GOP lawmakers target competition for rare earths
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review – An NCPA-sponsored, Washington DC conference on rare-earth elements explained the dangers of relying on limited supplies of rare earth elements from China.
Pentagon still assessing need for critical materials–DOD analyst
E&E News PM: The NCPA’s Rare Earths and National Security Conference focused on the crucial need for domestic supplies of rare earths materials.
First Conference on Rare Earths, Critical Metals, Energy and National Security in Washington, D.C. On Nov. 2
NCPA – The first of its kind, this conference will explore the direct link between the U.S. rare earths supply and the nation’s safety, as well as policy proposals to decrease our dependence on foreign suppliers, improve our domestic energy production, and enhance our national security. It is sponsored by the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA).
International Housing Affordability
Housing affordability has steadily decreased in the United States and abroad over the past decade. This decrease is due in large part to strict land use regulations– known by a variety of names, such as compact city policy, growth management, smart growth and prescriptive land use.
Economic Euthanasia: More Poison Pills From The EPA
Forbes.com – NCPA Senior Fellow Sterling Burnett is quoted in a Forbes column on the economic impact of EPA regulations.
Eco-Fads: Bad for the Economy, Bad for the Environment
National Review Online – NCPA’s Sterling Burnett reviews Todd Meyers book Eco-Fads on ‘Planet Gore.’
Hurricane Irene: Flood Insurance & Beach Repair May Be Excessive
NCPA: In the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, state and federal government focus is turning to the erosion damage that Irene’s battering tides caused to the beaches along the east coast into New England.
NCPA's H. Sterling Burnett on Offshore Drilling and the Federal Budget
Washington Post- National Center for Policy Analysis Senior Fellow H. Sterling Burnett argues that ‘everyone wins’ from the new revenues that offshore drilling would bring in.
Commentary: Rare Earth Dependence
KERA(National Public Radio, Dallas): Increasing the United States’ reliance on “clean” energy is a risky policy.
Killing Jobs, Costs Won’t Stop Obama EPA
Townhall.com Finance: Despite the improvement in air quality, the Obama Administration plans to implement two new major air quality regulations that will cost consumers hundreds of billions of dollars more in their energy bills and threaten American jobs.
New EPA Air Regs Will Cost Billions Of Dollars
DALLAS – Four new clean air regulations that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed or finalized will further stifle struggling economic recovery efforts, according to two new reports released today by the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA).
The EPA’s New Air Quality Regulations: All Pain, No Gain (Part One)
Over the past two years the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed or finalized a number of air quality regulations that could seriously retard the economic recovery. Economists estimate that two of the new rules — the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule and the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards — will cost millions of jobs and raise energy prices with little or no public health benefit.
Saving Gas Via Underpowered Death Traps
Miller-MCune: The Obama Administration’s new fuel-economy standards for cars, light trucks and SUVs have a down side.
Utah Approves Expansion of Important Copper Mine
The Heartland Institute – After two public hearings and an extended comment period, the Utah Air Quality Board has approved emissions increases for long-term mining at Kennecott Utah Copper’s Bingham Canyon mine. During the process, Kennecott was able to overcome objections from environmental activists who claimed mining causes too much air pollution.
Wildfire Threat Grows with Housing Sprawl
CNBC – The threat of larger wildfires today was the topic of a 2008 NCPA publication.
Bedbugs Found Carrying Drug-Resistant Staph
The Heartland Institute – In an article on bedbugs, Sterling Burnett blames the government ban on DDT for the recent infestation surge.
Obama Unveils Landmark Fuel Economy Rules
Slate – Peter Fulham covers the new fuel economy rules for automakers, and quotes Sterling Burnett on his issue with the plan.
Obama: Fuel economy deal a template for debt talks
Politico – President Obama proudly announced an agreement on new vehicle fuel efficiency requirements, but NCPA’s Sterling Burnett warns about the unintended consequences.
CAFE Fuel Economy Standards Kill: NCPA
NCPA: President Obama and the automakers are nearing an agreement that would raise fuel economy standards to nearly 55 miles per gallon by 2025. ‘This will take away consumer choice and force all but the wealthiest drivers into small, underpowered death traps,’ said National Center for Policy Analysis Senior Fellow H. Sterling Burnett.
Green Appliance Mandates Make Consumers See Red
Energy Tribune – The Federal Government is considering new energy efficiency mandates for icemakers. Before starting down this path it should carefully examine the differences between the rosy promises and the real results from other household appliance efficiency standards that it has imposed.
Green Technology Mandates Are Bad for Consumers and the Environment
Minnesota Prager Discussion Group – Glenn Ray reports on findings by NCPA’s Sterling Burnett and Wesley Dwyer on the harmful effects of government mandates of green technology.
Retail Rollercoaster
EnergyBiz Insider – An article on deregulation in the competitive retail energy market quotes NCPA’s Sterling Burnett.
"Green" appliances Can Hide Performance & Cost Drawbacks
NCPA – A new NCPA report examines the effects of ‘green’ appliance regulations, while another NCPA report focuses on distributed solar power generation.
Green Technology Mandates Are Bad for Consumers and the Environment
Recent government promotion of ‘energy efficient’ consumer products has increased sales of various household appliances, such as washing machines and toilets, and light bulbs. These products have been touted as environmentally friendly.
Distributed Solar Power
Producing electricity close to the point of use — called distributed generation — eliminates the need for long-distance transmission lines. Solar photovoltaic technology (‘solar’) generates power using panels of semiconducting cells that convert sunlight into electricity. Solar is one of the most widely used distributed generating sources.