Musical interlude

Grum feat. Natalie Shay - Stay

 

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Oliver Milman and Damian Carrington report on Climate Action Tracker's recognition that we're headed toward 2.6 degrees of global warming without major policy changes - and that dirty fossil fuel emissions are continuing to increase. Nina Lakhani reports on a study showing that fossil fuel lobbyists outnumber every non-host delegation at the COP30 conference. And Ian Urquhart notes that the Mark Carney Libs are are among far too many governments serving as fossil fuel lobbyists rather than good faith actors - meaning that there's little reason for hope that Carney will take up the mantle of climate leadership as pitched by Shawn McCarthy. 

- Meanwhile, Jillian Ambrose and Fiona Harvey report on the IEA's recognition that a clean energy transition is inevitable - meaning that the people shilling for fossil fuel interests are only exacerbating both the climate breakdown, and the severity of an eventual economic crash. And Jameson Dow discusses how a corporate media narrative of electric vehicle denialism bears no relationship to reality. 

- George Monbiot discusses how the control of media by the ultra-rich is fueling an epistemic crisis. Timothy Caulfield notes that the normalizing of anti-vaccine ideology (which is resulting in the reemergence of diseases like measles which had previously been contained) is a direct result of political calculation by right-wing actors looking to undermine the concept of the public good at every turn. Jon Cohen examines how the Trump regime is actively destroying humanity's capacity to respond to the next pandemic. And Grey Moran exposes how Tyson Foods used Palantir surveillance to develop plans for the known results of the uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 - but not to actually lift a finger to keep its workers healthy. 

- Cora Lewis writes about the spread of online sports betting, as well as the obvious risks which have been foisted on the people least capable of managing them. And John Herrman points out how both gambling and resulting patterns of media coverage are spreading into the political sphere.

- John Stapleton points out the absurdity of the Libs trying to claim "inefficiency" as a reason for ending taxes on the wealthy while it pursues grossly disproportionate litigation to recover tiny amounts of social benefits. 

- Finally, David Moscrop joins the group of voices recognizing that it's absolutely futile for Canada to pursue a trade deal with a U.S. which is utterly incapable of being trusted either to accurately portray what's being negotiated, or to honour any deal which might be announced. And Dan Gardner writes that it's long past time for Canada to move past the "safe" position of deferring to the U.S., and instead take a leadership role in shaping the world we want. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Prem Sikka discusses how any prospect of meaningful change for the better depends on prying power out of the hands of the wealthiest few, while David Wallace-Wells writes about the first signs of progress on the part of the working class. And Sam Ellefson talks to Herbert Chang about the systematic abuse of offshore tax havens as one of the mechanisms the ultra-wealthy are using to avoid making any fair contribution to the countries that have made them rich.

- Jennifer Ludden notes that the Trump regime's choice to abandon people to go hungry figures to cause lasting anger and anxiety among the people deemed unworthy of even the most minimal standard of living. Benedict Vigers and Julie Ray report on new polling showing that 40% of younger women in the U.S. would understandably be happy to leave permanently. And Greg Sargent discusses how the U.S. general public has no interest in Republican cruelty when it's inflicted for its own sake rather than being attached to false promises of material gains. 

- Nina Lakhani reports on a new Amnesty International study showing that even setting aside the climate crisis, two billion people have their health threatened by pollution emanating from fossil fuel projects. And Dan Collyns reports on new archeological research documenting a coordinated effort to escape severe drought in Peru thousands of years ago - including warnings left behind for future generations. 

- Bob Berwyn discusses how UN climate talks are now designed to obstruct progress rather than to achieve it. Olivia Rudgard reports that the scientists who have done the most work on carbon capture are now warning against unduly relying on it as a substitute for effective climate action. And Rick Smith writes that the best-case scenario for Mark Carney's narrow climate plan is to see a meaningful industrial carbon price implemented quickly and effectively.

- Finally, Pippa Norman reports that Carney's plans to tie Canada even more tightly to the corporate elite includes pouring resources into a defence bank to finance military spending. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Daniel Drache and Marc Froese offer a reminder that we know all too well what a Donald Trump "trade deal" looks like - making the continued Lib/Con obsession with a new one into an exercise in either self-destruction or self-delusion. And Peter Zimonjic reports on Mark Carney's decision to follow the U.S. in prioritizing cryptocurrency schemes over actual economic development. 

