The effects of income inequality have been felt throughout society but they are especially evident in the current coronavirus crisis. For instance, workers in the information economy are able to telework and draw their salaries, but workers in the service sector are either unemployed or at great risk as they interact with customers during a…

The rise of populism in the West and the rise of China in the East have stirred a debate about the role of democracy in the international system. The impact of globalization and digital capitalism is forcing worldwide attention to the starker divide between the “haves” and the “have-nots,” challenging how we think about the…

Playful Learning Landscapes lies at the intersection of developmental science and transformative placemaking to help urban leaders and practitioners advance and scale evidence-based approaches to create vibrant public spaces that promote learning and generate a sense of community ownership and pride. On Wednesday, February 26, the Center for Universal Education and the Bass Center for…

The Trump administration’s first three years saw record-setting turnover at the most senior level of the White House staff and the Cabinet. There are also numerous vacancies in Senate-confirmed positions across the executive branch. As of September 22, 2019, the turnover rate among senior White House aides had reached 80 percent, a rate that exceeded…

Those working to accelerate economic growth in the Heartland must face some stark realities. The Great Lakes region continues to export wealth to coastal economies, even as investment leaders try to equalize growth between the coasts and the Heartland. The region sees only a tiny fraction of venture capital (VC) deals, despite producing one quarter…

Last year’s COP21 summit saw global economic powers and leading greenhouse gas emitters—including the United States, China, and India—commit to the most ambitious clean energy targets to date. Bolstered by sharp reductions in costs and supportive government policies, renewable power spread globally at its fastest-ever rate in 2015, accounting for more than half of the…

Brookings is adopting a long-overdue policy to properly recognize the identity of Black Americans and other people of ethnic and indigenous descent in our research and writings. This update comes just as the 1619 Project is re-educating Americans about the foundational role that Black laborers played in making American capitalism and prosperity possible. Without Black…

The United States needs a new strategy for effectively constraining Iran’s future nuclear capabilities. The Trump administration’s current approach has little chance of succeeding. But simply returning the United States to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is not a long-term solution. By the time the United States would return to the 2015 deal,…

For decades, the United States has sought to constrain Iran’s missile program, both because it poses a conventional military threat to regional stability and because it can provide a delivery capability for nuclear weapons should Iran acquire them. But despite the efforts of the United States and others to impede Iranian procurement of missile-related materials,…

The Trump administration’s “maximum pressure campaign” is putting Iran under great stress, but it is unlikely to compel Tehran to accept its far-reaching demands. The United States needs a new strategy for constraining Iran’s future nuclear capabilities as well as its missile program. Two new Brookings monographs—“Constraining Iran’s Future Nuclear Capabilities” by Robert Einhorn and…

Given increased income and wealth inequality, much recent attention has been devoted to proposals to increase taxes on the wealthy (such as imposing a tax on accumulated wealth). Since capital income is highly skewed toward the ultra-wealthy, methods of increasing taxes on capital income provide alternative approaches for addressing inequality through the tax system. Marking…

The Vitals Over the past 40 years, the distributions of income and wealth have grown increasingly unequal. In addition, there has been growing understanding that the United States faces a long-term fiscal shortfall that must be addressed, at least in part, by raising revenues. For these and other reasons, proposals to raise taxes on wealthy…

After months of escalating rhetoric demanding that Iran abandon its aspirations to acquire nuclear weapons, the National Intelligence Estimate’s revelation that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 comes as quite a shock. Yet again, the capability of the United States intelligence community to assess the nuclear programs of hard targets has been called…

This article was written before the coronavirus pandemic, but with the press spending weeks subjecting the Tories to nothing but uncritical “wartime” coverage, and now fawning over the establishment-friendly Labour leader Keir Starmer, the points it makes are more valid than ever.

As of the end of April, the amount of COVID-19 deaths in Sweden per 1,000 inhabitants is three times that of Denmark, three times that of Germany and four times that of Norway. The government is peddling the nationalist idea that Sweden is somehow different and better than the rest of the world. But the pandemic has revealed the true colours of Swedish class society.

As baby ducks get a boost at the Capitol Reflecting Pool, at least one politician’s Grinchesque response has duckling defenders up in arms.

It's not a big deal but it could become a big symbol.

South African women have had to change the way they approach showering, hair care, and menstruation, due to the lack of water.

