Economics Archives

Economic Growth and Climate Change: The Wealth Solution

Why can the Netherlands deal with flooding better than Bangladesh can? What’s the connection between economic growth and climate change? Investments in innovation and adaptation lessen the impact of climate change, but many countries lack the funds to make this investment. Consequently, Bjorn Lomborg argues that creating economic growth in poor countries is itself a promising climate policy. Keep reading to see how Lomborg arrives at this conclusion.

The Benefits of a Carbon Tax: Save $22 Trillion & the Planet

What’s a carbon tax? What difference could a global carbon tax make for the economy and the environment? Beyond general strategies to combat climate change, Bjorn Lomborg also endorses specific policies in his book False Alarm. In particular, he argues that we should implement a global carbon tax. Read more to discover the benefits of a carbon tax.

Innovative Solutions to Climate Change: 4 Approaches to Consider

How could we get the most out of solar, wind, and nuclear energy? What can we learn from trees about carbon emissions? What’s geoengineering? In the past, we’ve often solved problems via innovation—developing new approaches rather than relying on old ones. The same is true of climate change. This is the view of Bjorn Lomborg, who argues that we should invest in innovative solutions to climate change. Keep reading to learn about novel approaches to energy storage, nuclear energy, carbon capture technology, and geoengineering.

Is Bitcoin Inflation Possible? Saifedean Ammous Explains

How does inflation influence the value of bitcoin? Why is bitcoin not affected by inflation? Bitcoin is a very “hard” currency and thus does not lose value due to inflation. According to economist Saifedean Ammous, the “hardness” of money is one of the most important factors determining how good a type of money is. Here’s why the price of bitcoin isn’t affected by inflation.

How Close Are We to Bitcoin Adoption?

Will bitcoin ever become the worldwide standard of value exchange? How close are we to bitcoin adoption? At present, bitcoin is a long way from being accepted as an international form of money the way gold was universally accepted as money in the 19th century. Furthermore, bitcoin may never replace money, but it has some characteristics that make it—at least potentially—a better alternative to fiat. Here’s what economist Saifedean Ammous has to say about adopting bitcoin.

The Benefits of Bitcoin: Economist Explains

Does bitcoin have the potential to become the new monetary standard? What are the benefits of bitcoin over fiat? According to economist Saifedean Ammous, there are two properties that determine how suitable something is for use as money: ‘salability’ and ‘hardness,’ and bitcoin has both of them. Then there’s the issue of trust in the payer: The form of money can influence the likelihood of a transaction failing due to nonpayment. We’ll discuss each of these factors, in turn, to show why Ammous thinks bitcoin makes good money.

The Bitcoin Standard: The Decentralized Alternative to Central Banking

What is Saifedean Ammous’s The Bitcoin Standard about? What is the key message to take away from the book? In The Bitcoin Standard: The Decentralized Alternative to Central Banking, Saifedean Ammous suggests that bitcoin has the potential to become a new monetary standard. To make this argument, he explains the problems fiat money creates, and how bitcoin can solve these problems. Below is a brief overview of the book.

The Problems With the Fiat Money System

What exactly is fiat currency? Where do fiat currencies derive their value? The fiat currency derives its value solely from government decree, like U.S. dollars, British Pounds, or most other national currencies in use today. Fiat currencies have no intrinsic value because they are not backed by any commodity (e.g. gold or silver). Saifedean Ammous discusses the social and economic problems with the fiat money system and how bitcoin could solve those problems.

The Future of Globalization: Dying Out or Rising Up?

What will be the future of globalization? Is it coming to an end or simply taking on a new form? Some say that globalization is ending and that you only have to compare current economic and political conditions to those of the past to see the writing on the wall. Others argue that globalization is simply shape-shifting and that ideas and technology are driving its future form. Read on to learn more about the debate over the future of globalization.

3 Bitcoin Characteristics That Make It Superior to Fiat Money

How to Create a Wealth Mindset to Change Your Reality

Is bitcoin a good substitute for fiat money? What are some bitcoin characteristics that make it superior to fiat money? In his book The Bitcoin Standard, economics professor Saifedean Ammous suggests that bitcoin has the necessary characteristics to become the global monetary standard. Specifically, bitcoin has what Ammous calls good “salability”—that is, the ability to transmit value. Let’s examine bitcoin’s salability across three dimensions: scale, space, and time.