Dirk Pilat
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pilatd.bsky.social
Dirk Pilat
@pilatd.bsky.social
590 followers 900 following 4 posts

Economist focused on productivity, innovation & green transition. Formerly OECD, now associated with IVIE, Valencia & TPI, Manchester. Views are my own.

Videos
Economics 56%
Business 21%
Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Dirk Pilat, Dawn J. Wright

davidho.bsky.social
David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 1d
"The obstacles to limiting warming to below ever-more-dangerous levels remain political, rather than physical or technological."

But it won't be done with CO₂ removal (CDR) technologies because the obstacles to scaling CDR are political, social, financial, physical, and technological.
Bill Gates’s climate comments are a dangerous distraction
People do not have to dismiss or exaggerate the climate threat to justify concerted action.
go.nature.com

Reposted by Dirk Pilat, Aaron Sojourner, Monisha Bajaj

larryferlazzo.bsky.social
Larry Ferlazzo @larryferlazzo.bsky.social · 1d
Elon Musk is set to make more than every U.S. elementary teacher combined www.washingtonpost.com/technology/i...
a cartoon dog is sitting at a table in front of a fire with the words it 's fine everything is fine
ALT: a cartoon dog is sitting at a table in front of a fire with the words it 's fine everything is fine
media.tenor.com

Reposted by Dirk Pilat, Henry Jones

kyivindependent.com
The Kyiv Independent @kyivindependent.com · 1d
⚡️ Update: Poland says 'everything indicates' Russia behind railway sabotage incident.

"Russian services want to disrupt our society, to scare us," Polish security service spokesperson Jacek Dobrzynski said.
'Act of sabotage' — Explosion hits Polish railway track used for Ukraine aid shipments, Warsaw says
"We will catch the perpetrators, whoever they are," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said, noting that the route was "crucially important for delivering aid to Ukraine."
kyivindependent.com

Reposted by Dirk Pilat

theguardian.com
The Guardian @theguardian.com · 1d
Wetlands and wildlife in the Netherlands: slowing down and connecting with nature in Friesland
Wetlands and wildlife in the Netherlands: slowing down and connecting with nature in Friesland
The cosy cabins, bike rides and serenity of De Alde Feanen national park make it the perfect place to switch off and unwind in winter
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Dirk Pilat, Francesco Saraceno, Benjamin Braun , and 2 more

gwagner.com
Gernot Wagner @gwagner.com · 3d
German taxpayers are handing BMW €273m to once again attempt to push hydrogen-powered cars, when battery prices have once again dropped >50% in the past ~18 month and CATL is on its 5th-gen LFP battery.

CATL, BYD et al must be laughing all the way to the bank.

Sigh.

www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/w...
Wasserstoff-Autos: BMW erhält staatliche Förderung zur Entwicklung
Hat der Einsatz von Wasserstoff eine Zukunft bei der Autoentwicklung? BMW glaubt nach wie vor daran. Jetzt erhält der Konzern eine staatliche Förderung für die Weiterentwicklung der Technologie.
www.spiegel.de

Reposted by Dirk Pilat, Béatrice Cointe

danielhuppmann.bsky.social
Daniel Huppmann @danielhuppmann.bsky.social · 4d
Búzios Scientific Statement

100 climate researchers, coordinated by @pik-potsdam.bsky.social & @iiasa.ac.at, released a joint statement to inform the #COP30 negotiations and provide guidance on difficult but doable global efforts designed to limit dangerous overshoot of 1.5°C as much as possible.
Búzios Scientific Statement.pdf
drive.google.com

Reposted by Dirk Pilat

rahmstorf.bsky.social
Prof. Stefan Rahmstorf @rahmstorf.bsky.social · 4d
“If we wait to cross tipping points before we act, it will be too late. The only credible risk management strategy is to act in advance.”
global-tipping-points.org/the-dartingt...
The Dartington Declaration - Global Tipping Points
The Dartington Declaration has emanated from scientific meetings held at Dartington Hall in England, and then a statement agreed at the Global Tipping Points Conference, on 30 June – 3 July 2025. It w...
global-tipping-points.org

