tidbits #28

In the news / New articles / Conference and seminar annoucements / Open positions

In the news:

• 5 things climate scientists disagree about:
  • Clouds may positively or negatively affect climate change
  • Uncertainty about speed of sea level rise
  • limited understanding of biological carbon cycle
  • How much and how long will oceans keep absorbing CO2?
  • Mankind is responible for most climate change, but how much precisely?
• New York Times supports GMO labelling and write “[c]onsumers deserve to know what they are eating.”
  This is a bit strange since in 2013 they ditched the need for GMO labelling HERE. The reasons:
  • “there is no reliable evidence that genetically modified foods now on the market pose any risk to consumers.”

  • “Consumers can already find products free of genetically engineered ingredients, with labels voluntarily placed by the manufacturers. For those who want to avoid such ingredients, the surest way is to buy products certified as “organic” under federal standards.”

• Big uncertainty at COP21 how to treat the old common but differentiated responsabilities, and also about what a country’s fair share is. Also, frustrated delegates reiterate on old positions. And politicians/layers get lost in the wrong details.

New articles:

• Measuring impacts of extreme weather events using the life satisfaction approach – Extreme events reduce life satisfaction (but only by a small amount)
• Greening the global economy – Robert Pollin shows that climate goals are attainable through steady, large-scale investments—totaling about 1.5 percent of global GDP on an annual basis—in both energy efficiency and clean renewable energy sources. Not only that: Pollin argues that with the right investments, these efforts will expand employment and drive economic growth.
• Environmental regulation with and without commitment under irreversible investments, by Jean-Philippe Nicolai
• Optimal Timing of Carbon Capture Policies under Learning-by-doing
  Jean-Pierre Amigues; Gilles Lafforgue; Michel Moreaux
• Seven Reasons to Use Carbon Pricing in Climate Policy
  Andrea Baranzini; Jeroen van den Bergh; Stefano Carattini; Richard Howarth; Emilio Padilla; Jordi Roca
• The Cultural Transmission of Environmental Preferences: Evidence from International Migration
  Anastasia Litina; Simone Moriconi; Skerdilajda Zanaj