Essequibo is another word you may be totally unfamiliar with, but perhaps not for long. In a world where there is allegedly a broad consensus that use of fossil fuels should be decreasing, and where there are realistic alternative for most major applications of those fuels, a war over oil is even more of a disgusting spectacle than it was in the past. Also, a little good news from COP28 in Dubai, and a trifling reflection on just what “AI” is supposed to do.