Daily Policy Digest
Environment Issues
| Fisker Loan Failure Highlights Uncle Sam's Poor Investment History In 2009, green automaker Fisker was awarded a $529 million federal loan; now, the company is teetering on the brink of complete failure and the taxpayer is on the hook... |
| Unproven U.S. Oil Reserves Far Greater than Originally Thought The United States Geological Survey estimates that the Bakken and Three Forks shale formations hold more than 7.4 billion barrels of oil and gas that is undiscovered, but could theoretically be extracted in the future... |
| European Carbon Market in Trouble The European Union's carbon market, a "cap-and-trade" type system, could soon be the victim of its own success... |
| China Not Embracing Electric Cars The real number of electric vehicles sold in China last year was actually about 3,000, when factoring out hybrids and vehicles that aren't roadworthy, such as golf carts... |
| Environmental Regulations Stop Shovel-Ready Jobs The National Environmental Policy Act costs the U.S. economy $577 billion in direct investment and 1.9 million jobs through its regulation of privately funded energy projects... |
| Green Jobs: Illusive and Costly Solar generation accounts for only 500 jobs and wind technologies account for only 2,700 jobs... |
| New Tax on Hybrid Vehicles to Support Highway Maintenance A new law in Virginia will require hybrid and electric car owners to pay a $64-per-year fee to make up for what taxes these owners aren't paying at the pump... |
| How the Wheels Came Off for Fisker The failure of electric car maker Fisker represents yet another example of the federal government's poor ability to pick winners and losers in the private market, particularly with firms that seek to limit fossil fuel use... |
| Capitalist Profit Motive Reduces Pollution The transformation of industrial waste into lucrative byproducts is one trend that has ensured that pollution decreases while reliance on environmental resources is minimized... |
| Increased Natural Gas Production Lowers Emissions Carbon dioxide emissions from energy production has fallen 12 percent between 2005 and 2012, according to the U.S. Energy Department... |
