[✔️] February 28, 2023- Global Warming News Digest | 2023 FT opinion, US retirement places, France reconsidering meat, carbon bankrupts Britain, Europe. bullying solar, Harvard asks, Fox pants on fire

[Richard Pauli]

/*February 28, 2023*/

/[ optimistic opinion //from the Financial Times //] /
*Why 2023 might just be a turning point for climate action*
Policy and regulatory breakthroughs are coming together — but will 
government and business deliver?
https://www.ft.com/content/07976045-983e-4df3-b2dd-30c264fbe928



/[ US places to move away from -- Moody's Analytics//- text and audio 
list //]/
*Need to rethink retirement? These areas face the biggest climate-change 
risk.*
Published: Feb. 25, 2023
By Rachel Koning Beals
Moody’s Analytics report reveals which U.S. cities and metro areas are 
most at risk to sea rise, extreme heat and water stress. And, 
researchers suggest which locations could prove most resilient

As the U.S. looks ahead to coming decades in which climate change, 
especially if left unchecked, could sharply alter how people live and 
economies thrive, researchers reveal which cities and surrounding metro 
areas are most vulnerable to the risks of sea-level rise, extreme heat 
and water-shortage stress.

Importantly, those cities tagged on the watchlist are popular areas that 
attract young professionals. But some also historically draw retirees 
because of warmer temperatures and attractive coastlines. San Francisco, 
New York City and Phoenix are the top places expected to feel the worst 
of climate change, according to a new report by Moody’s Analytics.

Economists and researchers at Moody’s said they’ve opted to explore the 
economic impacts from climate change on a regional basis because changes 
will vary...
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/need-to-rethink-retirement-these-areas-face-the-biggest-climate-change-risk-2fe538fd
- -
/[ See the original Moody's Analytics report ]/
*The Impact of Climate Change on **U.S. Subnational Economies*
- -

*Chart 1: Florida Faces the Greatest Acute Physical Risk Threat **-- 
Hurricanes Wildfires Floods*

    Connecticut
    Massachusetts
    Virginia
    New Jersey
    Rhode Island
    Delaware
    North Carolina
    South Carolina
    Louisiana
    Florida

- -

*Chart 2: Southeastern Metro Areas Are Unusually Risky*

    Jacksonville NC
    New Bern NC
    Myrtle Beach SC
    Wilmington NC
    Greenville NC
    Charleston SC
    Punta Gorda FL
    Deltona FL
    San Juan PR
    Palm Bay FL
    Goldsboro NC
    Jacksonville FL
    Hilton Head SC
    Mobile AL
    Savannah GA
    Port St. Lucie FL
    Fayetteville NC
    Pensacola FL
    Rocky Mount NC Brunswick GA

- -

*Chart 3: Chronic Physical Risk Is More Widespread*

    North Port FL
    West Palm Beach FL
    Wilmington DE
    Tucson AZ
    Phoenix
    Oakland CA
    Long Island NY
    New York City
    Cape Coral FL
    San Francisco

https://www.moodysanalytics.com/-/media/article/2023/the-impact-of-climate-change-on-us-subnational-economies.pdf



/[ France reconsidering meat --  more difficult to morally digest  ] /
*‘A wake-up call for the industry’: Meat production in France under 
scrutiny amid climate change*
  26/02/2023
As meat consumption remains the biggest contributor to food-related 
greenhouse gas emissions, developing more eco-responsible habits 
requires changes to our diets. For livestock farmers, this translates 
into a need to find new ways of production.

Following Neige (Snow), Idéale (Perfect) and Imminence, the new 
ambassador of the International Agriculture Show, which opened February 
25 in Paris, is Ovalie, a 5-year-old cow of the Salers breed. As usual, 
the star gets to have her photo printed on posters for this annual event 
and her official public presentation is also set to be one of the high 
points of the show. This tradition highlights the importance of animal 
husbandry in French agriculture. But as climate activists often decry 
the environmental impact of meat production, the show also serves as an 
occasion to rethink our methods of production as well as the steaks on 
our plates.

