The hottest Policy Influence Substack posts right now

A study shows that most climate scenarios used in global reports come from Europe. This means European views and ideas shape how we think about climate change.
Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) are important tools in climate science, but they can reflect the biases and values of their developers. This could lead to skewed perceptions of energy sources like renewables compared to nuclear.
The global efforts in climate modeling may not consider the needs of developing countries as much. Scenarios are often influenced by wealthy nations and may overlook how different regions approach climate solutions.

Prior to the COVID lockdowns, discussions about the virus were rational and reassuring, with very few advocating for global adoption of China's lockdown policy.
Balaji Srinivasan made detailed tweets predicting the global response to COVID before many major changes occurred, such as wearing masks, shifting to remote work, and reducing vaccine approval time.
Despite Balaji's accurate predictions, there are questions about his motives and the coordination of global COVID policies, suggesting a potential plan to implement China's response globally.

Many people support farm animal welfare laws, but politicians often fail to pass them due to strong opposition from factory farmers and their powerful lobbying efforts.
Advocates have been successful in passing farm animal welfare laws through citizens' initiatives, cross-party support, compromise, and engaging with political candidates and parties.
The farm lobby, with its wealth, government subsidies, and strong influence on politicians, poses a significant challenge to the progress of farm animal welfare laws.

Climate scientist Rose Abramoff took a personal risk to protest against the Mountain Valley Pipeline construction.
The Mountain Valley Pipeline faces opposition due to its environmental impact, regulatory violations, and public health concerns.
Despite facing consequences, Rose Abramoff remains committed to civil disobedience as she believes direct action is effective in combating fossil fuel projects.

Celtic nations have progressive governments despite mixed voter opinions, reflecting divisions between elites and voters.
Small countries like Celtic nations are at the forefront of progressive cultural policies due to their vulnerability to policy capture and underdeveloped civil societies.
In Celtic nations like Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, internal conditions, external pressures, and the profile of devolved governments contribute to the encouragement of progressivism.

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To control a political party, one must actively engage in its internal committee system.
Merely voting is not enough to influence a party's direction; active participation is key.
Progressives should focus on building strong organizations within political parties to achieve effective change.