Showing 1 - 10 of 12
Gates' 'truth' about climate change
Oped, Peter Singer, Published on 14/11/2025
» Ahead of this year's United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), now underway in Belém, Brazil, Bill Gates, who chairs and funds the foundation that bears his name, released an essay entitled "Three tough truths about climate". The first of these truths is: "Climate change is a serious problem, but it will not be the end of civilisation."
Pope Francis the shepherd on the animal kingdom
Oped, Peter Singer, Published on 07/05/2025
» When Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope in 2013, many liberals had high expectations. Would priests be allowed to marry? Or, more radical still, perhaps he would open a path for women to be ordained? There were even some hints that he might recognise same-sex unions.
Will humans survive the next 100 years?
Oped, Peter Singer, Published on 24/08/2024
» In May, experts from many fields gathered in Montenegro to discuss "Existential Threats and Other Disasters: How Should We Address Them." The term "existential risk" was popularised in a 2002 essay by the philosopher Nick Bostrom, who defined it as referring to risks such that "an adverse outcome would either annihilate Earth-originating intelligent life, or permanently and drastically curtail its potential".
Does religious freedom trump animal welfare?
Oped, Peter Singer, Published on 16/03/2024
» Last month, the European Court of Human Rights decided a case, The Executive Committee of Muslims of Belgium and Others v. Belgium, that required balancing religious freedom and animal welfare.
Doing good can give a business competitive edge
Oped, Peter Singer, Published on 13/02/2024
» It seems counterintuitive, but in a capitalist economy, doing the most good can provide a competitive edge. I am not referring to businesses that donate a tiny percentage of their profits to charities or tell you that they are reducing greenhouse gas emissions. I am talking about businesses that donate 100% of their profits -- or close to it -- to effective charities that do a lot of good.
Should we study geoengineering a lot more?
Oped, Peter Singer, Published on 20/04/2023
» As our planet's climate heats up, so, too, does the debate about the boldest response to it: geoengineering, or the deliberate modification of the atmosphere to combat global warming.
Will the Church finally rethink contraception?
Oped, Peter Singer, Published on 09/03/2023
» Could the Roman Catholic Church be ready to reconsider its prohibition of the use of contraception? The fact that prominent Catholic conservatives have felt the need to speak out against such a possibility gives some grounds for thinking that, within the Church itself, and under the protection of Pope Francis, a movement for change is underway.
Quitting what you're doing while still on top
Oped, Peter Singer, Published on 16/02/2023
» Last month, Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand's 42-year-old prime minister, resigned from office, despite the support of a solid parliamentary majority and no challenge to her leadership from within her party. New Zealanders have to go back only six years to find a precedent. In 2016, John Key surprised everyone when, at the age of 55, he made way for his deputy to take over.
FTX saga shows not all ends justify means
Oped, Peter Singer, Published on 30/11/2022
» In the wake of the collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, and amid reports that FTX's founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, diverted billions of dollars of clients' funds, some observers have linked the alleged financial malpractice to ideas widely held within the "effective altruism" movement, which Mr Bankman-Fried says inspired him. More specifically, they point to the ethical view that the end justifies the means.
Don't be a bystander to mass famine
Oped, Peter Singer, Published on 16/08/2022
» In March 1964, The New York Times reported that 38 witnesses saw or heard a brutal, drawn-out, and ultimately fatal attack on a woman called Kitty Genovese, but none did anything to help her or even summoned the police. The report was later shown to be erroneous, but the "bystander effect" is real. As many psychology experiments have shown, an individual is less likely to come to the aid of another if they can see that other people who could help are not doing so.