On a global scale, meat consumption continues to rise: It has multiplied 
by almost five over the past 60 years, growing from 71 million tonnes in 
1961 to 339 million tonnes in 2021, according to statistics from the UN 
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). This production has massive 
consequences for climate change: The livestock sector is responsible for 
14.5 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions derived from human 
activities and half of the emissions of the agricultural sector worldwide.
*
**The main culprit of greenhouse gas emissions on our plates *
“In France, we eat an average of 100 to 110 grams per day per person, 
which is the equivalent of 85 kilograms per year. Twice the global 
average”, noted agricultural economist Carine Barbier, researcher for 
the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and The 
International Research Centre on Environment and Development (CIRED). A 
mere quarter of the population describes itself as flexitarian, eating 
meat only occasionally, while 2.2 percent describes itself as vegetarian.

“It’s the principal cause of dietary-related greenhouse gas emissions” 
Barbier added. “Ultimately, the whole food industry already represents 
25 percent of French emissions, this includes the entire process, from 
the production to our plates as well as imports. Animal farming alone 
represents 9 percent of total emissions.”

Due to emissions of three types of greenhouse gas – carbon dioxide 
(CO2), nitrous oxide and methane – into the atmosphere, animal husbandry 
is costing the planet dearly. “CO2 emissions come from the use of fossil 
fuel for transportation, namely imports, (and) the use of machinery in 
agriculture as well as in the food processing industry and large retail 
outlets,” the expert explained. Nitrous oxide (N2O), on the other hand, 
“comes from the use of mineral nitrogen fertilisers in fields”, and 
methane is produced by the digestive system of cattle. Although not as 
well known as carbon dioxide, the latter two gases are not less harmful: 
N2O reflects 300 times as much heat as CO2 while methane reflects 28 
times as much.

“Therefore we have to differentiate between ruminants, swine and 
poultry”, Barbier said. “Due to their particular digestive system, 
ruminants have a larger impact on the climate.” According to the French 
Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME), a kilogram of beef represents 
around 14 kilograms of CO2 equivalent (CO2e), which includes CO2, 
nitrous oxide and methane, 10 times that of poultry.

On top of its climate impact, animal farming is also responsible for 
detrimental effects on the environment. According to a 2015 report by 
the Physics Institution, livestock production accounts for 78 percent of 
terrestrial biodiversity loss, 80 percent of soil acidification and 
atmospheric pollution as well as 73 percent of water pollution.

*‘It’s a wake-up call for the industry’*
Facing this situation, farmers envision several solutions to reduce 
their environmental impact. In a press release published at the opening 
of the International Agriculture Show, the national inter-professional 
association of cattle and meat (Interbev) says it aims to reduce the 
beef sector’s carbon footprint by 15 percent in 2025, compared to 2015.

“It’s a wake-up call for the entire industry to the urgency of climate 
change,” the president of Interbev’s beef sector Emmanuel Bernard said. 
“As animal farmers, we are the first to suffer from global warming and 
its consequences.”

Barbier suggested that farmers move “towards more extensive breeding 
with a higher consumption of grass, and thus limiting the production of 
cereal used in fodder. This in turn reduces the use of fertilisers and 
pesticides.”

“We also have to cut down on imports of animal feed. I’m thinking of, 
for example, soybean meal imported from Brazil that leans heavily on 
transport. Currently, transportation represents more than one-fifth of 
the food industry’s carbon footprint,” she continued. “Why not return to 
crop-livestock systems in which farmers grow most of what the animals 
need by themselves?”

Bernard tires to heed this advice as a farmer. Thirty years ago, he took 
over the family ranch located in Nièvre. Today, he is accountable for 
110 charolais cows à vêler (to calve), meaning they are destined to give 
birth to calves to be fattened before being sent to slaughterhouses. For 
a few years now, he has also started adding installations to make his 
farm more eco-friendly.

“I don’t import any soy products. My cows and calves mostly feed on 
grass, fodder and cereal that I grow myself, on my land. Among the 220 
hectares of land, 125 hectares are meadows while 25 hectares are used 
for growing cereal”, he said.

Three years ago, Bernard went even further and submitted his practices 
for evaluation to CAP2ER, which provides a diagnosis of gas emissions. 
It's a five-year process that should allow him to explore new ways to 
reduce his carbon footprint. “I envision, for example, cultivating 
meslin, which is a mix of cereal and protein crop, instead of maize.”

