Canadian Economists for a Carbon Tax

Economists sometimes get a bad rap – the unfair belief that they worship at the alter of markets above all else, ignoring real problems as a result. In fact, a great deal of contemporary economics is focused on the opposite – understanding the places where markets fail, and helping craft policies that can make up …

Continue reading ‘Canadian Economists for a Carbon Tax’ »

Don’t Celebrate That Cheap Oil

David Strahan in the Independent: A falling oil price has real short-term benefits. Petrol has dropped below £1 per litre for the first time in almost a year; domestic heat and power bills should eventually follow; food prices and inflation should also ease, giving the monetary authorities greater freedom to cut interest rates. But these …

Continue reading ‘Don’t Celebrate That Cheap Oil’ »

The Rhetorical Attractiveness of “Energy Independence”

David Henderson on energy independence: [T]he case for being “dependent” on other countries for oil is the same as the case for being dependent on other countries for bananas or coffee. At some tariff-protected price, the United States could be self-sufficient in bananas or coffee. If the price were high enough, someone would grow bananas …

Continue reading ‘The Rhetorical Attractiveness of “Energy Independence”’ »