• OPINION

  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.

• OPINION

  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.

• OPINION

  The killing of innocents in Israel and Gaza

  News, Peter Singer, Published on 09/01/2024

  » Last month, I was invited to join other Princeton University academics in viewing a compilation of raw footage from GoPro cameras carried by Hamas gunmen killing civilians in Israel on Oct 7. Additional video and audio material came from dashboard cameras, traffic cameras, phone intercepts, and victims' phones. The invitation carried a warning that the footage would show horrific violence and murder.

• OPINION

  A bargain in saving lives from malaria

  News, Peter Singer, Published on 21/12/2023

  » In 2021, malaria caused 619,000 deaths, 77% of which were children under five, and 96% of them in Africa. But now, after decades of research -- and several false dawns -- a malaria vaccine known as R21/Matrix-M (henceforth just R21) has been shown to be effective in 70-78% of cases. Although three doses are required before that level of protection is reached, and a booster is needed one year later, the vaccine, developed at the University of Oxford and the Serum Institute of India, is cheap. It can be produced for US$2-$4 (70-140 baht) per dose -- comparable to the cost of other childhood vaccines.

• OPINION

  The spiral of violence that led to Hamas

  Oped, Peter Singer, Published on 13/10/2023

  » Hamas' brazen and vicious attacks within Israel have rightly drawn condemnation around the world. If this is a war, as both sides agree it is, then Hamas' deliberate targeting of civilians counts as a major war crime.

• OPINION

  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.

• OPINION

  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.

• OPINION

  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.

• OPINION

  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.

• OPINION

  Who are the beneficiaries of 'free speech'?

  Oped, Peter Singer, Published on 10/11/2022

  » How is it that a man who has banned 83 million people from Twitter can freely use the platform to post his messages denigrating women and supporting the brutal attack on the writer Salman Rushdie? I'm referring to the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose government is killing young women who want to be able to show their hair in public.

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