In the early 1960’s, many environmental protection NGOs started to promote conservation of ecosystems all over the globe. Greenpeace’s first stated mission is to “protect biodiversity in all its forms”. For WWF its principal objective is to “conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth.” Conservation and climate … Continue reading Are indigenous people’s livelihoods and conservation compatible?
Have you ever wondered what is wrong with people who have political views so different from yours? Have you ever experienced frustration in discussing politics with friends who seem to stick to their ideology, irrespective of the evidence you might bring into the discussion? You are not alone, I guess, and you might find some interesting … Continue reading The Biology of Our Political Beliefs
The origins of tobacco processing in Toulouse go back to 1674. Seeds were first grown in the South-West of France during the 17 th century. King Louis XIV was soon after the first to monopolize its distribution and sales under the state. In 1791, the French Revolutionaries abolished the monopoly, only for it to be … Continue reading Historical Origins
About 50 years ago, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky started to take on the neoclassical doctrine of rational, self-interested behaviour. It turned out to be a destructive process. The two psychologists showed how humans systematically behave differently than homo economicus1 would in a range of situations. Choose a setup, see what the prediction of economic … Continue reading A short history of Behavioural Economics
The TSEconomist 