All Perspectives
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.
From the EditorsIs 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.
From the EditorsManaging 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.
From the EditorsOf 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.
Nonprofits work to help legal immigrants become US citizensThe costly, lengthy, labyrinthine path to US citizenship can take two years to complete, dissuading many from trying. Nonprofits are jumping in to help.- Readers RespondReaders Write: Affirmative action is still needed in the USLetters to the Editor for the November 19, 2012 weekly print issue: Affirmative action helps eliminate the ignorance of racial bigotry and animosity. It is needed as much today as it was in 1968.聽The notion that the races are fighting over a scarce number of places is a shallow argument.
From the EditorsPhilanthropy unboundPhilanthropy is a word often associated with top hats and tote bags. But its original and essential meaning -- going back to the ancient Greeks -- is even more generous: It is about helping humanity make progress.
Giving back: Eight innovative philanthropists around the worldThe global face of philanthropy is changing. Donors no longer just open their wallets. They're actively involved in causes, use savvy business practices, and leverage what they give to achieve more good. Meet eight innovators.
