Economics Explored

Corporations such as Google, Amazon, and Live Nation are allegedly taking advantage of chokepoints in the economy, earning excessive profits. That’s the thesis of a new book, Chokepoint Capitalism: how big tech and big content captured creative labour markets, and how we'll win them back. The authors are Uni. of Melbourne Law Professor Rebecca Giblin and writer and activist Cory Doctorow. Show host Gene Tunny speaks with Prof. Giblin about Chokepoint Capitalism in this episode. Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. About this episode’s guest: Rebecca GiblinRebecca Giblin is an ARC Future Fellow and Professor at Melbourne Law School, and the Director of the Intellectual Property Research Institute of Australia. Her work sits at the intersection of law and culture, focusing on creators’ rights, access to knowledge and culture, technology regulation and copyright. Using quantitative, qualitative, doctrinal and comparative methods, she leads interdisciplinary teams with expertise across data science, cultural economics, literary sociology, information research and law to better understand how law impacts the creation and dissemination of creative works.You can follow Rebecca on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rgibliLinks relevant to the conversationWhere you can buy Chokepoint Capitalism:https://amzn.to/3HohDFVWebsite about the book:https://chokepointcapitalism.com/CreditsThanks to Josh Crotts for mixing the episode and to the show’s sponsor, Gene’s consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

In his new book, Understandable Economics, Howard Yaruss from NYU argues “Understanding Our Economy Is Easier Than You Think and More Important Than You Know.” Howard is an Adjunct Instructor in economics and business at NYU. Previously, he was Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Radian Group, a mortgage insurance company. Howard lives in Manhattan and serves on his local community board. Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Links relevant to the conversationWhere you can buy Understandable Economics:https://amzn.to/3VCsxMVHoward Yaruss’s website:https://howardyaruss.com/EP159 with Romina Boccia from the Cato Institute on the future U.S. fiscal crisis:https://economicsexplored.com/2022/10/03/the-future-us-fiscal-crisis-and-how-to-avert-it-w-romina-boccia-cato-institute-ep159/CreditsThanks to Josh Crotts for mixing the episode and to the show’s sponsor, Gene’s consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

In The New Yorker, Wingham Rowan was described as a “labor reformer” who “wants to reimagine labor markets for the digital age.” In episode 167 of Economics Explored, Wingham talks to host Gene Tunny about the potential of Public Official e-Markets. Wingham is a former British TV presenter who is now the managing director at Modern Markets for All (MM4A), a non-profit seeking to advise governments on the possibilities of new market technologies. Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Links relevant to the conversationWingham Rowan’s Modern Markets for All website:http://modernmarketsforall.com/TheMM4A non-profit:https://www.mm4a.socialNew Yorker coverage of Wingham’s work:https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/should-gig-work-be-government-runCIGI article by Wingham in which he argues “Market platforms are a natural monopoly; governments should dare to think about how they might initiate an alternative version for citizens and businesses.”https://www.cigionline.org/articles/its-time-to-build-public-utilities-for-essential-digital-services/Modern Markets Initiative: https://www.modernmarketsinitiative.org/Articles on workforce scheduling tools:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151116006112/en/Kronos-Workforce-Central-8-Fastest-Adopted-Product-Releasehttp://modernmarketsforall.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/210120-Kronos-briefing.pdfNB Kronos has subsequently rebranded as UKG: https://www.ukg.comOn the growth of irregular work hours:https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/31/business/economy/volatile-income-economy-jobs.htmlQuality Jobs Index from Cornell University:https://qz.com/1752676/the-job-quality-index-is-the-economic-indicator-weve-been-missingThe UK government program (then called “Slivers-of-Time” working):https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/nov/14/welfare-reform-working-slivers-of-timeThe fate of the Universal Credit program which the program was eventually folded into: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jun/15/universal-credit-colossal-catastrophe-national-audit-office Website about MM4A’s gig work markets: www.BeyondJobs.comThe Californian platform in action: www.cedah.videoThe local website about the program: www.WorkLB.orgWikipedia article on the Tobin tax which Wingham mentions a few times:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobin_tax CreditsThanks to Wingham Rowan for the great conversation and the links provided. Also thanks to Josh Crotts for mixing the episode and to the show’s sponsor, Gene’s consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

Professor Jon Erickson is an ecological economist and advisor to policymakers including Senator Bernie Sanders. In his new book The Progress Illusion, he criticizes what he calls “the fairytale of economics” and argues we are failing “to design an economy that is socially just and ecologically balanced.” Show host Gene Tunny discusses Prof. Erickson’s new book with him in this episode of Economics Explored. Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. About this episode’s guest: Jon EricksonJon D. Erickson is the Blittersdorf Professor of Sustainability Science and Policy at the University of Vermont, faculty member of the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, and Fellow of the Gund Institute for Environment. His previous co-authored and edited books include Sustainable Wellbeing Futures, The Great Experiment in Conservation, Ecological Economics of Sustainable Watershed Management, Frontiers in Ecological Economic Theory and Application, and Ecological Economics: a Workbook for Problem-Based Learning. He is also Adjunct Professor at the University of Iceland, and has been a Fulbright Scholar in Tanzania, Assistant Professor of Economics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and visiting professor in the Dominican Republic, Norway, Germany, and Slovakia. Outside of the university, he is an Emmy-award winning producer and director of documentary films, co-founder and board member of numerous non-profit organizations, past-President of the US Society for Ecological Economics, and advisor to state and national policymakers. Jon lives in Ferrisburgh, Vermont with his wife Pat, their occasionally visiting sons Louis and Jon, and a menagerie of dogs, cats, horses, chickens, and donkeys.Links relevant to the conversationYou can buy The Progress Illusion and if you listen to the episode Jon will reveal a discount code:https://islandpress.org/books/progress-illusionCreditsThanks to Josh Crotts for mixing the episode and to the show’s sponsor, Gene’s consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

Cities worldwide want to be more innovative because innovation is a driver of economic growth. The Innovation Cities Index shows cities where they’re doing well and where they’re doing badly relative to other cities. Hear from Index creator Christopher Hire about the importance of having policies that are good for entrepreneurs and just how bad red tape is for innovation. You’ll also learn how the prevalence of coffee shops is a good predictor of innovation. And you’ll hear from Christopher about what cities are hot right now. Christopher Hire is Director of Data at 2THINKNOW, publishers of the Innovation Cities Index, a ranking of 500 cities for innovation, published since 2007. Christopher has given talks on cities and innovation to the OECD in Paris and the UN in Geneva. He’s a globally recognised expert on what makes cities innovative. Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Links relevant to the conversationSee and download the Index in Excel:https://innovation-cities.com/indexesSubstack Innovation Cities Gazette Newsletter:https://innovation-cities.substack.com/Get the data - Answer your research question with city data points:https://citybenchmarkingdata.comConnect with Christopher HIre on LinkedIn:https://linkedin.com/in/christopherhireOther Links:https://Linktr.ee/ChristopherhireCreditsThanks to Josh Crotts for mixing the episode and to the show’s sponsor, Gene’s consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

The governments of many countries have structural budget deficits, so even as their economies recover from the COVID-recession they are still running deficits. In many countries, the fundamental structure of the budget is bad. There is too much spending relative to revenue, even in normal or good times, not just in recession. In this episode we explore how economists can calculate structural budget balances. We look specifically at what the Australian Treasury does, given that a new Australian Budget came out last week.Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Links relevant to the conversationAustralian structural budget balance indicators available here:https://budget.gov.au/2022-23-october/content/bp1/download/bp1_bs-3.pdfAustralian Treasury methodology for estimating structural budget balances:https://treasury.gov.au/publication/economic-roundup-issue-3-2010/economic-roundup-issue-3-2010/estimating-the-structural-budget-balance-of-the-australian-governmentIMF Fiscal Monitor which contains cyclically-adjusted budget balances (Tables A3 and A4):https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/FMMedia coverage of Australian budget:https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/jim-chalmers-takes-forensic-approach-to-tax-concessions/news-story/25c4e1be826abb87f27c918532a69614https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/bill-shorten-admits-push-to-curb-ndis-cost-growth/news-story/8a15cb3daabd55961e35df957f206bcfIFS analysis of UK mini budget:https://ifs.org.uk/articles/mini-budget-responseCreditsThanks to Josh Crotts for mixing the episode and to the show’s sponsor, Gene’s consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

Slouching Towards Utopia is the new book from Brad DeLong, Professor of Economics at University of California, Berkeley. Professor DeLong joins show host Gene Tunny to discuss the long twentieth century from 1870 to 2010. The conversation considers the three factors which came together to massively raise living standards post-1870, and how nonetheless we’ve struggled to achieve the Utopia that once appeared possible. The “neoliberal turn” beginning in the 1970s and 1980s is considered, and DeLong explains why he writes that “Hayek and his followers were not only Dr. Jekyll–side geniuses but also Mr. Hyde–side idiots.”You can buy Slouching Towards Utopia via this link:https://amzn.to/3TK4evmPlease get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. HighlightsThe big story after 1870: technological progress becomes rapid, the technological competence of the human race globally doubles every generation. [6:50]The importance of industrial research labs in the big story since 1870 [16:35]The role of the modern corporation [18:23]Globalization in the late nineteenth century and pre WWI [23:25]How bad governance can make a country very poor very quickly [29:09]The neoliberal turn [35:56]Prof. DeLong thinks the big lesson of history is that trying to maintain social and economic systems past their sell-by date doesn’t work [58:28]About this episode’s guest: Brad DeLongBrad DeLong is a professor of economics at U.C. Berkeley, a research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research, a weblogger at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, and a fellow of the Institute for New Economic Thinking. He received his B.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1982 and 1987. He joined UC Berkeley as an associate professor in 1993 and became a full professor in 1997.Professor DeLong also served in the U.S. government as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy from 1993 to 1995. He worked on the Clinton Administration's 1993 budget, on the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, on the North American Free Trade Agreement, on macroeconomic policy, and on the unsuccessful health care reform effort.Before joining the Treasury Department, Professor DeLong was Danziger Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at Harvard University. He has also been a John M. Olin Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research, an Assistant Professor of Economics at Boston University, and a Lecturer in the Department of Economics at M.I.T.Links relevant to the conversationBrad DeLong’s substack:https://braddelong.substack.com/DeLong on Hobsbawm’s short 20th century (1914 to 1989) compared with his long 20th century:https://www.bradford-delong.com/2016/12/the-short-vs-the-long-twentieth-century.htmlRe. Yegor Gaidar’s analysis of the collapse of the Soviet Union:https://sites.dartmouth.edu/asamwick/2007/06/08/the-soviet-collapse-grain-and-oil/Lant Pritchett’s book Let Their People Come: Breaking the Gridlock on Global Labor Mobility:https://www.cgdev.org/sites/default/files/9781933286105-Pritchett-let-their-people-come.pdfCreditsThanks to Brad DeLong for a great conversation, Nicholas Gruen for connecting Gene with Prof. DeLong, and Josh Crotts for mixing the episode and to the show’s sponsor, Gene’s consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com.

