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Comment right idea, wrong details (Score 1) 184

"a circle is the same as an ellipse or a parabola (the curve of the Cheshire cat's grin). Taking the notion to its extreme, what works for a circle should also work for a baby."

It's been a while since I studied topology, but as I recall, a circle is homeomorphic to (topologically the same as) an ellipse, but not a parabola or a baby.

Earth

Minnesota Introduces World's First Carbon Tariff 303

hollywoodb writes "The first carbon tax to reduce the greenhouse gases from imports comes not between two nations, but between two states. Minnesota has passed a measure to stop carbon at its border with North Dakota. To encourage the switch to clean, renewable energy, Minnesota plans to add a carbon fee of between $4 and $34 per ton of carbon dioxide emissions to the cost of coal-fired electricity, to begin in 2012 ... Minnesota has been generally pushing for cleaner power within its borders, but the utility companies that operate in MN have, over the past decades, sited a lot of coal power plants on the relatively cheap and open land of North Dakota, which is preparing a legal battle against Minnesota over the tariff."

Comment Re:The problem is not an efficient algorithm (Score 1) 421

That does not mean that additional wealth cannot be created without infusion of additional resources.

I know it's counterintuitive for most people with a "hard science" background... I struggled with it as an undergrad. But economics is not a zero-sum game. I give you $150 and you give me an hour of labor. We've both benefited by the trade. If we are really acting freely, we've both benefited (or we wouldn't have engaged in the trade), so we are both wealthier than we were before. This is the fundamental basis of perpetual economic growth... given a free market* in which to pursue trades, wealth increases as trades are made.
 

The claim you're responding to is that "our resources are limited." There are only so many hours of labor that are available. There is only so much money available (we can print more, but that devalues it). The exchange of $150 for an hour of labor creates wealth, but there's a limit to it.

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