The Earth’s environment is the source of economic, social, cultural activities, with nature shaping human life over the centuries. The rapid growth in the world population, from 1 billion in 1830 to 7 billion today, add pressures for air quality, oceans, land use and resources as basic as water. Awareness is building about over-reliance on fossil fuels, how carbon and other emissions contribute to global warming and volatile weather. Every industry requires energy, and cross-border industrialization, transportation and other economic activities contribute to environmental degradation. Yet globalization also spurs awareness and activism over the need for global cooperation and standards to promote sustainability and environmental protection.

Climate Change Brings Moral Change

Stemming climate change for our common home is a moral responsibility, suggests Pope Francis in encyclical on need for sustainability
Mary Evelyn Tucker
July 14, 2015

Nepal Earthquake: Prelude to Bigger Disaster?

Poverty, weak governance, unchecked urbanization increase Himalaya region’s vulnerability to earthquakes and other natural disasters
Alark Saxena
June 2, 2015

High Costs of Cheap Oil

Low energy prices lock the world into fossil-fuel consumption and infrastructure – new taxes could encourage alternative
Deepak Gopinath
May 7, 2015

Wrong-Way Bets on Oil

Removing consumer fuel subsidies amid collapsing oil prices could prove wrong-way bet for many nations
Will Hickey
January 13, 2015

Sovereign Debts in a Fossil-Fueled World

Governments refuse to tally true costs of fossil fuels and fail to escape industry dependence
Will Hickey
April 8, 2014

World Population Trends Signal Dangers Ahead

Governments must prepare for diverse rates of fertility, urbanization and aging population – all happening simultaneously
Barry Mirkin
April 3, 2014

Vanishing Birds: LA Times

Joan Easton Lentz
December 25, 2019

A No-Commute Culture: Irish Times

Chris Horn
December 27, 2019

Megafire, Exhaustion in Australia: Sydney Morning Herald

Peter Hannam, Michaela Whitbourn and Rachel Clun
December 7, 2019