There was shock, horror and protest today as an investigation by the Press Association told us that the Government’s plans for the UK’s flood defences are skewed towards wealthy families and regions. The loudest criticism came from the Green MP Caroline Lucas, who announced: “It’s simply wrong for richer areas to get more protection than […]
In 2006, exploration in Brazil’s Campos Basin discovered pre-salt, an ultra-deep geological layer known to harbour high-grade oil. The announcement was greeted with euphoria. Politicians said the discovery would launch a new era for the country. The former president, Lula da Silva, described the pre-salt layer as a “winning ticket” for Brazilians. Now, ten years later, […]
Infrastructure spending is sexy again. Theresa May’s Government is expected to make the most of cheap borrowing rates and announce a roll out of infrastructure investment in the Autumn Statement. At the Conservative Party Conference last week, the Chancellor Philip Hammond spoke of “targeted, high-value investment in our economic infrastructure”, and Greg Clark, Secretary of State for BEIS, admitted that the nation […]
Theresa May appears to have given the green light to a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point. The problem is that all the evidence suggests that this project will be terrible value for money for consumers. First, there is the cost of constructing Hinkley – which is, in a word, enormous. The power station […]
Watching the news, it can be easy to feel pessimistic about the state of the environment. Many a leader has warned of environmental catastrophes to come. Pope Francis, for example, has recently said that humanity is turning the planet into a “wasteland full of debris, desolation and filth.” But there are also many who hold […]
If you are a sci-fi fan, then you have probably noticed the dystopian character of movies about the future. From the classics, such as Soylent Green and Blade Runner, to modern hits, such as the Matrix trilogy and District 9, Hollywood’s take on the future is almost invariably negative. The story lines tend to centre […]
The next president will inherit one of the weakest economies in modern times. Although, the economy has been growing since 2009, the rate of growth has only averaged 2.1% according to the Bureau of Economic Affairs, while in the prior decades it averaged over 3% annually. Slow growth, this year only averaging 1%, acts as […]
Jarod Gilbert is a sociology lecturer at the University of Canterbury here in New Zealand. According to the byline of an article he published in a national newspaper last week, he “specialises in research with practical applications”. His latest practical suggestion can be found in the title of his article: “Why climate denial should be […]
The American armed forces are some of the most advanced in the world. Not only is it the best funded (US spending is more than the next 10 highest countries combined) it attracts some of the brightest and best minds. Calculated, globally-aware, forward planning is part of the day job for top defence strategists. That’s […]
Throughout this epic presidential campaign, we’ve been hearing candidates on both sides bid for our votes by making grand promises to the public—from bringing manufacturing back to U.S. soil to free college tuition. But efforts to appeal to the Americans are, sadly, only a side show. The political system is better understood as the trade […]
As the oil price hovers around $50 a barrel, over the past year profits at the world’s biggest energy companies have taken a hammering. Some of them are turning to alternative sources in a bid to seek more sustainable profits over the long term. The latest round of shareholder AGMs last week revealed some shifts […]
The battle of genetically modified foods is being waged in a mire of confusion and bad science. Scare stories over “frankenfoods” and “mutant crops” have insidiously manipulated the framing of the debate into a crisis over the definition of “natural”, away from the far more pertinent question of how to combat malnutrition and promote food […]
In the early 1950s, Senator Joseph McCarthy gained notoriety by exploiting public fears of communism. He conducted a witch hunt to root out alleged communists who supposedly had infiltrated the federal government, especially the State Department. He even went so far as to call Secretaries of State Dean Atchison and General George C. Marshall soft […]
Last month on Earth Day representatives of 170 countries rolled into New York to sign the landmark Paris Agreement on Climate Change. All in all 60 heads of State were there, from François Hollande (the first to sign) to Robert Mugabe. Undersecretary for Climate Change Lord Bourne signed for the UK, US Secretary of State […]
Do you support the green movement? In Sweden this question has gained something of a double meaning, as prominent members of the Green party have been associated with various Islamist movements. The result is a massive scandal which so far has led to the resignation of the Minister for Housing and Urban Development, and put the […]
Growing up in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, childhood did not lack its share of excitement. Sure, we did not have cartoons, toy guns or dolls, but we did get to march through local forests a few times a year wearing a gas mask and learning how to survive a sneak attack from the evil capitalists […]
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