economy
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Energy efficiency: the unsung hero of our times
As our economy continues to sputter, one little-noticed industry has been booming for a while now: energy efficiency.
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Year-end economic musings
Last July, I wrote about trends in U.S. retail electric sales as an indicator of economic activity, and how this recession compares to prior on that metric. We’ve kept tracking that data, and it gets more interesting with each passing month. Here then, a quick update. First off, a lament. I wish EIA would update […]
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Increasing consumer demand in China won't save us
In a much-celebrated recent article, ace reporter David Leonhardt argues that China can bail out the U.S. by transforming itself into the "world's next great consumer society." Given the specter of climate change, is this really the best way out of our economic abyss?
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What the green building industry requires (in one paragraph)
The technology is available. There are loads of talented designers and architects eager to design buildings and places that make more sense than the ones they were born into. What's lacking is money.
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Why does the American public suddenly believe in climate change less?
In the U.S., belief in human-caused climate change has dropped off considerably since 2008 or so. People have come up with some pretty baroque theories around this, but the explanation seems simple enough: the economy has been in the tank and partisanship has been on the rise.
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Why deficit hysteria isn’t good for food-system reform
The Beltway has been overcome by a wave of deficit hysteria. That may spell doom for farm subsidies -- but it can only hurt the effort to reform the food system.
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Investing in metro areas is the key to sustainable growth
If our country stops fetishizing real estate and consumption, and gets back to incubating and executing innovation -- something that happens best in metro areas -- the future could look a lot brighter.
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Anatomy of a Senate climate bill death
Ryan Lizza's recent New Yorker piece provides an interesting insider view of the rise and fall of climate legislation in the Senate. But Lizza gives short shrift to the real reasons Senate passage of climate legislation was impossible in 2010: the deep recession, unified and uncompromising opposition in the Senate, and big spending by oil, coal, and other energy interests. Let's take a close look at these factors.
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New Jersey officials call temporary halt to new work on vital rail links
About 45 million New Jerseyans rode N.J. Transit trains last year. Does N.J. Gov. Chris Christie care about the future of the system that serves them?