A Moroccan proverb goes: “the sheep spends his whole life being afraid of the wolf, but in the end, who feasts on the sheep? The shepherd!” Well, some months after China and 10 days after Italy, Moroccan authorities announced the country’s first cases of COVID-19 on 2 March and attributed them to “external factors”. Specifically, a Moroccan returning from Italy, then French tourists. The epidemic has worsened, infecting 2,024 people, of whom 126 have died (as of 15 April, 45 days after the first infections) according to official data.

Our photo of the day comes from beautiful Erawan National Park in Western Thailand.

Plus, spewing sulfate into sky to stop warming won't fully work (redux); what Singapore's doing to make sure sea level rise doesn't swamp their city. Here's what caught our eye this morning.

Naomi Klein's latest book is about more than just science. She explores the extractivist mentality and historic decisions that have led us to where we now find ourselves, living in a totally unsustainable way.

An isolated winter scene beats out the competition in the annual awards ceremony.

A new downloadable planner from Citizenne Style can help you create a 10-day fashion plan using minimal items.

As far as endangered species go, it's mostly bad news, with the occasional positive story. Well this news seems to fall somewhere in the middle: in late August, a group of Laotian villagers in the Annamite Mountains captured a saola,

Energy policy and energy use are not forces of nature beyond our control. It's all about choices; different choices set us off on different paths, but don't prevent us from switching course.

Schemata Architects gives it a new image and a nice sauna.

These delicately formed hand-crank and motor-activated art installations blossom and grow perpetually.

Via MySpace, here's the trailer for 11th Hour with a spoken intro by Leonardo. According to IMDB, the film will be released in the USA on August 17th. Check out the official 11th Hour website.

Two weeks ago, fellow Treehugger George Spyros and I had the opportunity to catch a sneak preview of Leonardo Dicaprio's The 11th Hour. Organized by Project Greenhouse, the screening was appropriately held outdoors and under the stars at Marders, an

Leonardo DiCaprio lost the Golden Globe, but he's always a winner on the green activist front. The eco-champ has signed on to be the celebrity face of watchmaker TAG Heuer. Replacing fellow eco-hunk Brad Pitt. But, Leo isn't pocketing a cent of his

My favorite eco-star might of gotten snubbed by Oscar, but Leo's enivormental work gets a green prize. The actor/activist was honored with the International Green Film Award by Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev at the

Photo via I Watch Stuff Leonardo DiCaprio is already a favorite with eco-minded like gals, like myself! Now the next generation are digging Leo and his big green heart. This Saturdays Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards will honor the actor/activist with

Eco-hunk Leonardo DiCaprio is the new face of TAG Heuer Carrera watch. A gig formely held by fellow greenie, Brad Pitt. But, so long Brad and hello Leo! Ecorazzi posted the first shot of his soon to be released ad campaign. The green

Chevron Toxico: Chevron Produces Phony Online News Coverage to Spread Misinformation about Ecuador Disaster "To promote a misinformation campaign about its role in the oil contamination of a pristine area of the rainforest in Ecuador, Chevron recently

Ok, so this isn't a true green item. But, kudo's to my favorite eco-celeb, Leonardo DiCaprio for his consistent give-back spirit. Leo and Kate Winslet returned to their Titanic roots to help out the ship's one remaining

Yes, he's blond, blue-eyed handsome and yes, he's talented. But Academy Award-winning Leonardo DiCaprio continually proves he is more than just a pretty face jumping on the celebrity hybrid bandwagon. From resorts

This is DiCaprio going back to his first love, in a way, as before becoming an actor, he thought about becoming a marine biologist.

Good Guy Leo strikes again!

In a tale of intrigue and derring-do, the crafty cephalopod slipped out of his enclosure and found his way to freedom.

But there's a strange loophole for biodegradable plastics, which we know aren't much better.

Senator Barack Obama proposed on Monday a plan to decrease the United States' dependence on foreign oil―while fighting climate change―by creating an auction system that will require power companies and other polluting industries to pay for their

Beyond the headline, a really great overview of how globalization may well be entirely reshaped by energy constraints, for the betterment of local economies in places where manufacturing has been outsourced for years.

One design attempts to deal with the problem of plastic bottle caps -- which often get discarded rather than recycled.

“Wild Concrete” reveals the unintentional greenery of urban environments through photography.