The National Accounts is the comprehensive data set on a country’s economic performance. It gives us GDP growth estimates and a whole bunch of other important indicators. Australian Bureau of Statistics Principal Advisor Robert Ewing takes us behind the scenes at the ABS and provides some great info and insights into how the GDP figures are prepared. Learn about the huge range of economic data from households, businesses, and governments that go into the National Accounts, the roles played by algorithms and judgment, and how the numbers are crunched using the time series database FAME, short for Forecasting Analysis and Modeling Environment. Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Links relevant to the conversationRobert Ewing’s LinkedIn profile:https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertjewing/Economics Explored EP153 which also considered the National Accounts:https://economicsexplored.com/2022/08/23/gdp-the-national-accounts-what-they-are-and-why-they-matter-w-brendan-markey-towler-ep153/CreditsThanks to Josh Crotts for mixing the episode and to the show’s sponsor, Gene’s consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

Various projects worldwide have been labeled White Elephants. These projects include the Gold Coast desalination plant and the Berlin Brandenburg Airport, among many others. What exactly is a White Elephant? How can we identify them and how can we stop them from happening in the future? In this episode, Scott Prasser joins show host Gene Tunny to talk about White Elephants. Scott is a former academic and ministerial adviser, and is one of the editors of the new book from Connor Court titled White Elephant Stampede: Case Studies in Policy and Project Management Failures. Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. About this episode’s guest: Scott PrasserScott has worked in senior policy and advisory roles in Australian state and federal government public service. From 2013 to 2019 he was Senior Adviser to three federal cabinet ministers covering portfolios of education and training, and regional health, sport and decentralisation. In addition, Scott has held academic positions at five universities across four states and territories, the last at professorial level. Scott gained his undergraduate and master’s degrees from University of Queensland, and his doctorate from Griffith University. Scott’s most recent publication with Helen Tracey was Royal Commissions and Public Inquiries: Practice and Potential (2014); and Audit Commissions: Reviewing the Reviewers (2013). Scott’s substack newsletter: https://policyinsights.substack.com/Links relevant to the conversationThe new book from Connor Court White Elephant Stampede: Case Studies in Policy and Project Management Failures:https://www.connorcourtpublishing.com.au/White-Elephant-Stampede-Case-Studies-in-Policy-and-Project-Management-Failures_p_510.htmlCriteria for identifying White Elephant projects:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qcrWWc39VRZ8ATNO2CRmWRe8KbUxUcki/view?usp=sharingRegarding the cost of the Gold Coast desalination plant, see:https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/tugun-desal-plant-back-online-permanently-from-2020-seqwater-20150901-gjcioa.htmlThe Brisbane Times article reports:“The controversial $1.2 billion Tugun plant was closed in 2009 after a string of complaints including rusting pipelines and mothballed from fulltime water production in 2010.Normally it provides only three megalitres per day to Southeast Queensland's water grid and costs between $12 million and $15 million a year to operate.”Time Out article on fixing up the acoustics in the concert hall of the Sydney Opera House:https://www.timeout.com/sydney/news/the-new-and-improved-concert-hall-of-the-sydney-opera-house-has-finally-been-unveiled-071422CreditsThanks to Josh Crotts for mixing the episode and to the show’s sponsor, Gene’s consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

Why are cities growing faster than regional areas in many economies around the world, including in Australia, the US, and UK? Robert Sobyra of Construction Skills Queensland explains his recent research findings to show host Gene Tunny. Robert and Gene discuss what the predominance of high-skilled employment growth in cities means for regional economies, and whether policy measures to address the regional divergence would be desirable.Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Links relevant to the conversationRob’s LinkedIn profile:https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-sobyra/?originalSubdomain=auRob’s LinkedIn article “Why Regions Are Falling Behind – And What To Do About It”:https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-regions-falling-behind-what-do-robert-sobyra/?trackingId=Dkp0A2saS8KUycrU1Q9IZw%3D%3DRob’s research paper:https://osf.io/2ywd8Data mentioned by Gene:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/trend-deck-2021-urbanisation/trend-deck-2021-urbanisationUrban population (% of total population) - United Stateshttps://population.un.org/wup/Publications/Files/WUP2018-Highlights.pdfBrookings' article about US regional divergence:https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2020/01/28/regional-divergence-is-more-than-an-economic-dilemma-its-a-civil-rights-issue/On agglomeration effects, please check out EP136:https://economicsexplored.com/2022/04/26/wider-economic-benefits-of-infrastructure-projects-ep136/ CreditsThanks to Josh Crotts for mixing the episode and to the show’s sponsor, Gene’s consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

The Cato Institute’s Romina Boccia explains why she’s concerned about a future US fiscal crisis. She explains how entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare are the source of the problem. This episode’s guest Romina Boccia is Director of Budget and Entitlement Policy at the Cato Institute, where she specializes in federal spending, budget process, economic implications of rising debt, and Social Security and Medicare reform.Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Links relevant to the conversationRomina’s bio:https://www.cato.org/people/romina-bocciaRomina’s first post for Cato:https://www.cato.org/blog/joining-cato-restrain-federal-budget-leviathanCouncil on Foreign Relations article containing deficit projections which Gene mentions:https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/national-debt-dilemmaU.S. News article: How Much You Will Get From Social Securityhttps://money.usnews.com/money/retirement/social-security/articles/how-much-you-will-get-from-social-securityCreditsThanks to Josh Crotts for mixing the episode and to the show’s sponsor, Gene’s consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

What causes hyperinflation and how can it be avoided in the first place or stopped if it occurs? What characterizes countries which fall victim to hyperinflation? A conversation between show host Gene Tunny and his colleague Arturo Espinoza which explores the economic theory and evidence around hyperinflation, and discusses peculiarities which can arise in hyperinflation-afflicted economies - e.g. pensions denominated in cows in Zimbabwe. Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Links relevant to the conversationCurrent inflation rates around the world:https://tradingeconomics.com/country-list/inflation-rate?continent=worldWhat is hyperinflation and should we be worried? (WEF article from June 2022):https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/06/hyperinflation-inflation-interest-rate/Wikipedia entry for former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimorihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_Fujimori Why a Zimbabwean firm offers pensions denominated in cows | The Economisthttps://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/05/14/why-a-zimbabwean-firm-offers-pensions-denominated-in-cowsThe Modern Hyperinflation Cycle: Some New Empirical Regularities (IMF Working paper from 2018):https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WP/Issues/2018/12/07/The-Modern-Hyperinflation-Cycle-Some-New-Empirical-Regularities-46368Chris Edmond’s note on Cagan’s model of hyperinflation:https://pages.stern.nyu.edu/~cedmond/ge07pt/notes_cagan.pdfAlberto Alesina and Lawrence H. Summers’ paper Central Bank Independence and Macroeconomic Performance: Some Comparative Evidence:https://www.jstor.org/stable/2077833 Bitcoin Could Solve Zimbabwe’s Hyperinflation Problem—Instead, The Country Is Telling Impoverished Citizens To ‘Just Buy Gold’ (Forbes article):https://www.forbes.com/sites/martinrivers/2022/07/27/bitcoin-could-solve-zimbabwes-hyperinflation-problem--instead-the-country-is-telling-impoverished-citizens-to-just-buy-gold/?sh=179b8f8b66d2Inflation is spiking in Zimbabwe (again). Why high interest rates aren’t the answer (Conversation article by Jonathan Munemo): https://theconversation.com/inflation-is-spiking-in-zimbabwe-again-why-high-interest-rates-arent-the-answer-187362CreditsThanks to Josh Crotts for mixing the episode and to the show’s sponsor, Gene’s consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

Author and ex-fighter pilot Lars Emmerich explains why he’s so excited about the future of Bitcoin. And you’ll hear how he responds to the criticism that Bitcoin mining wastes a lot of energy. Lars also tells show host Gene Tunny about his experience as an author operating in a disrupted book industry. Lars explains how the internet can give authors a better deal than traditional book royalties, and he tells us about the importance of Facebook Ads for acquiring new readers. Notes: a) This episode was recorded on Tuesday 13 September 2022, two days before the Ethereum Merge with Lars and Gene discuss in this episode. b) This episode contains general information only and nothing in this episode should be taken as financial or investment advice. Please see a professional financial adviser regarding investment decision making specific to your needs. About this episode’s guest: Lars EmmerichLars Emmerich is a retired fighter pilot, entrepreneur, investor, and musician. He writes about good guys with a bad streak and bad guys with a few redeeming qualities.He is the author of the million-selling Sam Jameson series. He lives in Colorado with his family and his neuroses. He's either hard at work on the next novel in the series, or he's procrastinating. Usually the latter.Stop by www.larsemmerichbooks.com to pick up a free digital copy of The Incident: Inferno Rising, the first installment in the Sam Jameson series.Check out Lars’s author page on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Lars-Emmerich/e/B00HXKRZZI%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_shareLinks relevant to the conversationThe controversy over Tim Ferriss’s deal with Amazon Publishing for the 4-Hour Chef:https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2012/11/19/ferriss-4-hour-chef-controversy/1715335/What is hash power and why would anyone buy it?https://www.nicehash.com/support/mining-help/general-help/what-is-hash-power-and-why-would-anyone-buy-itFinancial Times article - The Merge: a blockchain revolution or just more hype? (pay-walled)https://www.ft.com/content/88518bc5-3af4-41c3-99b5-c0cd0ba69ab9Book on Bitcoin recommended by Lars: The Bitcoin Standard: The Decentralized Alternative to Central Bankinghttps://www.amazon.com.au/Bitcoin-Standard-Decentralized-Alternative-Central/dp/1119473861CreditsThanks to Josh Crotts for mixing the episode and to the show’s sponsor, Gene’s consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Also, please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

