Policy Wise

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Via Marginal Revolution, a new US government report on climate change(pdf document) mentions how private insurers are responding to future climate changes.
Major private and federal insurers are both exposed to the effects of climate change over coming decades, but [...]

In his column in The Times of India, Swaminathan S. Anklesariya Aiyar makes an interesting observation,
But another potent but under-appreciated reason is the rise of petroleum prices, and the consequent boom in biofuels. In many countries, ethanol made from maize and sugarcane is being mixed with petrol. Also, edible oils made from soyabeans, [...]

A report in the New York Times brings out a troubling truth: poor nations in Africa whose contribution to greenhouse gases has been minimal would bear the brunt of global warming. In contrast, Western Europe and America who have contributed the most to globalwarming would largely escpae unscathed.
Two-thirds of the atmospheric buildup of carbon dioxide, [...]

Two interesting stories,
First, a coalition of companies and the U.S government has launched to campaigin to popularize the use of energy-efficient light bulbsThe 18Seconds movement is aimed at getting Americans to replace electricity-wasting incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs that are up to five times more efficient and last several times longer.The campaign — [...]

Global warming is most certainly the hot button issue of the day. Recently, a U.N panel held that global warming is ‘most likely’ caused by human activities and concluded that it has become ”a runaway train that cannot be stopped.” Unfortunately, as it usually happens in such cases, the debate has become completely politicized and [...]

A story from Mexico clearly spell out the dilemma which underlies most conservation efforts.
Environmentalists from the United States and Mexico had begged the fishermen to stop using the gill nets that are killing off la vaquita, or the little cow, a porpoise that now has the dubious distinction of being one of the most endangered [...]

Rising sea levels could damage hundreds of miles of the English and Welsh coast over the next 100 years, according to a study commissioned by the conservation group.Houses, farmland, lighthouses and sand dunes will be submerged as climate change and rising seas fuel the erosion, the “Shifting Shores” report says.”The coast is a canary for [...]

Lisa Margonelli thinks increased emphasis on energy-efficiency can help solve America’s energy problems and simultenously tackle global warming. Interestingly enough, she advocates efficiency trading rather than government coercion for best results.
To start an efficiency program, the US will have to shift emphasis from encouraging energy supply to managing energy demand. We should cap the energy [...]

Pratap Bhanu Mehta asks India to step up and face the global climate change challenge.
The challenge is that all these assumptions need to be attenuated if not abandoned. While developed countries are largely responsible for the problem and have so far sought a cheap and easy way out, India and China together will have [...]

 
Over at Marginal Revolution, Tyler Cowen outlines various options/scenarios vis-a-vis India and China’s fossil-fuel consumption (and consequent contribution to global warming) and possible responses from the US.
1. China and India are less locked into fossil fuels than is the United States, and as Brazil has done they will take the lead in moving [...]