This month, the Mississippi River has experienced a prolonged, historic flood. The images of the flood recall other recent floods, … More
Category: federalism
If federal authority ebbs, will states take the lead on regulating upstream water quality?
Since 1972, the Environmental Protection Agency has regulated discharges of pollution to “waters of the United States.” The meaning of … More
California waives environmental regulations for forest management: will this become more common as wildfires worsen?
California experienced two of its worst wildfire seasons in 2017 and 2018. Deadly fires shook several communities, while also marring … More
Markets for clean water
Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency published a memo encouraging states, tribes, and local governments to look to markets for … More
What makes conservation “collaborative”?
One of the chief benefits of embracing free market environmentalism is that it will ensure conservation is more collaborative. Where … More
Another downside to pervasive permitting: what happens when the government shuts down?
One of the lessons of the recent government shutdown (and expected near miss on a second one) is that there … More
Detroiters against free trees?
In 2014, a nonprofit tried to give thousands of trees to Detroit residents, but many declined the offer. A recent … More
Prospecting for conservation: federal mining law encourages environmental conflict rather than free-market negotiation
After President Trump reduced the size of Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument, environmentalists feared the lands would be opened up … More
Environmental restoration requires better incentives
A driving force behind technological innovation and prosperity is “creative destruction.” Old enterprises and technologies are constantly replaced by new … More
How far upstream should federal regulation extend?
Yesterday, the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers published their proposed rewrite of the “waters of the United … More
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