The Unhappiness Epidemic: Fun vs Contentment
Most people will tell you that the world is an unhappy place… a place of sadness, dissatisfaction and even, misery. And certainly, if we consider events in Syria, Nigeria and so many other troubled areas, maybe it is. We’ve written about the Happiness Index previously. Not surprisingly, peaceful countries rank highly while war torn nations sink to […]
Why Laissez-Faire Economics Always Fails
Eric Liu and Nick Hanauer Markets are a type of ecosystem that is complex, adaptive, and subject to the same evolutionary forces as nature. The GFC and it’s aftermath saw giant financial institutions toppled and, in some cases, obliterated. The net worth of most Americans, Irish, Spaniards, Italians and English collapsed. Most of the world’s […]
10 Reasons for Eating More Honey!
Honey is probably the original sweetener. We know that it has been valued throughout recorded history. The ancient Egyptians venerated it as did the Greeks. And since primates will happily put up with a few stings to enjoy a treat of honey, it’s probable that early man did too! But is there more to honey […]
Can Tourism Save These Five Animals From Extinction?
Earth’s history is broken into geologic epochs. These are time periods defined by distinct changes in rock strata. As you can see from the following infographic, some epochs have lasted hundreds of millions of years, others for mere tens of millions. But it seems that as the earth ages, the timescale is shortening… down to […]
The Dunny-ization of Residences
Dunny – noun, plural dunnies. Australian and NZ Slang.an outside toilet; outhouse.From British dialect dunnekin meaning an ‘earth closet, (outside) privy’ from dung + ken ‘house’. First used Around 1780 – 1790 Opinion by architect and guest blogger, Russell Hall. Who remembers the thunder box at the rear of the back yard — quite an amble […]
Human Beings Are Great Runners Because We’re Stupendous Sweaters!
We’ve understood for a long time that being bi-pedal gave our forebears a significant survival advantage. Being able to see prey and predators long before they see you certainly helps determine who or what ends up on the dinner plate. But now we’ve found that our best survival trait in those early times may have […]
Our Genetic Cousins Are on Life Support
What a sad legacy we are leaving! The Eastern Gorilla, the largest remaining primate, is now critically endangered with a 70% decline in numbers over the past 20 years. There are now less than 5,000 left. They join the western gorilla, Bornean orangutan and Sumatran orangutan who had already been declared as critically endangered. Four […]
There’s a Good Side to El Niño!
There can be no question that the current El Niño – the worst on record – is having a devastating impact. Large parts of Asia, the Americas and Australia are experiencing extreme drought. So how, I hear you ask, can there be a good side to El Niño? The answer is sugar and palm oil! Less of […]
Have We Overshot Earth’s Carrying Capacity?
Human population growth has followed the trajectory of a typical invasive species, says a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature, and that suggests there may be a looming global population “crash.” Is Earth’s Carrying Capacity a Thing of the Past? “The question is: Have we overshot Earth’s carrying capacity today?” said Elizabeth Hadly, a professor […]
The Epidemic Accelerates!
Look down. What do you see? Statistically, at least one out of every nine of you are going to be looking at clear evidence of obesity. Ladies, for you, it’s one out of every seven! No, I’m not talking about ‘a couple of extra pounds’, I’m talking about obesity! It gets worse… 1 in 40 of […]