This week is World Space Week, which, among other things, commemorates the successful launch of Sputnik-I, the Soviet satellite that marked the dawn of the space age. In the immediate aftermath of the launch, the reaction from the United States was swift and far-reaching. The Association of American Universities
Last week the team at the University of Salamanca in Spain launched their project Ciudadania 2.0. The focus of the project is to engage citizens in Latin America and those outside of the region interested and invested in its future by giving average citizens and those related to the region …
According to an article by NASA scientists published in the journal Nature the ozone layer over the Arctic reached unprecedentedly low levels during the winter of 2010-2011 and for the first time a significant ozone hole was recorded. Ozone is a molecule consisting of three oxygen atoms …
The battle between environmental conservation and business development continues in Alaska where voters sent in ballots on Tuesday October 4th to decide whether to prevent a mine from being built near the headwaters of Bristol Bay – one of the world’s premier salmon fisheries, according to the Associated …
For the second year in a row, the Obama Administration is skirting a new law that prohibits U.S. security aid to countries that use child soldiers. Signed into law only three years ago by President Bush, the Child Soldier …
Last year in the lead up to Halloween I published the piece, Is Halloween Getting too Sexy for Kids?
Four years ago on Halloween I brought you the article, Too Sexy For Your Kids? | Children, where I discussed how our children are over-sexualized. The issue …
As you may have heard, Steve Jobs lost his battle with cancer today. Much will be written about the life and legacy of this amazing man over the next few days and I expect his death will echo and reverberate in our media and social networks …
Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani was arrested in 2009 and sentenced to death for apostasy in Iran – various Human Rights groups are now pleading for his release. Although the ruling itself is said to be questionable in light of the Iranian civil code, the ruling was passed under …
When Nazi troops occupied Prague in March 1939, they destroyed the city’s tribute to former United States President Woodrow Wilson. Erected in 1928, the statue commemorated U.S. support and President Wilson’s leadership in shaping the first free Czechoslovakia. After WWII, a plaque served as a placeholder in the statue’s former …
An article in yesterday’s New York Times caught my attention. It concerns the U.S. budget for foreign aid programs and long-time readers will know this is a subject we discuss here from time to time. Most recently I mentioned it in a
Back when the U.S.-India nuke deal was being sussed out, a lot was made of the impact the deal would have on India’s sparse stock of uranium. Specifically, that the U.S.-India 123 agreement would help India – in “Hill Approps-speak” – plus-up their reserve by enabling them to 1) …
On September 30th, Mr. Rasmussen, NATO Secretary General, gave a talk underlining the themes that will be addressed in the Chicago Summit in May 2012. Mr. Rasmussen is facing a considerable challenge on top of the Afghan mission, namely the financial crisis. The crisis …
The European model of social welfare has long been accused of being unsustainable. The related but often ignored phenomena of low birth rates and aging populations have led analysts to wonder how an ever smaller proportion of workers could continue to pay for an increasing population …
Last month, UNICEF announced that the child mortality rate has dropped substantially. The new estimates are published in the 2011 report Levels & Trends in Child Mortality, issued by the UN Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (IGME), which is led by UNICEF and the WHO with participation …
October is TransFair USA’s Fair Trade Month, and the 2011 theme is “Every Purchase Matters.” The goal behind this year’s theme is to illustrate how individuals can get involved with fair trade and what impact that can have on farmers and laborers across the globe. The month of October is …