*Adjusting herd sizes*
But to make further progress in transforming large-scale farming 
methods, “it’s absolutely necessary to start reducing herd sizes”, 
Barbier insisted. These practical changes would set into motion a 
virtuous cycle. “For example, by cutting back on meat in our diets and 
decreasing cereal fodder and oil and protein crops used in animal feed, 
we would increase the area of arable land that we can use to grow crops 
for human consumption,” she added.

France has already announced its aim to reduce herd sizes via the 
National Low-Carbon Strategy for agriculture published in June 2021, 
which targets a 13 percent reduction by 2030. The target is lower than 
what the scientific community recommends. Nevertheless, the trend is 
already growing among animal farms, as the total number of lactating and 
milk cows declined by 8 percent between 2000 and 2019 according to the 
Institut de l’élevage (IDELE). The same has been noted for sheep, which 
saw a decrease of 8.3 percent from 2011 to 2020 while the number of sows 
in the swine industry have dropped by 19 percent in 10 years.

“Initiating this transition towards more sustainable agricultural 
practices is nowadays indispensable in order to render the farming 
system more resilient against climate change all the while reinsuring 
our food sovereignty”, Barbier emphasised, pointing to the fact that the 
animal husbandry sector is already in a crisis. “But to do this, we need 
stronger support from the European Union. We have to ensure a steady 
stream of income during this transition period.”

“Currently we are producing a lot of diagnosis and observations on the 
problems surrounding animal farming, but we struggle to implant real 
methods of change”, the farmer Bernard added. “And the main reason 
behind this is tied to finances. If we had real political support, we 
would be ready to make the change.”

“Without all that, we risk becoming less competitive than other 
countries and this would drive imports”, he stressed. “It would neither 
be good for us, nor the climate.”

*A revolution on our plates*
Meanwhile, real changes in production cannot take place without 
consumers, according to Barbier, who authored a study published in 
October establishing multiple scenarios for a carbon neutral diet by 
2050. “Above all else, we need to reduce our meat consumption. That’s 
what will prompt farmers to transition.”

In addition to purely ecological thinking, she also advanced several 
nutritional arguments. “In any case, we consume too much protein, around 
80 percent more than what we need,” the expert continued, pointing to 
oft-illustrated cardiovascular risks linked to overconsumption of meat. 
In 2019, a commission formed by the medical journal The Lancet estimated 
that Europeans should cut their red meat consumption by 77 percent while 
doubling fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes in order to respect the 
limits of Earth’s resources and to maintain their own health. “Reducing 
our consumption to reflect our real needs will considerably decrease the 
carbon footprint of our diets.”

“If we stick to the most moderate scenario, then we need to cut down 
two-thirds of our meat consumption and half that of mik products”, she 
explained. “By no means do we seek to remove meat completely from the 
entire population’s plates. It is a question of developing our diet and 
animal-farming practices to reach carbon neutrality.

*Favour plant-based options*
Numerous plant-based alternatives exist in order to help implement these 
changes to our dietary habits and progressively decrease meat portions 
on our plates. The first and the most obvious one is to consume more 
cereal and protein-rich legumes such as lentils and chickpeas.

In the last few years, supermarkets have started to push out more and 
more plant-based meat substitutes. Among them are “plant-based steaks”, 
“fake bacon bits”, and “plant-based meat strips” made from peas, tofu or 
soybeans that imitate the taste and texture of beef or chicken. 
“Nowadays, all of these options imitate meat quite well and can be a 
helpful way to change one’s habits”, said Tom Bry-Chevalier, an expert 
in alternative meats and a doctoral student at the University of Lorraine.

“This is all the better since we now know that these options have a 
lesser impact on climate than meat”, he said. According to a recent 
study, yhese plant-based substitutes emit 10 times less greenhouse gas 
than beef, and as much as 25 times less for tofu.

A report from Boston Consulting Group published in July estimates that 
the “investments in plant-based alternatives to meat” are “much more 
efficient in reducing greenhouse gas emissions than other green 
investments”. Each euro invested in these products has up to three times 
as much impact as it would have if placed in renovating buildings and 11 
times as much as in the production of electric cars”.

