Web 2.0: Ignore it at your peril via PSD Blog - The World Bank Group
Towards a new economic narrative via ask direct
Obama and House Committee Shake-Up Signal Sea Change in U.S. Climate Policy via Global Development: Views from the Center
This is a joint posting with Joel Meister
Recent announcements of climate-related transition teams and agency director appointments have provided a wealth of information about the prospects for action on climate change by the Obama White House. Bolstered by changes in the leadership of a crucial House committee, the energy and climate change agenda is likely to be a top legislative priority for the new administration. These changes also suggest that climate policies will affect the strategy for economic recovery, as well as a reorientation of US foreign assistance toward climate-sensitive policies that will yield significant benefits for poor people in developing countries.
The news began last Tuesday with Barack Obama himself, who delivered a video message [Flash... Sustainable development, bio-diversity and environmental awareness in Zambia via Thembinkosi Foundation
As stewards of God's Creation humankind needs to analyse and act upon environmental issues. The generations of the future have to be environmentally aware if we are to survive. It is vital that concepts such as sustainable development, bio-diversity and how to achieve environmental awareness whilst retaining a sense of environmental integrity are grasped. The Zambezi International Catholic School will be a truly unique, catholic co-educational institution, based on the banks of the Zambezi River in the heart of the most important safari area in the whole of Southern Africa.ZICS will see the birth of a revolutionary educational ethos; through the medium of the natural environment, pupils can be exposed to issues of multiculturalism and the challenges of the environment itself, where they...
What’s a second in development? via PSD Blog - The World Bank Group
How many mobile phones are sold in a second around the world - and how many trees are cut in the same fraction of time? What if you could dynamically visualise these statistics rather than just reading about them - would they have a greater impact?
"So_many_a_second" is a visualisation tool that displays world statistics "on a human scale" by getting users in touch "with the emotional actuality of ... objective data" (hat tip: Flowing data). The visualisation for plastic cups usage by airlines should be enough to convert even the most skeptical environmentalist. Interestingly, the website allows users to create their own data flows: it's easy to envisage plenty of applications for education and advocacy purposes.And while we are on the topic,... Slouching Towards Copenhagen? via Global Development: Views from the Center
Behind-the-Scenes Debate On Clean Tech Fund Reveals Deep Divisions, Shifting Attitudes via Global Development: Views from the Center
Three birds with one stone (Blog Action Day 2008) via CIPE Development Blog
Somewhere between anarchy and authoritarianism is that sweet spot of democracy, and just like baseball, a few inches off the mark and you’ve got nothing but a flyout or, worse, a strikeout. Indonesia’s government and economy benefits from the hitter-friendly environment of Asia, where it’s been easy to hit home runs even during the recent global financial meltdown, but not everyone is rounding the bases. Far too often, corrupt politicians and their private sector cronies have been swinging with their eyes closed.
Indonesia’s balanced economy (GDP: 13.8 percent agriculture, 49.7 percent industry, 39.4 percent services), provides plenty of opportunity per se for households at every income level (Labor force: 43.3 percent agriculture, 18 percent industry, 38.7 percent... Markets vs. climate change via PSD Blog - World Bank Group
Last year, HSBC launched its climate change index to much fanfare. ClimateBiz reports that companies producing goods and services geared towards dealing with climate change produced some $300 in annual revenues. (Hat tip: Giulio Quaggiotto). Kevin Bourne, a managing director at HSBC, argues that "[c]limate change is set to be one of the defining investment opportunities in the years ahead and this is often underestimated." The last year, however, hasn't been very kind to this index - as of yesterday, it was down about 43 percent.
... Hope for Africa’s Energy Future via Global Development: Views from the Center
Outreach at ZICS via Thembinkosi Foundation
ZICS will not be cocooned from the wider community. ZICS will be a focal point for the empowerment of local people.ZICS will provide considerable employment opportunities for local people and as the school develops will serve as a focal point for lifelong learning within it’s vicinity through outreach programmes and an extended school facility.ZICS will work within the community to develop:agricultural projects working alongside local farmers,improve literacy and numeracy levels of the adult population,develop an awareness of environmental and conservation issues,promote the Arts and Culture,develop an academy of sporting excellence.ZICS ultimately will become a beacon school that will reach out beyond it’s perimeters to promote solidarity and sustainable development within the wider...
ZICS Summer School via Thembinkosi Foundation
ZICS will operate a summer school during closure in both December and August. Students for the summer school are to be drawn from across Africa and from Europe and North America. The summer school programme will be based upon issues relating to sustainable development, the arts, sports, the environment and issues relating to HIV & Aids. Accreditation will be sought for the summer school programme.The Thembinkosi Foundation promotes the interests of those affected by HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa....
October Events via Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog
A number of conferences are taking place in October, including:
59th Session of the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's Programme, 6-10 October 2008, Geneva [access]
- Organized by the UNHCR Secretariat.
"Environment, Forced Migration and Social Vulnerability," International Conference, 9-11 October 2008, Bonn [access]
- Organized by EACH-FOR and United Nations University's...
RELEASE: Urgent Environmental Action Must Be Maintained in Bad Economic Times via Forest Protection Blog
PRESS/SOCIAL MEDIA RELEASE
Ecological Internet warns converging economic, climate, food and fuel crises are symptoms of massive global ecological bubble, and that without ecosystems there can be no economy
By Earth's Newsdesk, a project of Ecological Internet
(Earth) -- Current economic difficulties are largely caused by failing global ecosystems and resource scarcity, and are not an excuse to reduce environmental commitments, warns Ecological Internet. The bursting of the mortgage and financial bubbles, and food and energy price increases, are the logical and inevitable economic consequences of over-population, inequitable and unreasonable consumption, and unsustainable economic growth. Environmentalism is the solution to, not the cause of, economic hard times.
