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[pietillidie]

I guess the devil is in the (apparently unresolved) detail, right? I haven't been following this closely, but Morrison's "net zero by 2050" plan has been pilloried and labelled a fraud by many observers here in Australia, so I wonder how much there is to get excited about here.

It's a pity, reading that article, to see so many other nations still dragging their feet.

You were right, the best hopes proved too good to be true. At the death China and India amended the wording to 'phase down' coal rather than 'phase out' coal. That will please recalcitrant freeloader Australia, lambasted far and near for an appalling performance, although it still doesn't preclude a swift end to coal. Initiatives such as rules for green capital will have to do more of the heavy lifting, I guess.

[pietillidie]

As if they don't have enough problems:

Ghost guns, and the niche industry that produces them, have flourished because of a loophole in federal regulation: The parts used to build “privately made firearms” are classified as components, not actual guns, which means that online buyers are not required to undergo background checks or register the weapons. That makes them a powerful magnet for those banned from gun ownership, including convicted felons, domestic abusers subject to orders of protection, the mentally ill and children, like the teenager who brought his gun into Max Mendoza’s apartment, according to the police.

...

But the new rules, which are likely to be challenged in court by gun rights groups, are not expected to be implemented until early next year, after a lengthy public comment process. And gun control groups have raised doubts about the robustness of enforcement by federal firearms regulators.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/14/us/g ... earms.html

[stui magpie]

This was an interesting read.

Victoria has become one of the most heavily policed states in Australia after a two decade-long law and order rivalry between the ALP and Coalition helped build the country’s largest law enforcement organisation.

The state’s war on crime has seen spending on police, courts and prisons grow at double or triple the rate of other states and territories over the past decade, with Victoria now arresting and jailing people at levels not seen since the 19th century.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/vict ... 59767.html

Growth in criminal justice system spending has outstripped that of education and health since 2013, evidence of the political priority given to police numbers and law and order, especially by the Andrews government since it was first elected in 2014.

Under Labor in Victoria Police numbers have gone up, while the reverse is true under Liberals in NSW, which seems counter intuitive.

Victoria has 327 police staff per 100,000 population, substantially more than NSW (263) or any other eastern state or the ACT. The most heavily policed jurisdiction in the country is the Northern Territory.

[David]

It's a real problem. Particularly the expansion of the prison system, as discussed in the article. Very disappointing as this is usually one thing state Labor parties are good at (i.e. taking a sensible approach to criminal justice), but sadly it's further evidence of just how subservient Andrews is to his party's right-wing factions.

[Pies4shaw]

It's ... further evidence of just how subservient Andrews is to his party's right-wing factions.

Got it in one.

[pietillidie]

I would increase the police headcount massively here as a matter of good social policy, but I guess it all depends on how police resources are being used. Are they being used for nefarious purposes in Australia? Are the sprawling suburbs really well enough policed? ('Policing' just doesn't have a negative connotation in my mind, but I might be naive as I've never lived in a police state and I'm not a targeted minority).

[pietillidie]

If you have a few free Bloomberg reads to draw on, this piece on vaccine poverty is worthwhile:

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2021 ... id-vaccine

[stui magpie]

My personal impression is that, in Victoria at least, the increased Police numbers aren't being used for nefarious purposes and I also don't have a problem with extra cops around.

However, if you read the article, there's a large increase in people imprisoned particularly women and Indigenous people which suggests a failure in social services and intervention programs to me.

Increased bail restrictions mean more people in remand for longer, potential unintended consequence. The Police are Law Enforcement, not Social Workers, their job is to enforce the law and detain and arrest as required. Methinks the balance might be a tad skewed at the moment.

[David]

[pietillidie]

I guess the devil is in the (apparently unresolved) detail, right? I haven't been following this closely, but Morrison's "net zero by 2050" plan has been pilloried and labelled a fraud by many observers here in Australia, so I wonder how much there is to get excited about here.

It's a pity, reading that article, to see so many other nations still dragging their feet.

You were right, the best hopes proved too good to be true. At the death China and India amended the wording to 'phase down' coal rather than 'phase out' coal. That will please recalcitrant freeloader Australia, lambasted far and near for an appalling performance, although it still doesn't preclude a swift end to coal. Initiatives such as rules for green capital will have to do more of the heavy lifting, I guess.

Nothing worse than having a Johnson repeat your own thoughts and damage their credibility, but yes, I also think regardless of the wording it's still the death knell for coal:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... l-for-coal

[pietillidie]

[David]

[pietillidie]

The delicate balance of meeting soaring demand while alternative energy capacity builds, and averting further thug dependency:

Germany's energy regulator has suspended the approval process for the controversial Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany.

It said the pipeline's operating company needed to be compliant with German law before it would certify the €10bn (£8.4bn) project.

The decision sent UK and mainland Europe wholesale gas prices, already under pressure, to three-week highs.

Critics fear the pipeline will increase Europe's energy dependence on Russia.

Russia's state-owned Gazprom said the pipeline was ready in September, but it has been beset by delays.

Running under the Baltic Sea, Nord Stream 2 will double Moscow's gas exports to Germany, but it will also circumvent Ukraine, which relies on existing pipelines for income and would be hard-hit by the loss of transit fees.

German businesses have invested heavily in the 1,225km (760-mile) pipeline and former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has played a big role in its development.

The German regulator said "it would only be possible to certify an operator of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline if that operator was organised in a legal form under German law".

The decision is likely to set the project back several months and even when it receives German approval it will require a green light from the European Commission.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-59306223

[pietillidie]

I guess all that I'm trying to say is that we should at least try to meet halfway here....

I'm sure we could. The challenge is then to find a way of framing the problem to achieve as much at scale.

[pietillidie]

While I'm raging against the world, let me at least unload some of it on you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qilUtf7sR9c

Reality eventually catches up with hot air. If only they'd had the kahunas and discipline to filter that hot air through masks while they were at it.