- Global CO2 emissions continue to rise, making an overshoot of the 1.5 °C limit increasingly probable (and making even the 2 °C limit challenging). And that's not even considering what could happen if enough of the methane clathrates in the oceans decompose. Despite this, at COP28 the Saudis have been lobbying fiercely to keep any mention of fossil fuels out of the final deal. The draft agreement that has emerged is marginally better than that, but only marginally (it calls for reductions in fossil fuel consumption, but studiously avoids such phrases as "phase-out"). As things stand, this isn't nearly enough. Probably best to sell those Tuvalu bonds, if you have any.
- A new poll indicates that the Manitoba NDP is even more popular now than on election day, with the support of 51% of those polled. They are proceeding with their agenda, notably including cautious moves towards a safe consumption site. This is clearly needed, though I could see it negatively affecting their popularity if the wrong talking points get circulated.
- Given the decline in willingness among Western powers to provide Ukraine with the aid it needs to have a chance at fighting off the Russians, some are proposing a new source of funding - the confiscation of some $300 billion in Russian assets that have been frozen. There are concerns that this might run afoul of international law, specifically the rule about "sovereign immunity" of states, but there is some uncertainty about the applicability of this rule here.
- The Southern Chiefs' Organization and True North Real Estate are moving forward with their plans to redevelop Portage Place and the old Hudson's Bay building.
- Kenneth Law, already facing fourteen charges of counselling or aiding suicide in Ontario as well as being under investigation elsewhere, has had his charges upgraded to second degree murder. The nature of the new evidence that led to this has not been made public so far.
- Two Canadian missionaries have been charged in the Dominican Republic with multiple sex offenses involving children.
- A tech startup reverse engineered Apple's iMessage so as to enable non-Apple devices to interact with the service (and incidentally have their texts show up in the standard blue rather than the sickly green colour that Apple applies to messages coming from other devices). Apple has closed that loophole, however this anticompetitive behaviour has attracted the attention of Elizabeth Warren.
No comments:
Post a Comment