Reducing inequality is essential in tackling climate crisis, researchers argue – Urge ‘progressive taxation rates’ & ’employer-subsidized low-carbon meal options’
Phys.org – University of Cambridge: In a report just published in the journal Nature Climate Change, researchers argue that tackling inequality is vital in moving the world toward Net-Zero—because inequality constrains who can feasibly adopt low-carbon behaviors.
University of Cambridge: “It’s increasingly acknowledged that there’s inequality in terms of who causes climate change and who suffers the consequences, but there’s far less attention being paid to the effect of inequality in changing behaviors to reduce carbon emissions,” said Dr. Charlotte Kukowski, a postdoctoral researcher in the University of Cambridge Departments of Psychology and Zoology, and first author of the report.
The researchers say there is lack of political recognition of the barriers that can make it difficult for people to change to more climate-friendly behaviors. … Cooking more meat-free meals: plant-based meat alternatives currently tend to be less affordable than the animal products they are trying to replace.
They suggest a range of policy interventions, such as urban planning to include bus and bike lanes and pedestrian-friendly routes, progressive taxation rates on wealth and income, and employer-subsidized low-carbon meal options.
‘I’m not buying new stuff any more’: The young people getting into ‘degrowth’ – ‘Cancelling some TV subscriptions & keeping coats & socks much longer’
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/03/im-not-buying-new-stuff-any-more-the-young-people-getting-into-degrowth “I’ve always been a charity shop girl,” says Rosie Coltman, a 32-year-old teacher from Leicestershire. In recent years, she has shifted from fast fashion towards renting and repairing clothes, or buying secondhand or higher-quality items. She has bought a waxed Barbour jacket that, while more expensive in the short term, she hopes will be […]
Former UN IPCC Lead Author Dr. Richard Toll: ‘Abandon emissions targets altogether’ – Explains ‘the money for CO2 removal will go to large multinational companies’
Dr. Richard Tol: The money for CO2 removal will go to large multinational companies who operate in faraway countries in order to help solve a remote problem. It is hard to get votes for such a subsidy, harder if that subsidy is really large.
Decarbonizing the economy at a more leisurely pace will still require tax reform – but to a much smaller extent, one that is well in line with historical precedent. It would be even better to abandon emissions targets altogether and instead steer climate policy on its cost.
Electric vehicles see value depreciate by nearly 50% in five-year span
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/electric-vehicles-see-value-depreciate-nearly-50-five-year-span-report by Jack Birle, Electric vehicles have depreciated in value more in a five-year span than other major vehicle types, but all vehicle types have been able to hold their value better than four years ago, according to a new report. A report from iSeeCars looked at 1.1 million vehicles sold in the last year, from November 2022 to October 2023, […]
Federal Data Shows, Again, That The Electrify Everything Push Means Higher Energy Costs
https://robertbryce.substack.com/p/federal-data-shows-again-that-the EIA Winter Fuels Report: heating with electricity will cost 77% more than heating with natural gas; NuScale SMR project gets cancelled By Robert Bryce Some of America’s richest NGOs are pushing policies that ban the direct use of natural gas in homes and businesses. While they claim the ban on gas is needed to […]
New Study touts impact of COVID lockdowns: ‘Recessions & crises result in a permanent…increase in energy efficiency’ & boost renewable energy! – Published in journal Energy Economics
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0140988323006187
Energy Economics – Available online 21 October 2023, 107120
Excerpt: “The aim of this paper is to explore the possibility that crises provide a window of opportunity for greener energy and increase the share of renewable energy.” …
“The empirical analysis confirms that growth slowdowns, including those engendered by pandemics and financial crises, result in a permanent increase in energy efficiency and a corresponding decline in the energy intensity of output, with a disproportionate impact on dirty energy.”
