When people try to think about the long-term future, by which I mean here looking a half-century or a century ahead, they often suffer a lack of imagination. As a common example, they take today’s problems and just multiply them by a factor of ten. Or they assume that improved central planning, in one form…
Nordhaus on the Perils of Long-Term Forecasting
Nordhaus on the Perils of Long-Term Forecasting
01 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, econometerics, economic history Tags: The Great Enrichment
The Great Enrichment
01 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in development economics, economic history, growth disasters, growth miracles Tags: The Great Enrichment
Genetic tweak to three key crops massively boosts their growth
01 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of climate change, environmental economics, environmentalism, global warming Tags: anti-GMOs movement, GMOs
By Paul Homewood h/t Philip Bratby Who would have thought! Global demand for food may rise by 60% mid-century. A central challenge is to meet this need using less land in a changing climate. Nearly all crop carbon is assimilated through Rubisco, which is catalytically slow, reactive with oxygen, and a […]
Genetic tweak to three key crops massively boosts their growth
‘The Black Swan Election’
31 Dec 2024 1 Comment
in politics - USA Tags: 2024 presidential election, Internet
Politico has a fascinating interview with two of Trump’s primary campaign managers, Co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita (the other was Susie Wiles, the incoming Whitehouse Chief of Staff) and chief pollster Tony Fabrizio. They brought a lot of experience to the table. Bald and bearded, the two Italian-Americans are veterans of many a Republican campaign. Fabrizio […]
‘The Black Swan Election’
Scoring my 2024 predictions
31 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
My 2024 predictions were here. How did I do. Overall score is 10/20 – possibly my worst year. However some of them were deliberately chosen as long shots or tongue in cheek – see 8, 10 and 20. I’ll do my 2025 predictions after Christmas.
Scoring my 2024 predictions
DEI Days are Numbered in Ivory Towers
31 Dec 2024 1 Comment
in discrimination, economics of education, gender, liberalism, Marxist economics Tags: Canada, free speech, political correctness, racial discrimination, regressive left, sex discrimination
Leigh Revers writes at National Post Canada Universities better get prepared for Poilievre’s anti-woke agenda. Excerpts in italics with my bolds and added images. ‘Even the dullest minds in the upper administrations of Canada’s top universities — and trust me, they are spectacularly dull — must see the writing on the wall’ The recent spectacular […]
DEI Days are Numbered in Ivory Towers
Ratbag Kainga Ora tenants finally face consequences
31 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in labour economics, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, welfare reform
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360528298/huge-increase-evictions-disruptive-kainga-ora-tenants-due-new-approach Not sure what is more amazing – that the “reporter” couldn’t bring itself to mention that this is National led government policy in action after Labour evicted zero KO tenants for years, or that National have completely failed to trumpet this announcement in their own press release. Anyway, this is great news for long […]
Ratbag Kainga Ora tenants finally face consequences
ESG ‘vibe’ check: ‘Stock market investors are pulling a record amount of cash out of climate funds’ – ‘The main driver of the exodus is bad vibes’
31 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in energy economics, entrepreneurship, environmental economics, financial economics, global warming Tags: climate activists
Stock market investors are pulling a record amount of cash out of climate funds, even though many have not underperformed.
ESG ‘vibe’ check: ‘Stock market investors are pulling a record amount of cash out of climate funds’ – ‘The main driver of the exodus is bad vibes’
Kiwiblog’s 2025 predictions
31 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
Here’s my 20 predictions for 2025, which I’ll score at the end of the year. I got a low 10/20 right for 2024, a B+ in NCEA 🙂
Kiwiblog’s 2025 predictions
The Passing and Lessons of Jimmy Carter
31 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, law and economics, politics - USA
This morning, the nation is mourning the loss of one of the most genuinely decent men ever to sit in the Oval Office. Even for his critics, Jimmy Carter was a model of empathy and integrity as an American president. After his presidency, he proved an even greater role model, working tirelessly to help those […]
The Passing and Lessons of Jimmy Carter
Another one leaves the fold: Steve Pinker resigns from the Freedom from Religion Foundation
30 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in discrimination, gender, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - USA Tags: Age of Enlightenment, free speech, political correctness, regressive left, sex discrimination
Like me, Steve Pinker has resigned from the Honorary Board of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF). His resignation was sent yesterday. Steve is a bigger macher than I. both intellectually and, in this case, because he was Honorary President of that Board. I put below his two emails, reproduced with permission. The first one […]
Another one leaves the fold: Steve Pinker resigns from the Freedom from Religion Foundation
A third one leaves the fold: Richard Dawkins resigns from the Freedom from Religion Foundation
30 Dec 2024 1 Comment
in discrimination, gender, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - USA Tags: Age of Enlightenment, gender gap, political correctness, regressive left, sex discrimination
Well, that makes three of us. Steve Pinker, I, and now Richard Dawkins, have all decided independently to resign from the Honorary Board of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF). The organization’s ideological capture, as instantiated in throwing in their lot with extreme gender activism and censoring any objection to their views—as well as in […]
A third one leaves the fold: Richard Dawkins resigns from the Freedom from Religion Foundation
James E. Carter (1924-2024)
30 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in economic history, politics - USA
Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, died today at the age of 100. He was the oldest-ever former president of the United States. It is also worth noting that he was married to Rosalynn Carter for an impressive 77 years. George H.W. Bush was the second-oldest former president, passing at the age […]
James E. Carter (1924-2024)
As Germany’s Energy Crisis Heightens, Two Brief Windless Periods Pushes Grid To The Limit!
30 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of climate change, energy economics, environmental economics, environmentalism, global warming Tags: Germany
It is also often forgotten that wind turbines consume electricity when they are stationary or switched off. This is because all technical components (oil pumps, fans, control systems, etc.) must remain in operation even when they are still. Vestas specifies an electricity consumption of 55,000 kWh per year for a 4.2 MW turbine at standstill. During production times, the turbine supplies itself with electricity. But it is virtually idle 120 days a year.
As Germany’s Energy Crisis Heightens, Two Brief Windless Periods Pushes Grid To The Limit!
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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