[LINK] Covid 'Cures' cf. Spread-Dampening

[Tom Worthington]

On 5/5/21 11:36 am, David wrote:

> ... haul in migrants ...

It is much cheaper and quicker to import a worker than raise and educate 
one. Also you can pick and choose migrants, whereas you are stuck with 
citizens. In the case of international students of Australian 
universities, we get them to pay us to test them, then the best can be 
offered a job.

> ...  shift in work patterns from manufacturing useful stuff to 
> services and, by definition, that creates no excess value at all. 
> ...

Sorry, how is it services produce no excess value? Automation of a rail
line can double its capacity: is that producing no value? If I train the
worker who programs the traim, is that producing no value?

> Throw in sea-level rise, huge levels of debt resulting from low
> interest rates, and another pandemic ...

Sea-level rise can be addressed by a shift to renewable energy, to 
reduce carbon emissions, and slow the rate of global warming. That is 
happening in Australia in a piecemeal fashion. As an example, an 
additional electricity inter-connector is being built between NSW, 
Victoria and SA. That will allow more use of renewable energy. 
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-31/sa-nsw-electricity-interconnector-gets-approval-from-regulator/100177928

It may be that the federal government's plans for an oil/gas fired power 
plant in NSW will go ahead, but that will not produce much in the way of 
carbon emissions, as it will hardly ever be used. One strategy would be 
for the government to build facility big enough for the announced 
capacity, but only purchase and install a token amount of generating 
equipment. The rest of the space could then be used for batteries. I 
suggest having the staff wear blue overalls with black smudges printed 
on them, so the look like real workers, although the handful at the 
plant will be mostly pushing button, not hefting spanners. ;-)

The current pandemic is being addressed using approaches developed over 
decades by public health and emergency management specialists. 
Government ministers unfortunately mostly chose not to be involved in 
the development and testing of those plans, so are ill equipped to deal 
with a pandemic. http://www.tomw.net.au/2005/wd/sahana3.shtml

Likewise, most academics in Australian universities did not plan, or 
train for, what to do if students were unable to get to class for 
extended periods. This contrasts with Singapore, where after SARS-1 
annual drills were held at some institutions to test the capacity to 
teach online. So Australian universities have had to muddle through 
without plans, or trained staff. 
https://blog.highereducationwhisperer.com/2020/03/designing-in-on-line-learning-option.html

Unfortunately, given human nature, as the pandemic (hopefully) is 
brought under control, most people will go back to not caring about, or 
preparing for, the next pandemic.


-- 
Tom Worthington http://www.tomw.net.au