Following my blog post of 26th April (Australia’s Highest Paid Blogger) John Quiggin has written to me asking that the following information be provided by way of clarification with respect to the paragraph in that blog post starting “Quiggin’s University home page gives a list of his submissions, newspaper articles, conference and …”.
“The project will develop tools for the modelling of uncertainty in the absence of probabilities and with imperfect knowledge about possible events. It will also formalise and assess the precautionary principle for the sustainable management of complex systems. Finally, the project will apply these tools to analyse and improve policies for the reform of property rights, institutions and land and water management in the Murray-Darling system. The project will assist in the formulation of sustainable responses to problems of drought and irrigation-related salinity in the Murray-Darling system.
As reported on the RSMG website, http://www.uq.edu.au/economics/rsmg/index.htm,
the project has so far produced more than 50 publications, in the Murray-Darling Basin Program and the Risk and Uncertainty Program. (The Public Policy Program relates to a separate grant). Restricting attention to the Murray-Darling, and to papers written by me, I have published 2 journal articles, 4 conference papers and 7 working papers.”
Ends.
Louis Hissink says
I can supply tool for modelling uncertainty – the roll of a die, for a fraction of the cost, all rolls recorded faithly into a database.
Getting a computer to that, however, becomes interesting, since computers cannot execute random events, (a technical term for uncertainty) though I suppose if the tooth fairy or the magic pudding are though to exist, then I suppose anything is possible.
As Dr Michael Crichton wrote concerning AGW, the precautionary principle precludes itself.
John Quiggin says
Thanks for this clarification, Jennifer. Now that this issue is out of the way, I’ll be happy to engage in constructive debate on the policy issues with you and others on your blog.