Pearce and Atkinson take up Victor’s challenge and make a indicator of sustainability. They say that if the savings rate exceeds the combined depreciation of physical and natural capital, that the economy is ‘weakly’ sustainable.
Of course, they assume that natural capital and physical capital are interchangeable. This is a big assumption, and one with which [...]
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Pearce and Atkinson, Capital theory and sustainable development
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Economic growth and the environment
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
By Grossman and Krueger.
In this paper, Grossman and Krueger trace out the environmental Kuznets curves for pollutants in cities. They study atmospheric and water pollutants. In general, they find that there is a Kuznets relationship, with pollution peaking around the GDP of Mexico or Malaysia.
There conclusions are in line with Arrow et al; Grossman and [...]
The usefulness of higher education
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
This morning, Andy Barrie interviewed a philosophy professor. The good doctor was at pains to prove that philosophy is good for many very practical things. He trotted out the same old horse: philosophy teaches critical thinking, and critical thinking is always in demand. Computer skills come and go, but the ability to think–that’s timeless.
To be [...]
My courses
Saturday, April 12, 2008
I use the internet a lot in the courses I teach. You can peer through the warbly wired glass into my classrooms if you’d like:
Economics
Green economics
Political economy
Philosophy
Business writing
Research and writing
College writing
Why Dawkins is wrong
Friday, April 4, 2008
I’ve been reading Richard Dawkins’ book “The God Delusion”. There is much to dislike about the book. Among the many reasons I dislike the book is Dawkins’ egotistical certainty. It’s off-putting.
The first, and easiest refutation of Dawkins is this, I believe: Dawkins spends the great bulk of his book refuting religion in general, and Christianity [...]
Winning at BJJ
Friday, February 22, 2008
Last week, I finally won some fights. In fact, I won a lot of fights!
I beat a BJJ white belt who weighs 100 pounds less than me. I’m not (very) proud of this. I also beat an experienced white belt who weighs 50 pounds more than me–no mean feat. And, in my proudest achievement, I [...]
Proof of the Efficient Markets Hypothesis
Monday, January 28, 2008
The Efficient Markets Hypothesis says that there is no point in picking stocks. There are a few justifications, but this is the simplest one: if you are buying a stock, somebody is selling a stock. At the very same time you think it is going to go up, they think it is going to come [...]
Reading Watches
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
I’m a watch man. I love watches. I read about them every day. I spend a few hundred dollars a year on them. People think I’m crazy.
It is an odd thing to do.
I love watches because they can be read. Like shoes, or ties, or suits, watches say something about the wearer–they whisper it, though, [...]
Weston
Monday, December 10, 2007
I took the dog for a walk yesterday. We just moved to a new neighbourhood in Toronto, so it made for an unusually interesting hour or so.
This is our new house. It’s a cute house on a really cute street, in a really odd town.
Weston is a town within Toronto. Many other neighbourhoods would [...]
More on discounting
Monday, November 19, 2007
I’ve been reading some wonderful stuff on the Stern Report, which was a seminal report on global warming released last year.
The Stern Report says that we should invest now so that we don’t have to pay through the nose later. It all sounds sensible–an ounce of prevention et cetera.
The report, though, is fascinating and complicated [...]