“Another alternative could be the development of laboratory-grown meat, 
produced directly from animal cells”, Bry-Chevalier continued. Despite 
rapid growth with dozens of start-ups worldwide, the project remains for 
now at the laboratory stage.

“This option also has its limits. First of all, lab-grown meat is still 
tied to high emissions if the energy used to produce it is not carbon 
neutral”, Bry-Chevalier said. “But most importantly, we are still very 
far away from large-scale commercialisation while the climate crisis is 
an emergency. We can’t afford to wait for lab-grown meat to change our 
habits.”

According to Barbier, plant-based steaks and lab-grown meat – if they 
develop – must be seen as resources for transition. “We already have all 
the necessary ingredients for our daily protein needs thanks to 
vegetables,” she said. “Let us offer delicious vegetarian dishes in 
collective food halls, let people choose their meat portions there ... 
It could really make a difference.”
This article is a translation of the original in French. -- 
https://www.france24.com/fr/france/20230225-une-plan%C3%A8te-bleue-ou-bien-cuite-la-viande-face-au-d%C3%A9fi-du-d%C3%A9r%C3%A8glement-climatique
https://www.france24.com/en/environment/20230226-a-wake-up-call-for-the-industry-meat-production-in-france-under-scrutiny-amid-climate-change



/[ GB stung by carbon capitalism!  A modern history  ]/
*How Energy Privatization Bankrupted Britain*
Tom Nicholas
Feb 24, 2023  #Privatization #EnergyCrisis
Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: 
http://go.nebula.tv/tomnicholas
Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: 
https://nebula.tv/videos/tomnicholas-how-energy-privatization-bankrupted-britain

A video about the energy crisis, privatization and profiteering.
Written, directed and presented by Tom Nicholas.
Edited by Georgia Burrows.
Chapters

    0:00 The Energy Crisis in the UK
    05:42 Part 1: Maggie Thatcher, Energy Snatcher
    12:53 Part 2: Supply Guys
    22:37 Part 3. The Generation Game
    28:19 Nebula!
    31:25 Part 4: Poles, Pipes & Proft
    38:28 Part 5: Price Wars
    46:17 Part 6: The Case for Nationalisation

- -
Britain is in crisis. A cost of living crisis. And, in particular, an 
energy crisis. Since 2020, the typical UK energy bill has risen by 400%. 
And many are having to choose between heating and eating.

Some of this is the result of global oil prices which have spiked since 
the beginning of 2022. But, much of it is the result of much longer-term 
trends which and, in turn, the product of a radical experiment the 
country undertook starting in the 1980s.

Under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher (and, later, John Major), the 
UK began selling-off the entirety of its energy infrastructure to the 
private investors. Beginning with British Gas in the 1986 and continuing 
with the electricity supply industry in the 1990s, every part of the 
UK’s energy supply system has been handed over to corporations whose 
primary motivation is the accumulation of profit.

This is the story of how energy privatisation bankrupted Britain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVNQElN6VY8

- -

/[ wicked, modern market colonialism ]/
*Europe’s Gas Lobby Exploits Energy Security Fears in Year Since Ukraine 
War*
DeSmog study finds surge in social media posts backing industry plans 
for build-out of new projects.
By Stella Levantesi and Thomas Lewtonon
Feb 24, 2023

Europe’s gas industry has ramped up its messaging since Russia invaded 
Ukraine, exploiting fears over energy security to justify projects that 
risk locking the continent into long-term dependence on fossil fuels, 
DeSmog can reveal.

Four big industry groups began to post many more tweets portraying 
investments in gas and related infrastructure as the key to secure 
energy supplies soon after the invasion started — and maintained this 
strategy throughout last year, an analysis of their social media 
accounts found.

The lobby groups were Gas Infrastructure Europe; Gas For Climate; 
Eurogas; and the European branch of the International Association of Oil 
& Gas Producers, which represent companies operating pipelines, gas 
storage, and infrastructure to import liquefied natural gas (LNG). 
Members include oil majors such as Shell, BP, TotalEnergies, Chevron, 
ExxonMobil, and Eni, which have posted record profits off the back of 
the energy crisis triggered by the invasion.

