History defines the present with a clarity that is unavailable by any other measure. This became particularly obvious in “The Economics of Superintelligence” and “Eureka All Day Long”, two articles in the July 26th edition of The Economist, in which the digital pundits of Silicon Valley are trying to prepare us for the possible economic impact of artificial intelligence on our modern world. But, to do this, the author or authors of the articles (unidentified) have provided us with some pertinent economic history of the West to provide an illuminating context.
Continue reading Economic History – The Quadra ProjectTag Archives: Inflation
Canada’s top CEOs make 210 times more than the average worker
Natasha Bulowski, Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Canada’s 100 richest CEOs made 210 times more than the average worker in 2023, a new report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) reveals.
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‘Tis the season for promises ahead of this weekend’s BC election
By Sidney Coles, Capital Daily, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Come election season, politicians seeking reelection or office for the first time make a lot of promises. Some we know they’ll keep. Others? It depends. Politicians make promises because they will impact voters’ beliefs about the policies they will implement if elected and serve as an indicator of their capabilities to govern. Incumbents have the advantage of the rearview mirror. They can ask voters to look at past performance. Even freshmen candidates for an incumbent party seeking to prove their mettle to constituents can bank on that party’s record, in part or in whole—but that also means being accountable for the promises it has broken. In all cases, promises are a kind of promissory note in exchange for representation.
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The Quadra Project: Hot Food Prices
Regardless of all other factors, higher global temperatures alone will cause an increase in the price of food in the range of 0.9% to 3.2% per year, a price that will add between 0.3% and 1.2% per annum to inflation, according to a study by Maximilian Kotz from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, done in collaboration with the European Central Bank (“Food Is Costing More Due to Climate Change—Prices Will Keep Rising”, New Scientist, March 30, 2024).
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CCEDA Conversation Café: Food Security
CCEDA continued its series of Conversation Cafés on Thursday December 7th at the Gorge Hall, to discuss the issue of “food security on Cortes Island.” Facilitated by Colin Funk and organised by Kate Maddigan, the event attracted over 20 participants.
CCEDA will be releasing a detailed report on the results of this guided discussion; in the meantime, Currents can offer our readers an overview and a few highlights.
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