If we could get a whole new continent---equal to twice the size of the continental United States---of vegetation by spending, say, $100 billion, would that be a good deal? How would we go about answering that? Well, we might start by noting that the total value of crops raised in the U.S. in 2016 was about $143.4 billion. That's for one year. And it's from just about 18 percent of all U.S. land. But we're talking about adding a continent of vegetation double the size of the United … [Read more...]
Caution—“Organic” Foods Ahead
The craze for "organic" foods grows apace in America, with otherwise rational people choosing to pay twice as much or more for foods labeled "organic" as for conventional foods. Does that make sense? Not much. Claims that "organic" foods are healthier than non-"organic" have a hard time finding any empirical justification. Claims that "organic" foods are locally sourced and more environmentally friendly, too, fall short. Those interested in learning the problems with the "organic" … [Read more...]
Snarky—But Right
Okay, so most of the time here at the Cornwall Alliance we try to keep our language entirely civil, to avoid both formal and informal fallacies, and just stick to true premises and valid inferences to support our conclusions. Rational, yes. Entertaining? Well, not always. And in today's America, lots of people---at least if their conduct reveals anything about their values---value entertainment a good deal more than reason. So for their enjoyment---and for the enjoyment of those who really do … [Read more...]
