Global megatrends and planetary boundaries
This raises questions about the limits of tolerable environmental pressure on the Earth's life support systems, sometimes referred to as planetary boundaries. Recognising that the total global environmental burden is indeed rapidly moving beyond globally sustainable limits, it is important to better understand how Europe's future ecological and societal resilience might by affected by current and future global trends, and conversely, how European systems of production and consumption are contributing to environmental pressures in other parts of the world. Introduction Many global trends have significant consequences for Europe.
2019 Dental 3D Printing Guide: All You Need to Know
The most common applications of 3D printing in dentistry are transparent aligners and night guards. Aligners, which serve as alternatives to braces, have become especially popular because of their invisibility. The process starts with the patient’s teeth being scanned by a dentist or orthodontist, who then uses software to generate a 3D model of their teeth.
This Has Been the Best Year Ever
Yes, it’s still appalling that a child dies somewhere in the world every six seconds — but consider that just a couple of decades ago, a child died every three seconds. Recognizing that progress is possible can be a spur to do more, and that’s why I write this annual reminder of gains against the common enemies of humanity. Climate change remains a huge threat to our globe, as does compassion fatigue in the rich world, and it’s likely that we will miss a United Nations target of eliminating extreme poverty by 2030. Meanwhile, here in the United States, Trump presents a continuing challenge to our institutions, and millions of families have been left behind and are struggling. We should keep pressing on all these fronts (the last one concerns me enough that it’s the topic of my new book), but we’ll get a morale boost if we acknowledge the backdrop of hard-won improvement. “Three things are true at the same time,” he added.
Capitalism’s Triple Crisis by Mariana Mazzucato
After the 2008 financial crisis, we learned the hard way what happens when governments flood the economy with unconditional liquidity, rather than laying the foundation for a sustainable and inclusive recovery. Now that an even more severe crisis is underway, we must not repeat the same mistake. LONDON – Capitalism is facing at least three major crises.
Tackling climate change in a solutions journalism course on Florida’s coast
There was nothing especially surprising about the red tide algae bloom that descended on the coast of southwest Florida in the fall of 2017, releasing toxins that left a trail of dead fish, manatees and dolphins along the shore. The presence and impact of red tide in the region has been documented for centuries. At first, it was important for news stories to document red tide’s return. But then, coverage simply continued reporting on the prolonged “red tide problem,” repeating the same stories over and over, until the stories themselves became a problem, according to Lyn Millner, journalism professor and founder of the journalism program at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers.
Future - Why we need to reinvent democracy for the long-term
“The origin of civil government,” wrote David Hume in 1739, is that “men are not able radically to cure, either in themselves or others, that narrowness of soul, which makes them prefer the present to the remote.” The Scottish philosopher was convinced that the institutions of government – such as political representatives and parliamentary debates – would serve to temper our impulsive and selfish desires, and foster society’s long-term interests and welfare. This article is part of a new BBC Future series about the long view of humanity, which aims to stand back from the daily news cycle and widen the lens of our current place in time.
A vision of 2040: everything we need for a sustainable world already exists
When my daughter was two years old, I found myself struggling to finish any article relating to the dire state of our environment. I would get halfway through the piece, then disengage and move on to something else. I assumed I wasn’t the only parent to feel this way. Curious to understand why I seemed incapable of persisting, I reached out to the environmental psychologist Renee Lertzman. She explained that when we receive information charged with fear, dread or anxiety, the limbic system in our brain can be activated, which can override the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain associated with creative thinking and problem solving.
Global Strategic Trends
Global Strategic Trends (GST) describes a strategic context for those in the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and wider government who are involved in developing long term plans, strategies, policies and capabilities. Without a strategic context there is a risk that planners, policymakers and capability developers may assume a future that adheres to preconceived thoughts and assumptions. Accessible Media Player by Nomensa The timeline slider below uses WAI ARIA. Please use the documentation for your screen reader to find out more. There is a transcript for this video.
The Secret Behind Ocasio-Cortez's 70 Percent Tax
This misses the point in a rather fundamental way. Few people actually vote based on policy. As I recently argued in American Affairs, even the better educated don’t primarily vote based on policy. In fact, higher levels of education can increase polarization. (In other contexts, such as the Middle East, the advent of universal education and higher college attendance fueled ideological divides.) As the political scientist Lilliana Mason notes, “Political knowledge tends to increase the effects of identity as more knowledgeable people have more informational ammunition to counter argue any stories they don’t like.”
Sikkim says it will become first state to roll out Universal Basic Income
Sikkim will be the first state to roll out Universal Basic Income (UBI) and has started the process to introduce the unconditional direct cash transfer scheme. Sikkim’s ruling party, the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF), has decided to include UBI in its manifesto ahead of the Assembly election in 2019 and aims to implement the scheme by 2022. The 2017 Economic Survey had flagged the UBI scheme as “a conceptually appealing idea” and a possible alternative to social welfare programmes targeted at reducing poverty. Speaking to The Indian Express, Prem Das Rai, SDF MP in the Lok Sabha, said: “Our party and Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, who is the longest serving Chief Minister, are committed to bringing in Universal Basic Income. This, we will do three years of coming back to power in the state.” “UBI is a scheme that a number of economists have talked about and it works well in developing countries.
Apple and China’s problems show that today’s titans may not rule the world tomorrow
Our mental geography is bounded by what has gone before. What has happened in the recently remembered past is most likely to continue. Inflection points, when trends decisively change, are more infrequent than the many instances when things go on as they have done. Two of today’s trends seem unstoppable. China’s astounding growth will continue, so the story runs, underwriting its arrival as the second economic superpower.