Australia’s National Electricity Market was suspended by the market operator for nine days in June 2022. For a brief period, authorities were worried there would have to be widespread blackouts to balance supply and demand, so the market operator stepped in to direct generators to produce the power that was needed. In this episode, Andrew Murdoch, Managing Director of Arche Energy, explains what went wrong in June, and he talks to show host Gene Tunny about whether it could happen again. Are renewables coming into the system too quickly? What’s happening with batteries? Will Australia be able to cope with the retirement of coal-fired power stations? And what about all the EVs that will need charging? These and other questions are tackled in a frank and fearless conversation. About this episode’s guest: Andrew MurdochAndrew Murdoch is Managing Director of Arche Energy, a Brisbane-based consulting firm specialising in energy projects.. He is an experienced general manager, project director and engineer operating in renewable power, power generation, energy, ports and heavy infrastructure. For more on Andrew’s experience, check out the Arche Energy website:https://archeenergy.com.au/about-us/andrew-murdoch/Links relevant to the conversationAustralian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) report into market suspension in June 2022:https://www.aemo.com.au/-/media/files/electricity/nem/market_notices_and_events/market_event_reports/2022/nem-market-suspension-and-operational-challenges-in-june-2022.pdf?la=enAEMO’s Integrated System Plan:https://aemo.com.au/en/energy-systems/major-publications/integrated-system-plan-ispNEM suspensions costs lower than expected - NB when they were directed to supply gas to the market at an uneconomic price for them at the market price cap of $300/MWh, the generators became eligible for compensation:https://aemo.com.au/newsroom/media-release/nem-suspension-costs-lower-than-expectedAEMO’s Electrical Statement of Opportunityhttps://aemo.com.au/en/energy-systems/electricity/national-electricity-market-nem/nem-forecasting-and-planning/forecasting-and-reliability/nem-electricity-statement-of-opportunities-esooSome large-scale Australian renewable and battery projects: https://lockyerenergy.com.au/https://supernode.com.au/Global coal demand as high as it has ever been:https://www.iea.org/reports/coal-market-update-july-2022/demandCreditsThanks to Josh Crotts for mixing the episode and to the show’s sponsor, Gene’s consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Also, please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

An electrified vehicle fleet will mean lower fuel tax revenues for governments and possibly greater traffic congestion as EVs are cheaper to run. Governments around the world are having to reassess how they charge for road use and one Australian state, Victoria, has introduced an EV tax based on distance traveled. In Economics Explored EP155, Marion Terrill from the Grattan Institute discusses what a rational road user charging system would look like. She also talks about Grattan’s truck plan, which is designed to get high polluting old trucks out of major Australian cities. This episode’s guest Marion Terrill is Transport and Cities Program Director at the Grattan Institute. Marion is a leading transport and cities expert with a long history in public policy. She has worked on tax policy for the federal Treasury, and led the design and development of the MyGov account. She has provided expert analysis and advice on labour market policy for the Federal Government, the Business Council of Australia, and at the Australian National University.Links relevant to the conversationMarion’s bio: https://grattan.edu.au/expert/marion-terrill/Grattan Institute on Twitter: @GrattanInstMarion’s Australian Financial Review article “Electric vehicles: Feds should pave way for gold standard road user charges” (pay-walled): https://www.afr.com/policy/tax-and-super/feds-should-pave-way-for-gold-standard-road-user-charges-20220822-p5bbssGrattan’s 2019 report Right time, right place, right price: a practical plan for congestion charging in Sydney and Melbourne: https://grattan.edu.au/report/right-time-right-place-right-price/The Grattan truck plan: practical policies for cleaner freight: https://grattan.edu.au/report/grattan-truck-plan/Previous episodes featuring Marion:https://economics-explained.simplecast.com/episodes/megaprojects-with-marion-terrill-from-grattan-institutehttps://economics-explained.simplecast.com/episodes/unfreezing-discount-rates-with-marion-terrill-of-the-grattan-instituteCreditsThanks to Josh Crotts for mixing the episode and to the show’s sponsor, Gene’s consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Also, please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

A wide-ranging conversation on petrol/gasoline prices and electric vehicles (EVs). The conversation explores the peculiar economic phenomenon that is Australia’s petrol price cycle. What drives it and how can consumers make it work for them? Show host Gene Tunny and his guest Tim Hughes then discuss the big issues around replacing petrol-powered vehicles with EVs. What does it mean for total electricity demand and what challenges do we face in adopting EVs?Links relevant to the conversationAustralian Financial Review article (paywalled) quoting Ampol CEO saying EVs have to be 50% cheaper before widespread take up: https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/ampol-profit-more-than-doubles-on-refining-revival-20220822-p5bbniRecent oil price news: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/oil-prices-rise-after-saudi-says-opec-could-cut-output-2022-08-23/Brent crude oil price: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-25/can-lucky-country-australia-become-a-battery-mineral-superpower/101358050Australian Competition and Consumer Commissions (ACCC) monitoring of Australia’s petrol price cycle: https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/petrol-diesel-lpg/petrol-price-cycles#petrol-prices-in-brisbaneInformation on Queensland’s electric superhighway: https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/projects/electricvehicles/super-highwayQueensland Government website on environmental benefits of EVs: https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/projects/electricvehicles/hitting-the-roadThe Grattan Car Plan which includes lots of useful data on EVs: https://grattan.edu.au/report/grattan-car-plan/John Freebairn on fuel excise in Australia: https://theconversation.com/what-is-petrol-excise-and-why-does-australia-have-it-anyway-179373Drive magazine article on impact of EVs on electricity use: https://www.drive.com.au/news/electric-cars-could-have-big-impact-on-australia-s-energy-supply/Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) paper on integrating EVs in the power grid: https://www.aemc.gov.au/news-centre/media-releases/integrating-electric-vehicles-power-systemEconomics Explored EP113 - Lithium and the new energy revolution with Lukasz Bednarski: https://economicsexplored.com/2021/11/13/ep113-lithium-and-the-new-energy-revolution-with-lukasz-bednarski/ABC News report As EVs drive a mining revolution, will Australia become a battery minerals superpower?: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-25/can-lucky-country-australia-become-a-battery-mineral-superpower/101358050Thanks to Josh Crotts for mixing the episode and to the show’s sponsor, Gene’s consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Also, please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

The National Accounts are a huge intellectual achievement and an incredibly useful set of data, including GDP and its components. Chatting about the National Accounts with Economics Explored host Gene Tunny is fellow economist Dr Brendan Markey-Towler, author of the Substack newsletter Australian Economy Tracker. Brendan explains how the National Accounts help us track the current state of the economy as well as longer-term trends, such as shrinking manufacturing sectors and growing services sectors in many advanced economies. Links relevant to the conversationBrendan’s Australian Economy Tracker Newsletterhttps://australianeconomytracker.substack.com/Brendan’s post discussed in this episodehttps://australianeconomytracker.substack.com/p/australian-wealth-creation-and-distribution?utm_source=emailPlanet Money episode on Simon Kuznetshttps://www.npr.org/transcripts/520294083Australian Financial Review article (pay-walled, alas) which reported “Federal government business generated $1.7 billion in revenue for the big four accounting and consulting firms over the past five years – though the government has a different take on the contract value of that business.”https://www.afr.com/companies/professional-services/revealed-deloitte-ey-kpmg-and-pwc-earned-17b-from-government-work-20180326-h0xymnCreditsThanks to Josh Crotts for mixing the episode and to the show’s sponsor, Gene’s consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Also, please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

Do you get a return on investment if you get a university or college degree? Does the taxpayer get an ROI for any subsidies provided? Economics Explored host Gene Tunny discusses how economists crunch the numbers on the ROI of education with his colleague Arturo Espinoza. Gene also gives an update on the US economy, covering the strong jobs growth figure for July 2022 among other indicators. Links relevant to the conversationMacrobond charts and commentary on the US economyhttps://drive.google.com/file/d/16u6pj-xjVcF5F6zfy5W99cDaClUwlsGF/view?usp=sharingSheepskin effect:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheepskin_effectEstimating the return to schooling using the Mincer equation by Harry Anthony Patrinos, World Bank and Georgetown Universityhttps://wol.iza.org/uploads/articles/278/pdfs/estimating-return-to-schooling-using-mincer-equation.pdfEvaluating the Return on Investment in Higher Education: An Assessment of Individual- and State-Level Returns by Kristin Blagg and Erica Blom, Urban Institutehttps://www.urban.org/research/publication/evaluating-return-investment-higher-educationReassessing the College Wage Premium Payoff by Jack Salmon, Mercatus Center, George Mason Universityhttps://www.jamesgmartin.center/2021/03/reassessing-the-college-wage-premium-payoff/Rich Roll’s podcast:https://www.richroll.com/all-episodes/Graduate Winners: Assessing the public and private benefits of higher education by Andrew Nortonhttps://grattan.edu.au/report/graduate-winners-assessing-the-public-and-private-benefits-of-higher-education/Estimating the public and private benefits of higher education report from Deloitte Access Economicshttps://www.dese.gov.au/higher-education-reviews-and-consultations/resources/estimating-public-and-private-benefits-higher-educationMedian weekly hours data by qualification for Australiahttps://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/earnings-and-working-conditions/characteristics-employment-australia/latest-releasePlease consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Also, please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored.Thanks to Josh Crotts for mixing the episode and to the show’s sponsor, Gene’s consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen claims the US economy is not in a recession, despite two consecutive quarters of declining GDP. Economics Explored EP151 guest Darren Brady Nelson disagrees with the Treasury Secretary and argues she is taking a political position. Whether she’s being political or not, Janet Yellen has certainly taken a big risk, as Darren and Gene discuss. Darren and Gene also talk about the review of the Aussie central bank, the Reserve Bank of Australia, particularly how climate change could figure in that review. Darren argues the review team should have a broader range of views represented, including Monetarist and Austrian perspectives. Darren is Chief Economist of the Australian think tank Liberty Works and he’s also an Economics Associate at the CO2 Coalition in Washington, DC. For Darren’s bio, check out:https://economicsexplored.com/regular-guests/While it’s the NBER that declares whether the US economy is in recession, this CNBC report notes: “Since 1948, the economy has never seen consecutive quarterly growth declines without being in a recession.”https://www.cnbc.com/2022/07/28/gdp-q2-.htmlBut many economists are skeptical about whether the US is in a recession, including recent podcast guests Stephen Kirchner and Michael Knox. Stephen Kirchner on the US recession question:https://stephenkirchner.substack.com/p/recession-is-as-recession-does-updating?utm_source=emailMichael Knox's Economic Strategy: Fed hikes rates, but Fed says no recession:https://drive.google.com/file/d/16xlMMKAEXv_wFA20EN3n3aVyYm7UuKua/view?usp=sharingCreditsThanks to Josh Crotts for mixing the episode and to the show’s sponsor, Gene’s consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Also, please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

