Climate populism threatens climate action progress, green tech is the solution. Arizona faces budget crisis from school voucher program. NASA sends Missy Elliot song to Venus. Paris mayor swims in Seine. Mayor of Baltimore warns against harbor jump.
Arizona's school vouchers led to budget crisis, diverting funds from essential programs.
Deep dives
Rising Populism as a Threat to Climate Change Progress
The podcast discusses how rising populism, not only in the US but globally, poses a significant threat to efforts to combat climate change. The Peterson Institute for International Economics' working paper highlights the challenges posed by climate populism and emphasizes the need for policies to address the grievances of those resistant to climate measures. The paper points out that economic incentives are more likely to influence behavior change towards adopting greener technologies rather than long-term environmental benefits. This presents a concern about the socio-economic impact of the green transition.
Unintended Consequences of Arizona's Universal School Voucher Program
An analysis of Arizona's school voucher program reveals unintended consequences that led to a budget crisis in the state. The program allowed affluent parents to receive significant taxpayer-funded vouchers for private schooling, resulting in a budget shortfall of $1.4 billion. Research by the Grand Canyon Institute shows that wealthier families took advantage of the vouchers to subsidize their existing private school expenses, diverting crucial funds from essential programs like water infrastructure and transportation projects.
Innovative Outreach: Missy Elliott's Song Transmitted to Venus by NASA
NASA's unique initiative of beaming Missy Elliott's song 'The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)' to Venus demonstrates innovative outreach efforts. The transmission, covering 158 million miles at the speed of light, symbolizes empowerment and artistic expression. Missy Elliott's choice of Venus for the transmission reflects strength and beauty, offering a creative approach to engaging with potential extraterrestrial audiences and showcasing the fusion of music and space exploration.
The transition to our clean energy economy is already underway. But progress on climate change may slow down as climate populism on the far right is taking root in developed economies. We’ll explain why cheaper, green technologies might be the antidote. Meanwhile, in Arizona, ballooning costs for a school voucher program triggered a state budget crisis. Plus, NASA blasted a Missy Elliot song all the way to Venus at the speed of light!