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Don't have such prejudices. Russia will be on the first line of climate change, they have quite few incentives to make the right call. Algeria for what I know

• yyyk 5y ago
  There are quite a few Russian analysts which believe Russia will gain from climate change (unblocked Northern route, more workable soil, lower heating expenditures). Don't expect any help from Russia on this.
  • rq1 5y ago
    No they won’t. The methane contained in their soils will just finish us. As if you were saying that you’d gain Alaska if you get rid of the permafrost. Yeah sure but you’ll lose all the rest. The biggest issue with global warming is that it’s a non linear phenomenon. There’s threshold effects involved followed by exponentially worsening situation until we reach a new equilibrium.
    • yyyk 5y ago
      The thresholds kick in over the long term, plenty of time for humanity to counteract, meanwhile Russia gains. Also, the current Russian government will happily sacrifice X million Russians so long as it gains the ruling regime internally and externally - which this process will by default.
      • rq1 5y ago
        Long term? I think it will happen before the end of the century. That is not long term to me. They can’t maintain a regime that sacrifices the majority of the population. If they do so, they’ll be kings of… nothing.
        • yyyk 5y ago
          >They can’t maintain a regime that sacrifices the majority of the population. If they do so, they’ll be kings of… nothing. Judging by excess deaths, Russia lost 1 million people to Corona[0]. The government's response is either nothing, or saber-rattling in Ukraine (depending whether you buy the view of their recent actions as a domestic distraction). It's always been very difficult to overestimate the indifference of the Russian government to its own populace's well being, especially when they gain monetaraily and internationally from being indifferent. [0] https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/coronavirus-excess-deaths-tracker https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/coronavirus-excess-...
          • rq1 5y ago
            They didn’t do it on purpose. You should start the analysis from the population and its reality. Even Staline and Krutchev didn’t manage to get rid of high vodka consumption and alcoholism, where Putin managed while being less brutal. And he’s still popular among the population. I mean there that usually we judge them by our own values, but you need to take into account their reality. They built a great scientific elite over the last century but on the other hand, the rest of the population is not worth more than a third country’s one in terms of education, work and “lumières ethics”. And that gap is huge.
• gostsamo 5y ago
  I wish that you are right.
• vkou 5y ago
  > Russia will be on the first line of climate change, they have quite few incentives to make the right call. Russia has incentives, but the Russian government does not. Its fortunes are entirely tied to the petro-ruble. And when it comes to choosing between what's good for Russia, and what's good for whomever is governing Russia, Russians will choose the latter eight times out of ten.
  • rq1 5y ago
    I think you’re misinterpreting the nature of the Russian regimes. Even the current one. After 1991, a lot of illegitimate fortunes built up, controlling important parts of different industries but also weapons, including nuclear ones. Even with the govt power and the brutal nature of the regime, they had hard times to make the oligarchs yield to his wishes. History will certainly say that somewhat Putin was a necessity before the country’s dislocation threat.
• selimthegrim 5y ago
  Algeria needs investment to diversify its industries. It’s also running out of water.