Thursday, August 17, 2023

News roundup, 17 Aug 2023

- Europe's greenhouse gas emissions fell by 3% in the first quarter of this year, even as their economy grew. So anyone who tells you that's not possible is either lying or deluded.

- In other positive news, the "Inflation Reduction Act" in the US is having a huge effect on investment in green energy, not only there but abroad as well. 

- Counties in Texas have been determined, by their own interim attorney general, to not have the power to unilaterally ban wind farms. This is good news, but puzzling. Is their AG a "not totally crazy" Republican? Or is she worried that this could set a precedent that could be used by a more urban county to, say, restrict firearms?

- More difficult, though, is the fact that much of the world's remaining fossil fuel reserves will have to be left in the ground in order to limit the scale of the disaster that is climate change. Such a measure will cost investors trillions of dollars, and they won't give up easily on that.

- On the wildfire front, nearly 22,000 people are being evacuated from Yellowknife and surrounding area. Meanwhile, the critical thinking-challenged crowd are buying into absurd conspiracy theories surrounding the one in Maui.

- No prospect for the strike at Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries to be resolved soon. 

- In response to the stabbing attack at the University of Waterloo in June, the university has removed class locations and instructor names from its website to prevent specific classes from being targeted. 

- A tiny 200 ft2 unit in Vancouver is now going for almost $2,000 a month.

- A company that contracted with Facebook to moderate posts is being sued by some of their Kenyan employees for exposing them to traumatic content such as beheadings and suicides without proper support.

- Looks like the recent report of a room-temperature superconductor is just so much hot air. Too bad.

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