Ridership on public transit has increased. Gas prices rise, and people react by taking more public transit. In recent posts, I have argued that economics does not work.
Based on today’s New York Times article reporting gas prices and public transit are related, you might think I would recant my position.
Nope. While this is an encouraging change, simple supply and demand curves based on gas prices just don’t work. (more…)
The big news in Cambridge yesterday was a rather dramatic fire resulting from a failure of the electrical system. This picture is several blocks from my office.
But a less dramatic and exciting electricity related item arrived from Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) this morning. They are part of the Cambridge Energy Alliance (CEA) which was formed after announcing their goal to reduce electricity demand by 50 megawatts over five years.
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Sure it costs a little more, but isn’t it worth it? Our local Boston electric utility, NStar has announced that they will offer options for homeowners to get their electricity from wind power. I signed up, and they say the cost will be an average of $4 to $7 per month. You have the option to get 50% or 100% of your electricity from wind power.
This is the cost of a fancy coffee or a movie rental (or soon, a gallon of gas!). Seems like a bargain to me. (more…)
