Culture & Religion — February 11, 2009

To Green Or Not To Green The Stimulus

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Claiming a truly green stimulus package would save the US economy $450 million for every $1 billion spent, the World Resources Institute and the Peterson Institute for International Economics released a persuasive report outlining the benefits that environmental provisions in the stimulus bill would have on the job market and taxpayers.

But with Republicans and Democrats both gutting the stimulus of “extras” before its final vote, green measures have been some of the first to the chopping block. How would big thinkers include green measures in the stimulus? Are they inextricable from economic recovery in the US or part of Obama’s progressive agenda we should tackle when the economy is back on its feet?

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Person holding an open, empty brown wallet with both hands, outdoors.

The Past

The deep and enduring history of universal basic income

While the concept stretches back centuries, it has garnered significant attention in recent decades.

People examining a detailed architectural model of a building and its surrounding area at an exhibition, reflecting the impact of the Chinese economy on urban development.

The Present

Here’s why China’s economy is stumbling — but not about to fall

Misinterpreted data may be distorting Western predictions about the future of China’s economy.

Ancient stone structure with stairs under a blue sky with scattered clouds, surrounded by vegetation.

The Past

A beginner’s guide to sociopolitical collapse

How (not) to end up in the ash heap of history.

The Learning Curve

The world must learn from “karoshi,” Japan’s overwork epidemic — before it’s too late

It is estimated that as many as 488 million people worldwide were exposed to dangerously long working hours in 2016.

Progress

What are the easiest opportunities for progress in your opinion? What are the areas in which a few critical interventions or changes could unlock a disproportionate amount of progress?

About the project The goal of driving more progress across the world—scientifically, politically, economically, socially, etc—is one shared by many. And yet, debates about the best way to maximize progress […]

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