Skepticism on Global Warming
There are four distinct reasons for skepticism about political action on global warming.
The first ground is the positive question of fact whether the global atmosphere is heating up. Any given person cannot know this through his own senses. Everyone, including all the scientists, must rely on other tools of knowledge. Skepticism here notes the uncertainty in the astronomically complex data sets, the uncertainty in the many, various and complex models used, and the statistical uncertainty involved at every stage.
Want that warm inner glow? Pay tax
The following is a report from the Courier Mail.
“WHO would have thought that paying your taxes can switch on the reward centers of your brain like a party drug? That is the finding of a study that recorded how the brains of a group of women lit up with pleasure as money was mandatorily transferredfrom their bank, accounts to a charity.
The results were similar to, although not as pronounced, as when the subjects donated money voluntarily.
Scientists from the University of Oregon, reporting in the journal, Science, say the research sheds light on that very human quality of altruism, or self-sacrifice, and shows that “paying taxes can make people feel good.
The study confirms the economic theory of “warm glow” giving, says Paul Fritiers, a happiness eco-nometrician at the Queensland University of Technology.
“Economists tend to think of things in terms of utility but in the simplest form (warm glow giving) is just saying,’I become happier if I see that you’re happier’,” Professor Fritiers says. “It means 1 care about how other people feel; if they feel better, 1 feel better. It means youre no longer a purely selfish agent but that you’re willing to pay money to make other people feet happy.”
The study represents the new field of neuroeconomics, a meeting of economics and psychology”.
How we get from donating money to charity to paying taxes is uncertain in the report, however if it is the case that all of you people out there swoon with ecstasy at the thought of your next tax bill it is no wonder taxes are so high. If this is the case, shouldn’t governments be altruistic by getting us to pay more and higher taxes to make us even happier.
I suppose that the results were from women in the study, so enjoying paying taxes might be a girl thing.
-
Recent Comments
Dom Vasta on Libertarians and elections (an… 
Shem Bennett on Libertarians and elections (an… 
'Nuke' Gray on Libertarians and elections (an… Dom Vasta on Libertarians and elections (an… 
TerjeP (say tay-a) on Libertarians and elections (an… TerjeP (say tay-a) on Libertarians and elections (an… 'Nuke' Gray on Libertarians and elections (an… Shem Bennett on Libertarians and elections (an… 
Brendan Halfweeg on The Santa Claus Governmen… 'Nuke' Gray on The unforgivable stupidity of …
Catallaxy Files- Not all recessions are caused by the Fed February 10, 2012More middle of the night blogging. My economics is classical. The almost perfect overlay of my own book can be found in a series of notes taken by Nicholas Kaldor at the LSE in 1927-29 from lectures delivered by the great American economist, Allyn Young. These notes were only published around a decade ago but [...]Steve Kates
- Where’s Romney? February 10, 2012It is quite extraordinary to watch the American political process up close. Now, I admit I have been busy and I don’t watch much of the television and do not read a lot of the press. But before I arrived the thing I did want to do was see more of Mitt Romney since from [...]Steve Kates
- Keeping tabs on the Climate Commission February 10, 2012Gosh, they’ve been flat out over at the Climate Commission. The last event was 9 November last year – in Alice Springs. We really are getting value for money from all those Climate Commissioners. Really educating the public on the intracies of climate change and computer modelling. But fear not, there are two upcoming events [...]Judith Sloan
- Not all recessions are caused by the Fed February 10, 2012
- inCISe
- More on PHI rebate means test February 10, 2012When I wrote in Incise yesterday, ‘Rebate should not be means tested,’ I did not expect events to move quite as quickly as they have. The government seems confident it has the numbers to get the means test through. I wouldn’t be surprised if Rob Oakshott and Andrew Wilkie have indeed swallowed the government’s nonsensical arguments, but it will be interestin […]Robert Carling
- Quiggin versus Carling and Kirchner February 9, 2012John Quiggin accuses Robert Carling and I of ‘an appalling breach of elementary standards of research’ for not acknowledging that Alberto Alesina’s work on the effectiveness of fiscal stimulus and consolidations is ‘highly controversial.’ In fact, we referenced Alesina’s work precisely because it has featured so prominently in public debate, including in the […]Stephen Kirchner
- Police going too far February 9, 2012According to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald, police are lecturing parents for letting their children walk to the shops or catch a bus on their own, with senior police saying such incidents will be reported to the Department of Community Services (DOCs) if a child is considered at risk. But when is a child ‘at risk’? One mother was told it was inappr […]Sara Hudson
- More on PHI rebate means test February 10, 2012
- IPA news
- Let European dogs lie February 9, 2012Australians will be surprised to learn that, apparently, the federal government now has responsibility to help the city of...
- It's time to bring back the thrift February 9, 2012Ted Baillieu plans to shave 3600 jobs from Victoria's bloated public service. The state of Wisconsin in the US, with a...
- We'll huff, we'll puff, we'll blow the budget into surplus February 8, 2012Bill Clinton famously said, "It's the economy, stupid". So it is. Unsuccessful politicians might be inclined to argue,...
- Let European dogs lie February 9, 2012
