alberto_cottica

alberto_cottica, 3 days ago to Economics

"The Great Retrofit is a near-future version of the city of Messina, in Sicily. Its science fictional element is the rise, and success beyond expectations, of a new type of economic agent, a form of for-benefit company that follows a quintuple bottom line approach, having the objective to improve its own performance across five dimensions: surplus (rather than profit), people, planet, beauty and truth, or knowledge sharing."

https://edgeryders.eu/t/the-great-retrofit-world-start-here/20052?u=alberto

#economics #sciencefiction

FantasticalEconomics, 4 days ago to climate

Ah, #capitalism. 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 #ClimateChange or #poverty instead.

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

#economics

eclectech, 4 days ago to NoStupidQuestions

Having established that dandelion seed heads are definitely NOT known as DANDELION CLOCKS by everyone I have a follow on question...

What DO you know them as?

Chatting to people already I have had FLUFFS (Lithuania) and WINDY PUFFS (Canada) both of which are SUPERB.

Are there any others? Will there be enough to make a World Map of Dandelion Names?! 😃

Places, names & any other trivia welcome!

Earlier thread here: https://things.uk/@eclectech/112458271354372250

#dandelion #question #askFedi

alberto_cottica, 9 days ago to ai

AI strike? Now, there's an idea. https://mastodon.green/@gerrymcgovern/112435618108333307

#ai #ClimateCrisis

alberto_cottica, 9 days ago to Economics

With my sisters and brothers from the Science Fiction Economics Lab, we prototyped a method to develop economically consistent science fictional "imperfect utopias" that are within reach (maybe). The secret sauce is a group with good balance of economists, science fiction authors, and "doers" (activists, policy makers).

My group produced the Great Retrofit world: https://edgeryders.eu/t/the-great-retrofit-world-start-here/20052. Proper blog post coming up.

#economics #sciencefiction

alberto_cottica, 13 days ago to random

"Tesla has also increased security around its factory with security personnel, called “Mobile CCTV Unit” guarding the factory’s fence. Their cars’ hoods are decorated with eyes and their licensed plates read 'SAURON.'"

https://unicornriot.ninja/2024/teslastoppen-elon-musks-water-war-in-the-heart-of-europe/

The #GreentTransition is going just great, I see.

aral, 13 days ago to random

Hello, I am a new startup!

I’m funded by venture capital and free to use.

Please come and make me valuable by using me. Make my numbers go up!

Once you do, I’ll have everything I need and I can do whatever I want with the time and effort you’ve put into making me successful.

Not happy? Fuck you, I don’t need you anymore (network effects FTW, amirite?)… I’m laughing all the way to the bank.

Goodbye!

…

Hello, I am a new startup…

---

When are we going to learn to say “no” at the start?

rbreich, 18 days ago to random

50 major corporations have contributed $23 million to election deniers since the January 6 Capitol attack.

They include AT&T, Comcast, Walmart, and Microsoft.

Corporate America will sell out our democracy, decency, and the rule of law — all for a tax break.

alberto_cottica, 18 days ago (edited 18 days ago) to climate

A Norwegian study finds that climate emissions from air travel are 50% higher than reported to UNFCCC.

Under-reporting by Member States is very likely a problem across the board, not just aviation. There are clear political incentives to do so. Climate scientists and the United Nations are working with doctored data.

Not good.

https://norwegianscitechnews.com/2024/04/big-data-reveals-true-climate-impact-of-worldwide-air-travel/

#ClimateCrisis
#UnitedNations
#airtravel

alberto_cottica, 18 days ago to Economics

There is now a film about Modern Monetary Theory. It appears to be available only in the USA and Canada for now.

