ABSTRACT

Issues of the Day provides an easy way for students, academics, journalists, policymakers, and the public to learn about a diverse range of policy issues affecting the environment, energy, transportation, and public health. Each commentary gives a short assessment of a topic, summarizing in a non-technical way the current state of analysis or evidence on the issue, along with selected recommendations for further reading. The essays are written by world renowned scholars, mostly economists, and provide useful insights on policy problems that are often complex and poorly understood. Some of the topics covered include air pollution, hazardous waste, voluntary environmental programs, domestic (U.S.) and global climate policy design, fishery management, water quality, endangered species, forest fires, oil security, solar power, road and airport, fuel taxes and fuel economy standards, alternative fuel vehicles, health and longevity, smoking, malaria, tuberculosis, and the environment and development. The objective is to disseminate the findings of sound, objective research on the costs, benefits, and appropriate reform of public policies. The book provides a useful supplement for undergraduate- and graduate-level course reading, a reference guide for professionals, and a way for the general reader to quickly develop an informed perspective on the most important policy problems of the day. Issues of the Day is available to download as a PDF from the Resources for the Future website: www.rff.org/weeklycommentary

part |38 pages

Global Environmental Challenges

chapter |2 pages

Thinking Beyond Borders

Why We Need to Focus on Global Public Goods

chapter |2 pages

U.S. Climate Change Policy

Previewing the Debate

chapter |2 pages

Which is the Better Climate Policy?

Emissions Taxes versus Emissions Trading

chapter |2 pages

Forests In A U.S. Climate Program

Promising, But The Key Is Implementation

chapter |2 pages

Climate Change Abatement

Not “Stern” Enough?

part |34 pages

Energy Policies

chapter |2 pages

The Oil Security Problem

“Déjà Vu All Over Again”

chapter |2 pages

The 2008 Oil Price Shock

Markets or Mayhem?

chapter |2 pages

What Role For “Synthetic” Liquid Fuels?

A Look at Canadian Oil Sands

chapter |2 pages

Futuregen

How to Burn Coal—Maybe—Without Contributing to Climate Change

chapter |2 pages

The Economics of New Green Technology Investment

The Case of Satellite Solar Power

chapter |2 pages

Oil Spills

The Deterrent Effects of Monitoring, Enforcement, and Public Information

chapter |2 pages

Opposing the Chicken or Opposing The Egg?

New Challenges in Siting Networked Energy Facilities

chapter |3 pages

Assessing Electricity Markets

Prospects and Pitfalls

part |38 pages

National Environmental Policies

chapter |2 pages

Reinstating the Superfund Taxes

Good or Bad Policy?

chapter |2 pages

The Evolving So2 Allowance Market

Title IV, CAIR, and Beyond

part |28 pages

Managing Natural Resources

chapter |2 pages

The Gulf of Mexico's Dead Zone

Mess, Problem, or Puzzle?

chapter |2 pages

Usda's Conservation Reserve Program

Is It Time to Ease into Easements?

chapter |3 pages

Options Contracts for Contingent Takings

Improving Disaster Management

part |36 pages

Transportation and Urban Policies

chapter |2 pages

Congestion Pricing

Lessons from London

chapter |2 pages

Delayed

Is Privatizing America's Airports the Answer?

chapter |2 pages

Telecommuting

What Is It Good For?

chapter |2 pages

Declining Traffic Fatalities

Lessons for Developing Countries?

chapter |2 pages

Preservation and Development

Can TDRs Improve Land Markets?

part |24 pages

Public Health Policies

chapter |2 pages

The Spread of Mrsa

Antibiotic Resistance with a Name

chapter |2 pages

Controlling Tuberculosis

What Is the Benefit, at What Cost?