{"id":425670,"date":"2026-02-11T10:59:32","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T09:59:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=425670"},"modified":"2026-02-11T10:59:35","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T09:59:35","slug":"should-guardian-authors-be-paid-in-hugs-to-reduce-climate-damage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=425670","title":{"rendered":"Should Guardian Authors be Paid in Hugs to Reduce Climate Damage?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"687\" height=\"1024\" data-attachment-id=\"425680\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=425680\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Should-Guardian-Authors-be-Paid-in-Hugs-1.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"784,1168\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"0-Should Guardian Authors be Paid in Hugs-1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Should-Guardian-Authors-be-Paid-in-Hugs-1.jpg?fit=687%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Should-Guardian-Authors-be-Paid-in-Hugs-1.jpg?resize=687%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"A cartoon depicting diverse characters promoting climate action, with a sign reading 'Guardian Authors paid in hugs' and stacks of money symbolizing 'affection wealth'. Characters are gathered around a planet with a thermometer and a speech bubble saying 'Hug me for climate action!'\" class=\"wp-image-425680\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Should-Guardian-Authors-be-Paid-in-Hugs-1.jpg?resize=687%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 687w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Should-Guardian-Authors-be-Paid-in-Hugs-1.jpg?resize=201%2C300&amp;ssl=1 201w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Should-Guardian-Authors-be-Paid-in-Hugs-1.jpg?resize=768%2C1144&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Should-Guardian-Authors-be-Paid-in-Hugs-1.jpg?resize=640%2C953&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Should-Guardian-Authors-be-Paid-in-Hugs-1.jpg?w=784&amp;ssl=1 784w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 687px) 100vw, 687px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">If money and growth cause emissions (through spending, production, travel, etc.), then paying writers in non- monetary hugs would eliminate that &#8220;cascade of greenhouse gas emissions&#8221; from cash circulation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Promotions could mean extra daily hugs instead of raises; senior staff could retire rich in affection while their salaries stay locked away. It&#8217;s clearly tongue- in- cheek ridicule, implying anti- growth advocates should practice what they preach and of course, no serious publication (Guardian or otherwise) would adopt it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">_________________________________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">From <a href=\"https:\/\/wattsupwiththat.com\/2026\/02\/09\/should-guardian-authors-be-paid-in-hugs-to-reduce-climate-damage\/\">Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Essay by\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wattsupwiththat.com\/author\/eworrall1\/\">Eric Worrall<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"359\" data-attachment-id=\"425675\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=425675\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-11-102836.png?fit=1520%2C755&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1520,755\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"0Screenshot 2026-02-11 102836\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-11-102836.png?fit=723%2C359&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-11-102836.png?resize=723%2C359&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Graph showing projections for resources, food per capita, industrial output, population, and pollution over time, highlighting a predicted decline by 2020 according to the Club of Rome's 'Limits to Growth'.\" class=\"wp-image-425675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-11-102836.png?resize=1024%2C509&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-11-102836.png?resize=300%2C149&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-11-102836.png?resize=768%2C381&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-11-102836.png?resize=640%2C318&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-11-102836.png?resize=1200%2C596&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-11-102836.png?w=1520&amp;ssl=1 1520w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-11-102836.png?w=1446&amp;ssl=1 1446w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Guardian author Alex Clark wants the world to \u201cmove beyond\u201d GDP as a measure of wellbeing. The experiment should start with The Guardian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Economic growth is still heating the planet. Is there any way out?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Rising GDP continues to mean more carbon emissions and wider damage to the planet. Can the two be decoupled?<br><br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/profile\/alex-clark\">Alex Clark<\/a><br>Mon 9 Feb 2026 19.00 AEDT<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">During&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/cop30\">Cop30<\/a>&nbsp;negotiations in Brazil last year, delegates heard a familiar argument: rising emissions are unavoidable for countries pursuing growth.