About This Website
Purpose:
To present insights based on sound economics and science on current public policy issues, particularly climate change. Sound science is defined as science that satisfies the scientific method.
Editor: Alan Carlin
© 2016-2020 Alan Carlin
Website Photograph:
Lenticular cloud at sunset over Fortuna Bay on the North Shore of South Georgia Island in the South Atlantic Ocean. Lenicular clouds are rare; those with strong sunset colors are even rarer. Credit: Alan Carlin
My background:
I carried out or supervised economic and scientific research on public policy issues for over 45 years, first at The RAND Corporation in Santa Monica, California from 1963 to 1971, and from 1971 to 2010 at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, DC. At no time has my salary been paid directly or indirectly by either natural resource development interests or non-governmental environmental organizations.
During my careers at RAND and EPA I carried out or supervised over two hundred policy-related studies on climate change, pollutant assessment, energy economics and development, environmental economics, transportation economics, benefit-cost analysis, and economic development. Those authored or co-authored by me are listed on the publications page. Those primarily involving economics and funded by USEPA are listed in the Environmental Economics Research Inventory on the website of the EPA National Center for Environmental Economics.
I am the author or co-author of about 40 publications including about 10 on climate change or energy pricing. From 2004 until 2009 I was specifically assigned by the Agency to work on climate economics and science. For seven years I supervised the production of a wide variety of pollutant assessment documents very similar in concept (but not in implementation) to the draft Technical Support Document (TSD) for the EPA Endangerment Finding on greenhouse gases I commented unfavorably on in March, 2009 while working at EPA. The pollutant assessment documents were on different compounds, of course.
I have a BS in physics from the California Institute of Technology and a PhD in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
I have an extensive background of working with and in environmental organizations as a volunteer. In the late 1960s I worked very closely with the Sierra Club to present economic arguments against the construction of two proposed dams in the Grand Canyon of Arizona. This campaign was ultimately successful and the dams were not built. In 1970-71 I served as the Chairman of the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club, then the Club’s second largest chapter. I am the recipient of the Chapter’s Weldon Heald award for conservation work.
In response to a request for comments, I prepared unfavorable comments on the science in the EPA’s Draft Technical Support Document for the Agency’s Endangerment Analysis for Greenhouse Gas Emissions in March, 2009. As a direct result, EPA imposed a gag order, forbade me from further work on climate change, and quashed my comments. These events have been documented in a Congressional Report. These EPA actions led to my retirement in early 2010. As a result of my Comments, I received a Climate Change Science Whistleblower Award at the International Climate Change Conference (ICCC-9) held in July, 2014, in Las Vegas, NV.
Much more detailed biographical information (as well as substantive discussion of issues) can be found in my book entitled Environmentalism Gone Mad, available from the book Website.
Funding:
All expenses in maintaining this site have been paid by me or have been contributed by others who have no connection with or employment by fossil fuel interests, government environmental agencies, or environmental groups. None have been paid or reimbursed by any of these organizations.
Disclaimer:
The views expressed by others on this website are those of the commenters and do not represent my views (except where explicitly noted) or those of others.