Myanmar moments

Risking his security, and to some extent, his life, this LA Times undercover reporter, quite literally at that, shares what he saw in far-flung villages ravaged by a typhoon.

Green consumerism

Is it an oxymoron? The Economist maps the greenest cities in California based on their 'green consumption' and explain how they evolve as so. Is a strong consumer of green goods any greener than your regular consumer who does his grocery in a discount supermarket?

The Devil Shift

My seatmate, Wilhelm, from Tanzania, suggested a few minutes ago (I am blogging while in class) to use one of the term 'Devil Shift' as a possible entry in my blog. This is probably one of the few terms I will remember in my current module on Environmental Policy and Management. The term doesn't mean the coming of the devil, because it is already within our midst! It means portraying your enemy more powerful and horrible as they are or they might be. A good example is telling your mother that your playmate pushed you that caused you a nasty bruise on your knee, when the problem is you are simply a weakling!

Politicians and interest groups use this to gain support from and influence behaviors of analysts and undermine objectivity of analysis, and consequently results. Environment groups could exaggerate how industries destroy the environment. But then again, probably not.

Peeping at the pandas

Other than the reason of their cuteness, the panda would have been extinct by now. It can't even reproduce on its own. BBC reports their findings on the bears' intimate moments.

"The giant panda's courtship and mating sequence - from boisterous beginning to noisy ending - has been filmed in the wild for what may be a TV first."