@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

FantasticalEconomics

@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social

I'm an environmental economist who researches econ pedagogy to make learning economics marginally less dismal.

My pipe-dream is to write a fantasy novel/economics textbook, which is getting closer to reality every day.

#economics #TeachEcon #sustainability #DoughnutEconomics #degrowth

Profile pic is me smiling in front of a whiteboard with economics gibberish -- cause econ makes me happy.

Background is my dog, Freya, who is derpily sticking her tongue out while passed out.

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

FantasticalEconomics, to climate
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

Ah, . Neoclasical (mainstream) economic theory tells us it ensures resources will be put to the best, most efficient use. However, ignores the obvious: wealth equals power, so that what is "best" for society is what the richest value.

Like chasing everlasting youth by getting weekly blood transfusions from your teenage son and $40,000 gym membership add-ons.

Imagine if these resources were devoted to fighting or instead.

https://www.axios.com/2024/05/19/wellness-longevity-industry-equinox-membership

FantasticalEconomics,
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

@AlexanderKingsbury

And the many that argue it are the wealthy who the capitalist economy is designed to serve, and the economists at right-wing think thanks they lavishly fund.

jeffjarvis, to random
@jeffjarvis@mastodon.social avatar

Biden has installed the most non-White judges of any president https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/17/biden-trump-judges-diversity/

FantasticalEconomics,
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

@dreks

While I think that's a fair concern, given how white federal judges are (over 73% as of 2021) it's hard to imagine Biden's push for more racially diverse court appointments doesn't better serve the constituents.

@jeffjarvis

FantasticalEconomics, to USpolitics
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

Remember when Gore was viewed as the lesser of two evils?

Pepperidge Farm reflects on where we'd be if fewer folk on the left abstained or voted third party, and if there are any lessons to learn from it.

FantasticalEconomics, to Economics
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

Self-interest + shortermism + monopoly power = whatever this shit is:

"Frontier knew that it could make a billion dollars in profit over a decade by investing in fiber build-out, but it chose not to, because stock analysts will downrank any carrier that made capital investments that took more than five years to mature. Because Frontier's execs were paid primarily in stock, they chose... to leave a billion dollars sitting on the table..."

https://pluralistic.net/2024/05/16/symmetrical-10gb-for-119/#utopia

@pluralistic

FantasticalEconomics,
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

@jackofalltrades

It's very different from what my neoliberal education has taught me. I wonder if they've gotten anything else wrong...

TonyStark, to random
@TonyStark@progressivecafe.social avatar

I already got one comment claiming solar power won’t work because “night” and another that made up nonsense about batteries.

Batteries are part of solidifying the renewable energy grid.

To those that say batteries aren’t clean or are costly, that might be partially true now, but they get cleaner and cheaper every year. Current deployments while maybe suboptimal are simply a step on the path. 1/2

Batteries are taking on gas plants to power California’s nights:
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/batteries/batteries-are-taking-on-gas-plants-to-power-californias-nights

FantasticalEconomics,
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

@TonyStark

100%.

Not to mention that there are many types of batteries that look nothing like what most people think of as 'batteries'. Some are already easily implemented (like pumped hydro) while others will continue to be developed and implemented (like thermal batteries).

Regardless, the "battery problem" is hugely overstated and I have no doubt is being heavily peddled by Big Oil as yet another delay tactic.

https://www.hydro.org/waterpower/pumped-storage

https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/10/24/1082217/heat-battery-manufacturing-facility/

FantasticalEconomics, to climate
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

Yesterday, I was in a conversation arguing that the protests and and protests in Europe are all fronts in the same broader fight and are a sign of a rising tide of anger against the global elite.

But I left out an important protest movement that may be most directly targetting the powerful who are destroying our invaluable planet. How could I have forgotten ?!?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmm330y6d2qo

FantasticalEconomics, to random
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

Almost 20% of US public schools are more than 90% non-white.

"As the U.S. marks the 70th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling on Friday, American public schools are growing more separate and unequal even though the country is more racially and ethnically diverse than ever."

" The resegregation of America's public schools coincides with the rise of charter schools and school choice option," (almost as if this was the intent of charter schools).

https://www.axios.com/2024/05/14/school-segregation-brown-eudcation-ruling-70th

gerrymcgovern, to random
@gerrymcgovern@mastodon.green avatar

Why has water become such an issue for AI and data centers?

Because for years, Big Tech boosted energy efficiency and reduced CO2 by using more and more water.

It also "reduced" CO2 by causing a massive increases in e-waste.

There is the huge danger in focusing only on CO2. To reduce CO2, we often degrade other life systems such as water, soil, biodiversity.

CO2 is increasingly being used for greenwashing.

We must measure the total cost to the environment, not just part of the cost.

FantasticalEconomics,
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

@gerrymcgovern

Spot on. I wasn't aware data centers were substituting water use for CO2 emissions as a form of greenwashing, but can't say I'm surprised.

The fact that reducing CO2 has become (incorrectly) synonymous with sustainability certainly disguises much of the damage we do and the root cause of the problem. At its core, it's not that we emit too much carbon, it's that we overconsume and the climate crisis is one symptom of it.

https://www.sei.org/perspectives/move-beyond-carbon-tunnel-vision/

FantasticalEconomics, to random
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

"I will keep wasting money until you pay me more."

  • Elon Musk, probably.

"Tesla now spends ad money to influence shareholders approval of Elon Musk’s $55B payday"

https://electrek.co/2024/05/13/tesla-spends-ad-money-influence-shareholders-approval-elon-musk-55b-payday/

FantasticalEconomics, to Economics
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

Ready for news that will shock nobody? It turns out globalization mostly helps out the richest 10% and has little to no impact on the poorest.