"The global... RELEASE: Urgent Environmental Action Must Be Maintained in Bad Economic Times via Earth Blog
PRESS/SOCIAL MEDIA RELEASE
Ecological Internet warns converging economic, climate, food and fuel crises are symptoms of massive global ecological bubble, and that without ecosystems there can be no economy
By Earth's Newsdesk, a project of Ecological Internet
(Earth) -- Current economic difficulties are largely caused by failing global ecosystems and resource scarcity, and are not an excuse to reduce environmental commitments, warns Ecological Internet. The bursting of the mortgage and financial bubbles, and food and energy price increases, are the logical and inevitable economic consequences of over-population, inequitable and unreasonable consumption, and unsustainable economic growth. Environmentalism is the solution to, not the cause of, economic hard times.
"The global growth... Department of creative solutions via PSD Blog - World Bank Group
The cost of carbon dioxide reduction via PSD Blog - World Bank Group
The price of organic food via PSD Blog - World Bank Group
The Guardian reports that organic food sales in the UK have started to tumble (Hat tip: African Agriculture). Sales have fallen nearly 20 percent in the last four-week period. Fortunately for developing countries, it looks like UK consumers were never very interested in buying organic produce from the developing world. Meanwhile, Juliette Jowit asks whether organic food was just a fad?
... Fighting climate change through trade liberalization via PSD Blog - World Bank Group
Unpleasant realities via Our Word is Our Weapon
Ryan Avent is, as usual, spot on:
were climate change to involve a cost of 3% of GDP spread evenly (or even progressively!) across the world’s population, then perhaps we could live with that. Unfortunately, it will not be spread evenly. There is an excellent chance that those most responsible for climate change will suffer the least, in fact, while the brunt of the pain is felt by the poor. If we have a moral obligation not to invade Bangladesh, kill thousands of its citizens, and create millions of permanent refugees, then it’s safe to say we have a moral obligation to take reasonable and affordable steps to prevent a climate catastrophe in Bangladesh for which we bear heavy responsibility.
I honestly don’t understand why so many people who profess to give a damn...
China’s Environmental Due Coase via CIPE Development Blog
It is not uncommon for high school history classes to introduce China as the world’s longest standing state. Aside from a short stint under the Mongol empire (and maybe British opium merchants), it has carried different names but the political entity that we know as China has existed independently and continuously for over six thousand years. Such continuity is remarkable, given China’s officially recognized 56 ethnic groups and numerous dialects - which are incomprehensible to each other in spoken form.
What’s even more remarkable is that all those dialects share a single, common writing system, the Han Zi. All 5,000-plus characters.
This context presents an interesting test for the famed Coase theorem, which states that as long as property rights are assigned,...
Pollution in Beijing after the Olympics via PSD Blog - World Bank Group
Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright: The World Bank Undermines Own Conservation Efforts With Fossil Fuel Projects via Global Development: Views from the Center
Creating a carbon market at your supermarket via PSD Blog - World Bank Group
One of Friedrick Hayek's key insights concerned the pricing mechanism - to put it very simply, prices convey an extraordinary amount of data, and it is this aggregation of data that allows independent economic actors to coordinate their activity. This insight was central to Hayek's support of the free market over a planned economy.
However, as many have pointed out since, prices don't take into account externalities, perhaps the most notable being pollution. One solution to this is to tax products and services in proportion to the degree of negative externality involved. Prices ought to then represent the 'true cost' of the product. Tesco, Marks & Spencer, and other retailers in the UK have another idea: provide customers a carbon label. Last year, the Carbon Trust rolled out an... ‘Ownership’ of what you don’t own via Our Word is Our Weapon
From the BBC:
So there you are, the boxes are unpacked and you’re settling in nicely to your new house.
The sunlight dapples through the majestic plane trees, a bird cheeps from its perch on a Victorian lamppost, a bicycle jiggles over the picturesque cobbles.
It all seems worth the stress and the mortgage. But what’s this coming into view? A cavalcade of fluorescent-jacketed workmen is marching up the street.
A chainsaw is applied to a trunk, spades flick cobbles out of the ground, and there’s a mournful screech as your lamp-posts are uprooted. The council has come to nick your street furniture.
Of course, as far as the law is concerned, this isn’t “nicking” at all. Cobbles and lamp-posts do not belong to the street. They’re items the...
The many uses of Second Life via PSD Blog - World Bank Group
Gore Urges End to U.S. Fossil Fuel Power in Ten Years–Here’s How to Get America’s Working Families’ Support via Global Development: Views from the Center
In a landmark speech last week that deserved more attention than it received from the mainstream media, former U.S. vice president and Nobel Prize laureate Al Gore challenged the United States to produce 100% of its electricity from carbon-free renewable energy within 10 years. To help low-income and working families cope with the cost of the transition, Gore suggested cutting payroll taxes and making up the difference with CO2 taxes. Peter Orszag, director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), floated a similar idea earlier this month in a Washington Post op-ed. Citing recent CBO research, Orszag suggested that a direct payment system could offset increased energy costs and actually make lower-income households “financially better off because the rebate would be larger...