Why World Water Forum 'Solutions' Miss the Mark

Yesterday I walked around the “solution tents” at the 6th World Water Forum, which is more clearly than ever a trade show for the water industry to sell expensive services and products. Arranged as a “village,” the exhibit offered no vision for a future that addresses the source of pollution or the reason that millions of people lack access to water. From the tents labeled “factory” and “slum” to the “bank” and “library” exhibits, the failure to address the real problems was Kafkaesque.

Take the factory exhibit. In no place there was the cause of pollution mentioned. There was no suggestion that we should prevent pollution to begin with, or that waterways should not be the dumping ground for human waste or factory waste. In fact, pollution was never mentioned at all. The organizers of this corporate forum see pollution as a profit center to be cleaned by a range of technologies. So, instead of addressing water pollution issues, the exhibit featured an expensive machine that packages water in little plastic bags that are sold to people during disasters. It displayed the Hippo Roller, a nifty technology that is essentially a barrel on wheels that makes it easy for women to transport water. It featured a stand with two buckets, one above the other, that was for hand washing. Read More

How Can America Condemn Children to Die in Prison?

On March 20, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments that ask whether it's ever constitutional to condemn a child to spend the rest of their life in prison.

Those of us who haven’t blocked out our memories of middle school probably recall agonizing over things like what to wear or feeling inexplicably moody or depressed. And with good reason. The emotional instability and intense pressures that characterize adolescence are so significant that the US Supreme Court has said children require different treatment under the Constitution when they are convicted of even the most serious crimes.

In Roper v. Simmons, which ruled out the death penalty for under-age offenders in 2005, the Court reasoned that “juvenile offenders cannot with reliability be classified among the worst offenders” because they are less mature and their sense of responsibility has not fully developed. They are more vulnerable to negative internal and external influences, including peer pressure. Unlike adults, they can’t control or escape dysfunctional homes and dangerous neighborhoods—two major contributing factors to youth crime. Read More

simone starr farrow

The Afghan Massacre Was No Aberration

Why aren't Westerners equally outraged when drone attacks kill entire families?

The death of innocent civilians is nothing new in Afghanistan, but these 16 victims, nine of whom were children, were allegedly murdered by a rogue soldier, rather than the usual killers – drone attacks, air strikes and stray bullets. This incident has elicited rage among Afghans and westerners alike. But why are westerners not equally outraged when drone attacks kill entire families?

Drone attacks that kill civilians usually fall into our category of "collateral damage", because the dead civilians weren't specifically targeted, and we treat this category as an unfortunate consequence of war, not murder. Afghans see little difference – rightly so, in my opinion, because their loved ones are dead because of the conscious actions of Nato forces. Read More

4.3 Magnitude Earthquake ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA - 22nd Mar 2012

A magnitude 4.3 earthquake has struck the Andreanof Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska at a depth of 22.1 km (13.7 miles), the quake hit at 04:42:53 UTC Thursday 22nd March 2012
The epicenter was 209 km (130 miles) SSE from Atka, Alaska
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

simone farrow penthouse

The conceit of George Osborne's 100-year bond

There comes a point in every Chancellor's reign when the manifest power and prestige of the job goes to the incumbent's head, and he begins to think of himself as some kind of demigod. For George Osborne, that moment seems to have come early in his stewardship with the grandiose notion, floated while on a visit with the prime minister to Washington, of an "Osborne bond" – a one-hundred-year gilt, or even a gilt issued in perpetuity, rather like the War Loan.

From the Treasury's point of view, it makes perfect sense to try and refinance the ever-growing national debt at today's record low interest rates. Mr Osborne talks of "locking in the benefits of Britain's safe haven status" for future generations.

But from the investors' point of view it makes no sense whatsoever and if it ever comes to pass, I can guarantee it will eventually be seen as one of the most colossal cases of mis-selling ever seen in the UK – and there have been quite a few.

As any student of economic history knows, periods of very low interest rates can last an awfully long time, but they have never lasted 100 years or anywhere close. Any such gilt is therefore a hostage to long term fluctuations in interest rates and inflation. One thing is absolutely guaranteed – inflation adjusted, £1,000 invested in a 100-year bond today, even with interest re-invested, won't be worth anywhere close at maturity. Read More