Articles archive
Black carbon 'soot' problem not being addressed
Where anti-smog laws exist in developing countries, these have often been rendered inutile by poor enforcement – writes Dennis Posadas
The absurdity of 'expert' economic forecasts
Economic forecasts have become so unreliable that they are often not worth the paper they are written on. So, given that highly-paid 'experts' continually fail to predict the economic health of sovereign states, our secret columnist thought he would get in on the act and chance his arm
Allegations of corruption in Slovenia and across the EU
Despite fines and alleged scandals, questionable companies win new contracts every day and posts impressive profits – claims Piotr Trzaskowski
Iceland must comply with EU rules if it is to join the club
The EU should not lower its standards on whaling or fisheries whatever the economic rewards might be of allowing Iceland to join the European club - argues Stephen Tindale
Media losing its 'truth-seeking' status - Leveson must act
The negative diet of stories about the political process from the UK media – especially the tabloid press – has created a sense of fatalism among readers, writes Ruth Fox
Greece in economic and social chaos
Escalating street violence, protests, racist attacks and economic misery are driving Greece to the brink of collapse, while politicians and officials enjoy their summer holidays
Handing schools over to private sector would be a mistake
Children's lives are already full of commercial messaging without bringing those pressures into for-profit schools that are removed from state control - writes Rick Muir
Water, water everywhere but prices still rising
Citizens should be able to water their gardens and improve their environment at prices that are affordable - especially during periods of record rainfall - argues Sir Ian Byatt
When politicians speak, the rhetoric rarely matches reality
Due to political triangulation, globalisation, the markets and geopolitics – the control of even the most powerful leaders over events and policy is usually limited. That does not stop them telling us what we want to hear – even when the words bear little resemblance to reality. Our secret columnist looks at some classic examples of politicians being economical with the truth
The darker side of the London 2012 Olympics - an activist's view
Everybody has enjoyed the sporting excellence and feel-good factor of London 2012, but there is a rather gloomy undercurrent to the Olympics – claims Steve Rushton
The ramifications of ocean acidification - a warning
The coming changes in ocean pH may well occur too rapidly for some marine species to adapt to and survive - warns Professor Lloyd Peck
Global demand for uranium growing despite Fukushima
Although the accident at Fukushima had repercussions in several countries, ever-increasing global demand means that nuclear energy is set to experience strong growth in rapidly developing parts of the world – writes Luis E. Echávarri
No need for UK-EU audit William Hague - we've done it for you
As the British Foreign Secretary attempts to appease Eurosceptics in his own party with an audit of the UK's relationship with the EU - our secret columnist beats him to the punch, with a full rundown of the pros and cons of membership, and a status report on how things stand currently. Happy reading William Hague – there is no charge for this service
Spanish judge questions al-Qaeda terror suspects
Three suspected members of al-Qaeda who had amassed enough explosives to blow up a bus and may have been planning an attack in Europe are being questioned by a Spanish judge
Elites must decentralise power following the Arab Spring
Ruling elites must now disperse power and funding to the grassroots level, if they want real socio-economic change to follow the revolutions – writes Dr Yossef Ben-Meir