Hey all,

Last week we discussed a memo written by Lawrence Summers where he discussed the economic rationale for exporting waste to developing countries. What is your reaction to his memo. Are there any merits to his argument?

Hey all,

As you know Al Gore has been criticized for overstating the case for climate change in his film “An inconvenient truth”. Do you agree with this critique? Can you pinpoint an area in the film where he did? Is it possible that overstating is simply necessary or can it be it counterproductive? Curious to hear what you have to say.

Also, on another note - what is your view on using genetically modified products in agriculture? Should we?

Dear all,

On Monday we had a thought provoking lecture on wetlands. As Hlynur mentioned one of the policy options the wetland restoration committee came up with was to suggest farmers would be paid for restoring wetlands - as farmers are being paid to reforest their land. One argument is that due to the varied services wetlands provide the benefits are public and tremendous - hence justifying the subsidy. Another argument is that wetlands sequester carbon, and wetland destruction leads to the release of significant amounts of greenhouse gasses. What do you think about this policy suggestion? Is it justifiable? Should we only rely on anthropocentric justifications for such action?