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Do we pay to reverse climate change?

By Andrew P. Morriss CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – China wants wealthier nations to pay a fixed percentage of their gross domestic product to help developing countries reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with a suggested contribution of a mere 1 percent for a total of$300 billion a year. China also wants to create an international mechanism to transferContinue reading “Do we pay to reverse climate change?”

Economic development lessons from and for North American Indian economies

By Terry L. Anderson and Dominic P. Parker Abstract [Full PDF] This paper reviews the literature on economic development as it relates to indigenous people in the United States and Canada, and focuses on how institutions affect economic development of reservation and reserve economies. Evidence shows that strong property rights to reservation and reserve landContinue reading “Economic development lessons from and for North American Indian economies”

Encumbering harvest rights to protect marine environments:

By Robert T. Deacon and Dominc P. Parker Abstract We adapt the concept of a conservation easement to a marine environment and explore its use to achieve conservation goals. Although marine environments generally are not owned, those who use them for commercial fishing often are regulated. These regulations grant harvesters rights to use marine environmentsContinue reading “Encumbering harvest rights to protect marine environments:”

Warming up to water markets

The article excerpt below is from the Cato Institute’s Regulation magazine. Author Jonathan Adler is a former Julian Simon Fellow at PERC and Professor of Law at Case Western Reserve University. He argues in favor of water markets as the most efficient and environmentally sound approach to water scarcity as climate change exacerbates an already direContinue reading “Warming up to water markets”

Food mile myths: Buy global

By Pierre Desrochers and Hiroko Shimizu Activists tout low “food miles” to discourage consumers from buying foods produced in and transported from distant locations. This movement argues that locally produced food is not only fresher and better tasting — which can be plausible claims — but is also more nutritious, beneficial for the local economyContinue reading “Food mile myths: Buy global”

Critique of the ‘Food Miles’ Perspective

By Pierre Desrochers and Hiroko Shimizu Executive Summary These days, one cannot wander into a supermarket produce section without seeing signs urging customers to “buy local.” Locally produced food, according to proponents of the local-food consumer movement, is not only fresher and better tasting, but it is also better for the environment. After all, theyContinue reading “Critique of the ‘Food Miles’ Perspective”