We mentioned the "social cost of carbon" last week, but here’s the full analysis. The Obama administration is quietly making it easier for their “benefit” numbers to go head to head against costs. IER  (6/6/13) reports: “The very concept of the 'social cost of carbon' is not nearly as objective and scientific as, say, the charge on an electron. It is based on subjective human decisions as to which scenarios to include in the model, the discount rate to apply to future costs and...
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Somewhere down the road, we might find ourselves switching back to PCs. You see, Apple used to be led by a man who was disturbed by the stifling impact of government on business and innovation in this country. Jobs was able to navigate this business environment and still build incredible value for all stakeholders. Today, Apple’s leadership is hiring Lisa Jackson to whitewash the company of the sin of success. Huffington Post  (12/20/11) reports: “‘You're headed for a one-term...
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It’s nice to see they don’t think people are as stupid as the EPA does. Washington Post  (6/6/13) reports: “As U.C. Berkeley’s Catherine Wolfram explains in an interesting new post, this “MPG illusion” could have huge implications for the auto market. Many people who are set on buying SUVs, say, appear to underrate the fuel savings that come from buying a slightly more efficient SUV. But as the example above shows, those gains are often quite large… It might turn out that one...
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This is like those movies where the parents arrange for their kid to be kidnapped so they can cash in on the ransom. It never ends well. IER (6/5/13) reports: “One of the tactics environmental activists groups use to promote greater regulatory control over the economy is lawsuits. This is an especially effective tactic if environmental groups sue a sympathetic administration with the hopes of settling the lawsuit without the need for the administration to go through the regular regulatory...
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In a new study, the Heritage Foundation estimates that recent proposals to limit carbon dioxide emissions in the United States would be a cure worse than the disease. In particular, by the year 2100 the cumulative net damages to the world economy could exceed an astonishing $100 trillion, and in not a single year do the benefits exceed the costs. The Heritage analysis is based on a new approach to gauging the economic impacts from climate change. As the report explains:

A recent paper by...

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It must be so convenient to have an explanation for everything. The Guardian (6/3/13) reports: “Piraino said at least 150,000 people were treated for jellyfish stings around the Mediterranean each summer… Global warming, overfishing and human intervention – especially breakwaters that protect sandy beaches but provide a home for larvae – are all blamed. As predators disappear, population surges are happening with greater frequency.” The EPA is clearly devoted to the...
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Let’s talk about energy subsidies (on Friday). Join us with the National Review for lunch and a “High Noon Debate” to talk about the energy subsidy experiment.  Greenpeace has given you permission to not feel guilty about climate change. You see, oil companies are using your honorable sense of personal responsibility as a weapon against your consciousness. (Heads up: this is a spoiler alert for the sequel to Inception, starring guilt-free-carbon-guzzler Leo DiCaprio). ...
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This is fun. It’s like an 8^th grade math question: “If Bob Inglis is running for elected office, is it wise for him to support a carbon tax?”. R Street (5/31/13) reports: “The R Street Institute and the Heartland Institute cordially invite you to a debate among friends on the question: Are there any circumstances under which conservatives should support a tax on carbon emissions?” Gee, now they admit it. The Hill  (6/1/13) reports: “Environmental lobbyists are pressing...
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For some of us, this hits close to home. So I have a few suggestions: Quit bragging about the non-stop flights that are offered from Newark to Jackson. Shut down the tram (it runs on coal). Stop selling skis, boots, jackets and goggles because they are made with carbon-based petrochemicals. And those of us who are still (physically) able can hike to the top of Rendezvous and ski on wooden boards like the good ol’ days. Unless that sounds like a good plan, quit begging for the heavy hand of...
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"First they came for the manufacturers, and I did not speak because I was not a manufacturer. Then they came for the coal miners, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a coal miner. Then they came for the drillers, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a driller. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me." CBS Pittsburgh  (5/29/13) reports: “Janice Gibbs is a grandmother and was born and raised in Washington County. Although she has no drilling lease on...
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