Since our founding in 1984, the Competitive Enterprise Institute has sought to reform and reduce environmental regulation of land, shrink the federal estate, and unlock federal lands for private ownership.
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Study
Empire State of Mind
Executive Summary New York State’s environmental permitting procedures represent a mixed bag. On the one hand, the Uniform Procedures Act (UPA), signed into law in…
USDA
USDA COULD BE IMPACTED BY PROJECT 2025
USDA cites Daren Bakst on Project 2025: The chapter, written by former Heritage Foundation Senior Research Fellow, Environmental Policy and Regulation, Center for Energy, Climate…
Investigate Midwest
Farm programs, USDA would shrink under Project 2025 goals for ag
Investigate Midwest cites Daren Bakst on Project 2025: So, what about the author? Daren Bakst wrote the agriculture chapter in Project 2025. He is now…
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Blog
What would it mean to have no “environmental footprint”?
Maybe to have no life. As this article over at the Ayn Rand Institute points out, the more “eco-friendly” you try to live, the…
Newsletter
Stimulus Upon Us, Lethal Wildfires Down Under and Satellite Radio Takes a Hit
Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress reach a deal to spend $789 billion in taxpayer money on “economic stimulus.” The death toll from wildfires in…
Blog
Environmental Policies Kill – Again!
One of the main themes of my book, The Really Inconvenient Truths, is that misguided environmental policies often lead to humanitarian and environmental disaster.
News Release
CEI Unveils Agenda for Congress
Washington, D.C., January 26, 2009—With the incoming Obama administration and the opening of the new Congress, the House and Senate are…
Newsletter
Inauguration, Western Lands and the New “Climate Czar”
Barack Obama prepares to be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. The Senate passes a bill that would bring millions of…
Newsletter
EPA Confirmation Hearings, Obama’s Stimulus and Ken Salazar for Interior
Lisa Jackson responds to questions during her confirmation hearing to become the next head of the Environmental Protection Agency. President-elect Obama proposes a massive economic…
News Release
Statement on Interior Secretary Nominee Ken Salazar
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News Release
Statement on Nomination of Tom Vilsack to be Agriculture Secretary
Washington, D.C., January 13, 2008—President-elect Obama’s choice for Agriculture Secretary has a troubling record on agriculture and consumer issues, according to an…
News Release
Statement on Nomination of Lisa Jackson as EPA Administrator
Washington, D.C., January 13, 2008—President-elect Obama’s choice for EPA Administrator drew criticism from CEI experts for her record on hazardous waste clean up and global warming, respectively. The…
Newsletter
Union Scandal in California, Alternative Energy Promises and Short-Selling on Wall Street
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) finalizes a controversial merger of its California locals into one state-wide “superlocal”. President-Elect Obama promises to double the nation’s…
News Release
Senate Land Grab Bill Would Lower Energy Production
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Op-Eds
The Mining Law
Translated from Spanish to English by Ecuador Mining News and can be read here. The United States president-elect, Barack Obama, dismissed his…
Op-Eds
Country Profile: Ecuador
Document Availabe in PDF Despite Ecuador’s metallic mineral wealth dating to before the Inca Empire (600 B.C. to 400 A.D.),…
Op-Eds
Latin American Round Up
Document Availabe in PDF Fueled by escalating precious and base metal prices, exploration companies around the world earmarked 25% of…
Newsletter
Fed Chairman in Trouble, Kids’ TV Goes Green and Google Goes Edge-Caching
Critics of the financial bailout allege that the federal government has exceeded its Constitutional powers. The Nickelodeon TV network for kids begins an environmental awareness…
News Release
Obama Interior, Agriculture Appointees Complete Anti-Energy Team
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Newsletter
Endangered Species, International Trade and the Auto Bailout
President Bush pardons a Missouri farmer found guilty of accidently causing the deaths of bald eagles under the Endangered Species Act. Barack Obama considers Rep.
Newsletter
Ethanol Subsidies, Sarbanes-Oxley and Bottled Water
A broad-based coalition calls on Congress to phase out subsidies for ethanol production. A federal Appeals Court rules on a Constitutional challenge to the Sarbanes-Oxley…
Newsletter
A Second Stimulus, Federal Lands and Al Gore’s Failure
Obama’s transition team denies rumors of a political fight over a second federal stimulus plan. Lawmakers prepare to vote on a bill to bring more…
Letters
Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2008
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid recently announced his plans to call back the Senate for a lame duck session to pass a massive land grab…
Newsletter
Taxing the Rich, the Costs of Ethanol and the Fed’s Loose Money Policy
Joe “The Plumber” Wurzelbacher becomes a national campaign personality. The Federal Reserve lowers a key interest rate in hopes of reviving investment. Environmentalists debate the…
Citation
the hidden costs of ethanol
News Release
Ethanol Fuel Mandates Cause Massive Food and Land Costs, Says New Report
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Newsletter
Credit Card Settlements, Wireless Networks and What’s ‘Killing the Earth’
Visa and MasterCard reach a $2.75 billion settlement with Discover Card over an antitrust complaint first brought in 1998. Cox Communications plans to roll out…
Newsletter
Stimulus Redux, Benefits of Bottled Water and the Pro-Poverty Left
Senators consider a second round of taxpayer-financed economic stimulus. Bottled water producers attempt to work constructively with environmental groups that have called for additional taxes…
Op-Eds
Greens Aim to Take Us Forward to the Past
If you need more evidence that the Greens intend to destroy our standard of living, you need not look further than the Oct.
