In The News

In Dusty Archives, a Theory of Affluence

Nicholas Wade August 16, 2007
The Industrial Revolution may have been the result of an evolutionary change in human nature, argues Gregory Clark, an economic historian at the University of California, Davis. His research shows that, generation after generation, the wealthy people of England had more surviving children than the poor, leading him to theorize that the behaviors that made for wealth – or the middle-class values...

Food That Travels Well

James E. McWilliams August 8, 2007
In the US, some fruits and vegetables travel thousands of miles before reaching the dinner table. It would seem logical that food products grown close to home require less energy than those from far away. Environmentalists tout domestic products, farm markets and labels that promise reduced consumption of carbon fuel. But the carbon print of vegetables should not be measured in miles alone....

China's New Appetite for Milk Forces Price Rise in Germany

Kate Connolly August 4, 2007
Dairy milk, with all its calcium and protein, is an excellent source of nutrients for growing children. Comments from Chinese officials, urging Chinese children to drink milk, have helped boost demand. But the nation does not have a history of dairy farming and turns to imports, especially from Europe. One third of all milk produced worldwide now goes to China, reports Kate Connolly for the...

Kenyan Farmers’ Fate Caught Up in US Aid Rules

Celia W. Dugger August 2, 2007
US legislators debate a massive farm bill – estimated at more than $260 billion – which will fund loans, subsidies, conservation and many other agriculture activities over the next five years. The Bush administration has proposed allowing the purchase of up to $300 million worth of food in poor countries to quicken response times during times of emergency. The US often provides food aid to Africa...

Breastfeeding: A Philippine Battleground

Carlos H. Conde July 18, 2007
Research demonstrates that breastfeeding provides many health benefits for infants. As a result, mothers in developed nations have substantially increased breastfeeding rates since 1990. In search of new customers, pharmaceutical firms that make infant formula target mothers in developing nations, including those in the Philippines. One ad campaign hints that formula’s nutrients can increase...

Worlds Collide in India Over Global Warming

Jo Johnson June 8, 2007
Leaders of industrial nations meeting at the G8 summit have announced plans to open negotiations for global action to slow climate change and involve emerging economies India and China. China and India, with the world’s largest populations, contribute increasing proportions of carbon emissions, which spur global warming. The world has many inequities, both among nations and within, reminds Jo...

Is Water the Next Oil?

Rohini Nilekani May 31, 2007
Water is more vital for human life than oil – and environmentalists, corporations, communities and governments increasingly recognize its unequal distribution around the globe could lead to severe environmental degradation and intense conflicts in the years ahead. Anyone who cares about water should observe the management of oil during the past century and not repeat the mistakes, argues Rohini...