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Category: Politics

The Energy Game is Rigged: Fossil Fuel Subsidies Topped $620 Billion in 2011

The energy game is rigged in favor of fossil fuels because we omit the environmental and health costs of burning coal, oil, and natural gas from their prices. Subsidies manipulate the game even further. According to conservative estimates from the Global Subsidies Initiative and the International Energy Agency (IEA), governments around the world spent more than $620 billion to subsidize fossil fuel energy in 2011.

Join Us to Discuss & Dissect the Environmental Claims in Last Week's Presidential Debate

If somebody had told me that energy and environmental policy would get the level of attention they did in last week’s presidential debate, I wouldn’t have believed them. Given the areas of focus in candidate advertisements and stump speeches, none of us had any reason to believe that the President’s spending on green jobs and energy, or Governor Romney’s support of “clean” coal and “responsible drilling” would have been front and center in the debate. So let’s discuss…

National Park Service Asks "Where are All the Young People?"

This past week, NBC News reported on a rather upsetting trend among national parks visitors. It seems that instead of the young backpacker often associated with national parks, the average national park visitor is actually middle-aged. What’s the National Park Service doing about this potentially disturbing trend?

Full-Cost Pricing: Getting the Market to Tell the Truth

The key to restructuring the economy is to get the market to tell the truth through full-cost pricing. If the world is to move onto a sustainable path, we need economists who will calculate indirect costs and work with political leaders to incorporate them into market prices by restructuring taxes. Full-cost pricing that will create an honest market is essential to building an economy that can sustain civilization and progress.