International organisation analysed with the power index method

The period of globalisation has seen more and more of international and regional organisation. Setting up an organisation with a group of state entails a resolution to the following two questions: (1) How are votes to be allocated? (2) What aggregation rule is to be employed? International and regional organisations display some interesting differences in how they have approached these two questions choosing a regime. The power index framework offers a convenient method for analysing these constitutional differences. It may be linked with the basic framework in constitutional economics – Wicksell’s classic approach, which entails that players very much use their preferences for the power to act and the power to prevent action when deciding the regime to be employed

“What are we Wauting for?" Professor Stern Bypasses the Juggernaut Links in Climate Change

Abstract. Professor N. Stern had had an enormous influence on global warming policy debates. In his 2007 book, he stated the dangerous problem for mankind clearly. And now he comes back with a new book 2016, expressing his frustration about the developments with the UNFCCC and UNEP. The message is: Time is short for policy-making stabilising Planet Earth's climate and thus its overall environment. However, there is an answer to Stern's worry. “What are we waiting for?” in his 2016 book. The COP21 Treaty was possible after years of heavy transaction costs, because it contains the Stern Promise,, i.e. a Super Fund of $100 billion yearly for supporting the giant energy transformation involved in the COP objective of decarbonisation in this century. The COP project stets up global gaming where governments will play their rational strategies including opportunism with guile. Reducing emissions are linked with energy consumption, which is linked with country affluence. Mixing up climate stabilisation with general social development goals (SDG), as economist Sachs suggests, would be a serious mistake, Phycisist Hawkins' recommendation to leave the Earth for some new place in the Universe is but a fairy tale due to lack of energy. Emmissions are linked with energy that is linked with affluence. And all people have the same drive when it comes to money.Keywords. Emissions, Energy, Affluence, Stern, Sacks, Juggernaut, Super Fund.JEL. N70, O13, P28

Energy, CO2s and water on the African Continent

Abstract. African nations share a common situation in that they pollute little in terms of CO2s globally speaking, but at the same time global warming will likely have terrible consequences for the continent, set to face a sharp population increase. They have now access to few energy resources, which is conducive to their poverty. New renewables belong to the future (solar, wind, geo-thermal), whereas old renewables -wood, coal-– are a thing of the past. The coal or oil and gas dependent giants must start energy transformation, as must the many countries relying upon traditional biomass, or charcoal. The use of wood coal is simply too large for the survival of the African forests. Africa need lots of energy to handle the coming crisis ofpotable water, as lakes and rivers are shrinking and degraded by pollution, dams and overfishing. Keywords. African energy and CO2 emissions, Fresh and clean water, Lakes and rivers, New and old renewables, Coal or oil and gas dependency, Super Fund.JEL. N70, O13, Q40

The Global Contradiction of the 21rst Century

As global temperatures keep increasing and the amount of Co2 equivalent stuff in the atmosphere is at record level, the key links between GDP growth, energy consumption expansion and greenhouse gases emission increases must be more researched, although economic growth and ecological capital has been much debated: Can they today be combined to give both prosperity and environmental sustainability? On the micro level, many projects show that this is indeed possible. But on the macro level, global emissions of greenhouse gases follow the advancement of country affluence closely. The link is the constantly increasing need for more energy, provided by fossil fuels. The G20 policies are probably forthcoming too late to avoid disasters

Touraine’s Thesis: End of Political Sociology

Elections in capitalist democracies in Western have changed recently to such an extent that one is inclined to look upon election results as crucial evidence for Alain Touraine’s argument in favour of a transformation from a Durkheimian  (”structure”) to a Weberian world (”actor”)  in his La fin des societies (2013). The central aspect of party systems in Western Europe is not social structure today but now voter volatility, which can be measured allowing for an empirical application of Touraine’s thesis

Abrupt Climate Change: Time Is Tight

The new theme of abrupt climate change (“Hawking tipping point”) must be taken up by global coordination – the UNFCCC, IPCC and the G20. The only policy response is to reinforce the COP21 project, and start managing its quick implementation of decarbonisation. A more decisive climate change policy – no coal or charcoal, solar power parks, and possibly carbon capture – may not guarantee the goal of + 2 degrees Celsius, but it may help avoid climate chaos. Only global coordination can break through the resistance of markets in the rich countries and governments in the Third World together with vibrant civil society. The large COP21 Secretariat must become a management agency for rapid decarbonisation with support from other global bodies (WB, IMF) and the G20

CLIMATE CHANGE: Biggest PD Game Ever, Driven by Energy (N = 193)

Time is very tight for halting climate change. The COP21 project is not enough, according to the new theory of abrupt climate change. Major meltdowns of ice in Greenland and Antarctica would threaten large coastal cities around the globe, like for instance New York, London and Singapore as well as Shanghai. The discovery of several so-called tipping points substantiates the Hawking warming about irreversibiity

21RST CENTURY: “The Game against Nature”

When a decision-maker faces a choice between alternatives of action in a situation of uncertainty, one speaks of a “game against Nature” when he/she faces no interaction with another player or group. In the process of global warming, mankind is the one player facing two alternatives: resilience or precaution. Not knowing fully the consequences of the increase in the emission of greenhouse gases on climate change or the implications of climate change for biological and social system, what action to take? If there were a global benevolent rule, he/she may decide to avoid the worst outcome. But global ecological policy-making requires the coordination among a large number of players, which open up the possibility of reneging as well as carries heavy transaction costs

The Great Drama, Global Warming and Its Mechanism

Well-known professor Johan Rockström at Stockholm University claims that we are in control of things, now that the Earth Sciences have proven the biological  limits of our existing civilisations. But we do not know or have not begun the necessary large global adjustments towards a sustainable Planet Earth. The failure of the UN COP framework is blatant stating the ends but not the means of reducing significantly CO2 emissions. All major countries plan for much more energy in coming decades treating renewable energy sources as merely compliment to fossil fuels,  not substitutes. To accomplish the Paris Accord objevties (COP 21), coal power should be phased out