Environment

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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April 16, 2014
economic news roundup and water shortages
Published by Elaine Schwartz at April 16, 2014
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How To Cope With (Water) Stress

Being water stressed means you are unusually vulnerable to a water shortage. Sort of like a household where one emergency can push it over the edge because it […]

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April 9, 2014
Salamander ant prey
Published by Elaine Schwartz at April 9, 2014
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The Big Impact of a Little Salamander

The woodland salamander made me think of Adam Smith. In North American forests, wherever it is dark and damp, under a rock or a log, a […]

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March 22, 2014
avocados and elephants
Published by Elaine Schwartz at March 22, 2014
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The Unintended Consequences of Banning Ivory Sales

New US ivory regulations have had unintended consequences. During November 2013, the US government “pulverized” nearly 6 tons of elephant ivory from Asia and Africa. Intending to […]

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March 16, 2014
Opportunity Cost Tradeoffs Pothole Cost
Published by Elaine Schwartz at March 16, 2014
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What We Sacrifice for Pothole Patches

With 150,000 more potholes than last year and $12 for each temporary patch, Chicago has spent close to $3 million on pothole repair and the end […]

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March 5, 2014
Weekly Economic News Roundup and giant pandas
Published by Elaine Schwartz at March 5, 2014
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Is the Price of Protecting Pandas Too High?

By Madeleine Vance, guest blogger and student at Kent Place School This summer, I had an incredible opportunity to travel through China including a stop to […]

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February 26, 2014
economic news roundup and height matters
Published by Elaine Schwartz at February 26, 2014
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Tall and Short Populations

Princeton economist Angus Deaton estimates that it will take 500 years for Indian women to reach the height of English women. In The Great Escape, Dr. […]

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February 12, 2014
drought marginal cost
Published by Elaine Schwartz at February 12, 2014
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The Cost of Conservation

By Madeleine Vance, guest blogger and student at Kent Place School. Saving water is supposed to allow us to cut down costs. For the drought-stricken city […]

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February 5, 2014
Noise Pollution and Negative Externalities
Published by Elaine Schwartz at February 5, 2014
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1930s Noise Pollution

In 1932, the NYC Noise Abatement Commission received a letter from Mr. N. Schmuck of 137 Milton Street in Brooklyn about the noise from a nearby […]

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February 4, 2014
Brazil's Transportation Infrastructure World Cup to-do
Published by Elaine Schwartz at February 4, 2014
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Brazil’s World Cup To-Do List

Preparing its transportation infrastructure for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, Brazil has one giant to-do list. In the air and on the ground, it […]

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January 22, 2014
decreasing child mortality rates in developing countries
Published by Elaine Schwartz at January 22, 2014
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One Way That the “Poor Beat the Rich”

In just 8 minutes, Hans Rosling shows us that, with child mortality rates, the developing world is making more progress than we might expect. With his […]

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January 15, 2014
Weekly Economic News Roundup and aging and fertility
Published by Elaine Schwartz at January 15, 2014
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The Green Blog: Why Japan Might Face a Demographic Crisis

By Madeleine Vance, guest blogger and student at Kent Place School. As of late, younger Japanese citizens are choosing to live the single life rather than […]

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