Climate advocates fear the tweets represent the tip of the iceberg of 
behind-closed-doors efforts to persuade European governments to back 
long-term investments in gas over the rollout of renewables and energy 
efficiency needed to achieve the European Union’s climate goals.

“The gas industry wants us to believe that more gas makes us more 
secure, but more gas leads to more climate change which in reality makes 
us less secure,” said Ben Franta, senior research fellow at the Oxford 
Sustainable Law Programme, who analyses legal strategies for holding 
fossil fuel producers accountable for their climate impacts.

“The gas industry is using today’s news — the war and the energy crisis 
— to try to lock in more gas for decades, even though the industry knows 
it’ll be disastrous for the climate and international stability,” he said.

*“Big Boon”*
The DeSmog analysis of 1,075 tweets by the four lobby groups showed that 
posts emphasising energy security, or the prospect of an energy shortage 
or crisis, accounted for about three percent of tweets in the 10 months 
prior to the invasion. That proportion shot up more than tenfold after 
the war started, with energy security–related messaging appearing in 
about a third of tweets from late February to December. Collectively, 
the four lobby groups have more than 15,000 followers.

The tweets sometimes used hashtags such as #StrategicAutonomy or 
#SecurityOfSupply....
- -
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine last February 24 
pushed gas prices to record levels; threatened to cripple European 
households; raised the prospect of winter shortages; and sent countries 
reliant on imports of Russian pipeline gas scrambling for alternatives.

Climate advocates acknowledged the need for emergency gas imports to 
bridge the gap as Europe rapidly weaned itself off its dependence on Russia.

But campaigners say the gas industry is exploiting a temporary crisis to 
revive long-standing plans to build new terminals to import LNG from 
suppliers from the U.S. Gulf Coast to Qatar to Australia, and lay new 
pipelines — hooking Europe on imported gas for decades to come.

That prospect appears to contradict EU climate targets, which imply a 
reduction in gas demand of at least 35 percent compared with 2019 levels 
by 2030. The emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane associated 
with the projects will also undermine global climate goals, analysts warn.

“Before February 2022, it seemed that gas infrastructure projects were 
starting to flounder, gas was increasingly being seen as a non-viable 
investment in Europe due to climate targets, stranded asset threats, 
public protests,” said Greig Aitken of research and advocacy group 
Global Energy Monitor.

“The war has been a big boon for the European gas industry, and the gas 
exporting countries that the EU is now more dependent on,” Aitken said...

- - 
https://www.desmog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Tweets-dot-chart_3x-2048x1679.jpeg.webp

The shift towards energy security messaging was most marked in posts by 
Gas Infrastructure Europe — which represents gas storage, pipeline, and 
LNG terminal operators — with almost half of the group’s post-invasion 
tweets discussing energy security.
- -
The surge in energy security messaging occurred against a steady 
drumbeat of tweets portraying gas as a clean energy source, and 
promoting gas and hydrogen infrastructure as crucial to the energy 
transition, throughout the two 10 month-periods analysed on either side 
of the invasion.

Terms such as “low-carbon gas” or “renewable gas” — which critics say 
amount to greenwashing since they downplay the industry’s climate impact 
— appeared in tweets from various lobby groups...
- -
Many of the companies in the groups DeSmog analysed are members of the 
International Gas Union, a global lobby that has also emphasised energy 
security since the Ukraine invasion, according to an analysis published 
by InfluenceMap in December.

Shell, BP, and TotalEnergies have also communicated greater “patriotism” 
in their post-invasion social media posts by focusing on factors 
including energy security and energy independence, according to a study 
published in November by research group Solid Sustainability Research.

“To sell imported gas infrastructure in Europe as an energy security 
idea makes no sense,” said Kingsmill Bond, an energy strategist at RMI, 
an energy think tank. “There are now superior, cheaper, and domestic 
low-carbon solutions available, and they will get cheaper over time. Gas 
will not.”...
- - 
https://www.desmog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Gas-price_3x-2048x1547.jpeg.webp

*Italy Pushes the Gas Pedal*
EU countries that were heavily dependent on Russia for supplies, such as 
Germany and Italy, have pushed hard for new gas imports and infrastructure.

