The Environmental Protection Agency has revised the formula for calculating official fuel mileage ratings to try and make them more representative of actual performance, the New York Times reports. The changes are intended to account for how car owners actually use their vehicles, as this effects fuel economy. The result is lower estimated miles-per-gallon for […]
Author Archive | Jonathan H. Adler
Climate Forecasts To Be Trimmed?
The UK Telegraph reports that the forthcoming report of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will report there is greater certainty about the connection between anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases and global temperature, while offering a slightly reduced estimate of human impact on global climate. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says there […]
Bainbridge on Bush and Fusionism:
Professor Bainbridge offers his thoughts on how President Bush’s policies fractured fusionism and drove away libertarian-minded conservatives: The GOP succeeded in breaking out of 40+ years as a minority party because people like Ronald Reagan and, yes, Newt Gingrich consistently embraced a fusionist approach to policy that enabled libertarians, social conservatives, and fusionists to live […]
The Sixth Circuit’s “Lethal Mess”:
Sentencing Law & Policy’s Doug Berman reports on the “lethal mess in Ohio” created by the Sixth Circuit’s inconsistent approach to death penalty cases.
What Is (or Was) “Fusionism”?
With all of this talk about the demise of the conservative-libertarian “fusion,” and the potential for “liberaltarianism,” I thought it would be worthwhile saying a little bit about the origins and content of “fusionism.” In post-war American conservatism, the term “fusionism” is most closely associated with Frank S. Meyer, a conservative intellectual who was a […]
Merit Selection:
How does Yale Law School determine who should receive the school’s prestigious Award of Merit? Davit Lat has some amusing speculation.
Federal Torture Indictment:
The federal government has indicted one Roy M. Belfast, Jr. for engaging in torture, and thereby violating 18 U.S.C. 2340A. As Robert Chesney notes (via Steve Vladeck), this is the first such federal indictment. Given the controversy about what does, or does not, constitute torture under U.S. law, Vladeck notes the issuance of this indictment […]
Honoring Borlaug:
Via Jurisdynamics comes word that Cognress has approved bestowing a Congressional Gold Medal on Norman Borlaug. Once President Bush signs the legislation, this will be an honor well-deserved.
Selective Appeals to Consensus:
Roger Pielke Jr. catches climate scientist Michael Mann of RealClimate being a bit selective in his reliance upon the scientific consensus on climate change. For those who work on this issue, he offers this advice. Now that the WMO [World Meteorlogical Organization] has issued a consensus statement on the state of climate science, scientists should […]
When Michael Met David:
The Chronicle of Higher Education sat Michael Berube and David Horowitz down for lunch. This is what transpired. (Spoiler: Neither was hospitalized or arrested.) Berube has additional comments here. Henry Farrell sums it up here.
Recreating “A Christmas Story”:
Another reason to visit Cleveland.
Sherwin-Williams, “No. 1 Terrorist Organization”??
In recent weeks I’ve received postcards attacking the “terrorism” of Sherwin-Williams. With “Sherwin-Williams No. 1 Terrorist Organization” emblazoned across the top, each postcard makes vague allegations that the company “steals copyrighted product,” and seeks “to slander, defame, file false testimony,” and file legal proceedings “to deny Miles his 1st and 6th Amendments.” Sherwin-Williams and its […]
Burning Forests to Make Biodiesel:
Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal reported (link for subscribers) on how the boom in biodiesel and other renewable fuel sources is having unintended environmental consequences around the world. On the island of Borneo, for example, Indonesians are setting forest fires to clear land for palm oil plantations (palm oil can be used to make biodiesel). The […]
“Thousands Voted Illegally”:
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports: Nearly 12,000 people in Cuyahoga County cast votes illegally on Election Day, without signing the election books or, likely, showing identification as required by a new state law. In 533 of the 570 voting precincts in Cuyahoga County, more voters cast ballots Nov. 7 than signed in, according to board […]
No Trans-Fats in NYC:
The New York City Board of Health approved a ban on artificial trans-fats in local restaurants today. Other cities, such as Chicago, have considered such policies, but New York is the first city to adopt a complete ban. According to the NYT: The new requirements will mean that the city’s 20,000 food establishments, from high-end […]