Part 1 of 2 on a damning new paper that takes on the top-down climate-economics literature — “The empirically inscrutable climate-economy relationship”
The Paper That Breaks Climate Economics
The Paper That Breaks Climate Economics
22 Apr 2026 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, applied welfare economics, development economics, econometerics, economic history, economics of climate change, economics of natural disasters, energy economics, environmental economics, environmentalism, global warming, growth miracles
An evolutionary biologist lists and discusses the ten most influential books in the field
22 Apr 2026 Leave a comment
I would have missed this video had reader Doug not called my attention to it. It’s a very good half-hour discussion by evolutionary biologist Zach B. Hancock, a professor at Augusta University, in which he recommends the the top ten most influential books in evolutionary biology. Since Hancock is a population geneticist, the books deal…
An evolutionary biologist lists and discusses the ten most influential books in the field
Breaking: Major Under-the-Radar SCOTUS Decision on Climate Lawfare
22 Apr 2026 Leave a comment
in economics of climate change, economics of regulation, energy economics, environmental economics, environmentalism, global warming, law and economics, politics - USA, property rights Tags: nuisance suits
There are Supreme Court decisions that arrive with fanfare, and then there are those that quietly rearrange the legal landscape in ways that only become obvious after the dust settles. Today’s decision in Chevron USA Inc. v. Plaquemines Parish belongs firmly in the latter category. It is not packaged as a climate case. It does…
Breaking: Major Under-the-Radar SCOTUS Decision on Climate Lawfare
Tony Blair on anti-semitism
21 Apr 2026 Leave a comment
in defence economics, International law, laws of war, war and peace Tags: Gaza Strip, Israel, Middle-East politics, regressive left
Tony Blair writes: The suffering of Gaza, the death and destruction, is undeniable. You can make a legitimate criticism of Israel’s tactics in the conduct of the war. Many Jews around the world make exactly those critiques. But you cannot engage in such criticism legitimately if you do not also condemn the terrorism of October…
Tony Blair on anti-semitism
The Chinese Current Account Imbalances
21 Apr 2026 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, development economics, econometerics, economic history, economics of love and marriage, financial economics, growth miracles, labour economics, labour supply, population economics Tags: China
The subtitle of the paper is Puzzles, Patterns, and Possible Causes. Here is the abstract: China’s large current account surplus has been an irritant to its trading partners. While industrial and trade policies often lead to sector-level imbalances, they play a relatively limited role in the economy-wide surplus. Structural factors such as an unbalanced sex…
The Chinese Current Account Imbalances
Why the Cost of Your Coffee Has Soared—and Isn’t Going Down Soon
21 Apr 2026 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, development economics, international economics, politics - USA Tags: tarrifs
By Inti Pacheco of The WSJ. Excerpts:”Behind the jump: Extreme weather, including droughts in Brazil and Vietnam, had hit coffee crops. And even before any tariff increases, hedge-fund bets anticipating the levies were pushing commodity prices higher.” (droughts cause supply to shift to the left which raises price)”Then in July, President Trump slapped an additional 40%…
Why the Cost of Your Coffee Has Soared—and Isn’t Going Down Soon
The alternatives to agreement determine the terms of agreement: Iran’s alternatives are bad and getting worse.
20 Apr 2026 Leave a comment
in defence economics, energy economics, international economics, war and peace Tags: Iran
WSJ: “Iran insiders are rumbling about the looming economic catastrophe if Washington does not grant sanctions relief that would unlock prospects for economic recovery,” said Burcu Ozcelik, senior research fellow with the London-based Royal United Services Institute think tank. “Without the prospect of economic recovery, regime survival beyond the short term will face sustained structural…
The alternatives to agreement determine the terms of agreement: Iran’s alternatives are bad and getting worse.
Peak fashion was in the 1970s; cheap too
20 Apr 2026 Leave a comment
in economics of media and culture
Does this have implications for higher ed in particular?
20 Apr 2026 Leave a comment
in economics of education, human capital, labour economics, labour supply, population economics
Declining fertility and population loss pose significant challenges for state and federal local governments responsible for providing a range of services to citizens, including education, health care, and infrastructure. Indeed, many areas are already experiencing outright population decline, with roughly half of U.S. counties losing population between 2010 and 2020. This paper examines how shrinking…
Does this have implications for higher ed in particular?
IMF and World Bank Misled by Climate Obsession (Lomborg, Bessent)
19 Apr 2026 Leave a comment
in economics of climate change, energy economics, environmental economics, environmentalism, global warming, politics - USA
The above video includes a conversation between Bjorn Lomborg and Scott Bessent at the annual IIF gathering (Institute of International Finance). The introduction by IIF CEO Tim Adams starts about 11 minutes in. For those who prefer reading, below is a lightly edited transcript of comments back and forth, along with some added images. TA […]
IMF and World Bank Misled by Climate Obsession (Lomborg, Bessent)
Australia’s ‘Renewable’ Obsession Decimates Industry
19 Apr 2026 Leave a comment
in politics - Australia, environmentalism, energy economics Tags: solar power, wind power
Driving Australia’s current trajectory is the mythical claim that so-called renewables – are inherently cheap and that any short‑term pain will give way to lasting price declines. The post Australia’s ‘Renewable’ Obsession Decimates Industry appeared first on Watts Up With That?.
Australia’s ‘Renewable’ Obsession Decimates Industry
Caturday felid trifecta: Larry the Cat repeatedly causes mischief; cat jumps US/Canada border; Max the cat gets honorary doctors in “litterature” from Vermont university; and lagniappe
19 Apr 2026 Leave a comment
in cats
Larry the Cat recently turne 19 (and celebrated his 15th year at 10 Downing Street), but the Senior Cat is still going strong. For example, he recently caught his third mouse, though that was nominally his job as Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office. All Brits love him now (save for the miscreants), and he’s…
Caturday felid trifecta: Larry the Cat repeatedly causes mischief; cat jumps US/Canada border; Max the cat gets honorary doctors in “litterature” from Vermont university; and lagniappe
The Laffer Curve and Limits to Class Warfare Tax Policy, Part II
19 Apr 2026 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, econometerics, entrepreneurship, fiscal policy, human capital, income redistribution, labour economics, labour supply, macroeconomics, poverty and inequality, Public Choice, public economics Tags: taxation and entrepreneurship, taxation and investment, taxation and labour supply
In Part I of this series back in 2014, we looked at some academic research from Canada showing that the revenue-maximizing tax rate on the richest taxpayers was 27.5 percent. A key insight from that research is that high-income taxpayers have considerable control over the timing, level, and composition of their income (just like in […]
The Laffer Curve and Limits to Class Warfare Tax Policy, Part II
Matt Ridley thinks the Climate Parrot is almost dead
18 Apr 2026 Leave a comment
in environmentalism, environmental economics, economics of regulation, global warming, economics of climate change, energy economics Tags: wind power, solar power
A central theme in Ridley’s argument is the failure of renewable energy—particularly wind and solar—to deliver reliable and scalable solutions. He described these sources as inherently intermittent and argued that “the transition to them is simply failing to materialize.” While not dismissing renewable energy outright, he questioned why concern about climate change is often equated…
Matt Ridley thinks the Climate Parrot is almost dead
“F**k It…Just Do It”: Carville Lays Out Democratic Plan to Add States and Pack Court
18 Apr 2026 Leave a comment
in politics - USA Tags: constitutional law
Various Democrats have been openly discussing their plans after retaking power to change the system so they never lose power…
“F**k It…Just Do It”: Carville Lays Out Democratic Plan to Add States and Pack Court
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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