Saturday, June 08, 2024

Basic income can double global GDP while reducing carbon emissions, analysis suggests. Really!

Nice example of junk science! Just too good to be true! Like manna from heaven!

Whenever you see the term "basic income" or similar be on high alert immediately! It is an utopian, socialist fantasy! It defies human nature. It is like the perpetual motion machine!

The premise of this study, i.e. that Covid-19 was such a crisis, is already extremely wrong! Had e.g. China more cooperated, other countries would have been less worried.

Who published this baloney: Cell Press (a leading science publisher, parent company Elsevier)

"Giving a regular cash payment to the entire world population has the potential to increase global gross domestic product (GDP) by 130%, according to a new analysis published June 7 in the journal Cell Reports Sustainability. Researchers suggest that charging carbon emitters with an emission tax could help fund such basic income programs while reducing environmental degradation. ..."

From the highlights and abstract:
"Highlights
• The COVID-19 pandemic underscored society’s vulnerabilities to shocks
• Human activities have contributed to climate change and environmental degradation
Highlights the potential of basic income to tackle sustainability and poverty
• With appropriate strategies, basic income can bolster economies during times of crisis
Science for society
Basic income (BI) involves unconditional, regular cash disbursements to either a segment or to the total population. In this study, the authors conduct a global analysis examining the potential impact of BI as a two-pronged solution to both environmental sustainability and social resilience. The authors show that BI can potentially bolster economies. To lower BI implementation costs, the authors suggest a range of strategies aimed at financing BI, strategically designed to concurrently alleviate economic insecurity while fostering nature conservation. The authors argue that BI implementation is feasible and could be a potent tool in addressing the twin challenges of decreasing worldwide poverty while reducing environmental degradation.
Summary
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic of 2020 was a reminder of society’s vulnerability in the face of natural upheavals, leading to widespread unemployment and increased poverty. Simultaneously, human activities have precipitated large-scale environmental degradation and catastrophic climate change. Here, we conduct a global-scale, 186-country analysis examining the potential impact of basic income (BI) as a two-pronged solution to both sustainability and social resilience. We reveal BI’s potential to bolster economies, particularly in times of crisis. To lower the huge barrier imposed by implementation costs, we suggest a diverse array of strategies aimed at financing BI, strategically designed to concurrently alleviate economic insecurity while fostering nature conservation. We suggest that BI implementation is feasible and could be a potent tool in addressing the twin challenges of decreasing worldwide poverty while reducing environmental degradation—a nexus that arguably constitutes the paramount global challenge of our times."

Basic income can double global GDP while reducing carbon emissions, analysis suggests


Graphical abstract (better call it a cartoon)


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