The Italian government has signed 11 gas supply deals with exporting 
countries — more than any other EU country in the past year — according 
to data compiled by the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Researcher Lorenzo Mario Pastore and colleagues at the University of 
Sapienza in Rome published a study showing that it would be cheaper for 
Italy to use energy efficiency and renewables to reduce gas consumption, 
rather than find new fossil fuel sources.

Drought has underscored Italy’s vulnerability to climate impacts, with 
Venice canals running dry and lakes and rivers in Northern Italy 
significantly below their usual level.

Nevertheless, Italy’s government has struck gas agreements with Algeria, 
Libya, and other African countries since the Ukraine invasion; invested 
in two LNG import terminals; and, in November, approved government 
funding for drilling of “Italian gas” in the Adriatic.

“In the face of growing pressure, the Italian government has not taken 
the opportunity to decarbonize its energy mix with low-cost renewables 
but has, in fact, been pursuing a policy of substituting gas with other 
gas,” wrote Luka Vasilj, a policy analyst at Climate Analytics, in an 
article published by Italian climate think tank Ecco.

Oil and gas company Eni and pipeline operator Snam have both sought to 
justify new investments in terms of energy security.

“We now have a problem of energy security,” Eni Chief Executive Claudio 
DeScalzi told a conference call with financial analysts three weeks 
after the Ukraine invasion. “What we need now, especially nowadays for 
Europe, is gas.”

DeScalzi and the chief executive of pipeline operator Snam have since 
advocated for an increase in oil and gas investments in Africa, 
InfluenceMap has found. Meanwhile, last May, Snam argued that Italy 
could position itself as a European gas hub to counter “the emergency” 
threat to gas supplies in the short term — and boost energy security in 
the long term.

Snam reinforced the message in a series of Facebook and Instagram ads, 
according to DeSmog’s analysis. After the invasion, the company paid the 
platforms’ parent company Meta between 1,800-2,100 euros for three ads 
that discussed energy security, or promoted Snam’s role in guaranteeing 
stable supplies. These ads made more than two million impressions across 
Italy.

Eni and Snam did not respond to requests for comment.

The right-wing coalition government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, 
who won snap elections in September, has also justified new gas projects 
in terms of energy security.

In a move indicative of the country’s changed priorities, Meloni’s 
government has reorganised what had been the Ministry of Ecological 
Transition, responsible for environmental protection, into a new entity: 
the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security.

“Energy security has always been a mantra to justify gas import 
infrastructure,” said Alessandro Runci, public finance and 
multinationals campaigner at Italy-based advocacy group ReCommon. “Since 
the invasion, it has become a trump card.”

https://www.desmog.com/2023/02/24/european-gas-lobby-tweets-ukraine-war/



/[ Blocking clean energy using fear  - a known bullying tactic by Kevon 
Martis ]/
*"It's Like a Cult" - The War on Farmers and Clean Energy*
YaleClimateConnections
Feb 26, 2023
The fossil fuel industry is waging a war aimed at slowing  the critical 
clean energy transition across the United States, and has trained a 
cadre of activists, and equipped them with tools and tactics.
They are targeting wind energy, solar energy, and anyone, whether it is 
a farmer, or a local official, who believes in the need for them.
In Montcalm County, Michigan, interviews with local farmers and 
officials detail a "cult like" network lead by a shadowy influencer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35x39wpd2Rg

- -

/[ check this source for disinformation and misinformation ]/
*Climate Disinformation Database*
In DeSmog’s Climate Disinformation Database, you can browse our 
extensive research on the individuals and organizations that have helped 
to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking 
needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming.
https://www.desmog.com/databases/


/[  Climate Colonialism --  from 2021 - fits today, any day.]/
*Gravitas Plus: Who is responsible for Climate Change?*
WION
Premiered Apr 17, 2021  #GravitasPlus #WION #ClimateChange
Gravitas Plus | The West polluted the environment, then exported its 
emissions. Today it preaches climate action. Palki Sharma says: Saving 
the earth is a collective responsibility, but shouldn't rich countries 
pay up before they preach?

