Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Commonwealth Could Be National Leader in Renewables
The Massachusetts House and Senate have passed energy bills that dictate the percentage of renewable energy in which the Commonwealth will invest by raising the Renewable Portfolio Standard. That’s the percentage of electricity that utilities have to get from renewable sources. The House wants to raise the RPS to two percent a year, starting in…
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Career Politician vs. Activist: Congressional hopeful Ayanna Pressley debates incumbent Michael Capuano
Bay State Rep. Michael Capuano and Boston City Councilor-At-Large Ayanna Pressley sparred over who would best represent the Seventh Congressional District in Congress – notably the most diverse district in the state – during a debate at UMass Boston hosted by WBUR on Aug. 7. Capuano touted his many notable endorsements as evidence of his…
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Fifty Years After the Fair Housing Act, Discrimination is Still an Issue
The Fiftieth Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act (FHA) of 1968, celebrated this past April, begs the question: where do we stand as a nation half a century later? The enactment of this law is the legacy of the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and many other civil rights activists, and as a…
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Boston names first black police commissioner, but activists say there’s still a lot of work to do
William Gross made history on July 23 when he became Boston’s first ever black police commissioner. Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced Gross’s appointment, which will begin on August 5. Both Walsh and outgoing commissioner William Evans had glowing words for Gross and his 33 year career at the Boston Police Department. “I don’t think the…
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The Forgotten Crisis: Nobody Thinks It Could Happen to Them
Sometimes when I talk to groups about homelessness, unless they’re activists, I get a blank stare, like I’m talking to a bunch of empty chairs or an empty room. I get it: homelessness isn’t sexy or trendy like climate change, gun control, LGBTQ rights, or even animal rights for that matter. Those are all important…
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Ocean Monuments Have No Impact on Commercial Fishing
Public data on commercial fishing shows no losses from the creation of protected areas off the New England coast, according to a new analysis. The commercial fishing industry had opposed the creation of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, saying that prohibiting commercial fishing in the two areas would cripple the industry. But…
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Family Planning Is a Human Right
It has been five decades since the international community affirmed the right to family planning but women still remain unable to enjoy this right, which is increasingly under attack around the world. It has been five decades since the international community affirmed the right to family planning but women still remain unable to enjoy this…
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Raising the Profile on the Largest Environmental Issue of Our Time
IPS correspondent Tharanga Yakupitiyage spoke to Robert Scholes, ecologist and co-chair of Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service (IPBES) assessment, about land degradation and efforts needed to halt and reverse the catastrophe. Land degradation caused by human activities is occurring at an alarming rate across the world, and the cost will be steep…
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