Miscellaneous material to start your week.
- Amy Westervelt and Kyle Pope call out five of the most insidious fossil fuel propaganda messages. Fiona Harvey reports on Todd Stern's rightful observation that the continued pushing of fossil fuels in the name of "grownup" decision-making in fact represents a catastrophic failure of leadership. And Johannes Stangl points out that a concerted focus on removing the lowest-value carbon pollution could slash emissions by 20% with minimal economic impact.
- Meanwhile, in case anybody wanted to pretend that the carbon-fueled status quo was somehow defensible as a means of improving the lot of developing countries, Andrea Shalai reports on the World Bank's warning that inequality between the richest and poorest countries is worsening as development stagnates at the lower end of the spectrum.
- Jimmy Thomson discusses how Yellowknife, Fort McMurray and other communities hit with calamitous wildfires are bracing for their next emergencies. Crawford Kilian writes about the RCMP's concealed recognition of the stormy future in store for Canada. And Eric Shragge and Jason Prince write that municipalities could be the engines to tackle the most important crises we face - though of course right-wing provincial governments are doing everything in their power to prevent anybody else from filling their own leadership vacuums.
- Finally, Andre Mayer writes that one of the main obstacles to housing affordability is the choice to financialize real estate. And John Dorman points out that nobody is well served by a situation in which some people feel obliged to stay in larger houses than they need for want of practical alternatives, while others are unable to find houses of exactly that size for their families.
It always weirds me out the way the World Bank does these incisive reports on how the World Bank is screwing up the world.
ReplyDeleteI'd say it beats the alternative of enforced denial that seems like the norm from so many actors on so many issues. But yes, some recognition of what follows from their criticism would be an important step.
DeleteRe, Finally, Andre Mayer writes that one of the main obstacles to housing affordability is the choice to financialize real estate.
ReplyDeleteMany of us that have larger , mine is 2100 sq ft, and would like to downsize find it impossible as the alternatives are the same price or more!
I am not alone in feeling that there are many of that are stranded because of market demands.
The hyperunrealistic real estate market is and has been driven by greed ever since Vancouver and Toronto opened their doors to the rich and famous of Hong Kong and other affluent societies were encouraged to "invest' in Canadian real estate by the way of quick and easy citizenship!!!
The result was many bogus foreign investments of the required $250,000 and after the required investment time were summarily sold off , often at a loss but WGAS the dual nationals had a place to park their wealth and move it around more freely.
Meanwhile , the inflated prices they paid to join the Canada club screwed up the local markets and as they say, the rest is history!!!!
TB