All Perspectives
Shoppers add charitable giving to their listsPurchases that give a portion of the sale to a charity make shoppers feel good but may diminish overall giving to that charity, a consultant says.- Readers RespondReaders Write: Preserve local news; Japan's nuclear dilemma is an energy dilemmaLetters to the Editor for the weekly print issue of December 10, 2012:聽Local news gives citizens the information to get involved and affect their immediate environment and the political decisions that shape it. Japan's problem is that is has no viable energy options other than nuclear power.
Kids Helping Kids is run by kids 鈥� and for kidsThe Connecticut-based nonprofit youth group of middle schoolers and teens plans and carries out projects that make a positive difference in their community and beyond.
Difference MakerIzhar Gafni invents a cardboard bicycle that may revolutionize transportationHis two-wheeled creation, a $20 bike made out of cardboard, could revolutionize bicycling, especially in the developing world.
Alta Gracia factory produces fair-trade clothingFor years, college student activists have pressured their schools to make sure clothing with college logos is sweatshop-free. Now, they have another choice: fair-trade clothing manufactured in the Dominican Republic by Alta Gracia.
Would the lights go out if superstorm Sandy hit the Netherlands? Nope.The US can learn from the modern, disaster-resistant electric grid in the Netherlands.
Is it Iran's leader -- or Iran?Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is known as "God's deputy on earth." He is Iran's ultimate powerbroker. Understanding what makes him tick is crucial to understanding Iran. But it isn't enough. You also have to understand Iran.
Clean cookstoves in Mozambique lure big investorsCleanStar Mozambique is a combined effort among a mix of institutions centered around replacing traditional charcoal cooking stoves with stoves fueled by sustainably produced bio-ethanol.- Readers RespondReaders Write: Environmental misconceptionsLetters to the Editor for the weekly print issue of December 3, 2012:聽聽Inconsistency and outside influence have been prevalent ever since Congress passed the Wilderness Preservation Act 25 years ago.聽Paper protections rarely bring with them consistent and adequate enforcement.
Managing the 'water planet'For most of history, there were always new lands to discover, explore, and exploit. Resources like water were taken for granted. But an important shift has occurred as we've looked back at our planet from space: We've become more conscious of preserving our rare, blue-green island in the universe.
#GivingTuesday sparks a big spike in charitable donationsGifts to charitable groups shot up 53 percent to $10 million on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, which is being promoted as #GivingTuesday.
Difference MakerEllen Calmus helps Mexican families cope with cross-border challengesThe Corner Project assists families with relatives in the US, ensuring, for example, that children of migrant workers born in the US are able to register for school or other services in Mexico.
Designing from nature could solve the world's biggest challengesCan a boat be designed to clean the water? How does a spider manufacture resilient fiber? The world needs products that don鈥檛 harm humans or the environment, and nature鈥檚 already done the research.
Nonprofit leaders to President Obama: Help the vulnerableIn his second term President Obama will likely make changes that affect nonprofit and charitable groups. Five nonprofit leaders and thinkers share their ideas about what he can do to strengthen their efforts.
Black Friday, Cyber Monday ... now Giving TuesdayA national campaign to brand the Tuesday after Thanksgiving as an annual day of giving is a product of the digital age, steeped in social media, with its own Twitter hashtag: #GivingTuesday.
New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker will try living on food stampsCory Booker has committed to living on the equivalent of food stamps for at least a week to spur a discussion on the role government plays in providing food for the poor.
Bartering may boost food supply for rural KenyansThe age-old practice of bartering 鈥� trading goods without exchanging money 鈥� may provide a better return for Kenya's rural poor.
Of bargains: grand and not so muchBargaining is a big part of life. It is how prices are set, business deals get made, and political differences are hashed out. Sometimes you get the advantage, sometimes not -- and often it's the bargain itself that's memorable.
Curacao looks at using ocean water for powerCuracao, an island nation in the southern Caribbean, may use cold seawater to generate power, taking an innovative step toward clean, local energy.
Difference MakerRestaurant mogul George Schenk melds the needs of people, planet, and profitsServing nutritious food, following ecological principles, and helping his community in Vermont make George Schenk a businessman with a social conscience.