The message from the IMF's July 2022 World Economic Outlook was that the outlook is “Gloomy and More Uncertain”. This week also saw the United States slide into a technical recession. Certainly there are big risks to the global outlook. It’s possible that central banks could tip many economies into recession as they hike interest rates to tame inflation. This episode considers the global economic outlook, plummeting Australian property prices, as well as the economic challenges facing Australia’s new federal government. It’s an abridged version of a conversation that show host Gene Tunny had with Decactivist host Randall Evans on his show. The conversation with Randall was recorded prior to the US GDP release, but Gene remarks on the data in his introduction to this episode. Links relevant to the conversationRandall Evans’ Deactivist show:https://www.youtube.com/c/DeactivistIMF World Economic Outlook July 2022: Gloomy and More Uncertain:https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/Issues/2022/07/26/world-economic-outlook-update-july-2022US recession news from NPR:https://www.npr.org/2022/07/28/1113649843/gdp-2q-economy-2022-recession-two-quartersCreditsThanks to Randall Evans for letting us borrow the audio from his latest Deactivist show for this episode. Also, thanks to the show’s sponsor, Gene’s consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Also, please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

The Reserve Bank of Australia has allegedly made some bad calls in recent years and now the Australian Treasurer has commissioned a major review. This episode’s guest, Dr Peter Tulip of the Centre for Independent Studies, has long pushed for a review of the RBA. Peter, a former RBA and US Fed economist, thinks the RBA can learn from other central banks such as the Fed and Sweden’s Riksbank, and it can avoid future bad policy decisions which cost hundreds of thousands of jobs. About this episode’s guest - Dr Peter TulipPeter Tulip is the Chief Economist at the Centre for Independent Studies, a leading Australian think tank. Peter has previously worked in the Research Department of the Reserve Bank of Australia and, before that, at the US Federal Reserve Board of Governors. He has a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania.Peter’s twitter handle: @peter_tulip Links relevant to the conversationPeter’s previous appearance on Economics Explored:https://economicsexplored.com/2022/04/11/the-high-cost-of-housing-and-what-to-do-about-it-w-peter-tulip-cis-ep134/Australian Treasurer’s 20 July 2022 announcement of RBA review:https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/jim-chalmers-2022/media-releases/review-reserve-bankPeter’s CIS paper on the RBA:https://www.cis.org.au/publication/structural-reform-of-the-reserve-bank-of-australia/Kevin Warsh’s review of the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee:https://www.hoover.org/sites/default/files/transparency_and_the_bank_of_englands_monetary_policy_committee.pdfThis is the 2010 Statement on the Conduct of Monetary Policy that Peter refers to at the end of the episode:https://www.rba.gov.au/monetary-policy/framework/stmt-conduct-mp-5-30092010.htmlThis is the most recent statement:https://www.rba.gov.au/monetary-policy/framework/stmt-conduct-mp-7-2016-09-19.htmlCreditsThanks to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode and to the show’s sponsor, Gene’s consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Also, please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

While in Hobart, Tasmania for the 2022 Australian Conference of Economists, show host Gene Tunny caught up with Dr Leonora Risse and Dr Cameron Murray to reflect on the big economic issues covered at the conference. The Conference was framed in the context of adjusting to the so-called new normal. It dealt with issues such as government wellbeing budgets, the housing affordability crisis, the pandemic, and nowcasting, among others. Hear from Gene, Leonora, and Cameron regarding conference highlights and takeaways, including the risk of unintended consequences of government policy interventions. About this episode’s guestsDr Leonora Risse is an economist who specialises in gender equality. She is a Research Fellow with the Women’s Leadership Institute Australia, and recently spent time in residence at Harvard University as a Research Fellow with the Women and Public Policy Program. Leonora is a co-founder of the Women in Economics Network (WEN) in Australia and currently serves as the WEN National Chair. Leonora earned her PhD in Economics from the University of Queensland, and previously served as a Senior Research Economist for the Australian Government Productivity Commission. She is currently appointed as a Senior Lecturer in Economics at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. Her Twitter handle is @leonora_risse. Dr Cameron Murray is Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the Henry Halloran Trust at The University of Sydney. Cameron has taught a number of courses including UQ's MBA economics course, macroeconomics, globalisation and economic development, and managerial economics.He writes for MacroBusiness, IDEA economics and Evonomics. Cameron has a PhD from the University of Queensland on the economics of corruption. He hosts the podcast Fresh Economic Thinking and his Twitter handle is ‎@DrCameronMurray. Links relevant to the conversationLeonora’s paper (co-authored with Angela Jackson) on a gender lens on COVID-19 economic impacts:https://research.curtin.edu.au/businesslaw/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2021/10/AJLE242risse.pdfCameron’s Fresh Economic Thinking substack:https://fresheconomicthinking.substack.com/Re. Cameron’s idea of looking to Singapore to solve Australia’s housing affordability crisis:https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-06/could-australia-learn-from-singapore-to-make-housing-affordable/100801082Long abstract for Nicole Kagan’s Not So Super paper:https://az659834.vo.msecnd.net/eventsairseasiaprod/production-leishman-public/6d771a2b34594388a5f61afdb368258cLong abstract for Gene’s paper on the Queensland Titles Registry:https://az659834.vo.msecnd.net/eventsairseasiaprod/production-leishman-public/2e33ed5868d340fc80cdd348b3036fd4Long abstract for Cameron’s paper on housing supply:https://az659834.vo.msecnd.net/eventsairseasiaprod/production-leishman-public/56bff701d624428497fb49964ff56f59CreditsThanks to this episode's guests Leonora and Cameron for the great conversations, and to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode and to the show’s sponsor, Gene’s consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Also, please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

Kurtis Lockhart, Executive Director of the Charter Cities Institute, tells us about the benefits of charter cities - cities with their own rules or charter, independent of national or subnational governments. Kurtis argues the best way to implement charter cities is via public-private partnerships (PPPs). Learn about the fascinating work the Charter Cities Institute is involved in around the world with a view to stimulating economic development and lifting millions out of poverty. About this episode’s guest - Kurtis LockhartKurtis Lockhart is Executive Director & Head of Research at the Charter Cities Institute. Kurtis is also a PhD candidate in political science at the University of Oxford. His research examines the effect of institutional reforms on public goods provision with a regional focus on sub-Saharan Africa. At Oxford he has taught both quantitative methods and African politics. In the field, Kurtis has previously worked as a Research Manager for the International Growth Centre (IGC), for Warc Africa (both in Sierra Leone), and for the ELIMU Impact Evaluation Center in Kenya where he managed the implementation of several randomized control trials across many different sectors (health insurance, rural electrification, tax administration, and legal aid). Kurtis has also completed consulting projects with both Oxford Development Consultancy and with Warc Africa. He holds an MSc in Development Management from the London School of Economics where he graduated top of his class, as well as a BA in Economics and Development Studies (First Class Honors) from McGill University. Find him on Twitter @kurtislockhart.Links relevant to the conversationThe Charter Cities InstitutePodcast Archives - The Future of Development (Charter Cities Institute podcast)Paul Romer: Why the world needs charter citiesThe Charter Cities Institute on Twitter: @CCIdotCityCreditsThanks to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode and to the show’s sponsor, Gene’s consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Also, please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

The next big global economic shock could come from a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a shock which would probably have more extensive economic impacts than the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Joining show host Gene Tunny to discuss China and Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific more broadly is Dr Greta Nabbs-Keller, Senior Specialist in Defence Research at The University of Queensland and the interim Program Director of the Australian Program Office for Advanced Hypersonics. About this episode’s guest - Dr Greta Nabbs-KellerDr Greta Nabbs-Keller is a Senior Specialist in Defence Research at The University of Queensland (UQ). She is also an Affiliate Senior Specialist at UQ's Centre for Policy Futures where her current research project centres on issues of contestation and coherence in Indonesia’s national security policy making. Greta has extensive professional experience working on Australia’s bilateral relationship with Indonesia and continues to utilise her Indonesia country expertise in consulting, research, and international development roles. She contributes regularly to media and think-tank analysis on regional strategic, political and foreign policy issues, and engages with policy communities through submissions, dialogues, conferences and executive educations programs. Greta’s broader research interests include Indonesian civil-military relations, Indonesia-China relations, politico-security developments in Southeast Asia, and Australia’s regional foreign policy. Greta is an Executive Council member of the Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA) Queensland and Adjunct Research Affiliate at Griffith Asia Institute.Links relevant to the conversationGreta’s articles at the Lowy Institute Interpreter:https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/contributors/articles/greta-nabbs-kellerGreta’s articles at ASPI’s the Strategist:https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/author/greta-nabbs-keller/Greta’s conversation article on Australia’s relationship with South East Asia:https://theconversation.com/how-well-has-the-morrison-government-handled-relations-with-southeast-asia-181958Background reading on China and Taiwan:https://www.cfr.org/blog/what-xi-jinpings-major-speech-means-taiwanhttps://www.brookings.edu/on-the-record/understanding-beijings-motives-regarding-taiwan-and-americas-role/CreditsThanks to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode and to the show’s sponsor, Gene’s consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Also, please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

