Opinion
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Ozone Plan Ignores Foreign Sources
Opinion -On June 20 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to tighten the nation's air quality standards for ground-level ozone, revising them for the first time since 1997. Not everyone is pleased. -
Congress Considers Carbon Trading
Opinion -Carbon dioxide (CO2) trading is being championed by nearly a dozen proposals floating around Congress during the summer recess, but the failure of Europe's trading scheme is keeping most Congressmen skeptical as the 2007-2008 session approaches. -
Environmental Activists Are Enemies of the Poor
Opinion -"People here have no jobs," Mark Fenn admitted, after taking documentary producers on a tour of his $35,000 catamaran and the site of his new coastal home. -
South Carolina Creates Statewide Internet-Based Learning Program
Opinion -Virtual learning just makes sense, says Robb Streeter, principal of South Carolina's Cross High School. "We shop online, bank online, do everything else online, so why not go to school online?" Streeter said. -
Toledo Wises Up on Municipal WiFi System
Opinion -Citywide wireless Internet systems have been the hot new accessory for municipal officials for the past couple of years. As with other technology ventures, however, a rush to use city funds to pursue the latest technological fad has led to problems. -
Congress Questions FCC’s Digital TV Plan
Opinion -Congressional Democrats have put the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on the defensive after questioning whether the regulator is doing enough to educate consumers on the federally mandated national transition to digital television (DTV) slated -
Book Review: Economics Explained Enjoyably
Opinion -Bulls Don't Blush, Bears Don't Die Barry Asmus AmeriPress, 2006 365 pages, hardcover, ISBN: 978-0970987327, $44.50 available online through Amazon. -
Solar Power Presents Many Hurdles to Consumers
Opinion -This article is the first in a series outlining the technological and economic obstacles to the widespread use of solar power. It all sounds so simple. -
Regulations Cause Unintended Consequences
Opinion -This article is the fourteenth in a continuing series excerpted from the book Smoke or Steam? A Guide to Environmental, Regulatory, and Food Safety Concerns, by Samuel Aldrich, adapted and serialized by Jay Lehr. -
Cities Scrap Municipal Wireless Plans
Opinion -Anchorage, Alaska and Corona, California have discontinued their municipal wireless projects after MetroFi, the private industry partner in both cities, said it could not offer free service without a commitment from each municipality to be an "anchor -
Lawmakers Reject Fairness Doctrine
Opinion -Abandoned some 20 years ago, the "Fairness Doctrine"--requiring public and privately owned broadcasters to provide airtime to opposing political and social viewpoints--briefly reared its head again on Capitol Hill in May and June. -
A Modest Proposal: Let Consumers Know Costs
Opinion -Consumers have an insatiable appetite to learn more about all things related to their health. Last year, some 113 million of them used the Internet to get health information. -
A Sampling of Responses to the FCC
Opinion -Here's a sampling from the formal filings of responses to the FCC's NOI on broadband industry practices and network neutrality. For more excerpts, visit http://www.heartland.org. -
ALEC: No ‘Net Tax
Opinion -In a joint resolution of its Telecom and IT and Tax and Fiscal Policy task forces, the American Legislative Exchange Council in late July called for a permanent moratorium on Internet access taxes. The current moratorium, instituted by the U.S. -
Biotech Crops Good for the Environment
Opinion -A new study reported in the July 8 issue of Science magazine shows crops genetically modified to resist insects and other pests are having a beneficial effect on the environment. -
California Assemblyman Taking Nuclear Power to the People
Opinion -Frustrated by obstructionism in the California Assembly, Assemblyman Chuck DeVore (R-Irvine) is taking the issue of nuclear power directly to the people. -
FTC Urges Restraint on Net Neutrality Proposals
Opinion -Federal Trade Commission (FTC) staff in June urged policymakers to go slow on regulating broadband business models, particularly in mandating network neutrality, citing an already-high level of competition among broadband providers. -
Google Seeks Court Review of Microsoft Desktop Search Software
Opinion -Google continues to press a technology-intensive antitrust case against Microsoft in federal court and, in spite of a series of noncommittal or unfavorable rulings, has expanded its complaints against the software giant. -
Maryland County Is Nation’s First to Ban Trans Fats
Opinion -On May 15, Montgomery County, Maryland became the first county in the United States to ban artificial trans fats for most foods sold in restaurants and at prepared-food sections of supermarkets, after a unanimous vote by the county council. -
Medical Identity Theft Is a Growing Problem
Opinion -As a national push to adopt electronic medical records (EMRs) gains steam at all levels of government, a crack in the system is beginning to show: the threat of medical identity theft. -
Michigan House Proposes New Telecom Tax
Opinion -The Michigan House of Representatives is considering a bill that would levy a "public safety" surcharge of $1.35 on all phone bills to fund a variety of law enforcement-related programs. The bill, introduced in May by Rep. -
PFF Updates Online Parental Controls Guide
Opinion -The Progress & Freedom Foundation (PFF) has released Version 2.2 of Parental Controls and Online Child Protection: A Survey of Tools and Methods. It can be downloaded online at http://www.pff.org/parentalcontrols. -
Property Rights Should Apply to Spectrum, Too
Opinion -The upcoming FCC auction of key 700 MHz spectrum has generated intense controversy in the past months, and more than its fair share of political infighting and surprises. [See story, page 1. -
Satellite Radio Merger Touches Hot Policy Buttons
Opinion -In an effort to defuse opposition to their proposed merger, XM and Sirius said they would offer a la carte programming selections, including a "family tier" of channels, once the merger is completed.