Posts

Showing posts from December, 2008

Failing the Chesepeake

The Washington Post has an interesting story detailing policy failures surrounding efforts to restore the Chesepeake Bay. (See online multimedia here and the print story here ). The jist is given in the opening paragraphs (quotes in green): William Matuszeski, who headed the program from 1991 to 2001, described how the program repeatedly released data that exaggerated its success, hoping to influence Congress. His successor, Rebecca W. Hanmer, said she was instructed by regional leaders in 2002 not to acknowledge that the effort would fall short of its 2010 goals. "To protect appropriations you were getting, you had to show progress," Matuszeski said. "So I think we had to overstate our progress." It is a little strange to me that the post reports this as news. I'm no expert on the Chesepeake, but I know people who are, and all I've heard from everyone for years and years is that the Chesepeake was not improving. The Post documents much of this, in mostl

Bloglite

Eventually I'd like to turn this blog into one that digs into economics and policy relating to agriculture, natural resources, and the environment.  I'd also like to use it to communicate with students.  This seems like an underserved topic in the blogosphere that also happens to be the main focus of my life's work, especially the agriculture part.  Serendipity happens.   But for now, posts will likely be few and far between and directed more toward students and practicing scholars.  With time, hopefully posts will probe more deeply into things.  We'll see how it goes.