Environment

November 13, 2014
Everyday Economics: Because water is not a public good, neither Ireland nor Detroit need provide it without charging.
Published by Elaine Schwartz at November 13, 2014
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Should Water Be Free?

Although protestors in Detroit and Ireland say water is a human right, economists, citing a definition of a public good and a tornado alarm, would disagree.

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November 10, 2014
More people vote when they believe it is a social norm.
Published by Elaine Schwartz at November 10, 2014
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The Difference That a Sticker Makes

Because "I Voted" stickers indicate voting is a social norm, like paying taxes or saving electricity, people are more likely to act like their neighbors.

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October 14, 2014
Everyday economics of LED bulbs
Published by Elaine Schwartz at October 14, 2014
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The Unexpected Consequences of More Efficient Lighting

Like 19th century English coal, more efficient and cheap LED lights can mean people and businesses use it more because of the lower opportunity cost.

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August 27, 2014
Everyday Economics: With opportunity cost, planners can decide how much natural disaster preparation is worth the tradeoff.
Published by Elaine Schwartz at August 27, 2014
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The Costs of Being Prepared for a Natural Disaster

Whereas natural disaster preparation can save lives, it might have too high an opportunity cost to make sense or be a ShakeAlert that has been proven.

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August 4, 2014
The spread of refrigeration in China will create positive and negative externalities that relate to productivity, diet, health and the environment.
Published by Elaine Schwartz at August 4, 2014
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The Spillover from Refrigerators in China

The spread of refrigeration in China has positive and negative externalities that relate to household diets, greenhouse gases and transport and home waste.

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July 28, 2014
Calculating the GDP involves many decisions and using it can be controversial as in Greece.
Published by Elaine Schwartz at July 28, 2014
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Why the GDP is Much More Than a Number

Seemingly just a statistic, how we calculate the GDP and how it is used can be controversial and affect the lives of millions of people.

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July 7, 2014
Indian development and tradeoffs from roads and cars
Published by Elaine Schwartz at July 7, 2014
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The Difference Between India's Stories and Statistics

There is a village in Southern India called Kadapakkam. It had been a home to farmers and fishermen whose thatched huts had no running water and no electrical appliances. At traditional tea shops […]

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June 13, 2014
CEO performance and golf
Published by Elaine Schwartz at June 13, 2014
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What Golf in China Shows About Economic Development

On a ladder of spending in developing economies, growing affluence first means wheat and meat. Then, climbing somewhat higher, people can afford consumer durables like a washing machine and […]

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June 11, 2014
Prius Purchases Could Reflect Conforming to a Local Social Norm
Published by Elaine Schwartz at June 11, 2014
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Prius Purchases and Conspicuous Conservation

Our Wednesday Environment Focus Reporting that Prius was the top selling car in California, Bloomberg said the reason was tough emissions standards. I wonder… In a 2011 paper, […]

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May 28, 2014
Beeps like backup warnings from trucks create noise pollution negative externalities.
Published by Elaine Schwartz at May 28, 2014
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The Beeps in Our Lives

Our Wednesday Environment Focus We have intentionally created some of the sounds that our technology makes. Take the beep… You know that beep..beep..beep sound of a truck […]

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May 21, 2014
Cost and benefit balance change for dealing with global warming if it creates a national security threat.
Published by Elaine Schwartz at May 21, 2014
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An Unexpected Cost of Climate Change?

Our Wednesday Environment Focus By Madeleine Vance, guest blogger and student at Kent Place School; edited by Elaine Schwartz Global Warming has become more than just a […]

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May 14, 2014
The externalities created by attempts at energy efficiency can be positive or negative.
Published by Elaine Schwartz at May 14, 2014
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Energy Efficiency Surprises

Our Wednesday Environmental Issue: Trying to optimize energy efficiency, we might have unexpected results. First, where we live… Referring to an environmentally friendly community where he once lived, New Yorker writer […]

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