ESG, short for environmental, social, and governance, is proving difficult for companies to implement in practice, and some have been accused of greenwashing. What exactly is ESG and has it come to the end of its useful life, as the Financial Times has suggested may be the case? Joining show host Gene Tunny to discuss ESG are some highly experienced corporate governance experts: Dr Rachel Baird and Stephen Howell, part of HopgoodGanim Lawyers. Both Stephen and Rachel advise boards on ESG matters and Rachel is currently facilitating the Law & Sustainability short course delivered in partnership between Pearson and Oxford University.In this episode you’ll learn how good corporate governance is the critical foundation for everything, and how company leaders should ensure their company’s policies are not dictated by inexperienced people posing as ESG experts pushing their own agendas. Links relevant to the conversationDr Rachel Baird, GAICD, FGIA - Director - IcebergSRC | LinkedInStephen Howell - Director - Effective Governance - Part of the HopgoodGanim Advisory Group | LinkedInOrigins and Consequences of the ESG Moniker (paper mentioned by Rachel in the episode)Who Cares Wins 2005 Conference Report: Investing for Long-Term ValueTim Paine scandal a mess of Cricket Australia's making — and it will get worse - ABC NewsHow ESG investing came to a reckoning | Financial TimesEffective GovernanceThanks to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode, to HopgoodGanim for providing a room to record in, and to the show’s sponsor, Gene’s consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Also, please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

What does economics have to say about the huge amount of advertising directed at us everyday, much of it specifically targeted in this age of surveillance capitalism? Is it informative, manipulative, or something else? Should governments do anything about it and regulate advertisers and surveillance capitalists such as Google, Facebook, and other big tech companies? EP144 of Economics Explored features a frank and fearless conversation on advertising touching on surveillance capitalism with John August, Treasurer of the Pirate Party of Australia. About this episode’s guest – John AugustJohn August is the Treasurer of the Pirate Party Australia and a Fusion Party candidate for the electorate of Bennelong in the 2022 Australia federal election. John does computer support work in retail and shareholder communication. He is passionate about justice and ethics in our world, particularly as it plays out in law generally and intellectual property in particular. He has stood on behalf of the Pirate Party in the Federal seat of Bennelong and also as a Councillor for Ryde City Council.Along with technology and law John is also interested in spoken word and poetry. He broadcasts on community radio and hosts the program “Roving Spotlight” on Tuesdays from noon-2pm on Radio Skid Row Marrickville Sydney, and writes about his ideas on the website www.johnaugust.com.au.Links relevant to the conversationKyle Bagwell’s superb monograph on the economics of advertising:https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/doi/10.7916/D8TB1K1S/downloadTalk on the Age of Distraction John mentions:https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/bigideas/age-of-distraction/6535850Bureau of Meteorology Online Advertising PolicyNew search engine which doesn’t serve you ads or track you:https://neeva.com/EconTalk episode Gene mentions:Sridhar Ramaswamy on Google, Search, and Neeva - Econlib• Facebook ad revenue 2009-2020 | StatistaChicago-School-type perspective on advertising:Drop the opposition: Advertising benefits us allOriginator of the term positional goods:Fred Hirsch - Social Limits to GrowthThorsten Veblen’s classic of economics:The Theory of the Leisure Class - WikipediaEpisode 22 of the show on hipster antitrust: Antitrust & “Hipster Trustbusters” with Danielle Wood from Grattan (NB The show name has been change since then to avoid a clash with a popular YouTube channel)Episode 21 of the show on surveillance capitalism:Surveillance Capitalism with Darren Brady NelsonDeloitte report for advertising industry body mentioned by Gene:Advertising Pays | Deloitte Australia | Deloitte Access Economics, TMT, CommunicationsHotelling’s paradox (or law) mentioned by John: Hotelling's law - Wikipedia“Hotelling's law is an observation in economics that in many markets it is rational for producers to make their products as similar as possible. This is also referred to as the principle of minimum differentiation as well as Hotelling's linear city model.”Links re. permission marketing: https://www.akimbo.com/https://seths.blog/2008/01/permission-mark/Thanks to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Also, please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

The World Bank has downgraded its global economic growth forecast and has warned of the rising risk of stagflation. What is stagflation and how likely is it? And a related question: what is a wage-price spiral and how likely is it? Show host Gene Tunny and his colleague Arturo Espinoza discuss how the current global situation is similar and dissimilar to the 1970s, with a consideration of recent perspectives from the World Bank and BIS. Links relevant to the conversationIs a US recession imminent? w/ Michael Knox, Chief Economist, Morgans Financial – EP142 – Economics Explored (Previous episode with Michael Knox)Jobs report May 2022: Payrolls rose 390,000 in May, better than expected as companies keep hiringhttps://trends.google.com/trends/explore?q=stagflation&geo=US (Google Trends for stagflation)The Fed must act now to ward off the threat of stagflation | Financial TimesAre major advanced economies on the verge of a wage-price spiral? (BIS Bulletin 53)Commodity market disruptions, growth and inflation (BIS Bulletin 54)Robert Heller’s paper on International Reserves and Global Inflation (from p. 28)Stagflation Risk Rises Amid Sharp Slowdown in Growth (World Bank report) Stagflation danger prompts World Bank to cut growth outlook (Washington Post article)EP59 on the Natural Rate of Unemployment (re. Milton Friedman’s AEA presidential address)Friedman's presidential addressNB Australia’s wage price index increased 2.4% through the year to March 2022 (see Wage Price Index, Australia, March 2022 | Australian Bureau of Statistics) Chart of the Week - The real price of crude oil - Callum ThomasThanks to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Also, please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

Michael Knox, Chief Economist of Morgans Financial, explains how he predicted high US inflation based on the magnitude of the federal deficit compared with the GDP/output gap. He gives his view on whether a US recession is likely anytime soon, based on his analysis of some key indicators. Michael and show host Gene Tunny also discuss the economic outlook for Australia, whether global stagflation is a possibility, and the risk of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. About this episode’s guest - Michael KnoxMichael Knox is Chief Economist and Director of Strategy at Morgans. Michael was an Australian Trade Commissioner serving in Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. He joined Morgans in Sydney in 1988.He was Chief Institutional Options Dealer until moving to Brisbane in 1990 as Economist and Strategist. Michael joined the Board of Morgan Stockbroking in 1996. He became Director of Strategy and Chief Economist in 1998. Michael remained on the Board of Morgans until 2011.Michael has served on many Queensland Government advisory committees. He was Chairman of the Queensland Food Industry Strategy Committee in 1992, a Member of the Consultative Committee of the Ipswich Development Board in 1993, a Member of the Queensland Tourism Strategy Committee in 1994 and a Member of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Economic Development in 1997.From 2003 to 2012, he was Chairman of the Advisory Committee of School of Economics and Finance at the Queensland University of Technology. He has been a Governor of the American Chamber of Commerce from 1997 to 2007.In 2008, Michael joined the Board of The City of Brisbane Investment Corporation Pty Ltd. Michael remained on the Board until 2016. Michael was the President of the Economic Society of Australia (Qld) Inc from 2009 to 2013.Links relevant to the conversationRobert Heller’s paper on International Reserves and Global Inflation (from p. 28)Is the US heading for recession? | Michael Knox, Morgans Chief EconomistHow to see a US Recession??? | Michael Knox, Morgans Chief EconomistHow Budget Deficits Caused US Inflation: Michael Knox, Morgans Chief EconomistMichael Knox's note: Watch the RBA copy the FEDMichael Knox's note: Is the US heading for recessionMichael Knox's note: How the budget deficits caused US inflationMichael Knox's note: Will the commodities boom ever restWhere you can find the indicators Michael mentions:FREDChicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI)Thanks to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Also, please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

Economics Explored host Gene Tunny discusses his career path as an economist and offers advice for aspiring economists in an interview with Francisco Garcia, host of the University of Queensland Economics Society (UQES) podcast Worldonomics. Links relevant to the conversationhttps://www.uqes.com.au/https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/worldonomics/id1513275367Thanks to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Also, please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

Kate Schecter leads World Neighbors, an international NGO helping poor communities in developing economies lift their living standards through local savings and credit groups among other measures. Hear Kate describe how these local savings and credit groups differ from Grameen-style microfinance. Also hear Kate describe how on-the-ground, practical measures can give people a hand up, not a hand out. About this episode’s guest - Kate Schecter, Ph.D.Kate Schecter, Ph.D., joined World Neighbors as President and CEO in June, 2014. In her previous position, she worked for the American International Health Alliance (AIHA) for 14 years. As a Senior Program Officer at AIHA, she had responsibility for managing health partnerships throughout Eurasia and Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). She also managed a blood safety program in Ukraine, Central Asia and Cambodia from 2012- 2014. In the early 2000’s she managed a program on the prevention of mother-to-child-transmission of HIV (PMTCT) in Ukraine and numerous pilot sites in Russia and Central Asia.Through her work with over 35 partnerships addressing primary healthcare, chronic disease management, hospital management, maternal/child health, Tuberculosis, blood safety and HIV/AIDS, she has extensive experience successfully implementing AIHA’s health partnership model.Before joining AIHA, Dr. Schecter worked as a consultant for the World Bank for three years (1997-2000), specializing in healthcare reform and child welfare issues in Eurasia and CEE. She taught political science at Tel Aviv University in Israel for a year (1992) and at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor for four years (1993-1997).She has written extensively about the Soviet socialized healthcare system and was a principal investigator for the Carnegie Corporation’s Russia Initiative where she researched the issue of social cohesion in Russia. She is the co-editor and co-author of Social Capital and Social Cohesion in Post-Soviet Russia (M.E. Sharpe, 2003), author of a chapter in Russia’s Torn Safety Nets: Health and Social Welfare in Post-Communist Russia (St. Martin’s Press, 2000), and an entry on Chernobyl for Scribner’s Encyclopedia of Europe 1914-2004, (2006). She also has made three documentary films for PBS about the Former Soviet Union. Dr. Schecter holds a Ph.D in political science from Columbia University in New York and an M.A. in Soviet studies from Harvard University.Links relevant to the conversationA New Paradigm for Microfinance: Savings and CreditCOVID-19 and the Global Food Supply: Big Lessons from the World's Small FarmsVideos - World NeighborsThanks to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Also, please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

