The U.. Environmental Protection Agency thinks you’re worth (on average) $7.22 million.
In the words of David A. Fahrenthold of The Washington Post, that’s "about as much as a mega-mansion or a middle infielder."
The "Value of a Statistical Life" is down from $8.04 million four years ago. The story doesn’t explain why, beyond quoting some bureaucrat as saying the environmental agency revised its 2004 figure using more accurate academic research.
Here’s how the EPA (and other regulatory agencies) use the estimate of the value of a life:
Let’s say there’s a proposal to reduce factory emissions of Toxic Pollutant Gunk Stuff X. The proposal would cost $1 billion to implement, and save 100 lives.
That’s not cost-effective. One hundred lives at $7.22 million per is $722 million, less than the cost of putting the new controls in place. So the proposal might not get approved.
You and I keep breathing the same ...
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A caveat or two about the new Pew studyFrom: religionblog.dallasnews.com
Post Date: 2008-02-25 15:38:03
You’ll shortly be able to read more analysis by me elsewhere on the website about the new study by the Pew Forum on Religion And Public Life that I’ve already blogged on here and here. But I want to issue my standard warning about any numbers claiming to assess American religious membership. If you drill into the report (it’s a good website, btw, with maps and interactive charts and clearly written text), and do some calculating, you’ll almost surely find that the...
more More Pew religion survey tidbitsFrom: religionblog.dallasnews.com
Post Date: 2008-02-25 13:43:08
I posted earlier about the report issued today by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. That post included some broad estimates of religious affiliation, nationally and in Texas. Here are some fun facts about other states:
State with highest percentage of members of Evangelical Protestant churches: Oklahoma, 53%
State with lowest percentage of members of Evangelical Protestant churches: Utah, 7%.
State with highest percentage of members of Catholic churches: tie, Connecticut/R...
more Clinton staffers circulate Obama photo in traditional Somali garb? (Or maybe not)From: religionblog.dallasnews.com
Post Date: 2008-02-25 11:49:37
Gotta give huge props to Drudge on this one. He’s got an item about Clinton staffers circulating a photo of Obama wearing traditional Kenyan garb. The photo was taken on a trip he took to Kenya. The item is about the bla bla bla of the two political camps sniping at each other. (Are the Clintonistas hinting that Obama is really a Muslim? yawn. Folks, there is no evidence I’ve seen that Obama is a Muslim.) But why I’m giving Drudge the shout is that he found photos of b...
more Highlights from the new Pew study on religion and AmericaFrom: religionblog.dallasnews.com
Post Date: 2008-02-25 11:07:06
The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has a new very large survey of religion in America out today. They interviewed 35,000 people. Compare that with your average national Gallup poll of about a thousand. Many more details tk, but here’s a taste:
Percentage of religious affiliation of adults in the United States and Texas
Tradition/Denomination
National
Texas
Evangelical Protestant
26
34
Mainline Protestant
18
15
Black Protestant
7
8
Catholic
24
24
Muslim
1
...
more 
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