Economics Archives

Vacklav Smil: Electric Cars Won’t Save Us

How do cars contribute to climate change? Can electric cars offset the carbon footprint of gas-powered cars? The age of the car began on August 12, 1908. This was the day the first Model T was assembled, making cars a much more affordable commodity. The automobile has had an enormous impact on the world but is also a major contributor to carbon emissions. Let’s look at the numbers behind vehicles to explain why they are so inefficient as a means of transportation and why electric cars won’t save us.

The Top Advantages and Disadvantages of Capitalism

Are you on the fence about capitalism? What are the advantages and disadvantages of capitalism? Capitalism is an economic system where resources and firms are privately owned without government intervention. There is an ongoing debate between critics and supporters of capitalism because of its many advantages and disadvantages. Below, we’ll look at why capitalism is a heavily debated topic around the world.

Low Birth Rates: What Are the Economic Implications?

How long have fertility rates been falling? What are the economic implications of low birth rates? Falling fertility rates have the potential to significantly alter global dynamics in the 21st century. From 1950 to 2000, the global fertility rate dropped from around 5 to 2.6. If global fertility rates keep declining at the same rate, severe economic consequences are in order. Keep reading to learn about the economic repercussions of increasingly low birth rates.

How to Make Parenting Decisions Less Stressful

How can you make your parenting decisions less stressful? What is economic reasoning? Emily Oster specializes in health economics and wrote Cribsheet to show the ways data can inform your parenting decisions. Oster’s findings in Cribsheet are relevant for any parents of young children and soon-to-be parents seeking advice on making research-informed, less stressful parenting decisions. Read on to learn how Oster says you can stress less over parenting decisions with economic reasoning.

What Are the Economic Benefits of Vaccines?

What role do vaccines play in a country’s economy? How can increasing vaccination rates help combat poverty in underdeveloped countries? Vaccines are one of the most underestimated ways to increase a country’s standard of living. In underdeveloped countries, where infections are prevalent, increasing vaccination rates can even help lift the populace out of poverty. Keep reading to learn about the economic benefits of vaccines.

GDP and Standard of Living: Are They Even Related?

How accurately does national GDP reflect a country’s quality of life? What are the flaws with benchmarking a national standard of living against GDP? Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is commonly used as an indicator of a national standard of living. However, this is not necessarily the case. According to Vaclav Smil, the author of Numbers Don’t Lie, there are several reasons why we shouldn’t use GDP as a measure of a country’s quality of life. Here’s a look at GDP and standard of living.

Why Is Big Tech Bad? The 5 Ways It Harms Society

Why is Big Tech bad? How, exactly, do these companies harm society? Scott Galloway identifies five ways in which the Four (Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google) have negatively impacted society. He discusses job destruction; prioritizing profit over privacy, national security, and democracy; tax avoidance; elimination of competition; and contributing to the decline of the middle class. Read more to learn how Big Tech companies inflict damage in their fight for market dominance.

Questioning the Validity of the World Happiness Report

What is the World Happiness Report? How accurately do the WHR rankings reflect national standards of living? The World Happiness Report aims to rank national happiness based on respondents’ answers about their quality of life. According to Vaclav Smil, the author of Numbers Don’t Life, we shouldn’t take the survey’s results at face value. Here’s why the World Happiness Report isn’t fully accurate.

Numbers Don’t Lie: Book Overview (Vaclav Smil)

What is Vaclav Smil’s Numbers Don’t Lie about? What is the key message to take away from the book? In his book Numbers Don’t Lie, Canadian scientist and economist Vaclav Smil wants to help you understand the world by understanding numbers and statistics. Numbers can help you see the world more clearly, but only if you know what they’re actually saying. Below is a brief overview of Vaclav Smil’s Numbers Don’t Lie: 71 Things You Need to Know About the World.

It’s Time to Break Up Big Tech: Here’s How to Do It

Are Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google monopolies? How can competition be encouraged? In The Four, entrepreneur and marketing professor Scott Galloway takes a close look at four technology companies that dominate the modern marketplace: Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google (the “Four”). He makes the case that it’s time for the law to treat them as monopolies. Keep reading for Galloway’s idea on how to break up Big Tech.