Companies are being pushed by their employees and by influencers to take positions on social issues - to go woke, so to speak. Sometimes, as occurred for Gillette and Nike, for example, such a strategy can backfire. Is it true that, if you go woke, you go broke? A conversation between Economics Explored host Gene Tunny and returning guest Darren Brady Nelson, Chief Economist of LibertyWorks, an Australian libertarian think tank. About this episode’s guest - Darren Brady NelsonDarren Brady Nelson is an Austrian school economist who serves as the chief economist at LibertyWorks and as an associate scholar with the Center for Freedom and Prosperity. Nelson is also a policy advisor to The Heartland Institute.He is the author of the book Ten Principles of Regulation & Reform (Connor Court 2017), and is a frequent public speaker and media commentator.Darren has bachelor’s degree in economics (cum laude) from the Australian National University, where he majored in economic history. Nelson also earned a master’s degree in commerce (magna cum laude) from the University of New South Wales, where he majored in business law.This is Darren’s tenth appearance on Economics Explored. Links to his previous appearances are available on the Regular guests – Economics Explored page.Links relevant to the conversationGillette faces backlash and boycott over '#MeToo advert'When brands go woke, do they go broke? | CIM Exchange'Go woke go broke': New survey find most Brits dislike businesses preaching about 'social issues' | Sky News AustraliaGo Woke, Go Broke | Frontier Centre For Public PolicyDisney Drops Gina Carano From The Mandalorian After Controversial Social Media PostESG and Financial Performance - NYU SternThanks to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Also, please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

What does the economic policy platform of a Pirate Party look like? What does it say about intellectual property protection (i.e. copyright and patents), the Right to Repair, UBI, taxation, and business support? And what type of pirates are Pirate Parties inspired by exactly: Captain Jack Sparrow or Kim Dotcom? Pirate Party Australia Treasurer John August answers these questions in a conversation with Economics Explored host Gene Tunny. About this episode’s guest - John AugustJohn August is the Treasurer of the Pirate Party Australia and a Fusion Party candidate for the electorate of Bennelong in the 2022 Australia federal election. John does computer support work in retail and shareholder communication. He is passionate about justice and ethics in our world, particularly as it plays out in law generally and intellectual property in particular. He has stood on behalf of the Pirate Party in the Federal seat of Bennelong and also as a Councillor for Ryde City Council.Along with technology and law John is also interested in spoken word and poetry. He broadcasts on community radio and hosts the program “Roving Spotlight” on Tuesdays from noon-2pm on Radio Skid Row Marrickville Sydney, and writes about his ideas on the website www.johnaugust.com.au. You can keep up to date with what John is up to via his Facebook page. Links relevant to the conversationhttps://pirateparty.org.au/https://www.fusionparty.org.au/Land Value Uplift from Light Rail by Cameron MurrayOn the persistence of the China shock by David Autor, David Dorn, and Gordon HansonTermites in the Trading System by Jagdish BhagwatiThanks to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Also, please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

Universal Basic Income (UBI) advocate Michael Haines chats with show host Gene Tunny about the benefits and costs of a UBI, with an extensive discussion of how it’s paid for in Michael’s proposal. The conversation considers money creation and so-called Modern Monetary Theory (MMT). About this episode’s guest - Michael HainesMichael Haines is the CEO of VANZI, the Virtual Australia and New Zealand Initiative. Michael has 40+ years of experience in a wide variety of senior management and consulting roles across a range of industries: government, telecommunications, brewing, construction, consumer goods, car manufacturing and transport and logistics covering a wide range of disciplines. While he has previously sat on the Board of the Australian Logistics Council and remains a member of Austroads Intelligent Transport Industry Reference Group, he was instrumental in establishing VANZI and his entire time is now devoted to the VANZ project.Links relevant to the conversationWhat's Better: Welfare, A Job Guarantee, Or A Universal Basic Income? | By Michael Andrew Haines. | Apr, 2022UBI: Universal Basic Income w/ Ben Phillips, ANU – EP126 – Economics ExploredPoverty In Australia 2018Basic Income Australia (overview of UBI policy Michael is proposing)Money creation in the modern economy | Bank of EnglandThanks to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Also, please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

Wider economic benefits are increasingly being estimated in economic assessments of infrastructure projects. Show host Gene Tunny and his colleague Arturo Espinoza Bocangel chat about how some infrastructure projects, particularly transport projects, can stimulate new economic development, increasing the density of businesses and workers in an area. This can boost innovation and productivity through knowledge transfer and greater specialisation, among other mechanisms. The expected wider economic benefits of the Cross River Rail subway project in Brisbane, Australia are discussed. Links relevant to the conversationCross River Rail business caseCross River Rail project benefitsKnowledge Spillovers: - Cities' Role in the New Economy - article by Jerry Carlino Gene quotes from in the episodeThe wider economic benefits of transport infrastructure paper by Peter Abelson Working from home: Too much of a good thing - article by Kristian Behrens and othersWider Economic Benefits of Transport Corridors : Evidence from International Development Organizations - World Bank paper using night time lights dataClarificationIn the episode Gene didn’t get the title of Jane Jacobs’s famous book on cities right. The correct title is The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Thanks to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Also, please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

Market monetarists such as Stephen Kirchner argue nominal GDP targeting would be better than inflation targeting and could help central banks such as the RBA and the US Federal Reserve get back on track. Stephen is Director of the International Economy Program at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. About this episode’s guest - Dr Stephen KirchnerDr Stephen Kirchner is Director of the International Economy Program at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. He is also a senior fellow at the Fraser Institute in Canada, where he has contributed to research projects comparing public policies in Australia, Canada and New Zealand.Previously, he was an economist with the Australian Financial Markets Association, where he worked on public policy issues relating to the efficient and effective functioning of Australian financial markets and Australia’s position as a regional and international financial centre.Stephen has been a research fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies, a senior lecturer in economics at the University of Technology Sydney Business School and an economist with Standard & Poor’s Institutional Market Services based in both Sydney and Singapore. He has also worked as an advisor to members of the Australian House of Representatives and Senate.He has published in leading academic and think-tank journals, including Public Choice, The Australian Economic Review, Australian Journal of Political Science and The Cato Journal.His op-eds have appeared in publications including The Wall Street Journal, Straits Times, Businessweek, The Australian Financial Review, The Australian, and Sydney Morning Herald.Stephen holds a BA (Hons) from the Australian National University, where he was awarded the L. F. Crisp Prize for Political Science, a Master of Economics (Hons) from Macquarie University, and a PhD in Economics from the University of New South Wales.Stephen posts regularly on his substack: https://stephenkirchner.substack.com/Links relevant to the conversationStephen’s papers on nominal GDP targeting:Reforming Australian Monetary Policy: How Nominal Income Targeting Can Help Get the Reserve Bank Back on TrackThe RBA’s pandemic response and the New Keynesian trapThanks to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode. Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

Property prices have been surging across major cities in advanced economies. In Australia, a parliamentary inquiry has recently investigated housing affordability, and it handed down a report with some compelling policy recommendations in March 2022. Our guest this episode provided an influential submission to that inquiry. His name is Peter Tulip, and he’s the Chief Economist at the Centre for Independent Studies (CIS), a leading Australian think tank. Peter explains how town planning and zoning rules can substantially increase the cost of housing. About this episode’s guest - Peter TulipPeter Tulip is the Chief Economist at the Centre for Independent Studies, a leading Australian think tank. Peter has previously worked in the Research Department of the Reserve Bank of Australia and, before that, at the US Federal Reserve Board of Governors. He has a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania.Links relevant to the conversationInquiry into housing affordability and supply in AustraliaCIS Submission to the Inquiry into Housing Affordability and Supply in AustraliaGene’s article Untangling the Debate over Negative GearingMissing Middle Housing podcast chat with Natalie Rayment of Wolter ConsultingA Model of the Australian Housing Market by Trent Saunders and Peter TulipThanks to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode. Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

Paul Mladjenovic, CFP is the author or co-author of several Dummies guides on investing, including Stock Investing for Dummies and Investing in Gold and Silver for Dummies. Paul shares his views on what makes for successful investing with show host Gene Tunny. They discuss what types of companies to look for, an often unappreciated benefit of investing in gold and silver, and what Paul thinks about real estate and crypto assets. This episode contains general information only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Please consult a financial planning professional for advice specific to your circumstances. About this episode’s guest - Paul MladjenovicPaul Mladjenovic, CFP, is a certified financial planner practitioner, writer, and speaker. He has helped people with their financial and business concerns since 1981. He has authored or co-authored several popular Dummies guides on investing and affiliate marketing. You can learn more about Paul and his online courses at https://www.ravingcapitalist.com/. Links relevant to the conversationSome of Paul’s books mentioned this episode:Stock Investing For DummiesInvesting in Gold & Silver For DummiesThanks to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode. Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

Renowned US financial advisor, author, and podcaster David Bahnsen argues the best way to defend human flourishing against dangerous economic thinking is to relearn time-tested economic truths. David talks about his new book “There’s no Free Lunch: 250 Economic Truths” with show host Gene Tunny. David and Gene also talk about David’s previous books on the crisis of responsibility afflicting our societies, Elizabeth Warren’s economic policies, and investing in a post-crisis world. About this episode’s guest - David BahnsenDavid L. Bahnsen is Founder, Managing Partner, and Chief Investment Officer of the Bahnsen Group. He oversees the management of over $3.5 billion in client assets. Prior to launching The Bahnsen Group, he spent eight years as a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley and six years as a Vice President at UBS. He is consistently named as one of the top financial advisors in America by Barron’s, Forbes, and the Financial Times (2016-2021).Links relevant to the conversationDavid Bahnsen’s books:There’s No Free Lunch: 250 Economic TruthsElizabeth Warren: How Her Presidency Would Destroy the Middle Class and the American DreamThe Case for Dividend Growth: Investing in a Post-Crisis WorldCrisis of Responsibility: Our Cultural Addiction to Blame and How You Can Cure ItDavid’s podcasts:Capital RecordThe Dividend CafeRadio Free CaliforniaOther relevant links:The Great Debate: Edmund Burke, Thomas Paine, and the Birth of Right and Left by Yuval LevinEdmund Burke (1729 - 1797)Thanks to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode. Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

