The (Surprisingly) Best Way to Reduce Our Carbon Footprint

If we really want to diminish our carbon footprint, we need to focus on behavior that is somewhat different from what we usually do.

How Governments Nudge Us

Whether it’s plastic straw use, energy conservation, or flu vaccinations, governments use nudges to influence our decisions.

The Contest That NYC Didn’t Want To Win

With other cities like London having successfully implemented a traffic congestion pricing plan, NYC has begun to figure out a proposal.

The Story of a Nudge and the Nobel Economics Prize

For his public policy nudges and his contributions to behavioral economics, Richard Thaler will get the 2017 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics.

The Surprising Impact of Seeing Red

Making financial decisions, we might take more or less risk because of the color of the print in our documents and charts.

The Response to Calorie Labels

Although research shows the impact is small, the Affordable Care Act will soon mandate calorie labels and nutrition information in restaurant chains.

Dynamic Pricing: How To Lower Your Electric Bill

As monopolies, electric utilities have the pricing power that lets them offer dynamic pricing through smart meters but supply and demand will change slowly.

Do You Want a Healthcare Nudge?

Primarily for fiscal reasons, in Japan, most 40-74 year olds get their waist size checked each year. A part of the required annual physical exams from local government or employers, waist size is monitored because an obese population can be expensive.…

Could You Like a Carbon Tax?

Our Wednesday environment focus Here is my “To Do” list for reducing carbon emissions: Buy a Prius. Install solar panels. Take the train to NYC. Lower my thermostat to 60 degrees during the winter. Raise my AC thermostat to 78 during…

The Reason For An Income Tax Default (Form)

In Denmark, the government automatically prepares people’s taxes. Because they already have the data they need, the tax authority calculates everyone’s income taxes and sends them notice of how much they owe or will receive as a refund. With 80%…