http://www.pigouclub.com Pigou Club Homepage - an elite group of economists and pundits that promote the use of pigovian taxes Fri, 28 Sep 2007 16:03:53 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en We've missed the Second Pigou Club manifesto: here it is. http://www.pigouclub.com/archives/39 NYTimes has joins Pigou Club with some wise words:"Energy is currently underpriced in part because its cost does not reflect the damage inflicted by fossil fuels. Underpricing leads to overconsumption. Worse, it leads to underinvestment in alternatives. As long as today’s energy is relatively cheap, there is little incentive for private firms to develop ... http://www.pigouclub.com/archives/38 New York Times has a nice graphical presentation of the cost distribution of climate change. It seems like the poor countries will be worst affected. http://www.pigouclub.com/archives/37 NYT has an editorial about limiting carbon outputs: "But while technology will play an indispensable role, the lead authors of the M.I.T. report, writing in The Wall Street Journal, argue that the most effective way to reduce emissions is to attach a significant price to carbon emissions, ... http://www.pigouclub.com/archives/36 David Friedman (Milton's son) recently wrote a post about reality and hype in environmentalism. He found this image which shows that higher sea levels won't endanger Manhattan by much in the event of a hurricane. That is good news, but IPCC report also says:It is more likely than not (>50%) ... http://www.pigouclub.com/archives/35 Average European and US cars are quite different. The difference is mostly a consequence of higher gas taxes in Europe. The Economist has a nice chart in this week's edition. A huge difference indeed. http://www.pigouclub.com/archives/34 One argument against Pigovian taxes was: More important, on “Milton Friedman Day,” is my skepticism, noted in the post above, of empowering the government to choose the bad behavior that warrants a tax. Another Pigou Club member Mike Moffatt found this quote from Free to Choose: ... http://www.pigouclub.com/archives/33 Here is a statement that got me thinking: The problem with "sin taxes," whether the sin is smoking, or not recycling, or driving to see Mom, is giving government the power to decide what sin is, what the wages of sin are, and who ... http://www.pigouclub.com/archives/32 I have to admit that my last post about wiggle room was not met with universal praise. Everyday Economist replied on his website: The Pigou Club dismisses my argument by falsely assuming that their are no transaction or transition costs. Not quite. In my post I just ... http://www.pigouclub.com/archives/31 Everyday Economist debunks Pigou Club in his latest post: Most people use their cars to drive to work, the store, and to see friends and family. If the tax on gasoline was raised, Mankiw argues, individuals would consume less. However, individuals would still have to go ... http://www.pigouclub.com/archives/30