<br><br>That pattern seems to be holding. In 2024, global GDP per capita reached a new high as did annual carbon emissions. But as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2025\/oct\/28\/change-course-now-humanity-has-missed-15c-climate-target-says-un-head\">climate targets slip<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2025\/oct\/13\/coral-reefs-ice-sheets-amazon-rainforest-tipping-point-global-heating-scientists-report\">warnings mount<\/a>&nbsp;that tipping points may already have been crossed, faith in growth for growth\u2019s sake is starting to fracture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">This week, the UN secretary general, Ant\u00f3nio Guterres,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2026\/feb\/09\/global-economy-transformed-humanity-future-un-chief-antonio-guterres\">called for economies to \u201cmove beyond GDP\u201d<\/a>&nbsp;as a measure of progress, warning that the world\u2019s \u201cexisting accounting systems\u201d were driving the planet towards disaster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The standard run of the Limits to Growth model predicted a tipping point beginning in the 2020s.<br><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Now we are in the 2020s and it is unclear if we are facing the scenario Limits to Growth described.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Why we have avoided this \u2013 and whether we ultimately will \u2013 are key questions in post-growth economics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">\u2026Read more:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/ng-interactive\/2026\/feb\/09\/economic-growth-carbon-emissions-impact-global-heating\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/ng-interactive\/2026\/feb\/09\/economic-growth-carbon-emissions-impact-global-heating<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The Limits to Growth.<\/strong>&nbsp;Wow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The fact we are still happy and prosperous in the 2020s, a deadline which&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.clubofrome.org\/publication\/the-limits-to-growth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Limits to Growth<\/a>&nbsp;implicitly sets as a tipping point, should be a hint that Limits to Growth calculations were a pile of junk (see the graph at the top of this article).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">But let\u2019s be fair and give the authors a chance to speak. What did Limits say about the timing of events in their graph?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The\u00a0exact timing\u00a0of these events\u00a0is\u00a0not meaningful<\/strong>, given the great aggregation and many\u00a0uncertainties\u00a0in the\u00a0model. It\u00a0is\u00a0significant, however, that growth\u00a0is\u00a0stopped well before the year\u00a02100.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>We\u00a0have tried in every doubtful case to make the most optimistic estimate of unknown quantities<\/strong>, and we have also ignored discontinuous events such\u00a0as\u00a0wars or epidemics, which might act to bring\u00a0an\u00a0end to growth even sooner than our model would indicate. In other words,\u00a0<strong>the model\u00a0is\u00a0biased to allow growth to continue longer than it probably can continue in the real world.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><em>We\u00a0can\u00a0thus\u00a0say\u00a0with<\/em>\u00a0<em>some confidence that, under\u00a0the assumption of no major<\/em>\u00a0<em>change in\u00a0the present system,\u00a0population and\u00a0industrial growth<\/em>\u00a0<em>will certainly stop\u00a0within\u00a0the next century, at the latest.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Read more: Page 126,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.clubofrome.org\/publication\/the-limits-to-growth\/\">https:\/\/www.clubofrome.org\/publication\/the-limits-to-growth\/<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">So, they\u2019re not taking responsibility if they are wrong about the \u201cexact timing\u201d, but they think their graph is optimistic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">One of my favourite responses to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.clubofrome.org\/publication\/the-limits-to-growth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Limits to Growth<\/a>&nbsp;was published by The New York Times in 1972, shortly after the publication of Limits. NYT points out inevitable doom was baked into the Limits to Growth calculations, by attaching exponential growth in needs and consequences to an arbitrary estimate of limits \u2013 completely ignoring that we\u2019ve never encountered a limit we cannot overcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">\u2026 \u201cThe Limits to Growth,\u201d in our view, is an empty and misleading work. Its imposing apparatus of computer technology and systems jargon conceals a kind of intellectual Rube Goldberg device\u2014one which takes arbitrary assumptions, shakes them up and comes out with arbitrary conclusions that have the ring of science. \u201cLimits\u201d pretends to a degree of certainty so exaggerated as to obscure the few modest (and unoriginal) insights that it genuinely contains. Less than pseudoscience and little more than polemical fiction, \u201cThe Limits to Growth\u201d is best summarized not as a rediscovery of the laws of nature but as a rediscovery of the oldest maxim of