Newsletter
Horrible Mortgage Ideas, Environmental Non-Disasters and Defending Delaware’s Honor
Senators spar over a plan for the federal government to buy up “distressed” mortgages. The Capital Research Center releases the “Doom List,” a litany of…
Citation
Ecuador taking control of more mining concessions, Petrobas oil field
Op-Eds
Ecuador Should End WFT Double-speak
In the midst of congratulating the Ecuadorian government on its landmark decision to eliminate the proposed 70 percent windfall tax on mining…
Newsletter
Renewable Energy, Anti-Whaling Protesters, and Fed Chairman Bernanke
The state of Colorado expands requirements for the use of renewable power. Japanese authorities plan to arrest anti-whaling protesters from the group Sea Shepherd. Federal…
News Release
Environmental Policies Need Overhaul, Says New Study
A new book scrutinizes crucial environmental policy areas in need of change, from global warming to free-market environmentalism, biotechnology, chemical risk, and more.
Citation
Ecuador Mining
Newsletter
Video Gamers Win in Court, Free Speech on Campus and the Impact of Biofuels
The state of California is ordered to pay video game makers $280,000 in legal fees over an unconstitutional law that sought to restrict game sales.
Newsletter
Air Travel Taxes, Illegal Produce and Hybrid Subsidies
Global warming taxes on airline travel mean fewer visitors to Amsterdam’s airport. European Union inspectors force a produce seller in the UK to throw out…
Citation
the Democrats’ “Green” Convention
Citation
Iain Murray’s New Book
Newsletter
Termination Fees, Windfall Profits and a Federal Wilderness Land-Grab
The Federal Communications Commission holds a hearing to investigate “termination fees” for customers who cancel their cell phone, cable or Internet contracts early. Senate Republicans…
Newsletter
Time Warner, Energy Prices and Biofuels
Time Warner begins metering its customers’ Internet usage. The Senate continues debate on major global warming legislation. International officials debate the causes of soaring food…
Newsletter
Global Warming, Farm Protests and Homelessness
The Senate debates global warming legislation sponsored by Senators Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and John Warner (R-VA). The Argentinian government faces widespread protests from farmers. The…
Newsletter
Gas Prices, Farm Subsidies and Vioxx Lawsuits
Oil company executives are grilled on high gas prices by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Congress prepares to override President Bush’s veto of the…
Newsletter
Beef, Housing and Money for the Blind
The Dept. of Agriculture proposes a ban on so-called “downer” cattle. The Senate Banking Committee approves a new housing bill. A federal court rules that…
Newsletter
Farm Subsidies, Media Ownership and Global Warming
The Senate approves major farm legislation with a veto-proof majority. The Senate votes to override the FCC and make media ownership regulations more strict. Sen.
Citation
“Threatened” Polar Bears
Newsletter
Polar Bears, Subsidies for Millionaires and Credit Card Fees
The Department of the Interior finds that polar bears are “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. The House of Representatives approves major new farm legislation.
Citation
Biofuels Mandates
News Release
Farm Bill Vote a Loss for Consumers and Taxpayers
The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the Farm Bill, signaling a major loss for consumers and taxpayers.
Newsletter
Ethanol, Broadband and Consumer Safety
Momentum builds in Congress to repeal the mandate for use of corn-based ethanol in motor fuels. Comcast considers capping monthly Internet downloads and charging overage…
Newsletter
Farm Subsidies, Chemicals in Plastic and High Gas Prices
The White House announces plans to veto the recently-passed $300 billion farm bill. Debate continues over the safety of plastic additive bisphenol A, or BPA.
Citation
Ethanol and Food Prices
News Release
Farm Bill Deserves a Veto
The Competitive Enterprise Institute applauds Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer’s announcement yesterday that President Bush will veto the Farm Bill that the House-Senate conference…
Staff & Scholars
Daren Bakst
Director of the Center for Energy and Environment and Senior Fellow
- Energy and Environment
- Lands and Wildlife
- Property Rights
Angela Logomasini
Adjunct Fellow
- Chemical Risk
- Consumer Freedom
- Energy and Environment
Patricia Patnode
Research Fellow
- Consumer Freedom
- Energy
- Energy and Environment
Fred L. Smith, Jr.
Founder; Chairman Emeritus
- Automobiles and Roads
- Aviation
- Business and Government