The reclaimed wood industry which began in the Northeast is now taking hold in the Northwest. As sources of old-growth timber dwindle and environmental awareness grows, old wood is much in demand. Duluth Timber Company, a Minnesota-based firm, is doing a booming business in Seattle selling reclaimed wood from demolished homes, factories, warehouses, and evenContinue reading “New Life For Old Timber”
Author Archives: admin
A River Ablaze
Early in the summer of 1969, the Cuyahoga River caught fire. Piles of logs, picnic benches, and other debris had collected below a railroad trestle, which impeded their movement down the river. These piles only lacked a spark to set them afire. A passing train with a broken wheel bearing probably provided that spark,Continue reading “A River Ablaze”
Anti-environmental?
Environmental regulations, not opposition to environmental protection, were the genesis of the private property rights movement.
Protecting Beaches
Along the coast of South Carolina, private island communities-Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island and entire islands such as Seabrook, Kiawah, Dewees, Dataw, Daufuskie, and DeBordieu-are protecting their beaches and other environmental resources. They are not doing this because of government regulation but in order to maximize the value of their investments. Extensive resortContinue reading “Protecting Beaches”
Economic Value of Government-provided Information
Late 19th-century storm warnings from the U.S. Weather Service yielded substantial, positive net returns to society. Economists are notorious for using both sides of our mouths when talking about the government. We claim that government has a comparative advantage in provision of so-called public goods, such as national defense, the creation of property right systems,Continue reading “Economic Value of Government-provided Information”
Environmental Progress: What Every Executive Should Know
A new paper challenges conventional wisdom about the role of business in environmental issues. Written primarily for business executives, it offers new ideas for addressing environmental challenges while keeping a principled commitment to market competition, consumer choice, and innovation.
Consequences of Climate Change
During the transition to climate change, some species will be favored and some disfavored. The net economic consequences will depend on whether and how quickly humans take advantage of the changes. Most discussions of large-scale ecological change simply assume that the consequences will be harmful and that centralized government action is the best wayContinue reading “Consequences of Climate Change”
Straw Houses Withstand Huffs And Puffs
To many of us, straw is nothing more than brown stubble left behind after the harvest. Once considered an agricultural waste product, straw is the basis of a cost-effective and energy-efficient building material, providing an alternative to expensive lumber. In Perrytown, Texas, on the high plains of the panhandle, Cindy Thyfault of Stramit USA isContinue reading “Straw Houses Withstand Huffs And Puffs”
Ancient Apples
Duchess of Oldenburg, Maiden’s Blush, Esopus Spitzenberg, and Black Gilliflower. These are not exactly household names for those of us on the threshold of the 21st century, but they were as familiar to early American settlers as Granny Smiths and Golden Delicious are to us today. These ancient strains have all but disappeared from commercialContinue reading “Ancient Apples”
Ashes to Concrete
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure is more than an old adage to several American companies. It is the key to their financial success. These firms are recycling the ash from trash incinerators and coal-burning electric generating stations and giving it new life as a construction material. It can be used in concrete, cement,Continue reading “Ashes to Concrete”