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Abandon the idea of ‘great green walls’

OPINION: The notion of planting miles of trees to hold back encroaching deserts is misguided and damaging; we should promote programs that secure livelihoods and respect dryland ecologies instead

A conceptual image shows close-ups of chocolate, cattle, soybeans, cups of coffee and fallen logs. In the background, various forests are visible.

Food & Environment

Why one deforestation solution has yet to stop massive tree loss

OPINION: Zero-deforestation supply-chain commitments aren’t protecting tropical forests as much as hoped. But they might, if the same standards were applied to domestic and export markets.

Photograph of a Malayan tiger with two cubs.

Living World

Zoos need to change

OPINION: To justify their existence, they must make conservation their top priority

Photograph of a small child with a backpack staring through some railings at an empty schoolyard.

Society

How to recover from the Great Education Disruption

OPINION: Children around the world were out of school for months, with big impacts on learning, well-being and the economy. How do we avoid a ‘generational catastrophe’?

Photograph of a long concrete chute running into a reservoir that doesn’t seem to have much water in it!

Food & Environment

Pricing groundwater will help solve California’s water problems

OPINION: The state’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act is a great opportunity — if it goes far enough

A photograph shows huge clouds of black smoke darkening the sky above the containers and other structures of an oil storage facility. Flames are also visible.

Society

Russia is guilty of ecocide

OPINION: All perpetrators of environmental destruction should be held accountable

Health & Disease

This myth about guns is killing us

OPINION: The idea that gun violence prevention research is at odds with gun rights is just not true

Cartoon-style illustration of a snazzy, turquoise electric car being fueled up. The background is black with a lot of hexagons on it.

Society

Make electric vehicles affordable for the rest of us

OPINION: EV subsidies are poorly designed and mostly benefit the rich. Some simple changes could make them more effective and equitable.

Photograph about a dozen pale, tan horses relaxing on green grass by a body of water, Trees line the far shore.

Living World

The creative way to pay for wildlife recovery

OPINION: ‘Pragmatic rewilding’ restores damaged ecosystems and harnesses private money, with benefits for all

Several cars are partially submerged in a road flooded with waist-deep water; some people wade among the cars.

Food & Environment

Don’t let climate change take all the blame

OPINION: The climate crisis is a massive problem, but when politicians fault it entirely for every disaster, attention is deflected from local measures that might build resiliency. That needs to change.

Image shows a pixelated $100 dollar bill, representing digital money.

Technology

The next evolution of digital money? It’s happening now

OPINION: After cryptoassets, a wave of central bank digital currencies is set to revolutionize our ideas about what money is and how to manage it

Illustration shows a repeated motif of shady businessman (wearing bow-tie, bowler hat, and sunglasses) holding a large pill capsule.

Society

The science of placebos is fueling quackery

OPINION: The placebo effect is real. So are the ethical conundrums posed by those who would exploit the latest research advances for profit.

Photo shows people volunteering after a devastating earthquake in Nepal to recover bricks and heritage items from a destroyed temple in 2015. The volunteers, shown in silhouette, pass items hand to hand from the roof down to the ground.

Society

How to short-circuit short-term thinking

OPINION: Human behavior is fueling major social dilemmas — from climate change to the Covid pandemic to the spread of misinformation. But that means it’s also the solution, if only we can harness psychology for the common good.

Illustration shows two young Black children staring at a wall with words that express examples of the racism people in the United States face.

Society

How racism in early life can affect long-term health

OPINION: Excessive adversity activates biological reactions that can lead to lifelong problems in physical and mental wellbeing

Lab researchers wearing full protective suits, supplied with clean air, are shown in a lab.

Society

Question the ‘lab leak’ theory. But don’t call it a conspiracy.

OPINION: If there’s one thing the pandemic has taught us, labels get in the way of facts and make the truth that much harder to find.

Photo shows the exterior of a large building with a sign saying “This Hospital is CLOSED. If this is an emergency, call 911.”

Society

Let’s change how we pay for hospitals

OPINION: Many health facilities were already in fiscal straits before Covid-19 — except in Maryland. The state’s innovative and sound approach could be the answer to rescuing systems nationwide.

Illustration shows a networked globe with coronavirus particles.

Health & Disease

Building an immune system for the planet could prevent the next pandemic

OPINION: We need a global information network that spans borders so we can spot — and stop — new pathogens before they threaten world health

Panoramic photo shows a green lawn in Central Park, with park-goers, trees and the city skyline visible.

Society

Covid cut pollution and got us outside. Let’s keep it up.

OPINION: Urban planners need to find ways to reduce traffic and provide equal access to green spaces

Health & Disease

Covid job loss: The cause of the next epidemic?

OPINION: Being out of work — even for a just a few months — may be bad for your health

Photo shows a dad seated on the floor with a laptop balanced on his lap and writing in a planning calendar while talking on the phone. A baby sits at his knee, playing with blocks.

Society

Remote work can be a lot better than this

OPINION: Under the right conditions (i.e., not during a pandemic), telework can be great for both employers and employees

Health & Disease

Four ways HIV activists have saved lives during Covid

OPINION: We owe these early fighters a debt of gratitude for transforming our response to public health crises.

Health & Disease

Yes, all this screen time is hurting your eyes

OPINION: A neuroscientist says that he’s particularly worried about kids, who may have spent much of last year learning online. Some easy hacks can help.

Photo shows an unhoused man with his belongings resting in a covered bus stop in Washington, DC, in February 2021. A digital sign in the bus stop tracks upticks in the US national debt.

Society

The danger of high public debt is not what you think

OPINION: An overlooked consequence of huge deficit spending during the Covid-19 pandemic could be further loss of public trust in the government

Food & Environment

10 years after the nuclear meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi, I’m still worried

OPINION: The cleanup of the past decade at the Japanese power plant could be set back if authorities don’t properly handle a massive stockpile of contaminated water

Photograph of a smashed-up car that ran off the road into a lamppost. A fire truck and police cars are in the background.

Society

Another way that Covid can kill: Car crashes

OPINION: Traffic is down, but deaths are up. Here’s how to stay safe on the road.

Photo illustration of someone looking at information about mifepristone, used to terminate early pregnancies, on their smartphone.

Health & Disease

Abortions can happen safely — and entirely — at home

OPINION: The pandemic has taught us how we can deliver better care to patients who seek to terminate pregnancies. Now if only science could triumph over politics.

The Mind

Pandemic behavior: 4 takeaways, 2 experts and 1 big opportunity

OPINION: So many things about this global health crisis come down to people’s small, day-to-day actions. What have we learned so far?

Image of several coronaviruses floating on a red background

Health & Disease

How enlisting dentists can speed up Covid-19 vaccinations

OPINION: Dental care providers have the skills, the facilities and the trust of patients who might otherwise miss out

A family of four gathered in a hotel room, the father standing up by a small table figuring out food, the mother and children sitting on the bed, which has toys and books on it..

Society

A winter of despair for homeless families

OPINION: In the absence of much-needed measures, the pandemic will make the cold days harder and more perilous among our most vulnerable population

Photograph shows a back-view of a man and woman in business attire standing in front of two elevators and reaching for the buttons.

Society

How men can ‘lean in’ on behalf of women

OPINION: Women have been pulled away from their jobs during the pandemic. Here’s what they need right now from male allies in the office.

Conceptual illustration featuring a syringe and virus particles.

Health & Disease

I got the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. Or maybe not.

OPINION: Many Americans say they won’t take a vaccine. I am not one of <br xmlns="http://pub2web.metastore.ingenta.com/ns/"/>them — and I have the shots to prove it.

Health & Disease

7 ways to fix this pandemic — and stop the next one

OPINION: Experts predict another nearly 180,000 deaths by February. It doesn’t have to be that way, writes health security expert Eric Toner.

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Opinion

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