The British-French supersonic airplane Concorde soared through the skies at Mach 2 in the years 1976 to 2003. Its history illuminates several important economic and business lessons. Is a supersonic airplane simply uneconomic or will commercial passengers fly supersonic again? Show host Gene Tunny and his fellow economist Arturo Espinoza Bocangel discuss. Links relevant to the conversationEP129 which mentioned the Concorde:https://economicsexplored.com/2022/03/07/top-10-insights-from-economics-ep129-show-notes-transcript/Economist article on the Concorde with good summary of what went wrong:https://www.economist.com/business/2003/10/16/after-concordeConversation article on future of supersonic air travel:https://theconversation.com/supersonic-flights-are-set-to-return-heres-how-they-can-succeed-where-concorde-failed-162268AP article on Concorde being “unexpected success” in 1986:https://apnews.com/article/fa1e281d544267a8afe77afceaf3f03fEarly seventies cost-benefit analysis of the Concorde mentioned in the episode:http://www.bath.ac.uk/e-journals/jtep/pdf/Volume_V1_No_3_225-239.pdfOther websites consulted:https://daily.jstor.org/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-supersonic-concorde/https://www.businessinsider.com/concorde-supersonic-jet-history-2018-10?r=AU&IR=Thttps://theadaptivemarketer.com/2012/01/14/a-pricing-lesson-from-the-concorde/https://www.heritageconcorde.com/who-built-concordehttps://www.historyhit.com/facts-about-concorde/https://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/flight/modern/concorde2.htmhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concordehttps://ultimateclassicrock.com/phil-collins-live-aid/https://www.cntraveler.com/story/celebrity-passengers-and-caviar-at-55000-feet-what-it-was-like-to-fly-concorde-in-the-70shttps://www.economist.com/1843/2018/09/03/when-concorde-was-the-futureThanks to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode. Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

We explore a new book “Thriving: The Breakthrough Movement to Regenerate Nature, Society, and the Economy”, by Dr Wayne Visser of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and Antwerp Management School. Wayne explains why the future will be better than you think.About this episode’s guest - Wayne VisserWayne Visser is a globally recognised Cambridge “pracademic.” An idea-monger, storyteller, and meme weaver, he is the author of 40 books. His work as a champion for thriving, strategy analyst, sustainability academic, documentary filmmaker, poet, and professional speaker has taken him to more than 75 countries. He has been recognized by Trust Across America as one of the world’s top 100 thought leaders in trustworthy business and named a top-100 sustainability leader by ABC Carbon.Dr. Visser currently serves as head tutor, fellow, and lecturer at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, as well as professor of integrated value at Antwerp Management School, where he holds the world’s first academic chair in sustainable transformation. He is also a director of the think tank and media company Kaleidoscope Futures Lab and founder of CSR International. Previous roles include director of sustainability services for KPMG and strategy analyst for Capgemini in South Africa.Follow Wayne on Twitter: @WayneVisserLinks relevant to the conversationThriving: The Breakthrough Movement to Regenerate Nature, Society, and the EconomyDNA Spray-On Technology Could Revolutionize Food TraceabilityThanks to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode. Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

Show host Gene Tunny reviews his top ten insights from economics with Tim Hughes. These include insights regarding specialization and trade, opportunity cost, and the price mechanism, among others. Applications to traffic congestion and climate change, among other issues, are explored. An e-book of Gene's top 10 insights is available to subscribers of the economicsexplored.com website. Links relevant to the conversationOn comparative advantage:https://www.economicsonline.co.uk/global_economics/comparative_advantage.htmlhttps://www.khanacademy.org/economics-finance-domain/ap-macroeconomics/basic-economics-concepts-macro/scarcity-and-growth/v/comparative-advantage-specialization-and-gains-from-tradeOn California’s emissions reduction scheme:https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/cap-and-trade-programThanks to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode. Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

Philosophy Professor Deb Brown helps us explore some big questions around risk, cost-benefit analysis, and public policy, particularly relating to the pandemic. Deb also explains what was so important about the Enlightenment. About this episode’s guest - Prof. Deb BrownDeborah Brown is Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry at the University of Queensland, Australia. During her time in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Deb has coordinated a wide range of projects focusing on critical thinking. She has been instrumental in establishing connections and partnerships within the school sector, including with the Queensland Department of Education, as well as building partnerships across UQ and with international education providers. As part of her role, Deb works to link the UQ Critical Thinking Project into relevant projects within the university to provide educators with an understanding of how to embed critical thinking in classroom practice and assessment and to maximise outcomes for students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Deb has established a professional development program for educators, booster courses for school and university students and research collaborations with a diverse range of researchers from the broader UQ community. Deb has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland and a Master of Arts and PHD from the University of Toronto.Links relevant to the conversationTruth (or the lack of it) in politics and how to think critically with help from Descartes – EP123AbbreviationsQALY Quality-Adjusted Life YearThanks to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode. Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

With US inflation at a 40-year high, who wins and who loses? Are greedy corporations to blame as some pundits are suggesting? A wide-ranging conversation with Darren Brady Nelson, Chief Economist of LibertyWorks, an Australian libertarian think tank, which also considers so-called Woke Capitalism and what’s going on with China. In the second part of the show, the Grattan Institute’s Economic Policy Program Director Brendan Coates explains the franking credits controversy, related to some peculiar Australian tax rules, to show host Gene Tunny. About this episode’s guestsDarren Brady Nelson is an Austrian School economist and liberty evangelion as well as a C.S. Lewis and G.K. Chesterton style Christian. He is currently the Chief Economist at LibertyWorks of Brisbane Australia and a long-time policy advisor to The Heartland Institute of Chicago USA. He is also a regular commentator in traditional and online Australian and American media. Check out his full profile at Regular guests – Economics Explored.Brendan Coates is the Economic Policy Program Director at Grattan Institute, where he leads Grattan’s work on tax and transfer system reform, retirement incomes and superannuation, housing, macroeconomics, and migration. He is a former macro-financial economist with the World Bank in Indonesia and consulted to the Bank in Latin America. Prior to that, he worked in the Australian Treasury in areas such as tax-transfer system reform and macro-economic forecasting, with a strong focus on the Chinese economy.Links relevant to the conversationAmericans Return to Work as Biden Administration Work Disincentives Expire, but Jobs Remain Over 7 million Below Trend | Latest | America First Policy Institute (article referring to inflation tax of $855/year for an American family associated with a 7% yearly inflation rate)Summers stumbles – John QuigginWoke Capitalism Is a Monopoly Game | Mises WireJoe Biden appears to insult Fox News reporter over inflation questionThe implications of removing refundable franking credits - Grattan InstituteChartsUS CPI inflation rate, through-the-yearUS Producer Prices inflation rate, through-the-yearUS inflation expectations - University of Michigan estimatesClarifications“Average hourly earnings for all employees on US private nonfarm payrolls increased by 5.7% year-on-year in January of 2022” (see United States Average Hourly Earnings YoY - January 2022 Data - 2007-2021 Historical) This compares with inflation running at 7.5% through-the-year. Amazon hikes average US starting pay to $18, hires for 125,000 jobs | ReutersAbbreviationsCPI Consumer Price IndexPPI Producer Price IndexCreditsThanks to Darren and Brendan for great insights and conversation, and to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode. Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

The economics of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) is explored with Ben Phillips, Associate Professor at the Australian National University, and a leading expert on microsimulation modelling. Also, show host Gene Tunny reflects on experimental evidence regarding UBI.About this episode’s guest - Ben PhillipsAssociate Professor Ben Phillips is a Principal Research Fellow at the Centre for Social Research and Methods. He has nearly 20 years of experience as an economic and social researcher in Australia. Prior to joining the ANU Ben was responsible for a range of modelling projects at NATSEM including the STINMOD microsimulation model of Australia’s tax and transfer system. Ben managed several key projects including the distributional analysis of the Australian Government’s 2014-15 and 2015-16 Budgets.Prior to joining the ANU Ben twice worked at NATSEM and has also had roles at the Australian Bureau of Statistics as a methodologist and economist, The Housing Industry Association as a senior economist and the Bureau of Tourism Research as an economic forecaster. Ben has a first class honours degree in economics and is undertaking a PhD through the Crawford School of Public Policy focusing on the tax and transfer system.Links relevant to the conversationEP112 – Taxing the rich: Billionaire and inheritance taxes with Miranda StewartBen’s co-authored 2019 paper: A basic income for Australia? Exploring rationale, design, distribution and costEconomist article Gene quotes from: Might the pandemic pave the way for a universal basic income?Thanks to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode. Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored.

