Wildfires cause tragic losses to life, property, and the environment. But even after the fire rages, the damage is far from done. Without vegetation, bare, burnt soil lies vulnerable to erosion, which can impede efforts towards natural forest regeneration. Now Assaf Inbar, a graduate student at Tel Aviv University’s Porter School of Environmental Studies, together […] … learn more→
Monthly Archives: December 2011
Saving the soil after devastating forest fires
Bachelor of Sustainability (Business)
Sustainability is a global balancing act between economic growth, social wellbeing and environmental conservation. Complex worldwide environmental problems make sustainability increasingly important. … learn more→
Empty shell or nest egg: what next for climate finance after Durban?
One of the main achievements of the Durban climate change conference was establishing the Green Climate Fund. This is expected to channel a fair amount of the US$100 billion a year in climate finance that wealthy countries have promised to mobilise by 2020. Critics are concerned that for now the Fund is simply an “empty […] … learn more→
The right search for the right job
For most people, the difficult parts of the job search include things like writing a resume and performing well on interviews. Very few people believe that it is difficult to \”find\” a job — the tough part is getting the right job, right? Well, not quite. Matching yourself with the right job through clever search […] … learn more→
Having a cow can be a heart-healthy choice
Lean beef can contribute to a heart-healthy diet in the same way lean white meats can, according to nutritional scientists. The DASH diet — Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension — is currently recommended by the American Heart Association to lower cholesterol and reduce risk of heart disease. People following the DASH diet are encouraged to […] … learn more→
Something about Siri: has the iPhone virtual assistant become the Apple of our eye?
In less than two months, Siri, Apple’s virtual assistant, has insinuated herself into western culture. This has been less because of Apple’s marketing and more due to the public’s general interest in the concept and Siri’s potential. Of course, the fact Siri refused to advise people of locations of abortion clinics helped increase her notoriety. […] … learn more→
What rising temperatures may mean for world’s wine industry
Warming temperatures associated with climate change are already affecting vineyards from France to Chile, often in beneficial ways. But as the world continues to warm, some traditional winemaking regions are scrambling to adapt, while other areas see themselves as new wine frontiers. Fifty years ago, English wine was something of a national joke. “Wine making […] … learn more→
Are the anxious oblivious?
Anxious people have long been classified as \”hypersensitive\” — they\’re thought to be more fearful and feel threatened more easily than their counterparts. But new research from Tel Aviv University shows that the anxious may not be hypersensitive at all — in fact, they may not be sensitive enough. As part of a study on […] … learn more→
Thoughts from a thorium ‘symposium’
You have probably heard at least a little about thorium. There are certainly advocates out there who strongly believe it could help solve the world’s energy problems. The idea is that thorium-based nuclear energy (it is nuclear) would have all the advantages of a uranium-based system – producing large-scale electricity with low emissions – without […] … learn more→
MIT launches online learning initiative
MIT has announced the launch of an online learning initiative internally called “MITx.” MITx will offer a portfolio of MIT courses through an online interactive learning platform that will: organize and present course material to enable students to learn at their own pace feature interactivity, online laboratories and student-to-student communication allow for the individual assessment […] … learn more→