Archive for June, 2009
Conservatives have always been green
In: Uncategorized
20 Jun 2009Many commentators, including many greens themselves and free market critics, are under the false impression that environmentalism is in some senses a left wing outlook. But this useful article by Geoffrey Lean in today’s Telegraph shows how mainstream conservatives have often backed environmentalist measures: • Angela Merkel, Germany’s conservative chancellor, was instrumental in passing the […]
- Tags: America, environment, Europe, Germany, sustainability
A different take on cuts
In: Uncategorized
18 Jun 2009Many commentators have made the correct point that the next British government, whichever political stripe, will have to make public spending cuts. Forecasts of economic growth, tax revenue and debt repayments suggest cuts will be substantial. What the pundits have missed is that the reluctance of political parties to be open about austerity is consistent […]
- Tags: consumption, economics, growth, sustainability
A bastion of growth scepticism
In: Uncategorized
17 Jun 2009Matthew Taylor, the chief executive of the RSA, had a comment piece in yesterday’s Times (London) which recycled many key growth sceptic ideas. He conceded that in many respects we have never had it so good. However, in his view we are plagued by rampant individualism and hyper consumerism. Taylor bases his argument on the […]
- Tags: consumption, happiness, science
Battle for the Economy online
In: Uncategorized
17 Jun 2009It is now possible to listen to a recording of the 16 May Battle for the Economy conference in London online. The sessions include one I spoke at on greedy bankers
Sustainable development is rubbish – literally
In: Uncategorized
16 Jun 2009This week’s Economist has an article about how Colombia’s constitutional court has officially recognised scavengers at a rubbish dump in Cali, the country’s third city, as entrepreneurs. For the free market magazine this is a wonderful example of popular capitalism in action. It approvingly quotes Martin Medina, who has written a book on the subject, […]
- Tags: development, sustainability
Economic debate as pantomime
In: Uncategorized
15 Jun 2009The following comment by me appeared in the latest Fund Strategy (15 June). Oh no it isn’t! Oh yes it is! The debate about whether the world is recovering from recession is getting mightily confusing. Economic discussion has been largely reduced to pantomime. Last week pundits latched on to several indicators that appeared to show […]
- Tags: economics, finance, Fund Strategy, growth
A fishy encounter
In: Uncategorized
12 Jun 2009I had been hoping for a quiet evening after a hectic week’s work but unexpectedly found myself in a battle with some fishy environmentalists and an even fisher journalist. Since I finished work unexpectedly early I decided to go to see the End of The Line, a newly released documentary about over-fishing, as the only […]
- Tags: consumption, environment, ethics, film, food, science, technology
Top academic against consumerism
In: Uncategorized
11 Jun 2009A sophisticated attack on consumerism from a particularly influential source. Amitai Etzioni, a former president of the American Sociological Association, argues in an article in The New Republic (17 June) for a cultural change in America: “What needs to be eradicated, or at least greatly tempered, is consumerism: the obsession with acquisition that has become […]
- Tags: America, cars, consumption, ethics, sustainability, work
For factory farming
In: Uncategorized
10 Jun 2009A useful article by Vivienne Parry, a science writer and broadcaster, on “food porkies” in the June issue of Prospect. She argues strongly against the view that factor farming is the source of many of the new diseases that are leading to pandemics: “A study by the respected US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention […]
- Tags: consumption, ethics, food, science, technology
Comment on Real Clear Markets
9 Jun 2009Real Clear Markets has published my latest comment from Fund Strategy.
- Tags: economics, finance, Fund Strategy, media appearances
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