Showing 1 - 10 of 31
How to give expert advice in transformational times
Oped, Published on 11/11/2025
» I am a policy analyst. My job is to provide expert information to decision makers and the public to help improve public policy. This job, always hard, has become harder.
Authoritarians' brave new cities
Oped, Published on 23/09/2025
» Few policy ideas are as radical -- or as misleadingly packaged -- as "freedom cities". Championed by Silicon Valley's techno-libertarian elite and recently embraced by right-wing politicians like Donald Trump, the idea is to create digitally powered, master-planned enclaves of deregulated innovation.
Is AI a curse or a blessing for education?
Oped, Published on 17/08/2024
» My collegiate rowing coach at the University of Western Ontario was an eccentric West German named Dr Volker Nolte, a stocky and imposing figure who was only funny when he didn't mean to be. He was a biomechanics wizard, obsessing over the countervailing forces of the rower and shell, currents and winds, blades and water. In the early 80s, as part of his doctoral research, he designed a sliding rigger that moved along the hull of the boat on slides in tandem with the rower, which, when compared to a fixed rigger, effectively doubled the force and propulsion of every stroke. It made second-tier rowers competitive with the best in the world.
End wars, restore Olympic peace
Oped, Published on 18/07/2024
» There are at least 55 ongoing wars around the world. Politicians have consistently failed to end the armed conflicts that are ravaging their societies, and the dangers have been multiplied by the fact that local wars no longer remain local.
Taylor Swift can learn a lot from Billie Eilish
News, Published on 17/05/2024
» Not long ago, I lamented the lack of climate anthems. Perhaps we'll find one on Hit Me Hard and Soft, the third studio album from Billie Eilish that's due to drop today.
Ozone layer recovery offers hope
Oped, Published on 30/04/2024
» There was a time, not so long ago, when the depletion of Earth's ozone layer seemed like an insurmountable challenge. Decades of using harmful chemicals, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), had threatened to cause irreparable damage to our planet. Without swift action, we faced the risk of climate destabilisation, ecosystem collapse, and the breakdown of our food system. Consequences that were once almost unthinkable became painfully real.
Inoculation against climate deniers' lies needed
News, Published on 03/02/2024
» Misinformation is as old as information itself, and those seeking to address the climate crisis have been tackling it for decades. Yet today, more false or misleading content is spreading faster and further than ever before.
Loss and Damage Fund's potential
Oped, Published on 02/02/2024
» In the vein of We Are the World, the 1985 hit that sold more than 20 million copies globally, the song Lasting Legacy was released at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai. The official charity anthem features 13 artists from around the world singing about unity, cooperation, and climate action.
Eruption is a warning to others
News, Published on 23/01/2024
» Volcanic eruptions are mesmerising. The glowing red lava, explosive power and widening fissures serve as reminders that we stand and build not on static ground, but on a very dynamic Earth. For the Icelandic port of Grindavik, the escaping magma is less of a marvel and more of a nightmare. For the rest of the world, it should be a lesson that preparing for natural disasters is ever more important during the climate crisis.
Taylor Swift's Eras tour confronts climate crisis
News, Published on 22/11/2023
» Taylor Swift, one of the world's most successful and wealthiest pop stars, has come face to face with the climate crisis in Brazil during her global Eras tour.