As star-studded protests are lining the streets of New York in Manhattan and on Wall Street, it appears that an international debate has been stirred about the importance of protecting the environment. However, while the United Nations met this week to discuss how this goal can be reached, the reality of a national debate in … Continue reading
President Obama has made reducing income inequality a common theme in his second-term speeches and policy proposals, and has cited inequality as “the defining challenge of our time.” His administration’s recently proposed carbon regulations, however, will increase prices for consumers and lay off thousands of workers, disproportionately hurting low-income and middle-class Americans. This month, the … Continue reading
Attempts to increase fuel efficiency could end up being a greater burden than benefit for the majority of car owners. A major policy objective for the Obama administration is increased fuel efficiency, and in the past five years, several ambitious regulations have been approved which require that car manufactures produce vehicles with greater fuel efficiency. An American … Continue reading
The EPA recently held 11 sessions for public input on the agency’s new rules to restrict carbon emissions from existing power plants. While large coal interests and major labor unions were represented, the vast majority of attendees represented environmental advocacy groups (or themselves) and favored regulation. Some might suggest that this indicates broad support for … Continue reading
Shale gas discoveries has proliferated in the United States as hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, a relatively new technology, has allowed an efficient way to extract shale gas, producing a cheaper and cleaner source of energy than coal. The shale gas boom happening in the United States which has resulted in an economy-boosting decrease in gas prices … Continue reading
Last Tuesday, President Obama gave his climate change speech at Georgetown University, addressing one of the more controversial environmental issues: the increasing amounts of carbon pollution being produced from our power plants, and the lack of regulations on them. During his speech, Obama noted that there were absolutely no limitations on coal-fired power plants, allowing … Continue reading
On Wednesday, President Obama gave a speech at Georgetown University announcing a new climate change policy. The announcement fulfills a promise he made in his State of the Union Address to move forward with executive regulation if Congress failed to act on climate change. It also makes good on his promise to bankrupt the coal … Continue reading
The federal government employs people of many different professional backgrounds, but among them you will not find fortunetellers. Yet scientists, analysts, and lawyers could sometimes use an assist from seers in completing the work they are asked to do. Conducting cost-benefit analyses of agencies’ proposed regulations necessitates predicting their impact on the economy, an unfathomably … Continue reading
With the nomination of Gina McCarthy to be the newest chief of the Environmental Protection Agency, a lot of shade has been thrown on the administration’s lack of transparency and practices of favoritism. First Senator Vitter delayed the vote with 1,038 questions, which he then narrowed to five key demands. Now it is looking like Republicans … Continue reading
The ever-present “fracking” debate has ignited in California, as Governor Jerry Brown expressed acceptance to the use of hydraulic fracturing causing an eruption of controversy. The state is projected to have enough Monterey Shale to offset several years of oil imports. Companies have been extracting oil in California for years, but it wasn’t until now … Continue reading
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