CAFOs under attack

Ok, sure, it's only by a couple of liberals, but maybe this movement has legs? A bill sponsored by Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren seeks to increase competition among meat packers, a change that would potentially increase farmers' sale prices, putting them on better financial footing. Also removing clout from the mega-producers and mega-processors might rein in their miserable environmental practices. It's hopeful!

Cheap oil!

A few days ago, before the stock market collapsed (!) I noted that due to the ongoing clash between the world's two biggest suppliers of crude oil (OPEC and Russia) the price of oil was dropping quite a bit, lower than it had for about 4 years. Cheap oil and gas would have been a boost for consumers (and a loss for those who love the environment)... but guess what? Now everyone is staying home. Airlines are among the biggest consumers of oil, but no one's traveling; manufacturing too is tanking. So not only were prices low from the price wars, but STILL nobody wants oil, even at those prices. (Except Trump, who is taking the opportunity to refill the strategic reserve- can't really argue with that move.) Anyway, today the price dropped again to about $23/ barrel, a price not seen since 2002.

This is a huge, positive development for the environment and particularly a big step against climate change. If only it wasn't coming at such a horrible, horrible human cost....

To hear more about it, including the view from a genuine expert, check out this 30-minute (ish) podcast ... and even the full transcript is included at the same link! Excuse me while I go read it....

Enter... CORONAVIRUS!

The good news: as the economy grinds to a halt, pollution also slows.... https://twitterhttps://twitter.com/novaaa/status/1238879131456208903.com/novaaa/status/1238879131456208903?s=20

https://twitter.com/novaaa/status/1238879131456208903?s=20

https://twitter.com/novaaa/status/1238879131456208903

Some bad news (though not nearly as bad as the real bad news) is price gouging, which in general economists support. Gotta say, though, it's a bad look!

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/14/technology/coronavirus-purell-wipes-amazon-sellers.html

The idea is that higher prices will incentivize suppliers to provide more of the good when a particular need crops up. For example here in Maryland, a pharmacist is able to synthesize hand sanitizer, which normally it wouldn't be worth her time to do, but in cases like this she can put extra effort into the task.

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/fox-5-found-toilet-paper-in-silver-spring
https://twitter.com/novaaa/status/1238879131456208903?s=20

Russia vs OPEC

Could it be... a price war? https://twitter.com/gbrew24/status/1236451791610490880

A similar take from US News & World Report

Pretty much timed perfectly from a class perspective- we'll see if we get the cheap gas that this thread predicts!

Quickie on methane

A new study reports that the impact of methane on climate change is even bigger than was thought. That means that fracking is worse than we thought. :(

Environmental footprint of variety of foods

This is the article I've been waiting for forever! So excited to put it in front of my students this semester.

https://ourworldindata.org/food-choice-vs-eating-local

One commenter on Twitter asks what % of any carbon footprint is attributable to food. Turns out that is about 26%!

https://ourworldindata.org/environmental-impacts-of-food

Nuclear saves lives... compared to coal

Coal is dirty in many ways, from staining the hands of miners to contributions to climate change, but this striking new paper shows that by creating air pollution (presumably primarily particulate matter) coal kills: thousands a year. Here is a one-tweet summary:

For the full paper, see the link.

Update 1/27: Prof. Auffhammer adds some personal recollections.

Update 3/21:  NY Times article on the effects of a coal plant closing. It's a sympathetic view of how the closure will affect the lives of locals.