This report claims that Californians who live in new homes use 57% of their water outside.  If we now face a drought, wouldn't basic supply and demand suggest that we consider adaptation strategies to reduce our demand?   In this picture below, I present a Westwood home with no "real grass".  This home has ripped out the grass and installed what appears to be a miniature golf astro turf substance.  They must be saving water by doing so.  Yes, this is tacky but this is climate change adaptation and I like it.

Why haven't their neighbors imitated them?  LADWP charges too low a price for water.   This wonderful utility can't keep the lights on in my neighborhood and I see bursting water pipes all around wasting water.  Does LADWP have any Ph.D.

I have learned about the power of inertia the hard way.  I often travel abroad so when I travel to exotic places I call up my cell phone carrier (T-Mobile) to place me on the international rate category.  I always tell them the dates when I'm leaving the USA and returning home.  I had assumed that my cell phone company would start my international rate when I leave and end it when I return.  This assumption turns out to be false.

UCLA is now filled with young, physically fit enthusiastic students walking (and jogging) around the campus.   As a not-young, not fit, cynical professor, I'm wondering who has the right attitude?   I'm now wondering whether the students are right and I am wrong.  With that thought in mind,  I am trying to change my game.   I plan to be kinder to people, to show up to some meetings and to try to do my job.

We know that the pursuit of "green social status" has helped the sales of the Prius and solar panels but now the New York Times reports about vegan dining in Los Angeles and the role that celebrities play in making it hip and thus creating a bandwagon effect.

Have you read this new 594 page report by the IPCC?  This volunteer crew writes updated reports about what we know and don't know about climate change's causes and consequences.   The media such as the New York Times pay careful attention to what these reports say.  This crew has even won a Nobel Peace Prize! For those of you who are too lazy to read a 594 single spaced report, here is the executive summary.

As China and India seek to keep their recent economic growth rolling will their political leaders embrace pro-growth policies such as allowing foreign direct investment in India and in the case of China shrinking subsidies for State Owned Enterprises?    Hsieh and Klenow document  large total factor productivity differentials across manufacturing plants in China.

Have you seen this list that names names of which companies will have to participate in California's nascent carbon cap and trade market?  I don't see my name mentioned but I still plan to buy some permits.  I hold a diversified portfolio.

UCLA is about to learn an economics lesson in revenue generation at research hospitals .  The LA Times reports that UCLA's and Cedar-Sinai are being cut out of public health insurance plans in the City of LA

"Anthem Blue Cross has eliminated doctors affiliated with the hospitals from a health plan offered to about 60,000 employees and dependents at the cash-strapped city of Los Angeles.

Can a bullet train through farm country help to reinvent California?  Will the owners of the land near the bullet train stations become rich?  Will Southwest's stock price plummet as guys like me substitute from plane to train to go from LA to Northern California?  I realize that every journey starts with a first step but these first 65 miles are expensive.

The WSJ reports that  General Electric just ran an experiment in which it sharply increased the medical deductible that its workers have to pay for health care.
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