“The House of Representatives voted to repeal $18 billion of tax breaks for oil and gas producers, and to use the savings to finance tax incentives for wind-power projects, solar panels and more energy-efficient cars. The bill, which passed by 236-182, faces long odds amid opposition in the Senate and a White House veto threat. […]
“The Humane Society sued the federal government Wednesday over what it said is a legal loophole that allows sick or crippled cattle, called ‘downers,’ into the food supply. A U.S. Department of Agriculture rule change made in July allows some downer cows into the food supply, the Humane Society of the United States alleges in […]
“A US team has won a $50,000 (£25,000) competition to design a spacecraft to rendezvous with and track the path of an asteroid which may threaten Earth. The winning entry, led by SpaceWorks Engineering, will shadow asteroid Apophis for 300 days. The measurements it takes will be used to refine what is known about the […]
“Earlier today I wrote about how stupid ideas, which make no economic sense, can make political sense due to the warped incentives of bureaucratic or political management. One example which I mentioned was the disastrous use of ethanol as a means of combating global warming. Ethanol is one of those solutions that is wrong at […]
“The Kansas Legislature has wisely written a proposed tax on carbon dioxide emissions out of this year’s energy legislation. That’s the good news: As originally written by the Committee on Utilities, the Sunflower Energy bill’s CO2 tax would have been a first, and a very bad precedent. The bad news is that the original bill […]
“For decades, conventional wisdom has held that daylight-saving time reduces energy use. But a unique situation in Indiana provides evidence challenging that view: Springing forward may actually waste energy, says the Wall Street Journal. According to University of California-Santa Barbara economics professor Matthew Kotchen and Ph.D. student Laura Grant, extending daylight-saving time across Indiana had […]
“Once again, for the umpteenth time this month, I arrive at work soaking wet. Just getting from the car to the front door of the Mises Institute is like going through the rinse cycle — and umbrellas just aren’t my thing. What’s striking is how this weather pattern follows a year of dire warnings from […]
“Ah, the 1960s. Remember when it was a given that doctors were men and nurses were women? Back then gynecologists routinely downplayed serious risks and side effects because, as one doctor explained at the time, his female patients were not capable of weighing the information. “If you tell them the symptoms they’ll have them the […]
“A reduction in a jury award for a drug that caused cancer from $134 million to $58 million would not normally be cause to rejoice. But it has not been a normal year for hormone maker Wyeth. The Madison, N.J. based drug company faces 5,300 Prempro and Premarin related law suits in addition to the […]
“You can refuse to donate your organs when you die, but still get an organ transplant if you need one. You can even prevent a loved one’s wish to donate his or her organs from being carried out. You will still remain eligible for a transplant. The national transplant allocation system lets you get away […]
