New Podcast Features Keith Lockitch of Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights

PHOENIX (Feb. 1, 2010) -- Weather-related disasters are inevitable, but the damage such disasters do to the U.S. and world economies are within the control of humankind, a leading economist says.

Keith Lockitch, a fellow of the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights in Los Angeles, here for the annual Energy & Environment Expo through Wednesday, says that if humans really are concerned about our vulnerability to possible changes to the climate, the wise defense dictates governments:

• should NOT regulate greenhouse gas emission levels through cap and trade or any other political mechanism.

• should NOT seek to manipulate energy markets with regulations or incentives.

• should FREE UP markets and remove government regulations and controls.

Lockitch is interviewed by James M. Taylor, managing editor of Environment & Climate News, in a new podcast. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or listen from our Audio page.

Taylor will be filing audio, video, and text reports from the Energy & Environment Expo through Wednesday. Lockitch delivers his presentation, “Climate Vulnerability and Industrial Capitalism,” during the Energy and Economic Impacts panel between 7:30 and 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 2.