In The News

Stratfor: War on Drugs – A Conflict as Old as Humanity

Ian Morris August 17, 2018
Drug addiction as a security issue threatens workplaces, communities and individual health. Archeologists have found evidence of societies throughout history embracing and battling certain drugs, explains Ian Morris. Ancient Peruvians used cacti for mescaline and Ice Age cave painters may have used hallucinogens. “When Greek traders started showing up in the West Mediterranean, only one thing...

Wall Street Journal: Turkish Lira Crisis Hammers Emerging Markets

Georgi Kantchev and Yeliz Candemir August 14, 2018
Some emerging economies relied too much on low-cost borrowing available after major economies increased liquidity after the 2008 debt crisis. Value of the Turkish lira is falling, and the country struggles to boost liquidity by reducing its banks’ reserve requirements while resisting an increase in its own interest rates. “Turkey has become a primary cause for concerns on global financial markets...

Quartz: Indian Rupee Falling

Nupur Anand August 13, 2018
The US trade war, a US dollar rising in value and the end to low-cost borrowing are prompting emerging market currencies to plunge in value: “Already, higher crude oil prices, a widening trade deficit, and the exit of foreign investors from India have shaved off over 8% from the rupee’s value this year,” reports Nupur Anand for Quartz. “Turkey has been in a rough patch this year, with its...

3 Quarks Daily: Populism in Less Developed Countries

Pranab Bardhan August 13, 2018
Populism comes in many forms. For economists, populism represents the allure of short-term fixes that cause long-term damage; in political science, the term represents strong leaders wiling to dispense with the rule of law or minority rights. Populism of developing countries has its own traits, attracting educated, middle class and urban citizens as opposed to the uneducated, rural and working-...

Phys.org: Earth Risks Tipping Into “Hothouse” State

Kerry Sheridan August 8, 2018
Consequences of humans’ over-reliance on fossil fuels are rapidly unfolding, and failure to transition to a green economy could put Earth into a permanent “hothouse state” with many uninhabitable areas, warns a study published by the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers reviewed the fossil record for previous conditions and cascading effects and urge immediate lifestyle change. “Fossil...

BBC News: Global Boom in Hydropower Dams

August 6, 2018
Businesses depend on energy, but energy-related construction can disrupt businesses and communities, too. More than 3,500 hydropower dams – the world’s largest source of renewable energy – are being planned and constructed throughout the developing world. “Critics point to the inherent dangers of building too many dams, too fast and without sufficient consideration for the consequences,” reports...

ENS: Indigenous Peoples Own/Manage ¼ of Earth’s Land

Environment News Service August 3, 2018
Indigenous people own or have management rights over at least 25 percent of Earth’s land, which in turn overlaps with 40 percent of all protected lands, according to Stephen Garnett of Charles Darwin University who leads an international mapping research team. The team emphasizes that understanding land ownership is essential for developing and monitoring international conservation and climate...