Ed Dowding

Tag: eddowding

Surviving the post-employment economy

What do these people have in common? They are trained professionals who cannot find full-time jobs. Since 2008, they have been tenuously employed – working one-year contracts, consulting on the side, hustling to survive. Via http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/11/surviving-post-employment-economy-201311373243740811.html

How and Why to Be a Leader (Not a Wannabe)

We need a new generation of leaders. And we need it now. We’re in the midst of a Great Dereliction — a historic failure of leadership, precisely when we need it most. Hence it’s difficult, looking around, to even remember what leadership is. Via http://blogs.hbr.org/2013/07/how-and-why-to-be-a-leader-not/

The secret truth behind environmentalists’ favourite argument

When environmentalists argue amongst themselves, whether at some formal debate or late at night over a few drinks, I confidently predict that the argument will go like this. Via http://www.darkoptimism.org/2013/01/20/the-secret-truth-behind-environmentalists/#more-3866

This Smart Wheel Makes Cycling in the City a Breeze [VIDEO]

As city planners and green-energy experts endeavor to find new ways to make our commutes more environmentally friendly, the popularity of bicycle-sharing has exploded in some of the world’s biggest cities. Via http://mashable.com/2013/10/16/flykly-smart-wheel-cycling/

You want to ration my what?

When Stan Cox’s Losing Our Cool questioned America’s fetish for air-conditioning in 2010, some very nasty comments reached his inbox. But Cox, an agricultural researcher at the Land Institute in Salina, Kan., is not one to back down from saying what needs to be said. Via http://grist.org/climate-energy/you-want-to-ration-my-what/

Ashton Kutcher Just Told A Bunch Of Teenagers How To Be Sexy, In The Smartest Way Ever

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuBSRC1zpHw Via Upworthy

Excerpts from John Ashton’s Alternative Mansion House speech

“My generation has done a terrible thing. We closed our eyes and surrendered our capacity to build the future. We surrendered it to a modern day secular cult. The cult has no single name, only labels that identify sectors within its sphere of influence.” Source: http://www.neweconomics.org/blog/entry/excerpts-from-john-ashtons-alternative-mansion-house-speech

Profits Without Production

One lesson from recent economic troubles has been the usefulness of history. Via http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/21/opinion/krugman-profits-without-production.html

Does transparency lead to trust? Some evidence on the subject.

As open government gains traction in the international agenda, it is increasingly common to come across statements that assume a causal relationship in which transparency leads to trust in government. But to what extent are claims that transparency leads to trust backed up by evidence? Via http://democracyspot.net/2013/06/19/does-transparency-lead-to-trust-some-evidence-on-the-subject/

With an Eye Toward Disaster, NYC Debuts Solar Charging Stations

Nerval’s Lobster writes “When hurricane Sandy pummeled New York City last fall, it left a sizable percentage of the metropolis without electricity. Residents had trouble keeping their phones and tablets charged, and often walked across whole neighborhoods to reach zones with power. Via http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/13/06/18/1832251/with-an-eye-toward-disaster-nyc-debuts-solar-charging-stations

Ancient Roman Concrete Is About To Revolutionize Modern Architecture

schwit1 sends this news from Businesweek: “After 2,000 years, a long-lost secret behind the creation of one of the world’s most durable man-made creations ever — Roman concrete — has finally been discovered by an international team of scientists, and it may have a significant impact on how we bu Via http://tech.slashdot.org/story/13/06/15/1238226/ancient-roman-concrete-is-about-to-revolutionize-modern-architecture