computer science: Garbage In, Garbage Out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">As a first approximation of the future, the authors assume that the world is utterly incapable of adjusting to problems of scarcity. Technology stagnates and pollution is ignored, even as it chokes millions to death. A shortage of raw materials prevents industry and agriculture from keeping up with population growth. World reserves of vital materials (silver, tungsten, mercury, etc.) are exhausted within 40 years. Around 2020 the pinch becomes tight enough to cause a fall in per capita income. A few decades later, malnutrition and lagging health services abruptly reverse the climbing population trend. By the year 2100 the resource base has shrunk so badly that the world economy is unable to sustain even 19th\u2010century living standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">It is no coincidence that all the simulations based on the Meadows world model invariably end in collapse. As in any simulation, the results depend on the information initially fed to the computer. And the \u201cLimits\u201d team fixes the wheel; no matter how \u2018many times you play there is only one possible outcome. Critical to their model is the notion that growth produces stresses (pollution, resource demands, food requirements) which multiply geometrically. Like compound interest on a savings account, these stresses accumulate at a pace that constantly accelerates: Every child born is not only another mouth to feed but another potential parent. Every new factory not only drains away exhaustible resources but increases our capacity to build more factories. Geometric (or as mathematicians prefer to call it, exponential) growth must eventually produce spectacular results. If the Indians who sold Manhattan 300 years ago for $24 could have left their money untouched in a bank paying 7 per cent (a number chosen no more arbitrarily than many in \u201cLimits\u201d) they would have more than $25\u2010 billion today.<br><br>\u2026Read more:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1972\/04\/02\/archives\/the-limits-to-growth-a-report-for-the-club-of-romes-project-on-the.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1972\/04\/02\/archives\/the-limits-to-growth-a-report-for-the-club-of-romes-project-on-the.html<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>As for post growth economics, why not lead by example? The Guardian could make a start right in the offices of The Guardian.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Borrowing from one of my favourite authors&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/P._J._O%27Rourke\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PJ O\u2019Rourke<\/a>\u2018s writing on post growth economics,&nbsp;<strong>let\u2019s replace Guardian salary income with hugs.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">If every Guardian reporter were to voluntarily take a \u00a3100 \/ week pay cut and instead receive a hug every day from the senior manager of their choice, that would be a powerful statement of commitment to disavowing money and economic growth as the sole measure of human wellbeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">After all, a hug is a way of improving your happiness which doesn\u2019t involve damaging economic activity. Receiving a hug instead of money eliminates an entire cascade of greenhouse gas emissions which spending that \u00a3100 and circulating that \u00a3100 through the economy could have caused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">For the truly climate ambitious Guardian staff, when they receive a promotion, they could demand two hugs per day instead of an increase in salary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">As for senior management, look how many hugs they would receive under this system. This would be an opportunity for senior management to equalise the monetary component of their salaries with their workers, while receiving lots of human kindness and hugs in place of all the money they would otherwise have earned. The village, which is The Guardian could become truly equal, with love replacing monetary reward for those who have the toughest jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Of course, the damage would still occur if a selfish senior manager trousered the missing \u00a3100 salary sacrifices and spent the money, so that money must never be spent. Destroying money is illegal in the UK, so throw it into a vault with no door, just a slot for shoving in money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Let\u2019s just say I\u2019m not holding my breath waiting for that post growth economic experiment to be implemented.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"687\" height=\"1024\" data-attachment-id=\"425681\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=425681\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Should-Guardian-Authors-be-Paid-in-Hugs.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"784,1168\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"0Should Guardian Authors be Paid in Hugs\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Should-Guardian-Authors-be-Paid-in-Hugs.jpg?fit=687%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Should-Guardian-Authors-be-Paid-in-Hugs.jpg?resize=687%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"A group of concerned individuals stands in front of a globe with a rising graph, expressing shock and demand for compensation, surrounded by stacks of Guardian articles and a locked box labeled 'Paywall' and 'Senior Staff Retirement Package.'