6117

I think that a lot of people just haven’t internalized the danger of climate change yet. I believe I have. But I read a lot of Peter Watts and he sure as hell has.

6118

Why is National Debt/Deficit on the list? Remove that waste of space, and Climate change makes it to the top 5. Problem solved.

6119

Well, getting the toddler-in-chief and the denialist party out of power seems like a precondition to doing anything on climate in the US. A new congress could roll back some of the imperial presidency with changes to the laws. That seems quite achievable.

Anything requiring an amendment or changing the basic structure of the elections seems like it would take quite a long time and quite a lot of political capital. I worry that climate change is going to be something like the 4th or 5th priority of an incoming Dem president, which means it wouldn’t be seriously addressed, even if the democrats take control of the senate.

6120

Meanwhile, in Qatar…

While climate change inflicts suffering in the world’s poorest places from Somalia to Syria, from Guatemala to Bangladesh, in rich places such as the United States, Europe and Qatar global warming poses an engineering problem, not an existential one. And it can be addressed, at least temporarily, with gobs of money and a little technology.

To survive the summer heat, Qatar not only air-conditions its soccer stadiums, but also the outdoors — in markets, along sidewalks, even at outdoor malls so people can window shop with a cool breeze.

6121

Or… the next Democratic president might have several irons in the fire. And make climate change one of the top, let’s say three things, along with rolling back all of Trump’s shit and trying (I said trying) to repair our relationship to other countries.

6122

No, but I’m not sure it would change my opinion. I think there will be technological solutions to climate change, carbon skimming, reflective particles in the stratosphere, and stuff none of us have thought of.
I think they will be expensive and without getting a handle on the deficit we won’t be able to pay for it.
I predict that US will not longer be the only global currency within 20 years, and as such our ability to print infinite amounts money will be eliminated.

My #1 is not just getting rid of Trump and his base. It involves reducing the power of presidency, increasing the power of state and local governments, and rewriting the anti-government narrative of libertarians and some Trumpsters.

6123

I don’t know about 4th or 5th, but people are suffering and dying without health care right now. I’m guessing those people think climate change comes second at best.

The priority really isn’t going to matter. Best case, we’ll get the climate policy that Joe Manchin wants. Worse case, we won’t even get that.

6124

But like I said, it’s not an either/or thing.

6125

Because deficit scolds never learn. Ignore it.

6126

I didn’t want to sound like people without kids wouldn’t understand. I don’t have kids either. I am young enough to be still alive when the terrible things come to fruition so there is a self-interest element for me, but I also love all species of animals and so I care alot for them.

I also think there’s an ethical obligation not just to each other but the next generation, but I think that’s heightened significantly whenever someone has kids so that’s why I mentioned it. It makes no sense to me for a couple to devote so much of their lives and resources to raising a kid right and yet contribute to political movements and behaviours that will make the Earth a wasteland when they hit their prime.

I was at an Economics conference a few months ago in the US, and one of the keynote speakers argued that the way to sell significant carbon taxes etc. to the public is to do it alongisde a massively large tax cut. Not just to recycle the revenue from the carbon tax, but to make everyone in the country much better off and balloon the deficit. Then, when it comes time to pay down the deficit in 30 years, the next generation can do that because they’re the ones getting all the gains from climate change legislation enacted now.

6127

What I’m reading from that is that they’re so scared, they are willing to stop pretending their propaganda is real until their family is safe and they go back to their bullshit.
Sounds about right, I’ve also read they want governments to invest in green technologies so they’re not stuck getting by on low/negative bonds that risk the viability of small things like pension funds.

6128

The Anglo speaking world isn’t doing well on the this front. Canada might be joining the US and Australia if Sheer ends up forming a government there (results next week.)

The “irony” is that millions of climate refugees in the not too distant future are going to usher in an age of authoritarianism (as previewed by reaction to Syrian refugees) not seen since the 19th century. The current political climate is but a harbinger of things to come.

6129

Not so much addressing as accelerating.

6130

Market Place’s Make me Smart Podcast had a long segment on Fast Fashion, and the impact it has on the environment. It ended on a positive note, on how more people were getting clothes used, how clothes rental was making strides in making clothes reusable, and how tech companies are coming up with more sustainable ways to create silk and leather.

Oh, and how royalty is actually wearing the same clothes multiple times.

6131

It’s a big day for Alberta, Canada as Greta Thunberg is visiting the capital city Edmonton. There is a climate march planned, and a counter-climate truck rally. Greta is scheduled to appear in the provincial legislature at noon.

During the last climate strike, the government put ‘we love oil and gas’ posters in the windows above the crowds.

6132

I’m wondering if they would be able to drop the carbon tax. If he doesn’t get a majority (which is looking unlikely), then he would need to partner with another party, and each of the other parties want to keep or expand the carbon tax. Of course, even if they are forced to not outright drop it, they can be relied on to go as slow as possible on the climate front, do what they can to do boost oil sands production, etc.

6133

There might be a pretty unique situation if Conservative Party wins a larger minority than the Liberals. There’s a law that seems like a technicality but comes into play, where the sitting Prime Minister gets to decide how to form the next government. If he wants to, he can stay in power despite having less seats, and he would have a basis that Liberal and NDP are closer aligned to Canadian’s broad interests.

6134

Looking at Regional polling, outside Alberta and the prairies Cons aren’t doing well. yet may end up winning anyway? How does this work, whoever gets the most votes gets first shot at forming a government?

EDIT: Cross post! Thank for the preemptive answer :)

6135

Ha, good timing. I partly answered above.

6136

I am basing my opinion mostly on the CBC poll tracker, which has some kind of predictive model at the individual riding level: https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/elections/poll-tracker/canada/

Right now that gives the Conservatives just a 2% chance of a minority but a 37% chance of having the most seats (which as @Scott123 points out, is no guarantee of forming the government).

It all depends on how the vote breaks down at the riding-by-riding level. If say the Liberals are a few points weaker than projected in Ontario and Quebec could lose a lot of races to Conservatives on one side and NDP/BQ on the other side.