Loose Ends (83)

You’ll never guess what the UN is worried about now:

How dare Amazon name their digital assistant Alexa! “Alexa: How can we liberate you?”  How come I suspect Alexa’s answer will be essentially, “Buy more things from Amazon!”

Chaser:

 

 The Climatistas are always telling us that their prescriptions won’t shrink or slow economic growth, and won’t significantly impinge on the lifestyle of citizens. To the contrary, if AOC is to be believed (okay, get your snorting out of the way now), the Green New Deal will make us all richer and more prosperous! So it is refreshing when the mask slips and they admit that actually, yes, we do want make you return to 19th century consumption levels. The answer: work less! Forget the four-day work week: how about a nine-hour work week? No, I’m not making this up.

From The Guardian:

People across Europe will need to work drastically fewer hours to avoid disastrous climate heating unless there is a radical decarbonising of the economy, according to a study.

The research, from thinktank Autonomy, shows workers in the UK would need to move to nine-hour weeks to keep the country on track to avoid more than 2C of heating at current carbon intensity levels. Similar reductions were found to be necessary in Sweden and Germany. . .

The paper focuses on the emissions produced per industry in each economy but does not take into account other environmental advantages of reducing working hours, from less commuting to fewer goods produced and resources used. . .

Here’s my favorite bit:

Emma Williams, a spokeswoman for the 4 Day Week campaign, said Wednesday’s report highlighted the link between automation, reduced working hours and the climate emergency.

“In addition to improved wellbeing, enhanced gender equality and increased productivity, addressing climate change is another compelling reason we should all be working less.”

Passed along for what it’s worth (from Vox):

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