Independence Institute

The China Mystique Breaks Down 0
- TRANSPORTATION - Miscellaneous
- July 25, 2011
At least 35 people killed in a Chinese high-speed rail crash–caused by lightning? This doesn’t make any sense at all. Electric rail technology is more than a hundred years old; how could China’s trains not be safeguarded against this common phenomenon? Plus, the second train ran into the first train simply because the first train […]
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American Know-How: Get Less for More 0
- TRANSPORTATION - Miscellaneous
- July 22, 2011
Three years ago, Oregon politicians managed to get an earmark for an Oregon company to manufacture streetcars. Now it turns out those streetcars are–surprise!–more expensive than anticipated as well as delayed by at least five months. For the original price of six cars, the company will make just five. Not to worry, says company president […]
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Obamacare Pseudoscience 0
- TRANSPORTATION - Miscellaneous
- July 21, 2011
Last week, the Antiplanner noted in passing a study that found that making people live in “walkable neighborhood” won’t make them any healthier. Since then the Antiplanner has encountered another research paper that found that “the effects of density and block size on total walking and physical activity are modest to non-existent, if not contrapositive.” […]
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Are Supertankers Worthwhile or Just PR?0
- TRANSPORTATION - Miscellaneous
- July 20, 2011
Due to budget cuts, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection–CalFire for short–is canceling its contract for exclusive use of two DC-10 supertankers. These supertankers are “perhaps [the] most effective tool” the agency has for fighting fires, says the news story. That’s not just an exaggeration, it is probably completely wrong. When the Antiplanner […]
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