The US state of California is passing through a very serious drought, which has resulted in serious problems of water availability. Experts have not been able to agree on the reasons for the extreme situation and why preventive measures were not taken, nor have they been able to agree on the best possible solutions. Nevertheless, it seems that the measures they have taken up … [Read more...] about Faced with a Water Shortage, a Flood of Ideas.
Social Issues
Foreign Aid for Disasters: Never Enough
The destruction was colossal, the after-shocks harrowing. Nepal's April 25th earthquake, measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, leveled large parts of the country, reduced ancient city centers and mud-brick villages to rubble, and left much of the nation in chaos. More than 5,000 people died, more than 10,000 were injured, and tens of thousands lost their homes. Nations from … [Read more...] about Foreign Aid for Disasters: Never Enough
Does Facebook Conspire against Happiness?
What's the key to happiness? How can we become as happy as those who live in Nordic countries -“the happiest in the world" - according to the United Nations' World Happiness Report 2013? One of the keys is not comparing ourselves to everyone else. Improving people's quality of life and their happiness is not easy. Happiness depends on many factors that are often beyond the … [Read more...] about Does Facebook Conspire against Happiness?
The Women’s Wage Gap: How Does It Affect Us All?
Prompted by Amazon’s parody of the gender wage gap and actress Patricia Arquette’s impassioned plea for equal rights for women at the 87th Academy Awards, we—in honor of International Women’s Day—turned to gender expert, Dr. Luca Flabbi, to get the facts about this issue. Was Patricia Arquette right about the gender pay gap? If so, what does that mean? Are women paid less … [Read more...] about The Women’s Wage Gap: How Does It Affect Us All?
Tearing Families Apart for Remittances: Is It Worth It?
In his budget initiative to Congress for FY2016, U.S. President Barack Obama included a request of $15.297 billion to tighten border security and migration policy. In addition, he proposed including in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) budget a $1 billion allocation to support security, governance, and economic development programs for El Salvador, Guatemala, and … [Read more...] about Tearing Families Apart for Remittances: Is It Worth It?