Lord Stern, professor at the London School of Economics, warns that the world could be heading for a major economic crisis as stock markets inflate an investment bubble in fossil fuels to the tune of trillions of dollars. The so-called “carbon bubble” is the result of an over-valuation of oil, coal and gas reserves held …
“The consensus among climate scientists that climate change is being driven mainly by human activity is now 95%, according to a leaked draft report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. This is up from 90% in the previous – or fourth – IPCC assessment, which was released in 2007. The draft, which synthesises …
Rationalist campaigner Narendra Dabholkar, was assassinated recently for exposing the fraudulent practices of “miracle workers” in the state of Maharashtra. He had collected evidence showing how thousands of women are victims of “vicious” magic rituals, often at the behest of male relatives; in remote areas they’re even burnt as sacrifices. And he had shown that …
Many Chinese people tend to seek the help of mysterious powers. and the rich and powerful are no exception. A snake-summoning mystic and “qigong master”, Wang Lin, has for years been duping famous entertainers and politicians into giving him money. Last week saw film star Jackie Chan and other celebrities weeping at news of the …
The UN World Population report for 2012 predicts that the world’s population, now 7.2billion will rise to 9.5 billion by 2025, and, by the end of this century, will reach 11 billion. By mid century Nigeria will have a bigger population than the United States. The biggest increases will be in Africa, India, Indonesia and …
