Archive for category Sustainability
Pietro Peretto (Duke) on The Economics of Prosperity on a Finite Planet
Posted by sangus in Growth, Podcast, Sustainability on 1 May, 2012
Pietro Peretto (Duke)
Pietro Peretto, Professor of Economics, Duke University, is tackling the very biggest topic in Economics — How can humanity experience increasing living standards in a world of finite resources? Or more particularly, does the stabilisation of population levels imply the cessation of economic prosperity gains? Professor Peretto is a theorist who has been developing analytical models of human output and interaction with the environment. Professor Peretto was in Melbourne recently for the 17th Australasian Macroeconomic Workshop, at Monash University.
Read the paper on which this Podcast is based: Peretto, Pietro F. and Valente, Simone, Growth on a Finite Planet: Resources, Technology and Population in the Long Run (June 29, 2011). Economic Research Initiatives at Duke (ERID) Working Paper No. 103.
Or download the podcast here: download (mp3)
Andreas Lange (U Hamburg) on Why Fairness Principles Matter to International Climate Change Negotiations
Posted by sangus in Interview, Podcast, Sustainability on 25 August, 2011
Andreas Lange
Why does fairness matter to international climate change negotiations?
To help us answer this question, Andreas Lange, a Professor of Economics from the University of Hamburg joins us on EconomicsNow!. Andreas also holds positions at the Centre for European Economic Research, Mannheim, University of Maryland, and the National Bureau of Economic Research. Andreas has worked on a number of issues in public and environmental economics, applying theory, lab experiments and applied econometrics to the task. Most recently, Andreas has conducted research on international climate change negotiations and the notion of fairness that each nation or region takes to the negotiations.
Read the paper on which this Podcast is based: Lange, Andreas, Andreas Löschel, Carsten Vogt and Andreas Ziegler, “On the Self-Serving Use of Equity Principles in International Climate Negotiations”, European Economic Review 54, 2010, 359-375.
Or download the podcast here: download (mp3)
ABC World Today: EU Climate Advisor ‘astounded’ by Climate Debate in Australia
Posted by sangus in Interview, Podcast, Sustainability on 8 March, 2011
Via ABC’s the World Today audio program …
Listen to an interview with Jill Duggan, presently working as a carbon pricing expert for the European Commission, emit surprise and awe at the state of the Climate debate in Australia. Several key points are raised and debunked in this interview — won’t Australia be the first to put a price on carbon? (No) Won’t a price on carbon greatly impact on home power bills (No, not in proportion to other increases) Won’t Australia be the first to move to an Emissions Trading Scheme? (No, the EU has a scheme covering over 500 million people that has been operating for many years). Important listening!
Or download the podcast here: download (mp3)
Wake Up, Freak Out - then Get a Grip
Posted by sangus in Sustainability on 8 May, 2009
Or .. `How to present non-linear dynamics to a Linear Generation’
Wake Up, Freak Out - then Get a Grip from Leo Murray on Vimeo.
I’m a big supporter of attempts to bring complex issues to the public in a digestable format, and for this Murray has done a superb work of good here. However, I’m also keen to bring some of the emmotion out of climate change and bring real economic solutions to the table, rather than (say) public disobedience (as it seems Murray would have us undertake from this clip).
The problem of Climate Change is Economic in nature: to quote Nicholas Stern, author of the vital ‘Stern Review’ for the UK, climate change is the biggest example of market failure the world has ever seen. I don’t disagree, and thus, surely it is up to us Economists to provide an answer. Here’s where climate change policy is so important. Murray rightly shows that there are some ‘vested interests’ who may not wish to change the direction of their very large corporate ships, but the reality is, this is not a long-term strategy and they know it. Indeed, many of the large miners (for example) have been thinking about a low-intensity climate future for some time. We, the people, need to support these efforts and encourage our governments to get on their skates. As Murray says, we have little time to ‘fiddle’, Rome isn’t burning yet, but it will.
Michael Hanemann on Climate Change Policy
Posted by sangus in Interview, Podcast, Sustainability on 30 April, 2009
Michael Hanemann is Chancellor’s Professor at the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California at Berkeley. He’s also the Director of the California Climate Change Center. He was in Australia towards the end of 2008 to speak at several universities (including Monash) and to hold discussions with policy makers in the Australian Government. The interview discusses different approaches to climate change policy including what options Australia might take based on experiences internationally, especially in California.
Or download the podcast here: download (mp3)
I.O.U.S.A.: The Movie
Posted by sangus in Health, Sustainability on 27 April, 2009
Watch a 30min version of the high-impact documentary that aims to reconfigure the way that government fiscal decisions are made in the US. Will it have an impact? Time will tell.
In any case, makes for interesting watching, especially if you consider the ‘balanced budget’ criterion for many developing countries when it comes to developmetn assistance.
The other climate debate - Background Briefing - ABC
Posted by sangus in Podcast, Sustainability on 24 March, 2009
A superb Background Briefing report investigating the forthcoming Renewable Energy Target (presently, 20% of energy production to be greenhouse gas free by 2020) for Australia. Other countries have a similar target, but will Australia be able to deliver? What are the incentives? Are there differences in policy across the states? What are the key forthcoming policy decisions to be made by the Commonwealth. It’s all here.
Or download the podcast here: download (mp3)
Read the transcript at:
Ross Garnaut on Climate Change - Hack - Triple J
Posted by sangus in Interview, Podcast, Sustainability on 24 March, 2009
From Triple J’s Hack Program:
The wait is over Ross Garnaut has finally revealed his target for carbon emission reductions. This is the figure that shows how serious Australia is about dealing with climate change. It’ll have a big impact on things australia’s energy mix and how much you pay for electricity and fuel. So what’s the figure?
Garnaut says 10% reduction by 2020. Business are satisfied while environmental groups were hoping for much more. Garnaut says Australia should be prepared to committ to bigger reductions if there’s international agreement. But he’s skeptical about whether that’ll happen initially.
All this means we’re heading towards an atmosphere of 550 parts per million of carbon dioxide, where bigger cuts would have us at 450 parts per million. But Ross Garnaut says his recommendation is the right mix of economics and science.
+ Listen to Ross Garnaut on 2020 emissions targets (mp3, 3.42mb)
date: 05/09/2008
reporter: Kate O’Toole