There’s an interesting paradox in economics known as the “resource curse.” Simply put, areas with abundant natural resources tend to be poorer than those that face scarcity. Competing theories attempt to explain the resource curse, but one generally accepted explanation is that these resource-rich countries usually have authoritarian governments while citizens under democracies fare better.
Articles from Around the Web
Five Things the Interior Department Should Do in 2026
As the second year of President Trump’s second term gets underway, the Department of Interior (DOI) has the responsibility to achieve two of the administration’s priorities: Expanding energy dominance and Making America Beautiful Again. Here are five practical things DOI should pursue to achieve energy dominance, address the affordability crisis, and improve conservation efforts.
The Climate-Disaster Scores That Could Make or Break Your Home Sale
Read more in the Wall Street Journal here.
‘Trade chaos hurts farmers,’ Tariff turmoil upends planning for 2026 growing season
Read more in AgTechNavigator here.
Five Years After Winter Storm Uri, a Texas Co-op Shares Its Lessons Learned
Read more in Power Magazine here.
Withdrawing from Climate Treaties Is Mostly Symbolic, but It Has Little Upside
Last week, the Trump Administration announced its intention to withdraw the United States from several landmark international climate institutions, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). In practical terms, the move is largely symbolic: U.S. participation or non-participation in these bodies has relatively little direct effect on domestic climate policy or near-term global emissions outcomes.









