The High Price of Climate Inaction
This week's edition of The Crunch delivers a powerful rebuttal to claims that achieving net zero emissions by 2050 is too costly for Australia. While some politicians focus solely on the price of the transition, the newsletter highlights the far greater economic damage expected from insufficient action on climate change.
Analysis reveals that by 2050, Australia's GDP could be 9% lower in a world where climate change is not sufficiently addressed. This translates to a loss of several hundred billion dollars, starkly illustrating that the cost of inaction vastly outweighs the investment required for a net zero future.
Ashes Cricket and a Spin Bowling Masterclass
With the Ashes series captivating fans, The Crunch shifts focus to the cricket pitch. Beyond the usual talk of fast bowling, a fascinating scatterplot from Ben Wylie’s Plot The Ball newsletter showcases the remarkable consistency of Australian spin-bowler Nathan Lyon.
The data visualisation underscores Lyon's role as a veritable workhorse, revealing a significant performance gulf between him and England's top off-spinner, Shoaib Bashir. For cricket aficionados, The Crunch also offers a relaunched positional quiz and a list of the top 100 Ashes players of all time, guaranteed to fuel holiday debates.
Global Emissions and Media Narratives
The newsletter doesn't shy away from the sobering reality of the climate crisis, featuring a chart from Glen Peters that plots recent global emissions against modelled scenarios for keeping warming below 1.5°C. The data clearly shows that the current trajectory remains well above where it needs to be, with emissions on track to hit record highs.
However, glimmers of hope are noted, including data showing China's CO2 emissions have been flat or falling, and a chart highlighting 35 countries that have successfully cut emissions while growing their economies.
In a compelling media analysis, The Crunch spotlights an interactive project examining coverage of transgender communities. A beautiful streamgraph tracks the number of articles over time, with the ability to cluster stories by topic and click through to the original sources, offering a deep dive into narrative trends.
Sports Finance and Electoral Maps
Turning to sports business, The Crunch features an innovative hand-drawn chart from the Sportsball Instagram account. This visual explainer delves into player compensation and revenue-sharing in the WNBA, outlining why players are pushing for a better financial deal.
On the political front, the newsletter applauds a detailed electoral map of Bihar, India, published by The Hindu, which dissects the region's demographics and electoral history following a significant victory for Narendra Modi's BJP party.
