Introduction This post is a “work in progress”. It is not a scholarly article, insofar as it does not quote other scholarly articles. Mostly it is a dump of thoughts I have on the subject of resilience. It is intended only to stimulate conversation on the subject. Questions to be addressed Resilience: what is it? […]
Category: Poverty
Why we shouldn’t trust markets with our civic life (by Michael Sandel)
“In the past three decades, says Michael Sandel, the US has drifted from a market economy to a market society; it’s fair to say that an American’s experience of shared civic life depends on how much money they have.” TED.com Another great TED Talk by Michael Sandel that highlights once again that thinking in the […]
Foldscope paper microscope can diagnose malaria, costs 50 cents – Technology & Science – CBC News
I am always amazed at how imaginative people can be. The TED.com blog is full of stories and videos of interesting people with amazing things to say; and so are universities. You will find a number of entries on my blog site that are based on something amazing that has been developed for the third […]
TED talk on affects of wealth on personality
TED talk on effects of wealth on personality This excellent TED talk describes how wealth can change the way we look at the world. The first few minutes are devoted to the type of tests that the researchers used to tease out the differences in perception between rich and poor but the real meat was […]
Some links to interesting environmental sites
One of my colleagues at work sent me this list of ten interesting environmentally-related web-pages. He recommended them to me and suggested I take a look at them. You may wish to take a look at them too. Thanks Phil!
http://www.marine-conservation.org/
Marine Conservation Institute is a leader in the global movement to protect and recover the integrity of vast ocean areas.
We use the latest science to identify important marine ecosystems around the world, and then advocate for their protection, for us and future generations.
For 50 years, WWF has been protecting the future of nature.
The world’s leading conservation organization, WWF works in 100 countries and is supported by 1.2 million members in the United States and close to 5 million globally. WWF’s unique way of working combines global reach with a foundation in science, involves action at every level from local to global, and ensures the delivery of innovative solutions that meet the needs of both people and nature Continue reading “Some links to interesting environmental sites”
Conservation International – A blog to make a difference
One of my colleagues showed me this site today and it looks really good. This is a link to their blog page. This group has some pretty high priced help on their roster. From Harrison Ford to Hillary Clinton, they seem to have the bases covered. One of the environmental movement needs more of is […]
Do Canadian companies represent you well abroad?
rabble.ca has published this very short, interesting article by the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union president, Dave Coles. In the article he tells of how Canadian companies extractive practices in Columbia trample on the rights of indigenous peoples and give Canada a bad name abroad. It is entitled “Not in our name…A Canadian energy giant […]
The real price of market values: Michael Sandel at TEDGlobal 2013
My Comments: This is another great TED talk about a subject of real importance…how market forces change our society and the cost of those changes. The comment about hollowing-out of discourse is most apt. Everything these days seems to be about the sound-bite, about quick fixes for complex social problems. We seem incapable of communicating […]
Uncovering corruption: Charmian Gooch at TEDGlobal 2013
My Comments: Once again, TED has published a very timely piece on an issue that is becoming huge in the west these days…corruption and its societal costs. Corruption has always been around, but until recently in the west, it was associated with shame and scandal. Now it seems to be so commonplace that we barely […]
Solar light bulbs for pennies (Isang Litrong Liwanag/a litre of light)
I just ran across a wonderful innovationthat seems to have been around for a few years but just now seems to be garnering widespread attention. The innovation seems to be the brainchild either the Massachusetts Institute of Technology or of Mr. Illac Diaz of the Philippines. It is as brilliant in its simplicity as it is as a light bulb. I am going to leave the description of the “bulbs” and how they are used to the foundation (and to two interesting YouTube videos (describing the why and how). One of the linked videos below describes this as an idea out of MIT and that makes sense because that institution seems to focus on a lot of simple projects to help the poor (see my earlier blog about solar powered water desalinators that were developed by MIT folks).
Continue reading “Solar light bulbs for pennies (Isang Litrong Liwanag/a litre of light)”
Undergrads bring energy education to Ghana
In another piece from MIT press, here is a story about how some MIT undergrads brought alternate energy education to schools in Ghana. Now if we could only get the education here in Canada… Undergrads bring energy education to Ghana.
OpenEI Blog: Solar-powered desalinisation
I just ran across this interesting post about a small (1000 gallon per day) and smaller (80 gallon per day) solar-powered desalinization unit that could be deployed quickly and cheaply in disaster zones where potable water is hard to come by and electrical power even harder to come by. You can read more about it here: […]
What are we doing to the planet? Watch the film “Home” to find out!
This is a bit of a departure from my past two posts, but I just saw this film and wanted to share the experience…
Ever wondered what makes the planet tick? Ever wonder whether humanity is really having an effect on the planet and how it works? Do you have children or grand children? Want to see some amazing photography and hear some thoughtful commentary on these subjects? Got a spare 90 minute?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, treat yourself to a breathtaking, if at times depressing experience and watch the film “Home (the movie)“. Continue reading “What are we doing to the planet? Watch the film “Home” to find out!”
Gourken's Brain Dump (more of a trickle actually) 