Environmental and Urban Economics

Are there other professors who wish they could be paid per spoken word?   If I could get my price above zero, I'd earn a few bucks for this KPCC Interview.  Molly Peterson is a kind interviewer and I had a lot of fun.

I believe that my new publication in the Journal of Housing Economics will generate so many cites that Ted Bergstrom will owe Elsevier an apology.

They both have a PHD from MIT in economics, and they share a belief that the tax code matters in determining our choices.  For evidence about Keith's views about the distortionary effects of the tax code click here.

To quote Dr.

The Universe of University of Toronto Faculty Salaries in 2010   .  I see some variation in salaries within well defined occupational categories that I cannot explain using the observables I know about.

Recently, there was a LA Times article discussing using technology to slow immigration into the United States.

Are the impacts of climate change more predictable than future stock price dynamics?  I think so.  Here is my New interview with The Futurist.

I was not ready for these questions.

This article  got me thinking about how we use quantitative metrics for judging University Leaders.  The endowment's dynamics matter but do you attribute all of its growth to "the leader"?  I don't.

In my humble opinion, I finally gave a really good talk about Climatopolis at the Zocalo Square to a group of about 120 Los Angeles residents at the Actor's Gang in Culver City.  I didn't have powerpoint and it was funny to stand at a podium. I was armed with one page of notes and a copy of my book.

In a stationary economy, young people can "see" their future based on what has happened to previous cohorts who are now middle aged.

Have you ever written a good paper and wondered whether you should send it to the American Economic Review or the UCLA Daily Bruin Newspaper?  I have published in both outlets but the choice is an easy one.

Given that I plan to retire from academia on July 1st 2011, you are running out of chances to hear me talk.  I will be speaking at the Zocalo Public Square Event this tuesday in Culver City and I hope to meet you there.

Emily Green has written a review of Climatopolis in this LA Times Review.   Similar to many of the non-economists who have reviewed Climatopolis, she devotes a little bit too much time to the "specificity" of my brief discussion of certain cities.

Frank Wolak's Stanford Climate Conference from 9/7/2010  ---  if you want to hear some bad jokes and hear my thoughts about climate change adaptation, please watch my video.

Under what scenarios would the Republican Party have embraced carbon mitigation legislation?  The Tea Party is angry about the recession, the budget deficit, and be lectured for being "bad people".

Maybe I should stick to radio.  In this TV Video, I look wacky but I think I make some good points focused on why I support AB32 and oppose Prop 23.  Maybe Hollywood is never going to call me to play an economist.  Ben Stein has a monopoly.

I will be a guest on the John Batchelor Radio Show at 7pm eastern time tonight to discuss my climate change adaptation book (Climatopolis).

On thursday at 4pm Los Angeles time, I will do a Beijing radio nterview on China Radio International.

A quote from the dignified NY Times, "And Ms. (Kristin) Davis suggested that her experience running an escort service made her the candidate best prepared to reform the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.  “The key difference between the M.T.A.

Now that I'm starting to look like Walter Cronkite, it makes sense for me to be a panelist in this AB 32 Debate this thursday night at UCLA's Anderson School.  While I only have 7 minutes to speak, everyone who knows me --- knows that I will get my money's worth.

The Freakonomics Blog is filling in a "missing market".

In Climatopolis,  I present a microeconomist's vision of how our cities will adapt in the face of climate change.   I argue that a Homer Simpson does not have to have perfect foresight if for profit firms such as insurance companies send him price signals.

The media is reporting news that the rescued Chilean miners are moving on and getting ready to return to their modest homes as the next phase of their life unfolds.  As I read this I thought about  Dennis Gilbert's Happy Thoughts.  Recall that he has written the big book on happy dynamics.

The Fed is debating the merits of new actions to "jump start" our macro economy.   "But generally speaking, economists who thought it was a good idea at the time think it worked, and economists who thought otherwise beg to differ. And both sides make their cases with plenty of hard numbers.

In California newspapers, you usually see such names as "Arnold" or "Kobe" or "Meg" on the front page.  But, today I see Shoup!   It is a rare day when a micro economist makes the front page.  The older generation tend to be men without much hair or glamour and we tend not to be newsworthy.

Elite public universities in England and California are about to run the same "natural" experiment.  As government subsidies for public education are phased out, tuition will rise.

The Lakers' General Manager Mitch Kupchak is a graduate of the Anderson School.  Today, he was back on campus to talk to the Anderson Alumni. I snuck in and listed to 1/2 of his talk.  He revealed that very few people actually work for the Lakers. It is a family firm.

Water is becoming more scarce in Syria and this is affecting agriculture productivity.  This raises several questions about how Syrians will adapt in the face of climate change.

Jurgen Weiss and Mark Sarro of the Brattle Group have just released New Research investigating how California's nascent efforts at reducing its greenhouse gas emissions (AB32) will affect small business.  They have produced an excellent case study.

Here  is the recently released master plan for keeping the University of California great.  The short version is posted here.

Permit me to offer my alternative plan for keeping the University of California great.

1.

The Gallon Env Letter is the environmental summary for Canadian environment sector.  Here is their review  of my new book.  It is much fairer review than the crazy review that was written in the Toronto Star a week or two ago.

This article about the Chilean miner rescue has a revealing quote.

Is Los Angeles a nerdy town?  Somehow, it seems that Economics Profs rank below the Lakers and Hollywood types in terms of status in this town.  Over the next couple of weeks, I will have my "15 minutes" in several different settings.

This expensive home in Little Holmby is on sale and it has 27 bathrooms.   Think of the possibilities!  You would be my neighbor (we live a 1/2 mile away) but the monthly mortgage payments would be pretty high.