Project Complete

[fractal9091]

As has probably been apparent from my posting frequency, I've been really busy with school recently. In particular, I've been working on two large papers, as well as PowerPoint presentations to explain them. However, as I got the second paper turned in yesterday, I'm finally free! Just one final exam to go. And then my literature review to

Comments

[jmermin]

[Game Theory paper

[fractal9091]

Fair enough, I haven't truly demonstrated it, I've just strongly hinted at it. I was using the word "attempt" too many times, so I cut one usage out. That said, I think many of the bottom rows of the table ARE absurd, and I'm not sure I believe you with regards to the $2000 bet, if your odds of losing were small enough.

[coleoptera]

The Childrens Environmental Health Intiative at Duke shows this pretty well a lot too. Much of it, we saw, can boil down to the fact that poorer, less well connected communities don't have the money or power to prevent things like landfills, polluting industries, incinerators and so on in their areas. Or worse, the incentives offered (funding for desparately needed community facilities, or jobs) are just too good to turn down. Richer communities, which also tend to be more well educated, are able to fight the siting of such things in their areas both monetarily and politically.

[fractal9091]

It's certainly bad when poor or minority communities don't have the influence to prevent unfair treatment. However, I'm not sure what is wrong with siting a facility in exchange for compensating incentives.

The facility has to go somewhere, right? Economic theory suggests that you should place it where it has the lowest cost (including negative externalities like pollution), and then make it up to the people who are hurt by the location. If the incentives offered are too good to turn down, that sounds to me like everyone comes out ahead. Am I missing something?

[coleoptera]

The problem with that is that the incentives are not truly a compensation, but a way to quell opposition just enough to go through with the construction and operation--once a facility is running, getting it to shut down is damn near impossible. So you've got unequal packages being offered in some instances (the idea being, offer the minimum you can get away with) and in general, the idea that honestly, no matter what is offered, you can't compensate but in a small part for the environmental impact you're going to have on that community, to say nothing of the depression of things like property values and attracting more beneficial industry and companies to the locale

[meiow]

Happy birthday, sweetie!!!! And, congrats on getting your projects done. :)

[kudzita]

Happy birthday, dude!