Water Pricing and Coping with Drought in the Southwest
The Director of my UCLA Institute has just edited a special issue for the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Here is Glen MacDonald's PNAS Volume link.
Durable Housing and Adapting to Climate Change
If homes weren't durable (and thus melted in one year like a piece of pizza), how many people would live in Detroit today? Glaeser and Gyourko argue that Detroit's population would be much smaller.
My Debut as a Grist Blogger
My Grist Blog entry on Climatopolis. I thank Grist for being open minded and fair.
A Response to Fellow Climate Change Nerds
Grist has republished an angry review of Climatopolis. Permit me to make two points about myself and my work on the economics of climate change.
1. I would love to see the world reduce its greenhouse gas emissions but I don't believe that we will in medium term.
Paul Krugman on "Peak Oil" and Smooth Adjustment to Anticipated Rising Commodity Prices
In this column, Paul Krugman says some wise stuff. As an applied micro economist, he starts with some facts: "Oil is back above $90 a barrel. Copper and cotton have hit record highs. Wheat and corn prices are way up.
The Power of the Cell Phone: Decentralized Information and Nimble People
I wonder if Hayek owned a cell phone? This article about the cell phone reports that soon you will be able to determine whether you are exposed to high levels of air pollution just by waving your phone around.
What's New in Environmental Economics?
Don Fullerton tells all here. What's new in urban economics? You have a choice. You can read this or this.
Climate Scientists and Predicting Future Migration in a World Where Average Temperature has Increased by 7 Degrees
An example worth reading. You won't learn much about our future under climate change but you will see a laundry list of uncertainties related to how climate change will affect us in the future.
Increasing the Deadweight Loss from Christmas
The Yale Students who Joel Waldfogel surveyed at the start of his Scroogenomics research project could never have anticipated that someone could order this "Gift" as a public speaker for their event. Call now.
Kahn on the Rebound Effect: Underwear "Maybe", Prius "No"
My Christmas gifts to you include My blog entry and Lucas Davis's academic paper. The key issue here is the Becker --- full price of operating the energy using product.
Predicting Future Rare Events: Implications for Climate Change Adaptation
A rare major snowstorm in Europe has crippled airports as major airports such as Heathrow were caught unprepared for a major storm. Stranded customers are angry and wondering why the airport didn’t have a contingency plan (or snow trucks) to handle serious snow.
A Reply to a Smart Email About Rational Expectations and Climate Change Adaptation
This is my last blog post for a week or so. I'm going to Berkeley.
The Future of the Midwest
Bill Testa of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago has provided a very nice facts based assessment of where the Midwest now stands. Below, I show you the type of evidence he presents as he makes the case that the Midwest is overly invested in manufacturing.
Joe Romm Punches Climatopolis Again
Joe Romm is a smart angry man. He throws some new punches at my Climatopolis. Under the scenario that greenhouse gas concentrations reach 1000 ppm (which sounds high and if we reach that number this would take place in the year 2200?), some of the scenarios he sketches may play out.
Expectations and Preparing for Disastrous Low Probability Events Such as Nuclear Bomb Detonation
If a nuclear bomb goes off in your city, go inside or stay in your car. This article offers some survival tips.
"Suppose the unthinkable happened, and terrorists struck New York or another big city with an atom bomb.
A Face for Radio
Here is my "webinar" for Harvard Business Review. Angelia Herrin and I discuss the future of cities, the smart grid and the broad issue of how different cities will adapt to climate change.
Climate Change Adaptation Offers the Ultimate Test of Behavioral Economics' Predictions
Climatopolis is meant to challenge the conventional wisdom of how climate change will affect urbanites. Neo-classical economists have a very different view of how humans cope with shocks relative to most environmentalists and behavioral economists.
Good Enough for the Web but Not Good Enough for Print
The World Policy Institute has published My blog entry about cities and climate change on its webpage but they politely told me that they would not publish it in their print version. I can take a punch. We economists live at the margin and I guess so does my written output.
New Research on the Home Price Effects of Installing Solar Panels: Evidence from San Diego
Who said that I've stopped doing research? Samuel Dastrup, Joshua Graff-Zivin, Dora L. Costa and Matthew E. Kahn have just released this residential real estate and solar panels working paper.
Jeremy Siegel's WSJ Piece Highlights the Fundamental Challenge of Studying Macro-Finance Issues
Jeremy Siegel has already convinced me to hold stocks for the long run. Now, he is getting more ambitious as he seeks to study current events.
A Return to New York City
I lived in Manhattan from 1968 until 1973 and from 1993 until 2000. So, I've seen Manhattan at two different points in time. Now, I'm just another tourist. But, in early February 2011 --- I will make my return with My NYU Talk on February 3rd 2011.
The Solution to Pollution is Still Dilution: The Case for Sprawl Rests on Second Hand Smoke in Multi-Family Apartment Housing
Kids who live in apartments are exposed to more second hand smoke even if their parents don't smoke. No, this isn't an income effect. Rich people live in apartments in New York City and this offers a decent control group.
The nerds who publish in Pediatrics have a new study.
Relive the 1970s? You Can See Your Old Car in Caracas
Caracas, Venezuela has an older vehicle stock.
Different Views of the Cancun Climate Summit
Margot Roosevelt has written a piece for the LA Times about the Cancun Climate Summit. At the end of her piece, several anonymous authors have offered comments. Their comments are revealing but I do not endorse any of them. Comment #2 below is funny.
Living Legends and Lazy Sons
Permit me to quote from this NYU Medical School Blurb about my favorite dad. Take a look at the photo below. He inherited my hair. For folks who wonder why I'm a pretty good teacher, you can figure this out from the hints below.
