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Notes on the Crises pivoted on February 1st into around the clock coverage of the Trump-Musk Treasury Payments Crisis of 2025. Today is Day Twenty Two

If it can make it there, it can make it anywhere: It’s up to you New York, New York.

The big urbanism news of the past few weeks has been the debut and stunning early success of New York City’s long-delayed (and still endangered) congestion pricing system. On January 5, motorists began paying a $9 toll to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street at peak hours. As economists foretold, pricing the highly congested roadways produced immediate and material improvements in traffic.

The results are stunning.  In the first three-and-a-half weeks of congestion pricing, the number of vehicles entering Manhattan declined by more than a million compared to the same period a year earlier.  As a result, congestion is down, and bus speeds are up. Fewer cars also means crashes are down, and injuries are down.

Senator David Pocock will explore the ethical responsibility of current leaders and policymakers to prioritise long-term policy solutions relating to environmental protection, distribution of resources, and governance structures that ensure a healthy environment for future generations.

Drawing from international principles and his Duty of Care Bill, Senator Pocock will discuss the specific concept of intergenerational equity in climate action and its potential to drive more ambitious and effective climate policies for the benefit of all.

Presented by Senator David Pocock, Independent Senator for the Australian Capital Territory

The post Intergenerational Climate Equity – Senator David Pocock | Climate Integrity Summit 2025 appeared first on The Australia Institute.

Fortescue’s chief climate scientist discusses the rewards of replacing Net Zero with Real Zero targets that set clear deadlines for fossil fuel phase out – and the economic losses awaiting businesses and governments that fail to do so.

Watch:

Presented by Dr Shanta Barley, Chief Climate Scientist, Fortescue

The post Real Zero. Real corporate leadership – Dr Shanta Barley | Climate Integrity Summit 2025 appeared first on The Australia Institute.

As new powers and alliances emerge, the traditional dominance of the US comes into question and Australia’s unwavering allegiance to the United States risks aligning climate and security strategies with a partner that is failing to lead on the most pressing issue of our time.

Watch:

By acting more independently and forging stronger partnerships with nations and blocs to advocate for genuine decarbonisation and adaptation funding, Australia has an opportunity to play a meaningful leadership role on the global stage. By embracing this potential and asserting itself as a proactive and innovative leader in the fight against climate change, Australia can secure its own prosperity and influence in a rapidly changing world.

Presented by Dr Emma Shortis, International & Security Affairs Director, The Australia Institute

The Wrap with Amy Remeikis

In amongst the gestures, *everything* happening in the world this week, the Albanese government delivered two lessons in power.

The first came through Anthony Albanese’s latest intervention in the fight to save the Maugean skate from extinction.

For those unaware, the Maugean skate, also known as the ‘dinosaur fish’ because of its direct lineage to the Gondwana era, is the only known brackish water skate in the world. It only lives in Tasmania’s Macquarie Harbour, one-third of which sits in the state’s Wilderness World Heritage Area.

So far, pretty simple; Australia has a literal dinosaur fish and the only known example in the world.  So we should protect it, right?

Well, yes.  And it would be simple if it wasn’t for vested interests.  Enter the multi-billion foreign owned salmon farming industry, which, through intense lobbying dressed up as a ‘jobs versus the environment’ fight, has some people convinced is on the verge of collapse if environment minister Tanya Plibersek follows the science and winds back marine farming in Macquarie Harbour.

As the Trump regime settles in, it menaces so much. I will spare you a list. Today, I kept feeling surges of fear. I tried to summon courage but it was hard. Then, I came across some examples of other people showing courage and it got easier for me to summon mine. Bravery is contagious. So, in the hopes that others will be fortified, here is what strengthened me today:

Gerald Epstein
More “Roundtable: Public Banking
Public Banking in the Age of Trump: Needed More than Ever but Can it Find a Beachhead?”

A prosperous and unified ‘Pacific family’ is essential for regional security, from climate resilience to geopolitical stability, and the alignment of Australia’s promises with its actions are more important than ever.

Watch:

Presented by Savenaca Narube, Unity Fiji Party Leader & Former Governor of the Reserve Bank of Fiji

The post Australia and the Pacific ‘Family’ – Savenaca Narube | Climate Integrity Summit 2025 appeared first on The Australia Institute.

Australia’s domestic policies across climate, human rights, environmental protection, and democratic institutions create ripple effects that shape international responses to global challenges.

With the 2025 federal election approaching, this timely discussion underscores how Australia’s domestic choices have far-reaching implications for international cooperation on climate change, ecosystem protection, and human security.

Far from being too small to matter, the integrity of Australia’s actions at home fundamentally shape our capacity for meaningful leadership abroad.

Presented by Polly Hemming, Climate & Energy Director, The Australia Institute

The post Integrity at home shapes global outcomes – Polly Hemming | Climate Integrity Summit 2025 appeared first on The Australia Institute.

Highlighting the link between climate change and global security, Dr Helder da Costa will emphasise how global challenges like climate change exacerbate conflict, undermine stability, and disproportionately affect fragile and conflict-affected states, and how to pursue resilience therein. Wealthy nations play a pivotal role in supporting the g7+ goals, and achieving true ‘security’ through genuine partnerships, enhanced climate financing, and knowledge-sharing.

By aligning its efforts with countries affected by conflict and fragility, Australia can not only contribute to global stability but also strengthen its own domestic security by addressing the far-reaching impacts of climate-driven instability. This session will underscore the urgency of collective action and the mutual benefits of prioritising climate resilience in places affected by conflict and fragility as a cornerstone of global and national security.

Presented by Dr Helder da Costa, General Secretary, The g7+ Secretariat

“Demanding better from our leaders is often met with threats like ‘well if you push too hard then you’ll get nothing’.”

