Will Harris, a free-range chicken farmer in Georgia, recently learned first hand the importance of transaction costs. In the last … More
Tag: environment
Monkey selfie case: another example that litigation-driven environmentalism is inferior to market-based conservation
In 2011, Naruto, a seven-year-old crested macaque played with a cameraman’s equipment, taking several selfies that have since gone viral. … More
Markets improve environmental outcomes without needing most people to notice, which also makes them vulnerable to public choice concerns
Counterintuitively, human prosperity is the engine of environmental improvement. As people grow richer, they care more about the environment around … More
We love federalism . . . until we don’t: committing to federalism would promote innovation, accountability, and hedge against national politics
Federalism—preserving the states’ independent policymaking role to promote innovation and democratic accountability—is a value embraced by people across the political … More
Trump’s infrastructure plan is an opportunity for states and environmentalists to use federalism to steer development in an environmentally friendly direction
Last month, the White House released a $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan that calls for $200 billion in federal infrastructure spending, … More
Showdown at the border(wall): the environmental perils of opposing all federal permitting reform
This week, a federal judge upheld the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to exempt construction of the border wall from … More
Sharing-economy conservation: why technology solves complex environmental problems better than regulation
Technology is dramatically reducing informational costs and making it easier for large groups of people to communicate and collaborate. Consequently, … More
Matching the Endangered Species Act’s incentives with its ethics
It looks increasingly likely that Congress will attempt to overhaul the Endangered Species Act next year. Rob Bishop, chairman of … More
Pipelines v. Property Rights
As fracking has lowered the price of natural gas, the pipelines required to bring the gas to market have, predictably, … More
What Ghostbusters can teach us about environmental regulation
Is the best movie of my childhood an unintentional allegory on the pitfalls of environmental regulation? If you haven’t watched … More
