Sebastian Mallaby has an interesting column warning that an ill-conceived and poorly designed cap-and-trade system for carbon emissions will not do much to control emissions or encourage environmentally responsible development in poorer nations. It would be great if carbon policy could get out of its timid rut: energy bills that raise fuel-efficiency standards, subsidize windmills […]
Author Archive | Jonathan H. Adler
Paying Dead Farmers Not to Farm:
Today’s Washington Post reports that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has continued to make subsidy payments to farmers who are deceased. The U.S. Department of Agriculture distributed $1.1 billion over seven years to the estates or companies of deceased farmers and routinely failed to conduct reviews required to ensure that the payments were properly made, […]
Debating the Impact of Mass. v. EPA:
This morning, the Northwestern University Law Review Colloquy posted my contribution to an exchange on the impact of Massachusetts v. EPA on climate change policy and the future of administrative law. The first essay, Breaking New Ground on Issues Other than Global Warming, is by Professors Kathryn Watts and Amy Wildermuth. They argued that Mass. […]
Sunday Song Lyric:
We spent the weekend visiting my Dad and his wife in Vermont. Over the years, they have become huge Mary Chapin Carpenter fans — going to concerts and everything. (My Dad at a concert — now there’s an image.) I have never been much of a Carpenter fan myself, but it’s hard not to respect […]
Valerie & Joseph Wilson’s Suit Dismissed:
Valerie Plame Wilson and Joseph Wilson sued Vice President Dick Cheney and several other Executive Branch officials for their alleged complicity in the disclosure of Valerie Plame’s work for the CIA. Today, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed the claims. The opinion is here. Howard Bashman rounds up preliminary news coverage […]
Ralph R. Papitto’s Name Comes Off School:
Via Paul Caron comes news that Ralph R. Papitto asked that his name be taken off the law school at Roger Williams University and the school has agreed to do so. Students and alumni had called for Papitto’s name to be removed after he used a racial epithet during a discussion of diversity at one […]
“Oil Industry Reality Check”:
Timothy Muris and Richard Parker, officials at the Federal Trade Commission under the Bush and Clinton Administrations respectively, have an op-ed in today’s Wall $treet Journal urging lawmakers to recognize the competitive reality of today’s oil industry before adopting additional regulations and controls. Here’s a taste: We’ve spent years at the Federal Trade Commission enforcing […]
Students Seek New Name for Law School:
Students at the Roger Williams University — Ralph R. Papitto School of Law wish to have Mr. Papitto’s name removed from the school because he used a racial epithet during a board of trustees meeting. Paul Caron has the details here.
D.C. Circuit Upholds EPA’s AFO Agreements:
Today a divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit dismissed challenges to a series of agreements between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and operators of animal feeding operations (AFOs) in Association of Irritated Residents v. EPA. Judge David Sentelle wrote the majority opinion, joined by Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Judge Judith […]
McCarthy’s “National Security Court” Proposal:
On NRO’s The Corner, Andrew McCarthy, Director of the Center for Law and Counterterrorism at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, comments on the Goldsmith-Katyal proposal for a domestic terrorism court, and highlights his own proposal for a “National Security Court,” outlined in this paper, and previously discussed here. As summarized by McCarthy: The paper […]
In Defense of the Ninth Circuit:
Richmond attorney Cullen Seltzer rises to the defense of U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Slate: As proof of the 9th’s judicial failings, the critics generally stress the court’s extra-high rate of review and reversal by the Supreme Court. The numbers, though, tell a less damning story than the alarmist portrayals of […]
Second Amendment Case Heads to Supremes:
Earlier today, District of Columbia officials announced that they would file a petition for certiorari in the U.S. Supreme Court seeking review of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit’s decision in Parker v. Districut of Columbia, in which the D.C. Circuit concluded that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to bear […]
Should L.O.S.T. Sink or Swim?
The United States has debated whether to ratify the Convention on the Law of the Sea, otherwise known as the Law of the Sea Treaty or “LOST,” for over twenty years. It was opposed by the Reagan Administration, but some Republicans are giving it a second look, adn the Bush Administration is now pushing for […]
What Constitutes a “Fair Share”?
Economist N. Gregory Mankiw ponders whether the rich pay their “fair share” of federal taxes. The C.B.O.
The Cost of Cooling the Climate:
Congress is considering climate change legislation more seriously than ever before. While there are several legislative proposals in the House and Senate, some of which could be quite costly, none of the bills would make an appreciable impact on future climate change. This is the nub of the climate change problem: Reducing greenhouse gas emissions […]