"The influence of globalization on income inequalities worldwide was greater than we had expected. We were particularly surprised that these differences were mainly due to the gains of the richest and that the lower income groups benefited little or not at all."

https://phys.org/news/2024-05-main-beneficiaries-globalization.html

professorhank, to politics
@professorhank@sfba.social avatar

Good job, dummies.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/07/abortion-bans-drive-away-up-to-half-of-young-talent-new-cnbc/generation-lab-youth-survey-finds.html

#politics #abortion #politics

FantasticalEconomics,
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

@hankg

I hear you. There is a huge misalignment of private and social incentives. Rather than moving away from the red areas, we would be better off if people from dense blue pockets moved in large numbers to red and battleground states to make use of the large lead in popular vote.

That said, it's hard to imagine individuals choosing to do so as they would bear the costs and, unless done by many, may have little benefit.

It's a tough decision for you, I empathize.

@professorhank

e_urq, to trans
@e_urq@journa.host avatar

NEW: JK Rowling has become so toxic even fellow transphobes and self-identified moderates are distancing themselves from her.

That's right, today I've been writing about the latest Rowling psychodrama, and what to make of it. #trans #news #journalism

https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/rowling-misgendering-chait-hayton-musk

FantasticalEconomics,
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

@e_urq

"Rowling seems to have strayed outside the mainstream consensus that says opposition to trans rights is perfectly acceptable (no one objected to Rowling lobbying for trans women to be banned from women’s bathrooms), but only if cloaked in a guise of reasonable concerns and polite-seeming language. When hostility, anger, and hate is expressed openly, it transgresses this boundary."

Great piece. Really liked this segment that captures the heart of it.

FantasticalEconomics, to Economics
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

We really need to rethink our capitalistic obsession of running things like a business. Cutting costs to increase profits obviously doesn't make sense in areas of education, healthcare, public utilities, and prisons, to name just a few.

Hell, Boeing is making a strong case that it doesn't even make sense for businesses to be run like a business, much less these public goods...

FantasticalEconomics,
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

@cstross

Hard to keep customers when they keep getting sucked out of doors at 40,000 feet.

FantasticalEconomics,
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

@GhostOnTheHalfShell

Once again we see how naive neoclassical theory is. By every model I have seen, Boeing's share price should be dropping faster than its planes from the sky.

But that is based on having adequate competition (obviously false) and an utter inclusion of the financial engineering that you bring up.

I liked the segment, by the way. Short and sweet and communicates the disconnect between theory and practice effectively!

FantasticalEconomics,
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

@cstross

Yikes. Sorry to infuriate.

You are correct, no one got sucked out of a plane. All the fatalities have come from planes crashing to the ground.

Take care.

FantasticalEconomics, to Israel
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

Economists get a lot of (well-deserved) criticism for oversimplifying the world, drawing terrible conclusions as a result.

Just something to keep in mind for those reducing their world views down to black-and-white, good-vs-evil framing on issues - something I am seeing on both sides of the conflict these days.

FantasticalEconomics, to climate
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

Do you want writing executive orders?

No? Well that's what not voting for will get us.

"The U.S. oil industry is drawing up ready-to-sign executive orders for Donald Trump aimed at pushing natural gas exports, cutting drilling costs and increasing offshore oil leases in case he wins a second term."

Biden is far, far from perfect. But he has done a remarkable job on the front, all of which gets dismantled if Trump is elected.

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/08/oil-industry-orders-trump-day-one-00156705

Free_Press, to news
@Free_Press@mstdn.social avatar

BREAKING NEWS 🚨

The Parliament of Lithuania has given their Prime Minister the go-ahead to send troops to Ukraine as part of a training mission.

The Prime Minister of Lithuania is awaiting Ukraine's permission.

FantasticalEconomics,
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

@Free_Press

How should we interpret this news of Lithuania planning on sending troops to Ukraine for a training mission?

Is this a sign that the war is about to extend beyond the borders of Ukraine? Is this just a show of support without much meaningful change?

In general, are we at a point where we should want NATO to be drawn into the war or is that just a fast route to Armageddon?

These are the questions I have after seeing this news...

FantasticalEconomics, to random
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

"AI Ethics Surpass Human Judgment in New Moral Turing Test"

With everything going on, this does not shock me. Human judgement seems like a pretty low bar right now...

https://scitechdaily.com/ai-ethics-surpass-human-judgment-in-new-moral-turing-test/

FantasticalEconomics,
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

@GhostOnTheHalfShell

Yeah I haven't looked into the specifics of what the Moral Turing Test are.

I imagine philosophers must have some (at least somewhat) reasonable scales and methods to quantify what moral answers are, at the very least.

Whether the LLM actually is doing better moral reasoning or happened to be able to trial-and-error its way to what the researchers wanted to see, I definitely don't have the expertise to say!

FantasticalEconomics, to random
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

Good people can be tricked into believing awful things.

In a world of weaponized disinformation (highlighted in The Atlantic article), maybe a little compassion for people who believe differently is called for.

We can and should talk through our disagreements to, hopefully, come to a deeper understanding. While we do, please recognize that you, in fact, may be wrong and also that others may be genuinely good, yet misguided.

Kindness is need not be a scarce resource.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/06/china-russia-republican-party-relations/678271/

FantasticalEconomics, to Israel
@FantasticalEconomics@geekdom.social avatar

has halted two arms shipments to .

"It is the first time since the Oct. 7 attack that the U.S. has stopped a weapons shipment intended for the Israeli military."

I would hope those on the left recognize this as a tangible improvement in US policy in the region. We can certainly want more and think this is not enough while also recognizing the progress (much of which is likely stemming from the recent pushback and protests).

https://www.axios.com/2024/05/05/israel-us-ammunition-shipment-hold

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