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Daily Archives: December 19, 2012

A Voting Architecture for the Governance of Free-Driver Externalities, with Application to Geoengineering

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A Voting Architecture for the Governance of Free-Driver Externalities, with Application to Geoengineering, Martin Weitzman. NBER Working Paper No. 18622, December 2012, JEL No. Q5,Q54

  • “Climate change is a global “free rider” problem because significant abatement of greenhouse gases is an expensive public good requiring international cooperation to apportion compliance among states. But it is also a global “free driver” problem because geoengineering the stratosphere with reflective particles to block incoming solar radiation is so cheap that it could essentially be undertaken unilaterally by one state perceiving itself to be in peril. This paper develops the main features of a “free driver” externality in a simple model based on the asymmetric consequences of type-I and type-II errors. I propose a social-choice decision architecture based on the solution concept of a supermajority voting rule and derive its basic properties. In the model this supermajority voting rule attains the socially optimal cooperative solution, which is a new theoretical result around which the paper is built.”

    • Accountability Review Board Report – Department of State

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    Accountability Review Board (ARB) Report (Unclassified), December 19, 2012 “As called for by the Act [Omnibus Diplomatic and Antiterrorism Act of 1986, 22 U.S.C. § 4831 et seq., (the “Act”)], this report examines: whether the attacks were security related; whether security systems and procedures were adequate and implemented properly; the impact of intelligence and information… Continue Reading

    LLRX.com – The risks if the DPLA won’t create a full-strength national digital library system

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    Via LLRX.com – The risks if the DPLA won’t create a full-strength national digital library system: Setbacks for K-12, family literacy, local libraries, preservation, digital divide efforts? – David H. Rothman maintains that the Harvard-originated national digital library initiative is an underachiever in K-12 matters and identifies other areas where the DPLA could better serve… Continue Reading

    FTC Strengthens Kids’ Privacy By Amending Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule

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    New release: “The Federal Trade Commission adopted final amendments to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule that strengthen kids’ privacy protections and give parents greater control over the personal information that websites and online services may collect from children under 13. The FTC initiated a review in 2010 to ensure that the COPPA Rule keeps… Continue Reading

    Your Twitter archive is now downloadable

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    “Today, we’re introducing the ability to download your Twitter archive, so you’ll get all your Tweets (including Retweets) going back to the beginning. Once you have your Twitter archive, you can view your Tweets by month, or search your archive to find Tweets with certain words, phrases, hashtags or @usernames. You can even engage with… Continue Reading

    Planned wind turbine additions rise in advance of scheduled expiration of wind tax credit

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    “Many wind projects are planning to come on line before the end of 2012, in advance of the possible expiration of a federal incentive, the wind production tax credit (PTC). It appears that wind developers are pushing to complete projects in 2012 to qualify for the PTC. Under current law, projects that begin operating prior… Continue Reading

    Library of Congress – new personalized site, myLOC.gov

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    “The Library holds the largest rare-book collection in North America (more than 700,000 volumes), including the largest collection of 15th-century books in the Western Hemisphere. The collection also includes the first extant book printed in North America, “The Bay Psalm Book” (1640). Approximately half of the Library’s book and serial collections are in languages other… Continue Reading

    McKinsey – From supply chains to supply circles

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    “Manufacturers can create value, cut costs, and reduce exposure to volatile commodity prices by improving their resource productivity—using fewer resources for each unit of output. Leaders are looking for opportunities beyond their own operations. Collaboration with suppliers and customers can keep used products, components, and materials in circulation. New business models that rethink ownership can… Continue Reading