City Matters
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A vigil was held in honor of George Floyd in Plaça de Catalunya on June 1, 2020. Photo by Xavi Menós.
Black Lives Matter: Barcelona
Why has Black Lives Matter become a topic of international conversation at this specific moment in history? What do most of us really know about the movement’s origins? On a local level, what kind of shape has the movement taken in our city? Read more
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US Politics | Opinion: Tired of Explaining Trump?
It may feel as though the election is ages away, but there is no time to waste. Although the right of U.S. citizens to vote abroad is protected by law, the presence of COVID-19 has dramatically slowed postal services. Read more
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Plastic entering the marine environment is set to double by 2040 and, unless the world acts, more than 1.3 billion tonnes of plastic waste will be dumped on land and in waterbodies.
How Earth’s Plastic Pollution Problem Could Look by 2040
When it comes to plastic pollution, we know close to nothing about how and where plastic waste is generated, managed, treated and disposed of, especially in low and middle income countries. As a result, we’re struggling to limit the amount of litter. Read more
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Photo by Etienne Godiard.
Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ Rights, Trump: The Risks and Rewards of Corporate Activism
Companies can avoid or mitigate stock drops when they explain to investors how activism is good for business. Read more
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If people want to boycott palm oil due to its contribution to deforestation, perhaps they should also shun coffee, chocolate and, indeed, coconut.
Coconut Oil Production Threatens Five Times More Species Than Palm Oil—New Findings
Supermarket shelves are stacked with coconut water, tubs of coconut oil, coconut and chocolate bars. Like palm oil, coconut seems to be used in almost everything, from hair conditioner to mosquito repellent. So why is one loved and the other hated? Read more
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Photo by Etienne Godiard.
Is Being European a White Identity? Brussels Needs Deep Reflection in the Wake of the Black Lives Matter Movement
People of ethnic minority backgrounds feel very differently about the European Union and their identity as Europeans. Read more
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Corporate Activism Is More Than a Marketing Gimmick
Research on corporate activism suggests that businesses often engage in social activism because they want to sway public policy outcomes, not solely to appeal to liberal customers and future employees. Read more
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180 survivors remained aboard the Ocean Viking for up to 11 days while waiting for permission from Italy or Malta to offload the migrants at a safe port. The migrants, which include Pakistanis, North Africans, Eritreans, Nigerians and others, were picked up after fleeing Libya in four separate rescues by the Ocean Viking on June 25 and 30, 2020. Photo by Flavio Gasperini / SOS Mediterranee
Black Lives Are Being Lost in the Mediterranean—but the World Remains Silent
Over the past few months, European authorities have left hundreds of people consciously in distress and adrift at sea, merely watching them from the sky. Read more
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The more politicized an issue, the harder it is for people to absorb contradictory evidence. Photo courtesy of The White House. (Public Domain)
Coronavirus Responses Highlight How Humans Are Hardwired to Dismiss Facts That Don’t Fit Their Worldview
“Motivated reasoning” is what social scientists call the process of deciding what evidence to accept based on the conclusion one prefers. Read more
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Brands May Support Black Lives Matter, but Advertising Still Needs to Decolonize
The idea that we need to decolonize various areas of society is finally growing. But the idea itself is, of course, nothing new. Read more
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