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Total number of posts: 23913
Sweden fights consumerism by offering tax breaks for people repairing used goods
This is a brilliant initiative. Tax is an effective instrument to change behavior. What if it becomes cheaper to repair something than to buy something new? That’s what Sweden plans to achieve with a new law that halves the tax paid on repairs and increases taxes on unrepairable items. The new Read More...
When it comes to happiness, it’s better to be older
Many young adults are suffering from the pressures setting up a career and family. They experience life as a series of never-ending challenges. But here’s the good news: The older you become, the better it gets. Researchers contacted 1,546 people ages 21 to 99 via random telephone calls and found Read More...
Sexism is bad for the economy. These 4 charts prove it
Gender equality and women's empowerment can be a major boost to economies, according to a new report by the United Nations. Bringing women's income level with men, and increasing their participation in the economy can offer potential gains for basic human rights, human development and economic Read More...
How mobile banking brought water back to Nairobi's slums
In Kayole, a slum on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, Joab Omondi has been selling water from a cart since the government connected his neighborhood to the local water system. Two years ago, water was a scarce commodity here. Residents used to have to hunt around to buy a 5-gallon can of water for Read More...
A startup is building a bizarre-looking electric car you can share for $37 a week
Car ownership is dying. The number of 19-year-olds who possess driver's licenses has declined 69% since 1983, according to a report by the University of Michigan. A similar decline has also been witnessed for other age groups as well. It's a trend that has led industry leaders like Read More...
These researchers think we’re nearing ‘peak car’
On Thursday the Rocky Mountain Institute — an energy-focused think tank known for its boldness in predicting technological change — released a truly sweeping report on the future of vehicles. And if it’s right — something that, to be sure, can be questioned — Read More...
Indian technology institute to put the art of happiness under the microscope
Build roads, electrify villages, clean up the holy river Ganges: for the past 70 years, successive governments in India have stuck with virtually identical to-do lists for the country’s development. Now, a new item seems to have cropped up on the political agenda: make people happy. In July, Read More...
Afghanistan signs peace deal with warlord
After months of delays, Afghanistan government negotiators signed a peace deal Thursday with an insurgent faction led by one of the country's most notorious warlords. The deal was signed at a ceremony attended by negotiators, the president's national security advisor, and representatives of the Read More...
Eliminate laws that cause healthy food to go to waste
Multiple policies could be implemented to address food waste and its impacts on the environment, food security, and our climate. In particular, we should eliminate laws that cause healthy food to go to waste, incentivize food donation and, when needed, enact penalties for senseless food waste. Read More...
Regenerative agriculture: More important now than ever
Last week’s news that Monsanto and Bayer would merge to form the world’s largest agribusiness company sent shockwaves throughout the food industry. Will our food system continue to unify under a few conglomerates? Or can alternatives, like regenerative agriculture, shift the Read More...