- Curtis Fric discusses new polling showing that the U.S.' polarization doesn't extend to public views of control by the wealthy, as a massive supermajority recognizes that billionaires pay too little tax and have too much power. Will Bunch writes about the painful contrast between a public that's emerging to take action against the abuses of the Trump regime and wealthy Democratic Senators who see fascism as presenting new opportunities for supplication, while Adam Bonica notes that the Republicans have repeatedly gotten their way by making laughable appeals to comity and compassion in order to better entrench their arbitrary cruelty. David Sirota and David Resnikoff each discuss how Zohran Mamdani's successful mayoral campaign offers a template for what an opposition party should be doing. 

- Michael Copley et al. examine how home insurance is becoming unaffordable (or outright unavailable)  in the U.S. as the most sophisticated risk managers around decide it's not worth carrying the losses from a climate breakdown. 

- Katharine Hayhoe offers her tips for dealing with climate dismissives on social media. And G. Elliott Morris makes the case to quit social media (particularly on the platforms whose content is determined by top-down algorithms).

- Finally, Susan Helper et al. study the effects of the U.S.' modern slavery in the form of prison labour, and find that it systematically undermines wages and working conditions for workers generally. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Helpful cat.

 

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Fiona Harvey and Jonathan Watts report on Antonio Guterres' warning at the start of the COP30 climate conference that we can't afford more delays and distractions. Zali Steggall writes about the need for our conversations to include serious talk about how to survive the breakdown we can no longer avoid (while also doing everything in our power not to make matters worse). Harvey also reports on André Corrêa do Lago's rightful objection to the by inaction of the countries most able to afford to contribute. And Kathy Mulvey discusses what a climate summit would look like absent the constant obstruction from dirty energy interests that have regularly blocked any progress.  

- Ember Futures examines the consistent trend of clean energy becoming more affordable and more secure than reliance on fossil fuels. Julian Beaulieu, Wren Montgomery and Jennifer Quaid argue against Mark Carney's choice to enable greenwashing by the oil sector. And The Juice Media offers up an honest ad about the latest LNG monstrosity intended to lock us into several more decades of fossil fuel dependence:

 

- Ang Li writes about the effect of the climate breakdown on our homes and health - including the need for housing to take into account extreme weather and increased threats of disasters. Leora Smith discusses how Doug Ford's housing policy is predictably aimed at handing even more wealth and power to landlords at the expense of people's access to a basic human right. And John Lorinc points out that the federal Libs have chosen to ignore the rental construction incentives which actually spurred the development of new units in the 1970s. 

-  Finally, Jesse Drucker discusses how the Trump regime (without following any valid process to change tax laws) is handing out immense of amounts of free money to the uber-rich. And Mark Niquette and Lauren Dezenski highlight how the Trump economy consists of utterly undermining working people, while hoping for multiple precarious assumptions to goose the value of stocks and capital interests. 

Monday Morning Links

Assorted content to start your week.

- Tim Wu discusses how the richest few have come to dominate our politics (with our health and well-being paying the price), while Ian Welsh examines the obscene concentration of wealth in the U.S. Jeff Horwitz exposes how Meta's business model includes the deliberate facilitation of scams as a major revenue source, while Harrison Mooney interviews Gil Duran about the rise of techno-fascism. And Jared Yates Sexton writes that oligarchic buyup of politicians and ad blitzes hasn't succeeded in winning over the public.

- Carl Beuer writes that the devastating results of Trump regime's withholding of food stamps demonstrate the need for effective government to provide social supports, while Kristen Crowell offers a reminder that the long-time plan of the Republicans and their anti-social cronies has been to eliminate anything of the sort. Marisa Kabas talks to SNAP recipients about their experience having minimal supports stripped away. And Rene Sylvestre-Williams discusses how there's more governments can do to ensure necessities are affordable, including by directly providing basic needs so people aren't stuck paying corporate markups for everything. 

- Luke Savage discusses the stark difference between a future where people have an option of pluralistic social democracy, and one where neoliberal acquiescence is the only perceived alternative to fascism.  And Jason Sattler comments on the importance of a politics based on people taking action rather than merely being acted upon, while Taylor Noakes highlights how Canadians can draw inspiration from Zohran Mamdani's mayoral victory. 

- George Goehl writes about the need to give people clear calls to action at a time when they're eager to make a difference. And Katherine Wu discusses the large number of scientists stepping up to run for office as their life's work has been negated by ignorant political choices. 

- Finally, Karl Nerenberg comments on Mark Carney's choice to focus the federal investments on militarism and little else. Alex Hemingway points out a few of the most glaring missed opportunities,  while Emmett MacFarlane notes that the budget misses the real causes of Canada's problems. And Rachel Samson points out the mismatch between Carney's supposed goals and the level of resources provided, while Carl Meyer examines the particular reduction in both rules and funding for environmental priorities.