What does it actually mean for a country to comply with the Kyoto emissions targets? Will it really have a bad effect on the economy of a country that tries to implement it? An interesting perspective on how it might affect Canada. The key point is probably really not that a country meets the goals exactly, it's that it makes a good effort to control and reverse greenhouse gas emissions, and that it can be done in a way that is economically friendly.
Don't worry about a crash, just a much slower or maybe nonexistent rate of home price growth. Global Insight with some recent data:
New data released by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) reveal that price appreciation is now nearly at a standstill in almost all of the top 20 markets, and in some, prices are actually declining.
Over the summer I wrote a paper for school that took a high-level look at how investment in a transportation facility would affect the economic development outcomes of an area, with specific reference to the Interstate 86 corridor of the Southern tier counties of New York State. In the interest of open scholarship, I figured I would make the paper available online:
Keeping his eye on the bigger picture, Nicholas Kristof writes a great op-ed piece in the New York Times today. What happened in Louisiana and Alabama because of hurricane Katrina definitely had the worst effect on the poor, and the US is not doing a very good job of helping the poor in normal weather, either:
Under Mr. Bush, the national infant mortality rate has risen for the first time since 1958. The U.S. ranks 43rd in the world in infant mortality, according to the C.I.A.'s World Factbook; if we could reach the level of Singapore, ranked No. 1, we would save 18,900 children's lives each year.
So in some ways the poor children evacuated from New Orleans are the lucky ones because they may now get checkups and vaccinations. Nationally, 29 percent of children had no health insurance at some point in the last 12 months, and many get neither checkups nor vaccinations. On immunizations, the U.S. ranks 84th for measles and 89th for polio.
This is the official web site sponsored by the three main credit reporting companies where you can get your free credit report once a year.
What would happen if the price of oil just kept going up, over $100 a barrel? Reuters has an interesting news piece with various economic and business types weighing in. Bad news all around. Why are we trying to drill in Alaska for a year or two worth of oil? Reducing oil consumption is not an option, it is the only option, and we as a country seem to be studiously avoiding it.
President Bush has made reform of the Social Security system a priority of his second term. Articles and speculation about legislation and outcomes are starting to appear, even though the president has not yet seen the recommendations of his special committee. Confused about the basic concepts and ideas? This Associated Press article is a really good question-answer, non-partisan explanation of some of the ideas being talked about right now.
I don't really understand. I would be willing to bet that most of the election officials in charge have used a desktop computer that has crashed or hung or otherwise died on them, so why would they not think that an electronic voting machine could screw up, and that a paper backup would not be necessary?
The Institute for Justice (a libertarian organization) has an interesting map on interstate wine and alcohol shipping restrictions.
As needs in transportation spending have gone up but funding, especially from federal and state sources, have not kept pace, many places are looking locally to tax measures and bonding to fill in the gap. And as roads and suburban areas become more crowded and transit planning demands more funding, many voters are saying yes and ballot initiatives are coming at a record pace.
Hopefully on related are a growing number of States, especially in the West (think what you want about that) with medical marijuana laws or initiatives on the ballot (or even regulated legalization in Alaska). Adding another vice to the tax line up could be a good source of revenue for states with funding issues (which would basically be all of them). Somebody has to pay for those unfunded mandates like No Child Left Behind.
Mayor Bloomberg finally worked out the long-term numbers then realized that recycling is cheaper then paying to try and ship New York City's garbage to various points along the Eastern seaboard. So now New York City will be recycling more (And here), the question is just when and how.
I was looking at possibly changing my health insurance, always a fun task for the unemployed. The state of New York does actually have some useful information online. They have an interactive report on managed care plans and an HMO guide.
It has become all the more apparent in the past couple years that energy policy is a large intersection between foreign and domestic policy. It would be nice if the current administration (and future administrations) focused much more on conservation and renewable energy sources to reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources. The Apollo Project is a coalition pushing for this; their focus on the idea that conservation technologies and renewable energy technologies are and can be designed and built by American industries, generating jobs and business right here is something that can bear repeating.