Bill Wirtz
The Hill
Luxembourg
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Past articles by Bill:
Would a single-use plastic ban be counterproductive?
Re-use of plastic alternatives are not as high as you’d think. → Read More
What the US can learn from Europe’s war-induced food crisis
As Europe scrambles to find food imports from other trade partners lawmakers are divided over the steps forward. → Read More
Congress Wants to Copy Some of the EU’s Worst Food Rules. That’s a Bad Idea
Legislation sponsored by Senators Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, and Bernie Sanders would outlaw any pesticide that is illegal in either European Union member states, the European Union itself, or Canada. → Read More
Solar Panels Produce Tons of Toxic Waste—Literally
Beyond the clear misallocation of resources and energy market price distortions, there are numerous human health concerns directly related to the manufacture and disposal of solar panels. → Read More
Electric Cars vs. Gas Cars: Is the Conventional Wisdom Wrong?
Electric vehicle batteries require a multitude of resources to be manufactured. In the case of cobalt, the World Economic Forum has called out the extraction conditions in Congo, where 20 percent of the world's cobalt comes from. Miners as young as seven years are suffering from chronic lung disease from exposure to cobalt dust. → Read More
Flying Less Is Not a Solution to Reducing Carbon Emissions—Innovation Is
A company can reinvest resources into research for new models because they are making a profit. These funds employ researchers, engineers, and manual workers and pay for the services of producers of lightweight metals, such as aluminum. → Read More
Post-Brexit opportunity: making the internet less annoying
It’s hard to visit any website and not notice it: annoying cookie pop-ups are everywhere, and whether on desktop or mobile, they ruin internet user experience. Sitting on the tube and trying to access a website usually gets you just a massive cookie popup on your smartphone. Created by EU regulations, existing rules should be … → Read More
Aesthetics Economics and the Evolution of Value
Apple has sold a lifestyle that goes beyond being the “cool kid” for a year in school. The aesthetics economy is about the look of tech gadgets, personal transport options, and interior design. Consumers want to be sold more than just a product. They seek design. → Read More
An EU departure tax would fly in the face of reason
While the Conservative leadership race dominates the news in the UK, the European Union is continuing to regulate as usual. At a recent European Council, the Netherlands proposed an EU departure tax, which would add a levy of €7 (£6.25) to every flight departing from an airport inside of a member state. The tax has … → Read More
Why Selling Essays to College Students Is a Booming Online Industry
A simple online search will pull up hundreds of websites that facilitate ghostwriting services. In most cases, the system works like a broker, matching a writer with a student in need of academic work. → Read More
It's time to let Europe go supersonic
When France built its high-speed rail network, it revolutionised the way we looked at train traevl. What takes 4-5 hours by long-distance bus from Brussels to Paris can now be completed in just over an hour with a Thalys train. Dumping slow regional trains for fast and futuristic new models has brought more comfort and … → Read More
Europe’s Most Pro-Gun Nation Just Voted for More Gun Control
The reform of the European Union's firearms directive would place more restrictions on gun owners and centralize surveillance. → Read More
3 Groups of People Disproportionately Harmed by Minimum Wage Laws
People with criminal convictions are among the groups most harmed by minimum wage laws. → Read More
Beware alarming warnings about the 'insect apocalypse'
Behind alarming headlines about insect extinction is a much more complicated story → Read More
European Lawmakers Take Action to Protect People from Veggie Burgers
The European Parliament thinks you're too stupid to know that a veggie-burger doesn't contain meat. → Read More
France Activates 7,000 Troops to Quell Yellow Vest “Terrorists”
Yellow Vest protesters are now being called "terrorists" by members of France's government. → Read More
DEBATE: Should we slash post-Brexit tariffs on food imports to offer consumers cheaper goods?
Should we slash post-Brexit tariffs on food imports to offer consumers cheaper goods? → Read More
The French government is deliberately increasing the price of food
In the name of supporting farmers, the French government is further increasing consumer taxes. The yellow vests hardly have a reason to stop protesting. The “Loi EGalim“ Last October, the French legislature passed the “Loi EGalim,” the long-form description of which reads: law for the balance of trade relations in the agricultural and food sector and … → Read More
Let consumers make informed choices about fur
Wearing fur is becoming more and more taboo. The issue is increasingly fraught and some large brands and fashion shows have decided to opt out of fur altogether. It isn’t just firms and consumers making the choice to ditch fur. Fur farms are outlawed in many European countries, such as the UK, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, or Croatia. Some countries are in the process of phasing out fur… → Read More
Why the Yellow Vests Can Offer No Solutions to France’s Economic Woes
The protests in France have actually achieved the scrapping of the gas tax increase, but what’s next is worrisome. → Read More