\" class=\"wp-image-425681\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Should-Guardian-Authors-be-Paid-in-Hugs.jpg?resize=687%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 687w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Should-Guardian-Authors-be-Paid-in-Hugs.jpg?resize=201%2C300&amp;ssl=1 201w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Should-Guardian-Authors-be-Paid-in-Hugs.jpg?resize=768%2C1144&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Should-Guardian-Authors-be-Paid-in-Hugs.jpg?resize=640%2C953&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Should-Guardian-Authors-be-Paid-in-Hugs.jpg?w=784&amp;ssl=1 784w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 687px) 100vw, 687px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If money and growth cause emissions (through spending, production, travel, etc.), then paying writers in non- monetary hugs would eliminate that &#8220;cascade of greenhouse gas emissions&#8221; from cash circulation. Promotions could mean extra daily hugs instead of raises; senior staff could retire rich in affection while their salaries stay locked away. It&#8217;s clearly tongue- in- cheek ridicule, implying anti- growth advocates should practice what they preach and of course, no serious publication (Guardian or otherwise) would adopt it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":425679,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"Explore a satirical take on climate action: should Guardian authors be paid in hugs instead of cash to reduce emissions?","jetpack_seo_html_title":"Should Guardian Authors Be Paid in Hugs for Climate Action?","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":true,"token":"eyJpbWciOiJodHRwczpcL1wvY2xpbWF0ZS1zY2llbmNlLnByZXNzXC93cC1jb250ZW50XC91cGxvYWRzXC8yMDI2XC8wMlwvMFNjcmVlbnNob3QtMjAyNi0wMi0xMS0xMDU3MjQtMTAyNHg4ODEucG5nIiwidHh0IjoiU2hvdWxkIEd1YXJkaWFuIEF1dGhvcnMgYmUgUGFpZCBpbiBIdWdzIHRvIFJlZHVjZSBDbGltYXRlIERhbWFnZT8iLCJ0ZW1wbGF0ZSI6ImhpZ2h3YXkiLCJmb250IjoiIiwiYmxvZ19pZCI6MTU1ODEyNDQ5fQ.6qrRlbB9BpJuQanGon7810BBSA7IfBlgY27eRl_jvt0MQ"},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691830172,691819809,691820955,691834077,691841331,691841332,691818262,691823916],"class_list":{"0":"post-425670","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-climate-damage","9":"tag-climate-targets","10":"tag-economic-growth","11":"tag-gdp","12":"tag-growth-model","13":"tag-limits-to-growth","14":"tag-the-guardian","15":"tag-tipping-point","17":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-11-105724.png?fit=1096%2C943&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1MJE","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":290046,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=290046","url_meta":{"origin":425670,"position":0},"title":"COP28: China and India Reject Climate Loss and Damage Demands","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"05\/12\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"From Watts Up With That? Essay by Eric Worrall Everyone agrees the USA should be looted, but China and India want to be recipients of funding, not contributors. COP28: Should India and China receive or pay climate damage fund? By Navin Singh KhadkaEnvironment correspondent, BBC World Service China is the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"China\"","block_context":{"text":"China","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=china"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0Screenshot-2023-12-05-130451.png?fit=1200%2C604&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0Screenshot-2023-12-05-130451.png?fit=1200%2C604&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0Screenshot-2023-12-05-130451.png?fit=1200%2C604&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0Screenshot-2023-12-05-130451.png?fit=1200%2C604&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0Screenshot-2023-12-05-130451.png?fit=1200%2C604&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":208559,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=208559","url_meta":{"origin":425670,"position":1},"title":"Let the Litigation Flow!","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"14\/07\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"HT\/Cam_S Grasping at straws, it appears that another modeling study has been produced whose sole purpose is to allow developing nations to sue developed nations. National Attribution of Historical Climate Damages While the burden of proof for demonstrating liability is high and nonlinearities in the climate system make any such\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/image-101.png?fit=1024%2C512&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/image-101.png?fit=1024%2C512&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/image-101.png?fit=1024%2C512&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/image-101.png?fit=1024%2C512&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":226932,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=226932","url_meta":{"origin":425670,"position":2},"title":"THE UNSTOPPABLE GROWTH OF GLOBAL GHG EMISSIONS \u2013 Greening the Planet; Conning the Public","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"02\/11\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Advocates of the thesis that human greenhouse gas emissions are causing catastrophic climate change claim that United Nations-led