Focus on Energy and Environment

Focus on Energy and Environment

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A March 8 Morgan Stanley report argues that the run-up in oil prices is unlikely to trigger an economic downturn. A March 4 report from Morgan Stanley also examined this issue.

On March 1, the United Nations published an online book on “green” economic growth, the first in a series.

On February 28, the National Bureau of Economic Research published a working paper by University of California, San Diego, economist James Hamilton that examined past experiences with oil shocks. It finds that economic downturns always follow major shocks.

A February 23 discussion paper from Resources for the Future found that the economic effects of a carbon tax depend critically on how the revenue is used.

Also on February 23, the RAND Corporation published a study urging that the gasoline tax be replaced by a percentage tax on crude oil.

On February 15, the American Enterprise Institute published a study critical of the idea that green technology will be a major source of jobs.

In a February 10 commentary, environmentalist Bjørn Lomborg is skeptical that investments in alternative energy are going to create many so-called green jobs. Indeed, such investments may destroy more jobs than they create.

On February 8, the Census Bureau published a discussion paper on the effects of environmental regulation on the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing. It finds that such regulation reduces total factor productivity and manufacturing output by about $25 billion per year.

On January 26, the Congressional Research Service published a report on energy R&D funding.

I last posted items on this topic on February 9.

Bruce Bartlett is an American historian and columnist who focuses on the intersection between politics and economics. He blogs daily and writes a weekly column at The Fiscal Times. Bartlett has written for Forbes Magazine and Creators Syndicate, and his work is informed by many years in government, including as a senior policy analyst in the Reagan White House. He is the author of seven books including the New York Times best-seller, Imposter: How George W. Bush Bankrupted America and Betrayed the Reagan Legacy (Doubleday, 2006).

Bruce Bartlett’s columns focus on the intersection of politics and economics. The author of seven books, he worked in government for many years and was senior policy analyst in the Reagan White House.