Future Pandemics: How IMF and WTO Leadership Can Make the Difference
2021 begins with new international leadership in positions to make huge differences in the way the world deals with preventing, preparing, or responding to the next pandemic infectious disease outbreak. Two former World Bank Vice Presidents, neither medical doctors and
5 Things the Biden-Harris Administration Could Do to Use the Strength of Cities to Help Meet the Paris Agreement
When his inauguration as the forty-sixth President of the United States is complete, Joe Biden will reenter the U.S. into the Paris Climate Agreement. This action will create positive momentum around the world and align the world’s biggest economies and
Just 7 Commodities Replaced an Area of Forest Twice the Size of Germany Between 2001 and 2015
New analysis shows that just seven agricultural commodities — cattle, oil palm, soy, cocoa, rubber, coffee and plantation wood fiber — accounted for 26% of global tree cover loss from 2001 to 2015. These agricultural commodities replaced 71.9 million hectares
Battle of the Brands: Two Juggernauts of Luxury, BMW vs. Mercedes – How Sustainable?
Headlines trumpet the news when BMW beats Mercedes and vice-versa in the race for the world’s top luxury car - the two German carmakers tend to be first, ahead of their conational Audi. In 2020, the crown went to Mercedes
How Impact Investing Can Boost Rural Economies During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic
About two-thirds of the 600 million people living in extreme poverty around the world live in rural areas, and the COVID-19 crisis is exacerbating every challenge they face. Rural communities often lack access to proper infrastructure, health care, markets, education
Granular Politics: The Nitty-Gritty of Participatory Democracy
With the 2020 presidential election, we, the people, succeeded in enacting our political will. This article is about the nitty-gritty of participatory democracy, how we, ordinary citizens, kept our feet on the ground and our eyes on the prize in
Should Governments Subsidize Hydrogen?
As countries chart paths to net-zero economies by 2050, hydrogen has enjoyed a new wave of attention. Proponents believe that it could play a key role in decarbonizing industries such as steel, cement, heavy-duty vehicles, and shipping that cannot feasibly
Women at the Center of Agriculture and Climate Change in Central America
Agriculture makes up 25% of global female employment and even more in low and middle income countries. In Central America, empowering this workforce is furthering sustainability within agriculture and aiding climate change adaptation. As women make up the majority of the
Trump’s Family Separation Policy is a Crime Against Humanity
Most Americans are familiar with the past Administration’s Family Separation Policy. What gets lost in the flurry of Trump Administration misbehavior is the fact that child separation may be in a special category of its own. Not only is it likely
Post-COVID: Let’s Prevent the Nipah Virus Becoming Another Infectious Disease Nightmare
Our attention has been fixed on the COVID-19 pandemic as it ravishes our health and economies and destroys the fabric of societies. That our focus has been singular on COVID-19 has been right and proper, but we should not lose
From Flood Victims to Frontline Responders
From flood victims to frontline responders: One women-owned cooperative steps up in rural China When the COVID-19 pandemic first struck China, Qiaotou village was already struggling. Set in the Liupan mountain area of Qinghai province, the village had more than 25
What’s Next for State Climate Action in the US? 7 Areas to Watch
The Biden administration has committed to a historically ambitious climate agenda. We can expect a profound shift in U.S. federal climate policy — from one of continued domestic rollbacks and international disengagement, to one of forward progress and cooperation. This is