An urgent call for international and intergenerational justice at the UN climate talks, while Arab Youth Climate Movement forges change “In the session for the Green Climate Fund a woman from South Africa stood up to ask a question. She said, “My ancestral lands are going to go through a 4-5 degree increase even if … Read more
When the Euro was introduced, many analysts predicted that centralizing monetary policy over such an economically diverse area would make the common currency unsustainable and prone to financial collapse. Why they were right, why they’re being ignored, and what must be done about it. In 1999, when the Euro was introduced into circulation, economists were … Read more
Should Fukushima spell the end of the “nuclear renaissance”? I think not. As the world continues to watch the Fukushima crisis unfold, some are already heralding the end of the industry. Benjamin Sovacool, a professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, warns that the tragedy should finally provide enough justification to “stop the … Read more
The New York Times recently published a story documenting the increasing anti-immigrant sentiment brewing in Sweden. Symptomatic of this trend was Sweden’s far-right party winning seats in Parliament last fall – an unprecedented outcome in a country hitherto renowned for its tolerance. The fiscal strain immigrants generally place on welfare systems is well known; however, what … Read more
During the recent protests in Egypt, the Chinese government was understandably nervous. Wary of inspiring similar outbreaks in Chinese cities, its state-run media opted to keep coverage of events in Cairo to a minimum. Moreover, the search term “Egypt” was blocked on major social media websites. Though massive protests erupting in China seem unlikely, the Chinese … Read more
The case for rethinking the minimum wage. Last month, Hong Kong finally did it. A long-running symbol of laissez-faire, the Asian tiger will implement its first minimum wage on May 1st this year. A cursory glance at various countries’ wage policies reveals that Hong Kong is a relative latecomer to the minimum wage scene. To date, … Read more
This month, the Fed began their second round of quantitative easing, a $600 billion that seeks to pump liquidity into the economy. While the policy has its critics, its defenders drew justification from a compelling source – the story of Japan’s ruined economy – where fiscal inaction had plunged the country deeper into a deflationary … Read more
In 2003, Columbia University, a private university in New York City, announced plans to build a new 17-acre campus in Manhattanville, West Harlem. This, it explained, was necessary to maintain its role as a leading educational and research hub. Moreover, the university emphasized the economic benefits that expansion would bring to the community. But, this … Read more
Just two weeks ago, British Prime Minister David Cameron expressed regret for breaking election pledges on child benefits and university fees. The Conservative-Liberal Democrats coalition had recently announced the end to universality of child benefit welfare programmes, meaning that higher- and even middle-income families will soon be excluded from these benefits. The surprising thing is not … Read more
The Gandhis, the Kennedys and the Bushes: these are but the most famous political dynasties in the world. The seeming persistence of political families holding the reins of power in a democratic country has always raised concerns about the imperfections in popular representation. If Hillary Clinton had won the US presidential elections in 2008, someone … Read more