#GravitasPlus #ClimateChange #WION
About Channel:
WION -The World is One News, examines global issues with in-depth 
analysis. We provide much more than the news of the day. Our aim to 
empower people to explore their world. With our Global headquarters in 
New Delhi, we bring you news on the hour, by the hour. We deliver 
information that is not biased. We are journalists who are neutral to 
the core and non-partisan when it comes to the politics of the world. 
People are tired of biased reportage and we stand for a globalised 
united world. So for us the World is truly One.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVyM6J2jbAU



/[ Harvard students demand information and power ]/
*How to make effective climate policy — and policymakers*
Dustin Tingley (pictured) and Stephen Ansolabehere collaborated with 
students to design the course “Politics of the Environment and Climate 
Change.” “They told us they really wanted activity and engagement … 
something that was practical and outward-looking,” said Tingley.

Innovative class builds skills for conceiving, evaluating ideas, turning 
them into real-world solutions

Imagine the government has imposed a $50-per-month tax on fossil fuels. 
Should that money be banked, gathering interest for future investment in 
climate adaptation? Or should it be spent immediately in developing 
countries hit hardest by climate change?

The matter came up for debate this month in the government class 
“Politics of the Environment and Climate Change.” One hand shot up 
immediately with a vote for spending the money later, since compounded 
interest adds to financial impact. Another student, more tentative, took 
the position of spending now, to benefit the greatest number of people — 
both existing humans and those still to be born.

Beaming at the front of the classroom was Dustin Tingley, professor of 
government, deputy vice provost for advances in learning. “Good!” he 
cried, rewarding every response with a grin. Climate change is a 
minefield of competing priorities and interests. But when it comes to 
finding policy solutions, Tingley later said, the goal is “wrestling 
with the fact that different groups, all with good intentions, can do 
things that subsequently lead to tension.”

Launched last spring, GOV1722 contends with climate change as a 
fundamentally political problem, challenging students to navigate 
obstacles and opportunities for effective policymaking at all levels of 
government. “This has always been a gap in the curriculum,” offered 
Stephen Ansolabehere, the Frank G. Thompson Professor of Government, who 
teaches the class alongside Tingley. “But it was difficult to know what 
to do, because it’s a topic that spans so many fields within our 
discipline — domestic politics, comparative politics, international 
politics.”

A recent lecture outlined the “normative frameworks” that different 
negotiating parties may apply to the issue, including utilitarianism and 
spiritual beliefs about caring for divine creation. Everyone from 
philosopher John Rawls to economist (and former Harvard University 
president) Larry Summers was mentioned. Future lessons include the 
politics of mitigation and adaptation.

The course is supported by Harvard University Center for the 
Environment, with networking help from the Salata Institute for Climate 
and Sustainability community. But students were Tingley and 
Ansolabehere’s closest collaborators in designing the course in fall 
2021. “They told us they really wanted activity and engagement,” Tingley 
recalled. “They wanted something that was practical and 
outward-looking.” As a result, lectures tend to be highly interactive, 
requiring students to engage with in-class simulations and polls (such 
as the $50 fossil fuel tax).

“The assignment structure is atypical compared to other government 
classes,” observed Pranav S. Moudgalya ’26, who described working on a 
policy memo about the Colorado River water crisis. As a capstone 
project, the whole class tackles real-world issues facing surrounding 
communities. The inaugural GOV1722 section last spring designed a 
climate plan for Boston, which was circulated around City Hall.

This semester students will break into groups to study the needs of 
climate-vulnerable cities in the area including Lawrence, Chelsea, and 
Fall River. They will then write grants to fund initiatives such as 
flood mitigation and building up renewable energy infrastructure.

“We’re teaching ideas and theories, but really pushing students to apply 
those things,” said Tingley, who also co-chaired the recent “Future of 
Climate Education at Harvard University” report.

Student input shaped the course in other meaningful ways. For one, 
Ansolabehere’s big lecture on environmental justice, originally slated 
for late in the term, was pushed near the start. That meant something to 
Kiersten Hash ’25, a government concentrator (with a secondary in 
environmental science and public policy) who expressed general 
frustration with the lack of diverse perspectives among Harvard’s 
climate educators. “I’m pleased with the work our professors are doing 
in this course,” Hash said. “From the jump, they talked about the fact 
that the impacts of climate change will be disproportionately felt by 
the most vulnerable.”

