All Entries Tagged With: "Development"
Happy Earth Day Humans
by Einar Du Rietz Only weeks after the peculiar, entirely symbolical and possibly dangerous Earth Hour gimmick, it’s now the 42′nd Earth Day. Hard to be against the Earth, but I’ve never understood the tendency to use these events to suggest an ongoing conflict between the earth and humanity. CFACT International President David Rothbard comments: “Celebrate them [...]
They Don’t Want To Hurt You – They Just Want Your Money
by Einar Du Rietz The heroic boy scouts collected money, went to a village in deepest Africa and helped develop a well. A few month later, excessive use had dried it up and the final result was an extension of the desert. Examples of unintended consequences (and sometimes plain stupidity) in development aid are numerous, some [...]
More Hot Innovations
by Einar Du Rietz Few things make me as happy as innovative solutions to environmental, and thus human, problems. The most recent innovation that caught my eye was the prototype for Ezystove, an an ultra simple stove, now being tried in Namibia. Production will probably take place in Namibia and Kenya, and the idea is [...]
Innovation Saves The World It Makes Go Round
by Einar Du Rietz I love a sunny story and the most recent one I stumbled upon, cherished in the environmental movement, is a recent innovation – still under development – of a new method to turn toxic textile.factory effluent into clean water. Go for it, Maria Jonstrup! One of the most disturbing ingredients of [...]
Lighten Up – Again
by Einar Du Rietz The tradition of lighting a candle, or a fire, to guide travellers and visitors is probably as old as the tamed fire. With the invention of electricity and the light bulb, it also became more convenient and safer. Since some years back, another – imposed – tradition is the so called Earth Hour [...]
High Energy
by Einar Du Rietz Yesterday, I witnessed a courageous team save lives by clearing the roof tops from snow and ice. There has already been casualties this year, caused by falling ice, so I regard these fellows as the heroes of the season. It took – skilled and expensive – manpower, but heavy equipment, including a lift [...]
Making good science decisions
We live in a world where the leaders of African nations prefer to let their citizens starve to death rather than import genetically-modified food grains DENNIS AVERY I can’t help but praise Michael Specter’s new book: Denialism: How Irrational Thinking Hinders Scientific Progress, Harms the Planet, and Threatens Our Lives. Specter warns that we live [...]
Global Warming Out Debated
Oxford Union Chooses Economic Growth Over Climate Change Debate Win for CFACT Advisor Lord Christopher Monckton Last week the Oxford Union, one of the world’s premier debate societies, chose economic growth over climate change by a vote of 133-110. The vote by students at an elite U.K. university illustrates the continued shift of public support [...]
And Now For the Good News
by Einar Du Rietz How splendid in this often pessimist debate, to get the chance to present some good news! According to the global health statistics from WHO, things are going in the right direction, in some cases remarkably well. Since 1990, infant mortality has decreased by 30 percent. Malnutrition is going down, access to drinking [...]
Live and Let Survive
by Einar Du Rietz As tragic as it is, I can’t help being hopeful about the rebuilding after the catastrophe on Haiti. Emergency aid, especially coordination, is difficult to say the least. Sometimes it seems as coordination is what is not needed, but rather individual initiatives. Naturally, people tend to get in each-others way, but [...]
Monsanto, mon amour
In truth, there is no such thing as absolute safety; but this fundamental human need may explain the excessive search for certainty in particular as the world seems awash with a constant flow of disconcerting events. It seems obvious then to assume that risk is the opposite of safety. But it isn’t: as inaction also [...]
CFACT's Field Trip to Mexico
CFACT recently completed a development project in Valle Verde, Mexico. CFACT partnered with a coalition of relief organizations to provide local residents with solar panels, recycled laptops, and basic computer training.
Still Feeding the World
The great Norman Borlaug Died September 12, 2009 By PAUL DRIESSEN (Washington) Norman Borlaug just turned 94 – and is still going strong During the “Eat This” segment of their docu-comedy series BS, Penn Jillette beat Teller in a round of their “Greatest Person in History” card game. Penn needed just one card: Norman Borlaug. [...]
Newspapers Review "Eco-Imperialism"
HOLGER J. THUSS (JENA) With 150.000 copies and about twice as many readers every day, the Swiss newspaper Neue Zuercher Zeitung is not only the largest Swiss newspaper, but also the most respected daily paper among the German-speaking Europeans. Under the headline “Eco-imperialism at the expense of the poor,” it also was the first major [...]
Commentary: Sick and Deadly Disease Control Programs
Too many of them perpetuate disease and cost lives PAUL DRIESSEN (Washington) If an accident kills wildlife or people, punishment is meted out and restitution made. A host of regulators, lawyers, judges, activists, journalists and politicians help bring the wrongdoers to justice. But when it comes to policies and programs that sicken and kill millions [...]