international conferences will succeed in causing the countries of the world collectively to radically reduce fossil fuel use by 2050.","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/00Screenshot-2022-11-02-135046.png?fit=722%2C908&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/00Screenshot-2022-11-02-135046.png?fit=722%2C908&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/00Screenshot-2022-11-02-135046.png?fit=722%2C908&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/00Screenshot-2022-11-02-135046.png?fit=722%2C908&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":438563,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=438563","url_meta":{"origin":425670,"position":3},"title":"No, BBC, Disaster Losses Can\u2019t Be Tied to Climate Change","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"10\/04\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Better journalism would distinguish modeling from measurement and highlight what we can control: smarter land-use, resilient infrastructure, and adaptation. That\u2019s far more immediate and effective than blaming every insurance claim on \u201cclimate change.\u201d The data, not the headlines, supports the ClimateRealism headline.","rel":"","context":"In \"British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)\"","block_context":{"text":"British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=british-broadcasting-corporation-bbc"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0-No-BBC-Disaster-Losses-Cant-Be-Tied-to-Climate-Change.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0-No-BBC-Disaster-Losses-Cant-Be-Tied-to-Climate-Change.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0-No-BBC-Disaster-Losses-Cant-Be-Tied-to-Climate-Change.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0-No-BBC-Disaster-Losses-Cant-Be-Tied-to-Climate-Change.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0-No-BBC-Disaster-Losses-Cant-Be-Tied-to-Climate-Change.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":281373,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=281373","url_meta":{"origin":425670,"position":4},"title":"The AI revolution is bad news for Net Zero","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"01\/10\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"White woman humanoid on blurred background creating artificial intelligence 3D rendering From \u00a0CFACT By\u00a0Steve Goreham 66186168 - modern web network and internet telecommunication technology, big data storage and cloud computing computer service business concept: 3d render illustration of the server room interior in datacenter in blue light Artificial intelligence (AI)\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"AI chips\"","block_context":{"text":"AI chips","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=ai-chips"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/00dreamstime_xxl_120656504-e1571837937336.jpg?fit=1200%2C583&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/00dreamstime_xxl_120656504-e1571837937336.jpg?fit=1200%2C583&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/00dreamstime_xxl_120656504-e1571837937336.jpg?fit=1200%2C583&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/00dreamstime_xxl_120656504-e1571837937336.jpg?fit=1200%2C583&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/00dreamstime_xxl_120656504-e1571837937336.jpg?fit=1200%2C583&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":258970,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=258970","url_meta":{"origin":425670,"position":5},"title":"Canada \u2013 The Climate Pawn","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"24\/05\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The campaign to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is sometimes presented as a global undertaking in which Canada is \u201callied\u201d with all other countries. Allegedly, we must not shirk our duty to our allies. This view rests upon a mistaken understanding of past and present trends in global greenhouse gas (GHG)\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Climate change\"","block_context":{"text":"Climate change","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=climate-change"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/0climatechangeotm_03-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C903&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/0climatechangeotm_03-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C903&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/0climatechangeotm_03-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C903&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/0climatechangeotm_03-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C903&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/0climatechangeotm_03-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C903&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/425670","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=425670"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/425670\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":425683,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/425670\/revisions\/425683"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/425679"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=425670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=425670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=425670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}