Susan Jacoby's new book Never Say Die is reviewed in the NY Times today. She does not believe in "wishful thinking". For Baby Boomers who hope that their best days are yet to come, she offers some cold water.
1. Mike Tidwell has written a piece on how he is personally adapting to climate change. I prefer the first part of the article where sketches his "small ball" investments he is making to protect himself against anticipated climate change.
Yesterday, two different cab drivers started talking to me about how high gas prices are cutting into their slim profit margins and also mentioned that gas is $8 a gallon in Europe.
Who knew that United Airlines' Hemispheres Magazine had so much wisdom? But, here is the proof. My loyal readers will see some Climatopolis optimism. Now, the article doesn't discuss how much sea level rise would mean that this engineering fix wouldn't work.
Glaeser's Triumph of the City celebrates cities as a place where we can achieve our dreams but who are we to limit "we" to mere people? Don't forget the goats. Goats are migrating to the cities (or at least to Berkeley and Portland). Want proof? Read my blog post here.
Going "Cold Turkey" will help us to adapt to climate change. That's Paul Gilding claim in his forthcoming book titled "The Great Disruption". Do you remember John Lennon's version of cold turkey? I can't tell yet if I prefer Lennon's or Gilding's version.
Will our quality of life continue to improve? Will life expectancy, literacy and overall well being increase for more and more people over the course of the 21st century? My optimism for why I believe the answer is "yes" is due to urban capitalist growth.
This Amazon Link is telling me that my Climatopolis book is now a "bargain book". This is a bargain book and quantities are limited. Bargain books are new but could include a small mark from the publisher and an Amazon.com price sticker identifying them as such.
This long piece sketches the challenges that Florida's housing market faces with thousands of owners sitting on negative equity and playing a game of chicken with the banks who hold their mortgage. We need a "magic bullet" here for propping up housing demand.
Don't mess with Donald Trump!
Switching subjects, how would a free market economist determine the optimal use for the Columbia River? There are at least three uses for this river; 1. letting salmon do their thing, 2. shipping cargo, 3. producing hydro power.
Switching subjects, how would a free market economist determine the optimal use for the Columbia River? There are at least three uses for this river; 1. letting salmon do their thing, 2. shipping cargo, 3. producing hydro power.
I have not heard of "BYD" but this article convinces me that the U.S trade deficit will continue to grow as we will import large numbers of this new vehicle.
Peter Henderson has written a subtle piece about California's nascent Carbon & Trade market.
Magali Delmas pointed me to this NPR Story on Adapting to Climate Change in Australia.
Magali Delmas pointed me to this NPR Story on Adapting to Climate Change in Australia.
Have you thought about installing solar panels on your home's roof? The typical story here is that to do so requires a large upfront investment (perhaps $25,000 if there are no Federal and state subsidies) and then after paying this irreversible upfront investment you receive a flow of lower electr
Today is my birthday so this email below arrived at the right time. UCLA researchers are making progress and if they can patent this stuff maybe my great university will buy some faculty and build a new hotel on campus.
Michael Roberts and Wolfram Schlenker have been conducting some important research on how U.S extreme heat affects agricultural yields. Their work has at least two implications.
There will be an exciting conference taking place on Feb 25th at the Brookings Institution. Here are the details. Michael Greenstone leads the Hamilton Project. I have greatly enjoyed working with his team to write a paper for this conference.
What independent research can be conducted on GM foods and crops? If this editorial piece is telling the truth, then this is scary stuff.
"Multibillion-dollar agricultural corporations, including Monsanto and Syngenta, have restricted independent research on their genetically engineered crops.
"Multibillion-dollar agricultural corporations, including Monsanto and Syngenta, have restricted independent research on their genetically engineered crops.
The Sunday New York Times usually is a big waste of trees. There are long sections that don't say anything. I skim them so that I can still feel like a "New Yorker" as I sit in the 70 degree Los Angeles morning sunshine. But, today --- the Sunday Book Review delivers.
Paul Ehrlich says some witty stuff in this Patt Morrison interview.
People are uncomfortable talking about population -- it brings up such intimate choices and the specter of government control over who procreates -- but they will talk about consumption.
People are uncomfortable talking about population -- it brings up such intimate choices and the specter of government control over who procreates -- but they will talk about consumption.
We want corn for at least two reasons. We want junk food and we want corn based ethanol. This article highlights a tension inherent in a recent ruling by the USDA that allows for a new corn to be grown for commercial use.
Boustan and Margo document a "silver lining" of white flight from the center cities in the 1950s and 1960s. Housing is highly durable.
San Quentin Prison sits next to the San Francisco Bay in between Berkeley and Novato. It is rusting away and it sits on some of the most valuable land on the west coast. The state has debated before whether it would be wise to allow real estate development on such a property.
Congratulations Ed! His book is now available on Amazon. As usual, I learned that I'm not a VIP. I haven't been sent a free copy by the publisher and nobody asked me to write a blurb for the back cover. So, I will rent this space to comment on a book that I haven't yet read.
