Guest Thinkers — May 22, 2010

The Richness of Life

“The economic case for global action to stop the destruction of the natural world is even more powerful than the argument for tackling climate change,” the U.N. will report this summer.

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“The economic case for global action to stop the destruction of the natural world is even more powerful than the argument for tackling climate change,” the U.N. will report this summer. “Setting up and running a comprehensive network of protected areas would cost $45bn a year globally, according to one estimate, but the benefits of preserving the species richness within these zones would be worth $4-5tn a year.”

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

The Present

Microplastic overload: Is cutting production the only realistic way to curb pollution?

On November 25, U.N. members will meet in South Korea to cap off a series of meetings aiming to reduce global plastic pollution.

Satellite image showing a dense cloud mass over the southeastern United States and the Gulf of Mexico, with an inset graph from NOAA depicting hurricane frequency peaking around mid-August to late September, a trend exacerbated by global warming.

Starts With A Bang

Global warming makes hurricanes stronger, but less frequent

The laws of physics aren’t changing. But the Earth’s conditions are different than what they used to be, and so are hurricanes as a result.

Close-up of a hornet with black and yellow stripes on its body, perched on small white flowers against a green background.

Life

The hornet has landed: Scientists combat new honeybee killer in US

Researchers are working nest by nest to limit the threat while developing better eradication methods.

A collage featuring ancient Egyptian art, handprints, geometric sketches, and prehistoric tools, alongside the text "Human Agency" and the number "2" in the top right corner on an orange and white grid background.

The Past

How humanity transformed its fate

From surviving on wild plants and game to controlling our world with technology, humanity’s journey of progress is a story of expanding human agency.

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.

Up Next

Guest Thinkers

Forever Guantanamo

Obama’s deadline for closing Guantanamo having passed, “it’s unclear, as we sit today, whether it’s gonna close at all,” says Matt D’Aloisio, the founder of Witness Against Torture.