Weekly clippings #2 - disaster losses, capitalism, net zero nonsense

 

1. Science - Climate Change and Disaster Losses A review of all peer-reviewed studies on disasters and climate change which focused on a large family of methodologies called disaster normalization. An update of new studies in recent years adds to the overwhelming conclusions already in the literature — Specifically, there is little evidence to support claims that changes in climate resulting from the emissions of greenhouse gases (or other causes) have resulted in detectable or attributable trends in disaster losses. There are now 62 relevant studies of various phenomena in regions around the world and 61 of them make no claims of attribution.
2. Investment/economics - Anti-capitalist business: The impossible dream. Instead of exploiting workers, capitalism promotes everyone’s flourishing, including the poorest, because it is a system of freedom. In Ayn Rand’s definition, capitalism is “a social system based on the recognition of individual rights, including property rights, in which all property is privately owned.” This is relevant to our discussion since the ESG movement proposes a top-down system of controls rather than a free society.
3. Absurdity - Scott Moe's not buying any net-zero nonsense.  “We will not risk plunging our homes, our schools, our hospitals, our special care homes, our businesses into the cold and darkness because of the ideological whims of others. We will not increase power costs for our businesses and for our families to the point they become completely unaffordable.”