alanjjohnstone
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Misuse of climate models could pose a growing risk to financial markets by giving investors a false sense of certainty over how the physical impacts of climate change will play out, according to the authors of a paper published on Monday.
“…climate models were never developed to provide finessed information for financial risk,” said Andy Pitman, a climate scientist at the University of New South Wales and a co-author of the paper.
Improper use of climate models could lead to unintended consequences, such as “greenwashing” some investments by downplaying risks, or hitting the ability of companies to raise debt by exaggerating others, the authors said.
The problem is that existing climate models have been developed to predict temperature changes over many decades, at global or continental scales, whereas investors generally need location-specific analysis on much shorter time frames.
“Businesses like using models, because the numbers give them a sense of security,” said Tanya Fiedler, a lecturer at the University of Sydney and lead author of the paper. “It doesn’t necessarily mean the numbers are reliable.”
No reprieve for Assange from Biden.
“The Department of Justice’s indication on Tuesday that it still intends to pursue an appeal against the extradition decision in the case of Julian Assange is deeply concerning,” Rebecca Vincent, director of international campaigns at Reporters Without Borders.
People may need to get vaccinated against Covid-19 annually for the next several years, Johnson & Johnson chief executive Alex Gorsky told CNBC on Tuesday, due to mutations to the virus.
As we all hoped.
In Magwe in central Myanmar unconfirmed reports on social media claimed several police officers had crossed over to join the protesters’ ranks.
In the delta city of Pathein video posted on Facebook appeared to show protesters persuading some police officers to stand down.
However, “We want the police to join us. It is the army we are worried about. If they are told to shoot people, they will shoot.”
The rightwing invented the ‘deep state’ who were conspiring to foil Trump’s presidency. Now it seems clear that Biden is falling victim to ICE, who have been accused of going rogue.
More disappointing news for those who still believe that governments will act to protect the environment.
The world’s state-owned fossil fuel companies are poised to invest about $1.9tn (£1.4tn) in the next decade in projects that would destroy any prospect of meeting the Paris agreement climate goals…the authors made the dilemma clear: “Either the world does what’s necessary to limit global warming, or national oil companies can profit from these investments. Both are not possible.”
David Manley, the lead author of the report and a senior economic analyst at the thinktank, said: “A lot of the oil industry wants one last party, and they are going to invest trillions. We are worried about how long that party will continue. If the energy transition [away from fossil fuels and into clean energy] is to be fast enough to meet the Paris agreement, the party needs to be over very quickly.”
Latest news is that the military are starting to crack down but still exercising a certain amount of restraint compared with their previous history.
We can only hope that there is sufficient dissatisfaction within the ranks that the generals cannot trust issuing shoot-to-kill orders.
This is what happened in Tiananmen Sq where the loyalty of Beijing garrison troops couldn’t be relied upon so provincial regiments were eventually deployed.
“…Most of the soldiers were from peasant families who had never been to Beijing and did not understand the situation they were about to confront. Many privately looked forward to their first trip to the capital and expected to be welcomed by residents. The military units from other regions spoke a different northern dialect than the Beijing citizens, adding to the confusion. The soldiers were strictly prohibited from communicating with residents. This language barrier would limit curious soldiers in finding information on the student movement other than what they have been told by their chain of command…”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Liberation_Army_at_the_1989_Tiananmen_Square_protests
Two U.S. carrier groups, the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group and the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, conducted joint exercises in the South China Sea.
The US accuses China of militarising the South China Sea to intimidate neighbours such as Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, who have claims that overlap with China’s in the resource-rich area.
But who is intimidating who?
Colombia announced that the country would grant temporary protection status to around one million undocumented migrants from Venezuela after which they can apply for a residence visa. Under the new status, the migrants will receive basic services such as access to the national health system and COVID-19 vaccination.
Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees said, “This bold humanitarian gesture serves as an example for the region and the rest of the world.”
Thailand has passed changes to the country’s criminal code, giving women full abortion rights in the first trimester of their pregnancy, almost a year after a top court ruled that existing curbs ran counter to the constitution.
Pro-choice groups say the amendments do not go far enough and warn that many women may still turn to risky illegal abortions unless the government also commits to raising awareness and expanding access.
Guilt by association
“According to an unidentified country, North Korea and Iran have resumed cooperation on long-range missile development projects, including the transfer of critical parts, the monitors said. The most recent shipment was last year, they said.”
Anybody care to place bets on the identity of that unnamed country?
And Iran’s reply
“…In a December 21 letter to the UN sanctions monitors, annexed to the report, Iran’s UN Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi said a “preliminary review of the information provided to us by the (experts) indicates that false information and fabricated data may have been used in investigations and analyses.”…”
First it was reneging on the $2000 pandemic relief, now reduced to $1400 and now expected to be means-tested.
Now Biden backtracks on the $15 an hour minimum wage, despite the fact that the staunchly pro-Trump Florida voted in a referendum for it.
And still the lesser evil progressives are giving Biden excuses in exchange for the political theatre of another impeachment
The International Trade Union Confederation and trade unions around the world are planning solidarity actions at 20:00 Myanmar time, 11 February, to coincide with the daily ‘noise barrage’ (honking car horns and banging of pots and pans) of people in Myanmar.
“We stand in solidarity with Myanmar’s workers and with the people of Myanmar and pay tribute to those brave, working people taking action to reject the military takeover”
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO2102/S00116/military-coup-in-myanmar-solidarity-action.htm
Are women who do choose to have terminations irresponsible
Being pro-choice should not lead to the conclusion that abortion is a substitute and alternative to family-planning by contraception.
It merely means women have more control over their body and can choose whether to carry a pregnancy to full term or not.
Nor is pro-choice without checks on time limits and medical conditions placed on when an abortion is permissible.