“Ignore this. It shows you’re winning.”

Watch:

In his opening remarks, Richard shows how far we have come since the Australia Institute’s first Climate Integrity Summit 3 years ago.

Wrapping the Summit up, Richard explains the power that each of us hold, and can use to hold our leaders to account.

Watch:

The American Mind’s ‘Editorial Roundtable’ podcast is a weekly conversation with Ryan Williams, Spencer Klavan, and Mike Sabo devoted to uncovering the ideas and principles that drive American political life. Stream here or download from your favorite podcast host.

Mr. Vance Goes to Germany | The Roundtable Ep. 255

After an Afghan national drove his car into a Munich crowd, J.D. Vance delivered a stern rebuke of the European ruling class. Unsustainable immigration, Islamic extremism, and censorship raise the question whether once-great nations can be relied on as true Western allies. Meanwhile back home, Democrats struggle to decouple from woke, but best not interrupt their mistakes. The guys sit down to talk foreign policy, DOGE’s popularity, and resistance 2.0—plus, recommendations for must-watch shows and must-read articles!

Recommended reading:

They see “discount” signs on products they know were cheaper only months ago.

They know polluters claiming to be carbon neutral are pulling the wool over their eyes.

But they feel helpless to stop them. Apart from reporting lies and rip-offs, what can they do? Take their business to the multi-national over the road which does exactly the same thing?

The Australia Institute welcomes the latest move to give the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) more resources to take on these companies, on our behalf.

“An extra $30 million in funding will help the ACCC to continue its oversight of the grocery sector,” said Greg Jericho, Chief Economist at The Australia Institute.

“Coles and Woolworths have long dominated the sector and our research has shown that they are less interested in competing against each other than working together against smaller operators.

“Both Coles and Woolworths have higher profit margins than supermarkets chains in the UK, USA and Europe. Australian shoppers are paying for those profits.

“Even while inflation is coming down, Australians deserve a better supermarket sector – one where companies actually compete on price rather than do all they can to ensure their duopoly remains strong.”

My friends at the Claremont Institute have provided the intellectual underpinnings for President Trump’s executive order that attempts to end birthright citizenship and replace it with a rule that recalls the ius sanguinis rules of Old Europe.

According to the view advanced by participants in this symposium, including John Eastman, Ed Erler, Michael Anton (since departed for the Department of State’s Office of Policy Planning Staff), and my podcast host, the international woman of mystery Lucretia (yes, that is her official title), not only must a baby be born on American territory to become an American citizen, but the baby’s parents must also be in the country legally. I take them to mean that the parents must be either citizens or legal aliens, such as permanent resident aliens, but they cannot be in the United States illegally or even under short-duration visas, such as for tourists or students. I assume Claremont Institute scholars draw the line at citizens and green card holders because of Eastman’s argument in 2020 that Kamala Harris could not become vice president because she was born to parents who were in the U.S. on student visas.

The post Towards a multidimensional approach to poverty measurement (presentation) appeared first on Poverty and Inequality.

The post Defining and measuring poverty (presentation) appeared first on Poverty and Inequality.

NOTE BENE: Many of the links in this post go to archived web pages. I have done this in case the current live pages are taken down.

Today, Engineering Director of the United States Digital Service (USDS) resigned in protest over the USDS's takeover by Trump's "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOG-E). Though DOG-E is an unlawfully and unconstitutionally constituted entity, last week DOG-E operatives fired one third of the USDS team. This prompted the resigner, Anne Marshall, to write on LinkedIn: "These cuts were shortsighted ill-informed, and indiscriminate. The government and the American people will be worse off from the loss of these people." Marshall's full statement is worth reading. She is, however, an engineer, not a lawyer or historian. Her statement does not explain the political and legal significance of the destruction of USDS by DOG-E. While I'm not an expert on USDS and its history, I know enough to provide some background to help understand what's going here.

Introduction

What are wicked problems? This article looks at what wicked problems are, different examples and how we can communicate about them.

This article is from Chapter 6, Wicked Problems, from the book, Public Interest Communication, by Jane Johnston and Robyn Gulliver. It was published by the University of Queensland in 2022.

The Commons librarian has made minor formatting changes, e.g. adding headings, paragraph breaks and quotes.

Wicked Problems are…

The concept of ‘wicked problems’ was first proposed by planning engineers Horst Rittell and Melville Webber in 1973 to contrast the difference between ‘tame’ problems – which could be resolved using standard scientific techniques – and complex, policy-based problems – which were neither simply nor completely resolvable. They said because wicked problems exist within pluralistic societies there was no way of knowing what was an “undisputable public good” and there was no clear picture of what “equity” meant when making decisions (1973, p. 155).

Wicked problems may have emerged from urban policy planning, but they are now used to describe social, political, environmental and economic problems more broadly.

As the U.S. southern border begins to function once again, it’s time to consider what kind of immigration policy we should adopt. President Trump’s move to deport huge populations, upwards of 10 million just since 2021, could prove to be among the most decisive actions a president has taken in decades.

The Biden Administration’s oddly permissive policies ironically have stiffened Americans’ opposition to immigration across the board. According to Gallup, the percentage of Americans who wish to reduce all immigration has soared from 41% just two years ago to over 55% in 2024, although many still embrace legal migration.

This interview is also available on podcast platforms and Rumble.

To the West, the concept of the rules-based order functions either as a list on paper to be ignored, or a strict set of laws to be weaponized. Omar El Akkad, Egyptian-Canadian novelist and journalist, has witnessed many instances, both in the West and in the Middle East, where banners of virtue were used to justify hypocritical behavior. El Akkad details these stories in his new book, “One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This,” and he joins host Chris Hedges on this episode of The Chris Hedges Report to discuss them.