Why I’m not signing the Economists’ Statement on Carbon Dividends
A few weeks ago there was a big news splash about the Economists’ Statement on Carbon Dividends, signed by an incredibly impressive group of economists: 27 Nobel laureates, 4 former chairs of the Federal Reserve, 15 former chairs of the Council of Economic Advisers, etc. Other economists were invited to sign on, but I’ve decided [...]
Feb 8 carbon tax bill: HB 304
Update: Please see the page for the 1st Substitute bill, HB 304 S1. Rep Briscoe has introduced HB 304 (Fossil Fuels Tax Amendments, Feb 8) and on Wednesday there should be a fiscal note. Until then, here’s some details on the bill! Plain language overview The bill imposes a carbon tax of $10 per ton [...]
2019 update on my global warming “traffic light” bet with Bryan Caplan and Alex Tabarrok
Back in 2014 I made a global warming bet with fellow economists Bryan Caplan and Alex Tabarrok about global temperatures over the following 15 years (2015-2029) compared with the previous 15 years (2000-2014). The bet can be illustrated with this graphic, so I’m calling it our “traffic light” bet: The short version is that the [...]
Some thoughts on a Hawai’i carbon tax
I’ll be in Hawai’i as a speaker and participant in the Ha o ke Kai climate conference on Monday Jan 14. All are welcome! For more information see this Jan 10 Honolulu Civil Beat op-ed by conference organizer Anu Hittle: “Our small state has big ambitions when it comes to climate change”. Here is a [...]
John Madden’s “old bologna sandwich” quote: a definitive citation
Various news stories and online comments reference a John Madden quip about an “old bologna sandwich” during Super Bowl XXXIII in early 1999: The NY Times says: “He often eats old bologna sandwiches, the kind that sit around until he gets hungry. (As a visitor to his bus, I know this assertion is credible.)” The [...]
Vox should fire journalist David Roberts for intentionally lying about I-1631
Update Oct 30: David Roberts added a PS to his piece claiming that his analysis is good because Ash Grove Cement, Nucor Steel, Boeing (the state’s largest private-sector employer), etc. etc. don’t count as “large polluters”. Shameful. Initiative 1631 is a “carbon fee” measure that will be on the ballot in Washington State next week. [...]
Is I-1631 (carbon fee) the most expensive measure in WA history?
Edited Oct 16. And Oct 20 The short answer: Yes, assuming there wasn’t a hugely funded campaign prior to 2008. As of Oct 16, the Yes and No campaigns on I-1631 have raised over $38m. The two previous biggest spending campaigns (I-1183 liquor privatization in 2011 and I-522 GMO labeling in 2013) topped out in [...]
Taking fire from both sides
I began last week under fire from folks on the right and ended it under fire from folks on the left (click here to skip right to that). The common thread? Inability to focus on important facts and a willingness to be cavalier with the truth. Under fire from the right The week began at [...]
State-level carbon tax incubator starting May 15
Goal: Help state-level activists be ready with good and well-supported carbon tax legislation and a campaign plan for January 2019. Invitees: Everyone is invited, but the intended focus is less on top-tier states like Washington and Massachusetts that already have active campaigns and more on second-tier states that want to become top-tier states! Contact any [...]
My Seattle Times op-ed on I-1631 “carbon fee” (co-authored with Joe Ryan)
On Friday the Seattle Times published an op-ed I co-authored with Joe Ryan (we were the co-chairs of the I-732 carbon tax initiative in 2016) about the new “carbon fee” ballot measure that the Alliance for Jobs and Clean Energy is trying to put on the November ballot. A few thoughts: My decision to participate [...]
