Jan. 15 - Jan. 19 2024; third week of the winter semester.

Navigating the Complexities of Technology, Governance, and Environmental Impact

In my data policy elective we read Félix Tréguer's “Seeing like Big Tech: security assemblages, technology, and the future of state bureaucracy” and Crawford's "Atlas of AI" Chapter 1.

The historical effort by Alexandre Ferrier in 1831 to create a private optical telegraph line between Calais and London showcases the early struggles between public and private sectors over telecommunications control. The shift towards digital technologies has led to a development of a good working relationship between states and private entities, particularly in how surveillance and censorship are managed through collaborations with technology firms. Today, the partnership between governments and major technology companies like Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft highlights the evolution of these dynamics. These tech giants, with their significant market value and data-processing capabilities, have become central to state governance in the digital era.

Crawford's exploration in Chapter 1 titled "Earth" delves into the substantial environmental and resource costs associated with modern technology's advancements, particularly focusing on the ecological impact of large data centers, electric vehicles (EVs), and the computational demands of training large language models. The discussion extends to the extraction of rare earth minerals, a critical component in the production of these technologies. This served as a stark reminder of the doom and gloom shadowing our technological advancements.

Engagement with Stakeholders

PPOL607 Politics and Strategy our focus was on enhancing our understanding of the public policy process, by formulating strategies to engage with stakeholders effectively. Coffman and Beer's framework offers a structured approach to developing an advocacy theory of change, crucial for any public policy strategy. Hochschild's "Strangers in their Own Land" Chapter 1 delves into the complexities of empathy and understanding across political and cultural divides, focusing on the American Right in Louisiana.

Valuing Goods

In the PPOL609 Decision Analysis course we discussed how to aggregate individual benefits to derive a collective measure of consumer surplus. We then discussed the complexities in valuing goods especially for non-market goods, where no observable price exists. On the other hand, market goods' value are often inferred from price. Contingent valuation are important for valuing non-market goods, albeit with potential biases such as strategic bias and framing effects that can skew perceived value.

Climate Policy Design

In our SEDV633: Energy and Climate Policy lecture we discussed the challenging nature of designing effective climate policies, underscoring the reality that there is no one-size-fits-all solution or "silver bullet" to address the complex challenges posed by climate change. Instead, we need to focus on comprehensive approaches that integrate various policy instruments and strategies to create a robust framework.

My key takeaways:

  1. Economic Signals: such as carbon pricing (carbon taxes or cap-and-trade systems) allow society to internalize the external costs of greenhouse gas emissions. Thereby incentivizing businesses and individuals to reduce their carbon footprint by making more environmentally friendly choices.
  2. Performance Standards: Setting clear performance standards for energy efficiency and emissions for sectors like transportation, industry, and construction is crucial.
  3. Support for Research & Development (R&D): Technological innovation is crucial for the transition to a low-carbon economy. This can take the form of direct funding, subsidies, or incentives designed to spur advancements in renewable energy and climate-related technologies.
  4. Using Policy Simulators for Research: A practical tool for understanding the potential impacts of various policy choices, policy simulators allow researchers to model and analyze the outcomes of different climate policy scenarios.

Reflections on Public Finances

Efficient exchange occurs when goods and services are allocated in a way that maximizes the net benefit to society. This is often described as Pareto efficiency, where no individual can be made better off without making someone else worse off. Indifference curves and budget constraints are essential tools for analyzing consumer behavior and market demand. Indifference curves represent combinations of goods that provide the same level of utility to the consumer, while budget constraints represent the combinations that the consumer can afford.

</p>*Photo:  Bugaboo Provincial Park, BC taken Jul/14 2022.</p>

Summit photo