There’s something more students appreciate about the class, which is 
also available online via Harvard Extension School. As Hash put it: “The 
general ethos is that we have the potential to solve these problems 
through critical decision-making and strategic political action.”

Tingley and Ansolabehere can tick off a host of inspiring 
accomplishments on climate and environmental cleanup: turning around 
ozone depletion in the 1980s, the leadership of red states Iowa and 
Texas on wind infrastructure.

“The world has made progress in certain respects,” Tingley said, “just 
not enough on carbon or greenhouse gases.”

Not yet anyway. This class, and the students who take it, have hope.
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2023/02/innovative-class-teaches-students-how-to-navigate-politics-of-climate-change/

- -


/[ podcast from Harvard and Brown ]/
*What Is Holding Up the Transition to Green Energy?*
February 6, 2023
PODCAST | ep11 | with Dustin Tingley, Jeff Colgan, and Aleksandra Conevska

Green technology has come a long way, to the extent that it can, in 
theory, be scaled up to solve the world’s energy problems. If this is 
true, then why does the US lag so far behind in transitioning away from 
fossil fuels? This episode addresses the politics of climate change by 
looking at the sources of public distrust. To frame the discussion, 
three scholars investigate the nature of major economic transformations, 
the youth movement, and what we can learn from other countries.

[TRANSCRIPT available  ]
Traveling into the heart of US fossil fuel communities, Dustin Tingley 
reports on the work of his team to uncover the sentiments of the 
citizens who will be most affected when fossil fuel plants are closed. 
The common theme is a lack of belief that the government will offer a 
social safety net when workers lose their jobs and when towns lose their 
revenue.

Jeff Colgan takes us through some major energy transitions of the past 
and explains why green energy is different. He also points to strategies 
citizens in other countries have leveraged to move their governments 
forward.

Drawing on original research, Aleksandra Conevska explores differences 
between youth and adult political behavior regarding climate action, and 
separately on the unintended consequences of green party politics. 
Ending on a hopeful note, the group explains there are definitely new 
green jobs on the horizon, especially in the trades, and it’s time to 
give vocational education more attention.

Host: Erin Goodman, Director, Weatherhead Scholars Program.

Guests:  Dustin Tingley, Faculty Associate; Chair, Weatherhead Research 
Cluster on Climate Change. Professor of Government, Department of 
Government, Harvard University.
Jeff Colgan, Richard Holbrooke Associate Professor, Department of 
Political Science and Watson Institute for Public and International 
Affairs, Brown University.
Aleksandra Conevska, Graduate Affiliate, Weatherhead Research Cluster on 
Climate Change. PhD Candidate, Department of Government, Harvard 
University.

Producer/Director: Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer, 
Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.
https://epicenter.wcfia.harvard.edu/podcast/ep11-green-energy-transition



/[ //Fox has pants on fire - //disinformation issues ]/
*Fox Stars Privately Expressed Disbelief About Election Fraud Claims. 
‘Crazy Stuff.’*
The comments, by Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and others, were released 
as part of a defamation suit against Fox News by Dominion Voter Systems.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/16/business/media/fox-dominion-lawsuit.html



/[The news archive - looking back at the Keystone XL pipeline ]/
/*February 28, 2014*/
  On MSNBC.com, 350.org's Jamie Henn declares that President Obama would 
imperil the Democratic Party's standing with younger voters by approving 
the Keystone XL pipeline:

    "A Keystone XL approval could also turn off the very voters Obama
    and his allies hope to engage to advance a Democratic agenda. Years
    of protest have turned the pipeline into a symbolic test of the
    President’s commitment to address climate change. Despite the State
    Department’s recent back-flips to claim the pipeline wouldn’t have a
    dramatic environmental impact, the nation’s top climate scientists
    have made it crystal clear in reports and letters to the President
    that Keystone XL is a climate disaster. If the pipeline goes forward
    it will send a clear signal that the President isn’t serious about
    taking on the crisis.

    "That would be bad news for Democrats who hope to turn out the youth
    vote in 2014 and beyond. In a recent poll, 70% of young voters said
    that support for action on climate change will affect who they vote
    for, and 73% said they’d vote against a politician who wasn’t
    addressing the problem."

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/obama-needs-anti-keystone-climate

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