Gas Prices
Business & Economics
The Economics of Climate Change
During the last ten years, one of the biggest drivers of public opinion and policy has been concern over global warming or climate change. The economics of climate change uses economic theory and computer models to study the interactions among government policies, the climate system, and the economy. In this ...
Agriculture
California Targets Auto Emissions, Ethanol Gets No Break
California’s Air Resources Board has approved a landmark rule mandating a statewide cut in greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels through 2020. The sweeping regulation targets carbon emissions from the production and burning of gasoline and alternatives such as ethanol. The rule may affect the way land is used to ...
Environment
Taxpayer Cash for Environmental Clunkers
Earlier this month the House approved a measure that would give consumers up to $4500 to dump their gas guzzlers and buy a newer and more fuel efficient vehicle. Despite widespread support, this “cash for clunkers” program has its problems, and so do other environmental regulations coming out of Washington. ...
Commentary
Is Big Oil a crusader against greenhouse gases?
Over the past eight years, which industry has invested the most to mitigate the effects of greenhouse gases? You might be thinking of windmills or solar panels. Or maybe those folks who are trying to make energy out of pond scum … er, algae. But according to a new industry-funded ...
Commentary
Despite our efforts, it’s hard to keep nature down
The Laotian rock rat isn’t a rat at all. It’s a squirrel that walks upright on its hind legs and lives in limestone crevices rather than in trees. Based on the rock rat’s fossil record, scientists concluded that it went extinct 11 million years ago, more or less. Thus it ...
Business & Economics
California’s Economy: Boxer And Krugman Get It Wrong
New York Times columnist Paul Krugman argued in a May 25th column that California’s economic problems are rooted in a dysfunctional government that finds it “extremely hard to raise taxes, even in emergencies.” On May 28, California’s junior Senator, Barbara Boxer made a similar argument on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. Both ...
Commentary
Film: Capistrano district poster child for ‘broken’ school system
New documentary showcases the problems of one O.C. school district. The Capistrano Unified School District is portrayed in a new, 49-minute documentary film as a case study in what is wrong with the American public school system and how politics, misplaced priorities and lack of oversight can derail what should ...
Business & Economics
Why HOT is better than HOV for California
As May 19th approaches, and the possibility of yet another budget crisis looms, Californians would do well to consider how well our state government uses and manages its existing resources. Transportation is one example where the state could get a great deal more out of the existing infrastructure while actually ...
Business & Economics
The Nuttiness of Negative Interest Rates
In his April 18 New York Times op-ed, Harvard professor (and Bush adviser) Greg Mankiw calls on the Federal Reserve to promise future inflation, in order to fix the economy. Mankiw’s article beautifully illustrates what is wrong with today’s economics profession: it consists of very sharp guys (and gals) who ...
Business & Economics
California commission considers tax changes
It seemed appropriate that a panel examining ways to overhaul the state’s tax structure met Thursday in the academic confines of UC Davis rather than the politically charged Capitol. The discussion focused on the theoretical, from examining the merits of a flat income tax to considering a “split-roll” property tax ...
The Economics of Climate Change
During the last ten years, one of the biggest drivers of public opinion and policy has been concern over global warming or climate change. The economics of climate change uses economic theory and computer models to study the interactions among government policies, the climate system, and the economy. In this ...
California Targets Auto Emissions, Ethanol Gets No Break
California’s Air Resources Board has approved a landmark rule mandating a statewide cut in greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels through 2020. The sweeping regulation targets carbon emissions from the production and burning of gasoline and alternatives such as ethanol. The rule may affect the way land is used to ...
Taxpayer Cash for Environmental Clunkers
Earlier this month the House approved a measure that would give consumers up to $4500 to dump their gas guzzlers and buy a newer and more fuel efficient vehicle. Despite widespread support, this “cash for clunkers” program has its problems, and so do other environmental regulations coming out of Washington. ...
Is Big Oil a crusader against greenhouse gases?
Over the past eight years, which industry has invested the most to mitigate the effects of greenhouse gases? You might be thinking of windmills or solar panels. Or maybe those folks who are trying to make energy out of pond scum … er, algae. But according to a new industry-funded ...
Despite our efforts, it’s hard to keep nature down
The Laotian rock rat isn’t a rat at all. It’s a squirrel that walks upright on its hind legs and lives in limestone crevices rather than in trees. Based on the rock rat’s fossil record, scientists concluded that it went extinct 11 million years ago, more or less. Thus it ...
California’s Economy: Boxer And Krugman Get It Wrong
New York Times columnist Paul Krugman argued in a May 25th column that California’s economic problems are rooted in a dysfunctional government that finds it “extremely hard to raise taxes, even in emergencies.” On May 28, California’s junior Senator, Barbara Boxer made a similar argument on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. Both ...
Film: Capistrano district poster child for ‘broken’ school system
New documentary showcases the problems of one O.C. school district. The Capistrano Unified School District is portrayed in a new, 49-minute documentary film as a case study in what is wrong with the American public school system and how politics, misplaced priorities and lack of oversight can derail what should ...
Why HOT is better than HOV for California
As May 19th approaches, and the possibility of yet another budget crisis looms, Californians would do well to consider how well our state government uses and manages its existing resources. Transportation is one example where the state could get a great deal more out of the existing infrastructure while actually ...
The Nuttiness of Negative Interest Rates
In his April 18 New York Times op-ed, Harvard professor (and Bush adviser) Greg Mankiw calls on the Federal Reserve to promise future inflation, in order to fix the economy. Mankiw’s article beautifully illustrates what is wrong with today’s economics profession: it consists of very sharp guys (and gals) who ...
California commission considers tax changes
It seemed appropriate that a panel examining ways to overhaul the state’s tax structure met Thursday in the academic confines of UC Davis rather than the politically charged Capitol. The discussion focused on the theoretical, from examining the merits of a flat income tax to considering a “split-roll” property tax ...
