Mar 28
In my last post I introduced the concept of the materials economy. We took a look at the ridiculous rate at which the American consumer is driving the destruction and exploitation of our planet’s natural resources and native cultures. These themes will perfectly translate into this post’s discussion of the second step in the materials …
Mar 27
It’s been about a year and a half since I bought a new pair of running shoes, three times the “recommended” usage time frame. Now there is only slight wear and tear, but what makes me, as a consumer, feel that I am doing something wrong by not buying the latest style or most updated …
Mar 22
Have you ever imagined being the President of the United States? I haven’t really, it stresses me out just thinking about the competing responsibilities. Maybe you’ve been a die-hard environmentalist, or a strong businesswoman, or an unfailing pacifist up until your inauguration, but no matter how true you are to your convictions there will be …
Mar 22
Over the summer I wrote a blog post about the Cambodian Securities Exchange (CSX), which is the world’s smallest stock market—a stock market without stocks. I explained that opening a stock market without any companies listed for trade was not as crazy as it sounded; opening a market marks a new phase of economic development …
Mar 21
Read this post in English Hace dos años viajé a Perú por un trabajo voluntario a través de la organización ProWorld en New York University. El trabajo que nosotros hicimos allí fue construir estufas de barro con chimeneas que salían afuera de las viviendas para mejorar las condiciones respiratorias de las familias. Sin embargo, lo …
Mar 16
Two years ago I traveled to Peru for some volunteer work through the ProWorld organization at NYU. The work that all of the students did there were mostly built clay stoves with chimneys leading outside the house for better breathing conditions. But during this trip, what struck me the most besides the poor breathing conditions …
Mar 16
En las últimas dos semanas las Naciones Unidas celebró la Comisión sobre la Condición de la Mujer (CSW por sus siglas en inglés). La CSW es un cuerpo de gobierno dedicado exclusivamente a los derechos de la mujer y la igualdad de género. Esta comisión se reúne anualmente durante 10 días hábiles. El principal resultado …
Mar 15
I had every intention of writing a follow-up piece to my much-discussed post on sustainable tourism in the Sinai Peninsula today, but while I was looking for news sources I came across something that I found very interesting: Holy Land tourism. So responsible tourism in Egypt will just have to wait for a another day, I …
Mar 09
For the last two weeks the United Nations held the 56th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). The CSW is the principal global policy-making body dedicated exclusively to women’s rights and gender equality. This commission meets annually for 10 working days. The principal outcomes of the commission are the agreed conclusion between member (45 …
Mar 02
The Rio+20 Summit has been generating lots of buzz lately, although the international meeting is not until this summer. Fellow bloggers Julia and Katherine have discussed, at different lengths, the history and preparation of this year’s summit. There are seven key categories up for discussion during the three-day event: Jobs, energy, cities, food, water, oceans, …
