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Australian energy giants say going off-grid is viable, sometimes even preferable
While Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott is raising eyebrows all over the world by insisting that coal is "good for humanity," a report from down under shows a different picture. A recent study has confirmed that "off-grid" distributed energy supply is a viable option for some regional and Read More...
The zero carbon house that couldn't
And here's another one where technology beats politics. In the UK, the Minister of Finance had infamously said homes need not be "zero carbon" as they were deemed too expensive. However, designers at the Cardiff University in Wales have now built a house that exports more power to the grid than it Read More...
The world is a better place than you think
OK, we stole that headline; it's a popular rubric in our quarterly magazine. (We guess you can't really call it "stealing" then, can you?) Stealing, and crime in general, is on the decline. That's one of many important, positive long-term trends that we describe on the very last page of each issue. Read More...
Ikea raises pay for workers, encouraging wide campaign for better pay
Ikea has announced it will pay its UK staff the living wage. The decision by the Swedish home furnishing retailer is a big boon for a nationwide campaign to raise low wages. Ikea will pay its staff a minimum of £9.15 an hour in London and £7.85 across the rest of the UK. More than 4,500 employees Read More...
The secret history of Aloe vera
You may know about Aloe Vera's many wonders. You may use it as an herbal remedy for ailments ranging from skin diseases and burns to digestive troubles, and as a soothing balm in cosmetics and toiletries, from suntan lotion and antiperspirant to detergent and even toilet paper. But what is the Read More...
Obama speaks powerfully about the failings of America’s justice system
For the first time in American history, according to The New York Times, a president visited a prison. Hard to believe given the enormous damage that decades of mass incarceration have brought to the United States. Afterwards Barack Obama spoke words that hopefully find receptive ears in Read More...
Taking maternity leave to the next level: shipping breast milk for free
Sweden and Norway may have the best parental leave in the world—more than a year paid for the mother and father combined. In contrast, U.S. federal law allows women and men to take three months—unpaid. But IBM is adding a new dimension to parental leave in the U.S. The company will launch a Read More...
For most men doing nothing is the best treatment for prostate cancer
Most men with prostate cancer are better off by avoiding treatment, a new study suggests. Most prostate cancers are low-risk that will probably not be killers, and yet almost every new diagnosis triggers surgery or radiation, which often results in erectile dysfunction or incontinence. Up to 40 Read More...
Get ready for the ultimate slow space tourism experience
Space travel doesn't need to involve a rocket. All you need is a balloon. Get ready for the first tourist operators offering to take you to the stratosphere, sooner than you think. Just like the first photos from the Earth, taken from outer space, created a consciousness to take care of our planet, Read More...
Attaching bird houses to sign posts will make the city friendlier to birds
Birds have come to avoid cities. They crash into skyscrapers or get lost because of the bright lights at night. But there's something we can do to make them feel more at ease: put up bird houses to sign posts. Nest Project, based in London, aims to help out the birds while making urbanites aware Read More...