Tag Archives: belief economics
A Seasonal Tale: The Brilliant Economists of Easter Island
In trying to explain belief economics, I was reminded of a seasonal story: the tale of the utterly brilliant economists of Easter Island. Despite the historical inaccuracies, it nonetheless makes a startling case. Belief Economics is the study of why … Continue reading
No incentive to innovate?
Industry glibly says: “The low carbon price means there is no incentive to innovate.” Hell no, there really isn’t an incentive to innovate. How about solving a really big problem called “how does man live comfortably without smashing up the … Continue reading
Stimulus and response in the EU ETS
We use a carbon tax or an emission trading scheme to stimulate investment in clean technology. The logic of this idea is based on several steps: we charge people for emitting CO2 and as a result some will find ways … Continue reading
Priming as policy: forest schools and nuclear power
It takes five years to educate a child from the age of five to ten. It takes between ten and twenty years to build a nuclear power station in a democracy. We should consider carefully the implications of this in … Continue reading
Prosperity, possessions and flying
In a recent article published in the Guardian, L Hunter Lovins describes how a new narrative might be emerging about the economy. http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/oct/10/challenge-narrative-possessions-equal-prosperity In the rich world we are realising that we don’t need possessions to achieve prosperity, happiness and … Continue reading