By Oscar Braun When we face imminent danger, we act. That is a general principle or ‘norm’ we can apply to our everyday lives. When we are under threat by an upcoming exam, we study. On a macro scale, when citizens of a country are in extreme danger, they seek refuge in other countries, migrating…
Category: environment
A Very Crude Awakening: Justifying Law-Breaking for Climate Protests
By Oscar Braun Throughout history, protest and the right to freedom of speech and expression have been pivotal in catalysing change, often for the ‘greater good’. We can break climate action protests into three main types: peaceful marches, civil disobedience, and violent protests.[1] Which is the ‘best’? How do we even begin to categorise and objectively…
Lightbulb Wars: Governments’ Misguided Approach to Sustainability
By Nathaniel Tanenbaum This past August, new energy efficiency rules from the US Department of Energy went into effect, effectively banning the sale of incandescent light bulbs. These bulbs, which represent the original technology patented by Thomas Edison in the 19th century, are woefully inefficient. Only 10% of the energy they use is converted into…
Hot Water and Cold Reality: France’s Nuclear Energy Dilemma in the Face of Climate Change
By Oscar Braun France has recently faced numerous political and social challenges; with the people unhappy about rising retirement ages, fuel costs, and public sector wages, is the nuclear energy dilemma just adding fuel to this fire? The growing presence of climatic change in Europe is present in the media but not always in our daily…
The St Andrews Economist 