I got my flu shot, did you?
- An interesting piece on the logistics of COVID vaccine delivery. Major shipping companies are building “freezer farms” to ensure that vaccines remain in cold storage during transport to final destinations. Keeping samples at -80C through the whole supply chain. I am curious to think what the energy footprint of these cold-storage facilities are and what their post-pandemic utility will be?
- From my understanding the Pfizer vaccine can be stored in a standard freezer, 3-5 days for usage but maintaining their storage/shipping temperatures requires large quantities of dry ice (CO2) and a shortage could be on the horizon.
- This dry ice and short shelf life could make the vaccine inaccessible to some areas or countries where ultra cold supply chain infrastructure doesn’t exist.
- Lucky for Canada we have bought lots of vaccine from multiple sources.
- The President of Peru got impeached this past week.
- It’s being called a Coup by some, not that we pay attention to anything like that.
- Update– the interm president has resigned.
- Meanwhile in Moldova, a European leaning candidate has won the presidential runoff, leading a Russian satellite to snub it’s preferred candidate. Cause that has worked out well.
- An interesting study from the Brookings Institute concluded that they countries that voted for President-Elect Biden (477) represented approximately 70% of the national GDP. Compared to President Trumps 2,497 counties representing 30% of the national GDP. Haves or have-nots in America.
- This speaks to some of the conversations of front row vs back row from Chris Arnade.
- Very early electoral challenges for Democrats if Biden doesn’t run for re-election.
- A long read on a moderate democrat who was closely re-elected on what to takeaway from this election.
- Meanwhile in London, 39km of bike lanes were fast tracked this past week.
- Also in London, something I mentioned a few weeks ago the City of London’s Master plan that champion’s “inward and upward growth” was before the LPAT as developers challenged it. What was planned as 12 days of hearings (ended up 10) in beginning of October and an initial decision shortly afterwards that largely supported the City’s position with a minor change being order. Additional issues, appeals and decisions will be forthcoming.
- Obviously in Windsor, all eyes are on the next provincial budget (March/April) to see if the hospital gets funded…
- Optimism around national childcare strategy.
- Meanwhile, in the Armenia/Azerbaijan war an new stage seems to be evolving.
- New population projections have been released by the Province of Ontario as the basis of their modelling.
- Between now and 2030, the region is projected to add another 38,000 people.
- Although there is a dip in older working age population through 2030, that is largely the demographic shift of boomers and GenX’ers age out of prime working years.
- You see a similar dip in the 2040s 60+ pops start aging out of their early retirement years.
- The 80+ population growth is driven by improvements in life expectancy.
- In total by 2046 the region is projected to be home to 549,000 people.
- I have been digging around in some racialized population data for the Windsor CMA and Leamington CA.
- This is certainly telling for our region but I think a more important data sets is this one. Top level of education attainment:
- Our region doesn’t fair that well in education attainment compared to national average. Although this does include retirees, our region has been showed to have a post-secondary attainment gap in the working population (25-64) unfortunately that data isn’t available with visible minority crosstabs.
- There a few takeaways – due to some small sample sizes in Leamington entire groups do not have post-secondary or any kind. Those groups have 10 or less individuals who identified.
- Certain groups certainly fair well while the “Not a Visible Minority” (White) lags in our region overall. This is partially a legacy of people walking out of high school and onto an assembly line.
- As newcomers going to be the predominant source of population growth and the international students at the University may well be how our region growth. The educational attainment balance between different groups is not only a potential resource but also a potential political wedge.
- Obviously the trendline is doing in the wrong direction here as well as across the province and country
- A great video by the German Government trying to keep young people home by appealing to their sense of duty.
- It’s funny when German’s are funny…
gingerpolitics 