"FINDING THE MONEY follows former chief economist to the Senate Budget Committee, Stephanie Kelton, on a journey through Modern Money Theory or “MMT”, to unveil a deeper story about money, injecting new hope and empowering democracies around the world to tackle the biggest challenges of the 21st century: from climate change to inequality."

https://findingmoneyfilm.com/

#economics #mmt

alberto_cottica, 18 days ago to random

I am travelling by train from Brussels, in Belgium, to Messina, in Sicily. I am used to international rail travel, but this is my longest one-way trip yet at 2,500 km. Day one was Brussels - Paris - Geneva - Milan. Day two is today, Milan - Messina with an early start that should take me to Messina by dinner time. Beautiful early morning light! #rail

KarenStrickholm, 19 days ago to random

@alberto_cottica Oh this intriguing image you have on your profile page, could you share a bit about what we are looking at here?

alberto_cottica, 19 days ago to Economics

On my way to the Science Fiction Economics Residency! Two days of train travel! But it's well worth it. Flexing our economic imagination muscle fellow economists, policy makers and science fiction authors... what more could I ask for?

https://scifiecon.org/residency

#economics #sciencefiction

ApaulD, 21 days ago to climate

😭
@firstdogonthemoon on our grief & sadness at our environmental destruction of our planet as we’ve known it: A cup of tea and a biscuit for the end of the world #climate #climatechange #climatecrisis #nature #environment

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2024/apr/29/a-cup-of-tea-and-a-biscuit-for-the-end-of-the-world?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

ApaulD, 22 days ago to environment

Simply believable.
#methane #coal #gas #emissions
#environment #pollution #climatechange #climatecrisis #climate #nature #fossilfuels
https://reneweconomy.com.au/simply-astounding-australian-coal-mine-methane-emissions-may-be-twice-offical-data/

alberto_cottica, 24 days ago to climate

The United Nations launched last week its Climate Promise. They crowdsourced messages from people all around the world to the leaders preparing to meet at COP. The result is powerful: moving, terrifying, but also strangely uplifting. Like Brian Eno says, "the climate movement is the largest collective action in human history".

https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k17/k17xihzy82

#ClimateCrisis #ClimateAction

alberto_cottica, 25 days ago to random

"From where I'm standing, the American Climate Corps has the potential to be the flagship Green New Deal policy. It delivers climate action, workforce upskilling, workers’ rights and Keynesian benefits, all at the same time. It has the scale and the lineage. If the CCC’s experience is anything to go by, it will lift the morale of those participating in it, and will be hugely popular."

http://www.cottica.net/2024/04/28/green-new-deal-redux-reflecting-on-the-american-climate-corps/

#greenNewDeal #ClimateAction

alberto_cottica, 25 days ago (edited 25 days ago) to random

[New post] "There is a refreshing absence of HR overhead, multiple interviews and tests and so on. The purpose is clear and collective. People will need to adapt, so the main ingredients to succeed are will, ingenuity and teamwork. [...] There is plenty of work to be done, so labour demand is no issue."

Reflecting on the American Climate Corps

http://www.cottica.net/2024/04/28/green-new-deal-redux-reflecting-on-the-american-climate-corps/

#greennewdeal #ClimateAction

alberto_cottica, 26 days ago to random

Love Robin's definition of "conservative". And the dovetailing of conservatism and financialization is a powerful - and terrifying - concept to understand the world.

@pluralistic 's post is mostly about America, but Europe has the same direction of travel.

Pluralistic: The tax sharks are back and they’re coming for your home (27 Apr 2024) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow
https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/27/for-the-little-people/#alden-capital

alberto_cottica, 26 days ago to AdobePhotoshop

"The music industry has lost, in the digital transformation, approximately 50 percent of its overall revenue pool."

— Markus Dohle, CEO, Penguin Publishing House

https://www.elysian.press/p/no-one-buys-books

#digital

EU_Commission, 27 days ago to random

Our commitment to the fediverse is here to stay.

We are working on a solution to ensure our continued presence on your feeds, taking full advantage of Mastodon's identity portability.

And we are even growing the team behind our Mastodon presence, increasing efforts to engage with your comments on our posts.

We are fully committed to being a real part of the conversation in the fediverse.

Interested in our next steps? Follow us as we take on this new chapter.