By: Lykke E. Andersen* There is little doubt that human greenhouse gas emissions, mainly arising from the burning of fossil fuels and forests, are warming the planet. The physical properties of CO2 in the atmosphere imply that a doubling of CO2 concentrations from the current 400 parts per million (ppm) …
Read More »Pope Francis’ encyclical: A landmark in environmental thinking
By Susana del Granado * “The urgent challenge to protect our common home includes a concern to bring the whole human family together to seek a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change.” Pope Francis, 2015 “I would like to enter into dialogue with all people …
Read More »Can you envision a sustainable world? Do you dare to dream today?
By Susana del Granado * “A vision comes not from the intellect or the mind but from the heart, from the soul” Donella Meadows Today, June 5th , we celebrate World Environment Day and, as a celebration, the United Nations Environmental Program has launched a campaign and a contest about …
Read More »Time travel and other environmentally friendly pleasures
By: Lykke E. Andersen* “That man is the richest whose pleasures are the cheapest. ” Henry David Thoreau In honor of World Environment Day, I have compiled a list of delightful activities that bring great pleasure at little cost and with very little environmental impact. Consider doing more of the …
Read More »Deforestation and reforestation in Bolivia: A thought experiment
By: Lykke E. Andersen* Within the Bolivian government, there are parts that encourage a massive expansion of the agricultural frontier, and other parts that work to control deforestation in order to reduce the local and global impacts of climate change. These are pretty much opposing policies, so consider the following …
Read More »Deforestation and reforestation in Bolivia: A thought experiment
By: Lykke E. Andersen* Within the Bolivian government, there are parts that encourage a massive expansion of the agricultural frontier, and other parts that work to control deforestation in order to reduce the local and global impacts of climate change. These are pretty much opposing policies, so consider the following …
Read More »Father’s Day and teenage pregnancy in Bolivia
By: Lykke E. Andersen* Fertility rates have been going down all over the World much faster than most people realize. Fertility rates in Bolivia, for example, have come down from 6.5 babies per woman in 1971 to 3.2 in 2013, which is typical of developing countries (1). This evolution made …
Read More »Anti-feministic musings on International Women’s Day
By: Lykke E. Andersen* Today is International Women’s Day and you are likely to be bombarded with posts, articles and speeches listing all the ways in which women are wronged and discriminated against. Some of it is true in some places, and there are definitely problems that have to …
Read More »Incredible Internet Inequality
By: Lykke E. Andersen & Fabián Soria* According to the latest Bolivian Population Census (2012), only 9.6% of households have Internet access (either fixed or wireless). Considering that the Bolivian Constitution puts telecommunications (including Internet) on par with water, sanitation and electricity as a basic human right, this coverage is …
Read More »The Universal Beer Work Constant
By: Lykke E. Andersen* It’s Carnaval week/month in Bolivia – the time of year when most beer is drunk. Beer prices have just gone up again, now reaching an outrageous Bs. 9, or more, for a small can of standard beer in supermarkets. This corresponds to USD 3.64 for 1 …
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