It’s more than an annoyance. Those who are stuck in long commutes every day face physical and mental health challenges that could easily be dismissed because of our need to support ourselves and our families, but at what cost?
Kia Examines the “Seven Stages of Life”
April 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Leave it to a car company to break life down into segments associated with their factory warranties. That’s exactly what was done in this entertaining look at the way we live through the decades.
This infographic, courtesy of Watertown CT Kia, gives us a glimpse at life events such as getting a new job or getting a house and uses them as the highlights that make up our existence. Click to enlarge.
Via: Automotive SEO
Is Food Speculation Inherently Evil?
September 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Food speculation is the business practice of “betting” on whether food prices will go up or down. In a recent report (pdf), WDM attempts to expose this issue.
The world is facing a global food price crisis. In 2008, food prices reached record levels, rising 80% in 18 months, pushing the total number of people going hungry to over 1 billion. Following this peak food prices rapidly declined. However, since 2009 the cost of food has been climbing again on global markets, with food prices reaching record highs once again in early 2011. Many commentators expect food prices to continue to rise, threatening the lives and livelihoods of millions of people.
This huge increase in the cost of food and a sharp increase in food price volatility over recent years triggered a global debate on the causes and solutions to this crisis. Some factors are widely agreed to have had an impact on food prices, such as declining crop yields as a result of climate change, the impact of growing demand for biofuels and the long-term neglect of investment in agriculture by governments around the world.
The role of financial speculation in contributing to this crisis has been much more controversial. Many have argued that the huge increase in financial participation in commodity derivative markets has played a central role, fueling price inflation and increasing price volatility. In the UK, the World Development Movement has played a pioneering role in drawing attention to the impacts of financial speculation.
This infographic by WDM breaks down the truths behind this growing issue in the world. Click to enlarge.
Wasted Potential
April 25, 2011 By 1 Comment
There are many groups such as PETA that fight animal cruelty, but few address the issues surrounding animal captivity. Supporters of zoos claim that giving animals food, shelter, and protection from predators and hunters is a fair exchange for enclosing them in areas with no hope of “living free.”
For many animals, such as the lion above, this just isn’t the case.
Their instincts tell them to live wild. They want to hunt, to mingle with other animals, to travel in their native lands and be animals. In zoos, many of these creatures have been forced to deny their instincts and change the way they live. It may not be cruelty to animals the way most define, but it’s far from an ideal existence.
Leafy Seadragon: Possibly the Coolest Looking Animal on Earth
April 9, 2011 By 2 Comments
There are some amazing creatures on the planet, but few can compare to the seaweed-mimicking Leafy Seadragon when it comes to sheer oddness of appearance. This glorious creature is found naturally only on the shores of Australia and is rarely held in captivity due to strict conservation laws in the country.
Rather than bore you with facts that you can find on Wikipedia, here’s the pics:
