JERUSALEM–When journalists go out on the streets to report, it is usually to record a newsworthy story. But what about when reporters search for violence? Look at the recent events in Jerusalem surrounding Al-Aqsa mosque. Rumors that extremist religious Jews were planning to enter Al-Aqsa and pray there sparked widespread calls for Muslims to take […]
Last week’s Economist had a couple of nice articles on China’s National Day on October 1st, when the Chinese showcased their military, including the DF-31 nuclear-tipped ICBM, which can hit any city in America. Most of these armaments have “Made in China” tags, not unlike all of our clothes and toys. The Economist leader on the subject […]
The very least that everyone can admit about the Nobel Committee’s pick for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize was that it is a gutsy pick. However, that may be the only thing that everyone can agree on. News that Barack Obama will be this year’s recipient of the world’s most distinguished humanitarian award led to […]
That’s what the overwhelming verdict is because of new extraction methods for accessing natural gas from shale. I’ve written recently about the rising star of natural gas as a powerful tool in battling the climate crisis: see Natural Gas – to Cut GHG Emissions, Natural Gas in the Senate and The Gas Industry at the […]
Like many people I’ve been fascinated with the news that President Obama has won the Nobel Prize. The story isn’t really dying down at all and it’s dominated chat in the blogosphere. What strikes me most about the coverage of this story is how often commentators link the award committee’s reasoning to notions about the […]
There’s a review today in the “NY Times” of what looks like a fabulous book of photographs of how America generates, uses and lives with power. See also the slide show for a look at Mitch Epstein’s work. This book could be a perfect complement to a book from Ingrid Kelley, Energy in America, that […]
Two years ago singer–songwriter and activist Bob Geldof was so excited about biofuels he even became the special advisor to biomass company Helius. At the time, Geldof visited jatropha curcas plantations in Swaziland run by UK biodiesel producer D1 Oils. Geldof was quoted as saying that these plantations had ‘life changing potential’. Since then, D1 […]
Kenyans in refugee camps fear returning home Many Kenyans remain reluctant to leave the tents they have called home since election violence displaced them a year and a half ago — despite a call by Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki to fully close the camps today. Many of the refugees said they feared returning to the […]
A ‘Must See’ political documentary by Michael Moore that provides a clear-eyed view of American-style capitalism in the larger context of the global financial crisis. He clearly unravels the mystery of all the moving parts and tells a . He does a brilliant job of defining previaling sentiment — the zeitgeist, the angst of the present public mood.
The story behind this documentary is fascinating. Several missionaries travel to eastern Ecuador in the 1950s and make contact with the Waodani, a Stone Age tribe. Five of the missionaries – all men – are brutally murdered by the Waodani. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/qBF-AQe7lzk” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] What happens next is fairly unbelievable: the wives and […]
The European media and political leaders are reacting to the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to President Barack Obama with official welcomes, hope, puzzlement, and some hostility. In France, the daily newspaper Le Parisien writes lyrically: In the four corners of the world, the award of the Nobel Prize to the American President Barack […]
The big ticket for today is that President Barack Hussein Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. What’s that got to do with climate change? The press release from the Norwegian Nobel Committee says that, among his other accomplishments: “Thanks to Obama’s initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting […]
A few years ago I brought you the inspiring story of William Kamkwamba, who at the age of 14, used the inquisitive nature of his youth to change the lives of both his family and village. After being forced to drop out of school as his parents had no money,William sought refuge in a tiny […]
There were two important developments today in the Afghan war effort and the debate about the overall strategy. First, President Obama has received an unofficial copy of General McChrystal’s recommendations. I’m a bit confused about how a general’s recommendations can be considered unofficial when given to a president, but that is what the media is […]
What would it be like to live near one of the world’s most treasured natural habitats? Some Ecuadorians who once inhabited the Galapagos can no longer respond to this question. Concerned about negative impact of human settlement, the Ecuadorian government has forced more than one thousand migrants to return to the mainland. Originally, they had […]