Reposted by Dirk Pilat, David Murakami Wood

theguardian.com
The Guardian @theguardian.com · 4d
Israel breaching international law by limiting Gaza aid, says Unrwa official
Israel breaching international law by limiting Gaza aid, says Unrwa official
Natalie Boucly says supplies are ready but only about half of what is needed is getting into territory Israel is breaching international law by continuing to impose restrictions on aid flows into Gaza, where the population remains critically short of food and life-saving goods as winter sets in, a senior official at the UN agency for Palestinian refugees has said. In an interview during a recent visit to Brussels, Natalie Boucly, an Unrwa deputy commissioner general, said the whole world – including the EU and US – needed to increase the pressure on Israel’s government to ensure the unrestricted flow of aid into Gaza. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Dirk Pilat, Iikka Korhonen

lindayueh.bsky.social
Linda Yueh @lindayueh.bsky.social · 4d
China uses a wide array of industrial policies, eg subsidies, regulations, to promote strategic economic sectors. This column estimates that the equivalent fiscal cost of industrial policy is about 4% of GDP per year, with support directed largely at the manufacturing sector
cepr.org/voxeu/column...
The hidden costs of China’s industrial policy
China uses a wide array of industrial policies, such as subsidies and regulations, to promote strategic economic sectors. This column estimates that the equivalent fiscal cost of industrial policy is about 4% of GDP per year, with support directed largely at the manufacturing sector. Different policy instruments have varying effects: subsidies tend to lead to inefficiently high production, while trade and regulatory barriers limit production to suboptimal levels. Overall, factor misallocation from industrial policies reduces domestic aggregate total factor productivity by about 1.2%. Scaling back industrial policy would lower fiscal costs and raise productivity.
cepr.org

Reposted by Katharine Hayhoe, Peter Thorne, Dirk Pilat , and 2 more

janrosenow.bsky.social
Jan Rosenow @janrosenow.bsky.social · 5d
In the global electrification race China is marching ahead.

The US and Europe risk falling behind clinging on to yesterday's technologies.

Reposted by Brigitte Nerlich, Dirk Pilat, Stacy D. VanDeveer , and 2 more

georgemonbiot.bsky.social
George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 5d
Climate breakdown is driven by a storm of lies. This lying is systemic, funded and coordinated, and operates across almost all media, old and new.
This week's column argues that we cannot fight the climate crisis without also fighting the epistemic crisis.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Dark forces are preventing us fighting the climate crisis – by taking knowledge hostage | George Monbiot
The fundamental problem is this: that most of the means of communication are owned or influenced by the very rich, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Dirk Pilat

Reposted by Michael E. Mann, Dirk Pilat, Dominik Wiedenhofer

sustainable2050.bsky.social
Kees van der Leun @sustainable2050.bsky.social · 10d
Freely available here: academic.oup.com/bioscience/a...

Co-authors include @michaelemann.bsky.social, Johan Rockström, and @petergleick.bsky.social
The 2025 state of the climate report: a planet on the brink
We are hurtling toward climate chaos. The planet's vital signs are flashing red. The consequences of human-driven alterations of the climate are no longer
academic.oup.com

Reposted by Dirk Pilat, Tuomas Mattila

thierryaaron.bsky.social
Dr. Aaron Thierry @thierryaaron.bsky.social · 12d
🚨 "If it doesn’t rain, we will have to start restricting water supplies in #Tehran next month. If the drought continues, we will run out of water and be forced to evacuate the city"

The president described the situation as "alarming"

#Iran 🇮🇷
#ClimateEmergency
Evacuation warning for Iran's capital city
President Masoud Pezeshkian warns Tehran faces a historic water crisis with shortages and possible evacuations.
www.newsweek.com

Reposted by Diane Coyle, Jonathan Wolff, Dirk Pilat , and 1 more

hetanshah.bsky.social
Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 12d
‘Al could end scarcity, end humanity - or boost trend growth by 0.2
percentage points’

Well that’s the best chart of the year in this @johnthornhill.bsky.social column and basically sums up where we are
on.ft.com/4qMMkJd
Al could end scarcity, end humanity - or boost trend growth by 0.2 percentage points

Reposted by Dirk Pilat, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, Southern Africa

joshuaholland.bsky.social
Joshua Holland @joshuaholland.bsky.social · 13d
Under new head of Paramount David Ellison, the studio has drawn up a list of actors who opposed the Gaza genocide and will not allow them to appear in its films and TV shows.

Does this sound familiar?

Also, "Ellison is reportedly aiming to take over Warner Bros. next."
Paramount Has Blacklist for Stars Deemed “Overtly Antisemitic” — World of Reel
It sure looks like the likes of Javier Bardem, Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, and Mark Ruffalo won’t be making movies for Paramount in the foreseeable future.
www.worldofreel.com

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Dirk Pilat

umland.bsky.social
Andreas Umland @umland.bsky.social · 14d
Maria Popova, McGill University: Russian manipulation of the facts endures because when #JeffreySachs and others tirelessly promote it, opponents politely disagree and the conversation is presented as a debate of equally valid viewpoints. www.policymagazine.ca/when-confron...
When Confronting Russian Propaganda, Truth is Not Optional - Policy Magazine
In late October, Italian Senator Carlo Calenda went viral for bluntly calling economist Jeffrey Sachs a liar. During a debate between the two on the Italian
www.policymagazine.ca

Reposted by Dirk Pilat

nataliejones.bsky.social
Natalie Jones @nataliejones.bsky.social · 14d
The new UNEP Emissions Gap Report points out that "no NDCs set targets to reduce oil and gas production or trim inefficient fossil fuel subsidies".

