The Baines Report
Photo Credit: Lynne Foster On October 11, 2015, Canadian journalist and activist Naomi Klein spoke at the LBJ School of Public Affairs about the connection between environmentalism and economic struggles around the world. During the previous evening UT-Austin hosted two screenings of the documentary “This Changes Everything”, a film directed by Klein’s husband Avi Lewis, which […]
Photo Credit: The Texas Tribune The most intriguing panel discussion I attended at the Texas Tribune Festival this year was called “The Fight Over the Climate.” There were a total of six panelists: Dr. Andrew Dessler, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at Texas A&M University; James Marston, VP for U.S. Climate and Energy at the Environmental […]
Third and final in a series by Leo Carter (LBJ MGPS Student) covering his internship at the Wildlife Conservation Society. Tucked into a residential building outside of the Fourth Ring Road in Northeast Beijing, the field office of the Wildlife Conservation Society coordinates operations for all its ongoing conservation projects across China. From law enforcement […]
Photo Credit: Wildlife Conservation Society Second in a series by Leo Carter (LBJ MGPS Student) covering his internship at the Wildlife Conservation Society. The savannah stalker sprawled out on the dais, fur bristling, her tail tracing loops in the air. The cheetah basked in the cool, climate-controlled air of the Rayburn House office building. Elsewhere, in […]
First in a series by Leo Carter (LBJ MGPS Student) covering his internship at the Wildlife Conservation Society. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), founded in 1895 in New York City, achieved its first major success when it helped to save the American Bison from extinction. Since then, aside from managing the zoos and aquariums of New York City, […]
We all know water is important. For one, it’s essential for life. Aside from that, it’s essential for producing almost everything you depend on. Think about your day: You brush your teeth, you shower, you check your email, get gas on the way to work. All of these activities require water. The electricity you use […]
Earlier this month, the Association of Tasco Community Water (ASOACCTASCO), the Tasco Youth Collective and the Peasant Integration Foundation (FINTEC) co-hosted the 2nd meeting of the National Defendors of Páramos in Tasco, Colombia. The conference brought together various grassroots organizations to discuss the harmful effects of area mining exploitation by multinational corporations and to unify […]
As many in the development field recognize, rural and urban planning can contribute greatly to (or hinder) socioeconomic development. In the townships around Cape Town, for example, everyday I see how poor infrastructure contributes to poverty through limited access to water, healthcare, food, electricity and adequate housing. Heavy rains can cause terrestrial flooding that predominantly […]
Twenty-six years ago, as the average LBJ student was just getting started in life, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was formed to organize the international scientific community of climate change research. Later that same year, in July 1988, NASA’s Jim Hansen provided a now famous Senate testimony to a sweltering hot chamber. Legend […]
Last week, the Net Impact chapter at UT’s McCombs School of Business hosted a summit on “Business for Good,” with one panel devoted to social impact investing. Social impact investing is any form of investment that has positive effects for the broader community. It is hard to state a more precise definition, because “impact investing” […]