Price controls are being suggested by some commentators as a way to fight inflation. But, as Lawrence W. Reed, President Emeritus of the Foundation for Economic Education explains, price controls would be a really bad idea. Larry also chats with show host Gene Tunny about whether Jesus was a socialist, why banks and the state should be kept separate, and why President Biden would benefit from lessons on infrastructure from the 21st President Chester A. Arthur. About this episode’s guest - Lawrence W. ReedLawrence W. (“Larry”) Reed became President of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) in 2008 after serving as chairman of its board of trustees in the 1990s and both writing and speaking for FEE since the late 1970s. He previously served for 21 years as President of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Midland, Michigan (1987-2008). He also taught economics full-time from 1977 to 1984 at Northwood University in Michigan and chaired its department of economics from 1982 to 1984.In May 2019, he retired to the role of President Emeritus at FEE and assumed the titles of Humphreys Family Senior Fellow, and Ron Manners Global Ambassador for Liberty. He holds a B.A. in economics from Grove City College (1975) and an M.A. degree in history from Slippery Rock State University (1978), both in Pennsylvania. He holds two honorary doctorates, one from Central Michigan University (public administration, 1993) and Northwood University (laws, 2008).Reed has authored nearly 2,000 columns and articles in newspapers, magazines and journals in the United States and abroad. His writings have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Examiner, Christian Science Monitor, Intellectual Takeout, USA Today, Baltimore Sun, The Epoch Times, Detroit News and Detroit Free Press, among many others. He has authored or coauthored eight books, the most recent being Was Jesus a Socialist? (a major expansion in 2020 of an earlier essay) and Real Heroes: Inspiring True Stories of Courage, Character and Conviction. Additionally, he co-authored and edited five e-Books. See the “Books” section of this web site for more info. He is frequently interviewed on radio talk shows and has appeared as a guest on numerous television programs.Links relevant to the conversationLarry’s article “Price controls: killing the messenger”:https://elamerican.com/price-controls-killing-the-messenger/Larry’s article “Why I wish we could put Chester Arthur and Joe Biden in a room together to talk infrastructure spending”:https://fee.org/articles/why-i-wish-we-could-put-chester-arthur-and-joe-biden-in-a-room-together-to-talk-infrastructure-spending/Larry’s article “The World’s Oldest Republic Reveals the Secret to Peace and Prosperity”:https://fee.org/articles/the-world-s-oldest-republic-reveals-the-secret-to-peace-and-prosperity/Larry’s article “Why the Separation of Bank and State Is so Important”:https://fee.org/articles/why-the-separation-of-bank-and-state-is-so-important/Leonard E. Read’s article “I, Pencil”:https://fee.org/resources/i-pencil/Article on “Is It Wrong for Christians to Raise Rent on Tenants? Dave Ramsey Sparks Controversy With His Answer”:https://churchleaders.com/news/414426-is-it-wrong-for-christians-to-raise-rent-on-tenants-dave-ramsey-sparks-controversy-with-his-answer.htmlThe parable of the vineyard workers: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zd76rj6/revision/5Thanks to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode. Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

RMIT’s Dr Leonora Risse, formerly of Harvard’s Women and Public Policy Program, argues greater gender diversity in economics would improve the quality of economic analysis and policy advice. Arguably, it would shine more light on and promote solutions to gender inequality (e.g. the gender pay gap). Is Leonora right, or is this “self-serving identity politics” as some fellow economists have alleged about a focus on gender issues? Economics Explored host Gene Tunny explores this question in a wide-ranging conversation with Leonora. The discussion considers differing average preferences among male and female economists on policy issues such as fiscal austerity and redistribution, touching on UBI. About this episode’s guest - Dr Leonora RisseDr Leonora Risse is an economist who specialises in gender equality. She is a Research Fellow with the Women’s Leadership Institute Australia, and recently spent time in residence at Harvard University as a Research Fellow with the Women and Public Policy Program.Leonora is a co-founder of the Women in Economics Network (WEN) in Australia and currently serves as the WEN National Chair. Leonora earned her PhD in Economics from the University of Queensland, and previously served as a Senior Research Economist for the Australian Government Productivity Commission. She is currently appointed as a Senior Lecturer in Economics at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia.Leonora’s research focuses on understanding gender differences in economic opportunities and outcomes, encompassing such issues as the gender pay gap, women’s under-representation in leadership, and the influence of societal norms. Her areas of expertise extend to labour economics, demographic economics, economic psychology, disadvantage and wellbeing.She engages regularly with public audiences, government, industry and community groups on gender equality issues. This includes identifying evidence-based strategies to close gender gaps and applying a ‘gender lens’ to economic analysis and policy design.Leonora was named among Apolitical’s 100 Most Influential People in Gender Policy in 2021.Leonora’s Twitter handle: @leonora_risseLinks relevant to the conversationLeonora’s papers:Lifting diversity and inclusion in economics: How the Australian Women in Economics Network put the evidence into actionEconomics and Gender Equality: A Lens from WithinOther material:Reserve Bank of Australia: Women in Economics educational materialThe Gender Pay Gap with Dr Leonora RisseThanks to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode. Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

Why politicians need to stop lying and cut the endless BS. A conversation with Philosophy Professor Deb Brown, Director of the Critical Thinking Project at the University of Queensland. Deb also chats with show host Gene Tunny and guest co-host Tim Hughes about what it means to think critically, drawing on her expertise in philosophy, including her study of Descartes. About this episode’s guest - Professor Deb BrownDeborah Brown is Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry at the University of Queensland, Australia. During her time in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Deb has coordinated a wide range of projects focusing on critical thinking. She has been instrumental in establishing connections and partnerships within the school sector, including with the Queensland Department of Education, as well as building partnerships across UQ and with international education providers. As part of her role, Deb works to link the UQ Critical Thinking Project into relevant projects within the university to provide educators with an understanding of how to embed critical thinking in classroom practice and assessment and to maximise outcomes for students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Deb has established a professional development program for educators, booster courses for school and university students and research collaborations with a diverse range of researchers from the broader UQ community. Deb has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland and a Master of Arts and PHD from the University of Toronto.Links relevant to the conversationAbbreviations Deb uses:NAPLAN: National Assessment Program – Literacy and NumeracySES: Socio-economic statusThe Australian ABC News article Deb was quoted in:Is telling the truth too much to ask of our politicians?A book Deb highly recommends:On Bullshit by Harry G. FrankfurtArticle on the AUKUS (Australia-UK-US) nuclear submarine agreement:https://www.ussc.edu.au/analysis/explainer-what-is-the-aukus-partnershipNPR report on Trump-Trudeau argument about the US’s trade balance with Canada:Trump Admits To Making Up Trade Deficit In Talks With Canadian Prime MinisterNote that the claim made by President Trump was that the US was running a trade deficit with Canada, whereas the US typically has a trade surplus with Canada (i.e. typically US exports of goods and services to Canada exceed imports to the US from Canada). The White House argued that President Trump was referring to the trade balance relating to goods only and excluding services. Thanks to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode. Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

136 countries have agreed to implement a global minimum corporate tax rate of 15%. Renowned US public policy economist Dr Dan Mitchell explains why he thinks this “global tax cartel” is bad news. Dan also explains to Economics Explored host Gene Tunny how California is committing “economic suicide”, and why entrepreneurs are moving to Texas, Nevada, and Florida, among other lower tax states. About this episode’s guest - Dr Dan MitchellDan Mitchell is Chairman of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity, a pro-market public policy organization he founded in 2000. His major research interests include tax reform, international tax competition, and the economic burden of government spending. Having also worked at the Heritage Foundation and Cato Institute, he has decades of experience writing editorials, working with the public policy community, and presenting the free-market viewpoint to media sources. He holds a PhD in economics from George Mason University.Links relevant to the conversationRelevant posts on Dan’s International Liberty blog:https://danieljmitchell.wordpress.com/2022/01/13/yes-starve-the-beast/https://danieljmitchell.wordpress.com/2022/01/03/the-need-for-global-tax-competition/https://danieljmitchell.wordpress.com/2021/11/01/the-global-tax-cartel-is-a-victory-for-politicians-over-workers/https://danieljmitchell.wordpress.com/2016/05/11/the-necessary-and-valuable-economic-role-of-tax-havens/https://danieljmitchell.wordpress.com/2022/01/12/california-and-economic-suicide/Other relevant material:https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/11/global-minimum-tax-rate-deal-signed-countries/https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/josh-frydenberg-2018/media-releases/g20-endorses-global-minimum-tax-ratehttps://www.reuters.com/business/ireland-backs-global-tax-deal-gives-up-prized-125-rate-2021-10-07/Information on incidence of corporate taxation In his textbook Public Finance and Public Policy (6th edition, p. 748), MIT’s Jonathan Gruber wrote:Suarez Serrato and Zidar (2016) estimate that 35% of corporate taxes are shifted to wages, 25% is shifted to land owners (through general equilibrium effects), and 40% is borne by corporate owners. The study Gruber cites was published in vol. 106, no. 9 of the American Economic Review:Who Benefits from State Corporate Tax Cuts? A Local Labor Markets Approach with Heterogeneous FirmsThanks to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode. Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

What is the Economy? And Why It Matters to You is a new book from UK economics writers Beth Leslie and Joe Richards, who are interviewed in this episode of Economics Explored. Legendary music producer Brian Eno has endorsed the book, writing “This clear and comprehensible book is long overdue.”About this episode’s guests - Beth Leslie and Joe RichardsBeth Leslie is a writer and editor. She became interested in economics when she realised it was a great way to better understand the world around her. Beth is currently the Editor for Economy, a charity that seeks to make economics more understandable for everyone.Joe Richards is an author, educator and economist. After the financial crash of 2008, Joe’s family lost their business and the home they grew up in. Spotting a lack of public understanding in the economy, Joe’s journey in economics began. Joe campaigned to make economics more accessible for everyone, working with organizations from the Bank of England and BBC News, to local schools and the UK government.Links relevant to the conversationWhere you can purchase What is the Economy? And Why it Matters to You:US https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/what-is-the-economy-9781786995605/UK https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/what-is-the-economy-9781786995605/Australia https://www.booktopia.com.au/what-is-the-economy--beth-leslie/book/9781786995605.htmlThanks to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode. Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.

2021 saw accelerating inflation in advanced economies, the pandemic continuing, cracks appearing in the Chinese economic model, and massive price growth in cryptocurrencies and NFTs. Economics Explored host Gene Tunny discusses the big issues of 2021 and looks forward to 2022 with frequent guest Tim Hughes. The episode also features discussion on the COP26 climate change summit, the idea of “degrowth” advanced by some ecologists and environmentalists, and feedback on EP115 on the Opioid Crisis and the War on Drugs. Links relevant to the conversationCrazy Crypto charts Gene refers to in the episodeAustralia’s largest bitcoin mine hopes to utilise unused renewable energy and lead the world on decarbonisationCovid: Dutch go into Christmas lockdown over Omicron waveWHO forecasts coronavirus pandemic will end in 2022China struggles to shrug off weak consumer spending and property woes China Evergrande reports progress in resuming home deliveriesLife in a ‘degrowth’ economy, and why you might actually enjoy itEP115 – The Opioid Crisis and the War on DrugsThanks to the show’s audio engineer Josh Crotts for his assistance in producing the episode. Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at [email protected] or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.