Treasury Department and not "independent" enough.
Soon, the Department of Energy will make some big bets on specific National Labs. They will receive a lot of $ to jumpstart "green tech". For an example of how this affects day to day life at these labs read Long Island's National Energy Lab . The urban economist in me would like to ask; 1.
Economists are writing on the consequences of foreclosure. High quality empirical papers are being written on testing for whether; "if my neighbor is forced to sell his house, does this reduce the price of my house?" (see http://www.nber.org/papers/w14866).
No, I am not talking about you. I am talking about this guy. The Urban Planning Department should think about cloning him.
