Make Sense of the world
Unique insight from 2,000+ contributors in 80+ Countries
The assumption is that what works in wealthy countries can work anywhere. Advancements in the science of building design for earthquake resilience are enabling the development of high-rises and now “supertall” buildings in earthquake-prone areas like Japan. Design processes, scenario and...
Why these European elections were different: three key insights from Germany. After years of disinterest and declining turnouts, last week’s European elections were full of suspense and surprises. In Germany, the elections were an unprecedented triumph for the Greens. More than 20% voted for...
When it comes to agricultural technology, business opportunity is filling the void left by political inertia. Last month, Extinction Rebellion activists around the world triggered days of protests to end what they call criminal inaction by the world’s governments on climate and ecological...
In this edition of The Interview, Fair Observer talks to Satu Hassi, Finland's former environment minister. Finland is a country of fascinating and stark contrasts — long and glittery summer nights and short, snowy winter days, the midnight sun and the winter darkness. The country earned its...
The Green New Deal as proposed makes the right diagnosis, but the wrong prescription for government action on renewable energy. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ed Markey’s Green New Deal has sparked an important and overdue debate about America’s energy future. The core...
Like many countries, India’s largest cities are congested. But congestion pricing won’t work here because mobility is affected by other factors besides vehicle traffic. Urban economic development indicators such as higher income levels and higher motorization rates are generally associated...
What has prompted more than a million young individuals around the world to mobilize into a civil march for action on climate change? “We have a climate emergency” was the overwhelming chant echoing through the streets of Waterloo, in Canada’s Ontario province, on March 15. An estimated...
War-ravaged eastern Ukraine is facing an ecological disaster that could become a “second Chernobyl.” When it comes to US provision of weapons to foreign fighting forces, there is no shortage of unintended and dangerous consequences. From Libya and Iraq to Afghanistan and Mexico,...
Collaborative platforms, sustainability, public-private partnerships and data analytics are critical for developing smart and inclusive cities. The global smart-city movement, which has been around for more than two decades, has gone through three phases of evolution. It initially focused on...
The IRGC is exploiting the recent floods in Iran to tighten its grip while suppressing any dissent that might emerge out of the current situation. Over the past two weeks, nearly every province in the Islamic Republic of Iran has been devastated by flooding. Official reports have acknowledged...
The US is ready for something new. Progressives now have an opportunity to remake America and its place in the world. Donald Trump has shaken up US foreign policy. Most of what he has done has been disastrous, like pulling America out of the Paris climate accord and the Iran nuclear deal. He has...
