Blog Review 651

Here's something to annoy the biologists: both Wallace and Darwin got some of their inspiration from Malthus.

That ever longer working week idea: Americans now spend only 28% of their waking hours working as opposed to 61% only a century and a half ago.

The optimal approach to slowing climate change might not in fact be the optimal approach to climate change.

Getting technical on measuring the benefits of trade: Stolper-Samuelson is broken if you consider that ownership of factors of production is shared.

Limiting the new domain names: the morality police would be better off arguing for all the rude words as new domains.

Things are bad when a respectable middle aged lawyer dreams of doing this to the Prime Minister: "would have given the oily little tick a good kicking behind the bike sheds."

Wouldn't be a surprise to biologists
written by David Jones, July 07, 2008

That Darwin and Wallace were influenced by Malthus wouldn't be a surprise to any biologist. The Darwin association, at least, is very well known.

Looks to me more like another example of economists not knowing their biology.

...
written by Dr Alister McFarquhar, July 08, 2008

Nor have they much respect for evidence: even their economic analysis is rubbished [Dasgupta on Stern]

Economists on climate are diverted by unsubstantiated propaganda. Another example if diversion is this:
"Lomborg and others' favorite diversionary tactic is the abuse of the concept "opportunity cost". But again, in practice it's only the opportunites foregone by the rich polluter which mean anything, while the allegedly better things which can be done for the poor are never going to be done regardless - they're just fraudulent debate points. (If Kyoto or something similar were not implemented, the "costs" saved wouldn't then be spent in the 3rd world, the 1st world would just pocket them.)
http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/200

Lord Stern s alarming arithmetic is worst.

Longterm climate analysis shows no unprecedented warming, There is no evidence that miniscule apres ice age warming in 20 C is influenced by man.

Now adapting to increased oil price-thats a serious problem

Dr
written by Philip Thomas, July 12, 2008

An economist inspired the thoughts of some biologists who went on to explain the origins and complexity of all life on this planet. Yeah, I'm sure biologists are annoyed at that outcome.