News

'The most important number you've never heard of'

As the impacts of climate change add up, economists are trying to figure out what the true cost of a tonne of carbon really is. . .

. . . The two have argued that the way the social cost of carbon was calculated overestimates of the costs of climate action and underestimates its benefits, and so puts the figure too low. At the moment, in the US the SCC is valued at $51 (£37) a tonne, but Stern and Stiglitz believe that it should not be much below $100 (£74) per tonne by 2030 . . .

Shutting Down All Of Japan’s Nuclear Plants After Fukushima Was A Bad Idea

By now, more Japanese have died from the closing of Japan's nuclear power plants following the 2011 Tohoku quake than from the tsunami and the earthquake combined, which was about 20,000 people. Of course, no one has died from any radiation released from the reactor, and no one ever will. There just wasn’t enough dose to anyone. . . 

Democrats Shouldn’t Panic. They Should Go Into Shock.

The rise of inflation, supply chain shortages, a surge in illegal border crossings, the persistence of Covid, mayhem in Afghanistan and the uproar over “critical race theory” — all of these developments, individually and collectively, have taken their toll on President Biden and Democratic candidates, so much so that Democrats are now the underdogs going into 2022 and possibly 2024 . . .

Will Biden’s big spending bills equal more inflation? It’s complicated

Inflation by one key measure just hit a three-decade high. Now, after Congress approved a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, President Biden and Democrats are pushing to pass legislation to spend an additional $1.75 trillion to expand the social safety net and fight climate change. . . . . .