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What to Do About Climate Change

Sat, 2011-12-17 01:22 — Kathy Gilbeaux

Ruth Greenspan Bell

Published by the Council on Foreign Relations

Foreign Affairs - May / June 2006

THE HEAT IS ON

In the years ahead, climate change will have a significant impact on every aspect of the daily lives of all human beings -- possibly greater even than war. Shifting precipitation patterns and ocean currents could change where and how food crops grow. If icecaps melt and low-lying areas are flooded, as is predicted, entire populations could be forced to move to higher ground. The tsunami of 2004 and Hurricane Katrina, in 2005, provided vivid examples of what large-scale climactic catastrophes entail.

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How Much Did the Climate Talks in Durban Accomplish?

Sat, 2011-12-17 01:05 — Kathy Gilbeaux

Ruth Greenspan Bell and Barry Blechman

Published by the Council on Foreign Relations

Foreign Affairs - December 13, 2011

Why more of the same could be dooming the planet.

The outcome of the recent Durban climate conference represents a victory, of sorts, for a particular vision of how the community of nations might eventually gain control over greenhouse gases. But that vision is flawed, perpetuating an approach that, after more than 20 years of negotiations, has not reversed warming trends. Of particular concern is the continued insistence on a comprehensive deal negotiated by all nations through a UN process. The degree to which the meme of a "legally-binding" agreement has dominated thinking is likewise troubling.

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Mapping Digital Media

Tue, 2011-12-13 10:07 — Kathy Gilbeaux

soros.org - Open Society Foundations

The values that underpin good journalism, the need of citizens for reliable and abundant information, and the importance of such information for a healthy society and robust democracy: these are perennial, and provide compass-bearings for anyone trying to make sense of current changes across the media landscape.

The Mapping Digital Media project, which examines these changes in-depth, aims to build bridges between researchers and policymakers, activists, academics, and standard-setters across the world. It also builds policy capacity in countries where this is less developed, encouraging stakeholders to participate and influence change. At the same time, this research creates a knowledge base, laying foundations for advocacy work, building capacity, and enhancing debate.

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Stanford Social Innovation Review - Collective Impact

Mon, 2011-12-12 23:08 — Kathy Gilbeaux

imagesubmitted by Theresa Bernardo

Illustration by Martin Jarrie

by John Kania & Mark Kramer - Winter 2011

Large-scale social change requires broad cross-sector coordination, yet the social sector remains focused on the isolated intervention of individual organizations. 

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Mystery Kidney Disease in Central America

Mon, 2011-12-12 20:56 — Kathy Gilbeaux

by Kate Sheehy - PRI's The World - BBC News - December 12, 2011

      

A mysterious epidemic is sweeping Central America - it's the second biggest cause of death among men in El Salvador, and in Nicaragua it's a bigger killer of men than HIV and diabetes combined. It's unexplained but the latest theory is that the victims are literally working themselves to death.

In the western lowlands of Nicaragua, in a region of vast sugar cane fields, sits the tiny community of La Isla.

The small houses are a patchwork of concrete and wood. Pieces of cloth serve as doors.

Maudiel Martinez emerges from his house to greet me. He's pale, and his cheekbones protrude from his face. He hunches over like an old man - but he is only 19 years old.

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C-SPAN Video Link - Global Efforts To End Malaria

Tue, 2011-12-06 00:46 — Kathy Gilbeaux

submitted by Albert Gomez

Witnesses testified on the future of drug and vaccine development as well as the challenges in ensuring the availability, affordability and safe distribution of anti-malarial medicines.

C-SPAN Video Link - Global Efforts To End Malaria (2 hours, 21 minutes)

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/MalariaP

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China 'Ill-Prepared' for Unrest, Says Security Chief

Sun, 2011-12-04 21:00 — Kathy Gilbeaux

BBC News - December 4, 2011

There has been a rise in worker protests in recent weeks in different parts of China

China's security chief has warned that the government needs better methods to deal with social unrest due to a slowing economy.

Zhou Yongkang, a member of the politburo, asked provincial officials for improved "social management".

China has seen an increase in labour unrest in recent weeks.

The comments are a sign that the Chinese government is worried that another slowdown could spark public anger.

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Revealed – The Capitalist Network that Runs the World

Wed, 2011-11-23 22:16 — Kathy Gilbeaux

by Andy Coughlan and Debora MacKenzie - newscientist.com - October 24, 2011

      

The 1318 transnational corporations that form the core of the economy. Superconnected companies are red, very connected companies are yellow. The size of the dot represents revenue (Image: PLoS One)

AS PROTESTS against financial power sweep the world this week, science may have confirmed the protesters' worst fears. An analysis of the relationships between 43,000 transnational corporations has identified a relatively small group of companies, mainly banks, with disproportionate power over the global economy.

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Research - Radioactive Contamination

Tue, 2011-11-22 23:40 — Kathy Gilbeaux
- Show quoted text -
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Ozcan Receives 2011 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers

Tue, 2011-11-22 09:58 — Kathy Gilbeaux

submitted by Luis Kun

UCLA Engineering

Aydogan Ozcan, associate professor of electrical engineering and bioengineering, has received the country’s highest honor for science and engineering researchers who are at an early stage of their careers.

Ozcan was one of 94 researchers announced by President Obama on Monday, as recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).

Ozcan’s research is in photonics and its applications in nano- and bio-technology. Most prominently, he has developed new powerful optical imaging and sensing architectures that can be incorporated into mobile phones. Essentially becoming mobile labs, these phones can analyze fluids to test for HIV, malaria, and other infectious diseases in body fluids, or analyze water quality following a disaster. These devices, which are relatively inexpensive to produce, have broad applications for improving health care in resource-poor regions.

I’m very honored to receive the PECASE award,” Ozcan said. “This will support our existing efforts to create smart global health systems through innovative uses of photonics and computational technologies.

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