That countries are not addressing fossil fuels - at the heart of the climate crisis - is deeply worrying.

wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/ha...
wedocs.unep.org

Reposted by Benjamin K. Sovacool, Dirk Pilat

janrosenow.bsky.social
Jan Rosenow @janrosenow.bsky.social · 15d
For too long, industry has been labelled a “hard-to-abate” sector. It’s time to rethink that.

With rapid advances in electrification and energy efficiency, much of industry is not hard to abate — it’s ready to innovate.

Reposted by Valerie M. Delmotte, Elizabeth Saunders, Harro v. Asselt , and 14 more

profjacob.bsky.social
Jacob Öberg @profjacob.bsky.social · 16d
🚨🚨Things are just getting worse. 🧵
www.politico.eu/article/us-a...
US accused of threatening EU diplomats during bid to kill green shipping rules
Negotiators at shipping talks in London were told both they and their countries could be punished unless they voted with the U.S.
www.politico.eu

Reposted by Dirk Pilat

michaelemann.bsky.social
Michael E. Mann @michaelemann.bsky.social · 19d
The press doesn’t get away unscathed: “The legacy media is apparently more interested in the climate musings of an erstwhile PC mogul than a sober assessment by the world’s leading climate scientists.”

Reposted by Dirk Pilat

marcveld.bsky.social
Marc Veldhoen @marcveld.bsky.social · 19d
Schandalig dat er een partij is die dit soort onzin beweerd, en heel bewust de democratie probeert te ondermijnen, en dat dit officeel ontkracht moet worden. Dit is precies waarom feiten, onderzoek en waarheid zo belangrijk zijn. Zonder valt een maatschappij uit elkaar.

Reposted by Michael E. Mann, Mark Petticrew, Dirk Pilat , and 2 more

brenttoderian.bsky.social
Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 19d
“Here’s the thing, Bill Gates: There’s no ‘patch’ for the climate crisis. And there is no way to reboot the planet if you crash it. The only safe and reliable way out when you find yourself in a climate hole is to stop digging—and burning—fossil fuels.” — @michaelemann.bsky.social
You can’t reboot the planet if you crash it
What Gates is putting forward aren’t legitimate arguments that can be made in good faith. They are shopworn fossil fuel industry talking points.
thebulletin.org

Reposted by Dirk Pilat

seanbrodrick.bsky.social
Sean Brodrick @seanbrodrick.bsky.social · 19d
The bullish view on #AI ...

Reposted by Michael E. Mann, Dirk Pilat

thebulletin.org
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 19d
"Here's the thing, Bill Gates: There is no 'patch' for the climate crisis. And there is no way to reboot the planet if you crash it. The only safe and reliable way out when you find yourself in a climate hole is to stop digging—and burning—fossil fuels."
— @michaelemann.bsky.social
You can’t reboot the planet if you crash it
What Gates is putting forward aren’t legitimate arguments that can be made in good faith. They are shopworn fossil fuel industry talking points.
thebulletin.org

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Ben H. Ansell, Nick Couldry , and 12 more

jburnmurdoch.ft.com
John Burn-Murdoch @jburnmurdoch.ft.com · 19d
NEW from me:

Political hostility, high visa fees and (in the case of the UK) stagnant incomes are making the UK and US less attractive destinations for top international talent.

That steep decline in the appeal of moving to the US after 2016 is 👀

Reposted by Dirk Pilat, Daniel Huppmann

wblau.bsky.social
Wolfgang Blau @wblau.bsky.social · 19d
For a few years, climate science denial seemed to have been replaced by “delay-ism” (“it’s real but not urgent”). Now, just as renewables start defeating fossils by being more cost-efficient, delay-ism morphs into defeatism: “it’s real, it’s urgent, but can’t be paid for”.
All three are propaganda.

Reposted by Dirk Pilat, Gráinne McKeever

hetanshah.bsky.social
Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 20d
And this exercise obviously just looks at the economic returns But we've looked at a lot of the wider benefits of research in humanities/social sciences/arts which stretch far beyond economic returns to support law, education, culture, inclusion & health
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/new-rep...
From NHS innovations to addressing inequalities in the labour market: new report reveals real-world impact of humanities and social sciences research
A new report sheds light on the tangible impact of UK SHAPE (Social Sciences, Humanities and the Arts for People and the Economy) research on the wellbeing of society, culture and the economy, through...
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk