Critics of 'degrowth' economics say it's unworkable - but from an ecologist's perspective, it's inevitable

S37

Critics of 'degrowth' economics say it's unworkable - but from an ecologist's perspective, it's inevitable     You may not have noticed, but earlier this month we passed Earth overshoot day, when humanity’s demands for ecological resources and services exceeded what our planet can regenerate annually. Many economists criticising the developing degrowth movement fail to appreciate this critical point of Earth’s biophysical limits. Continued here

S1

Doris: A Watercolor Serenade to the Courage of Authenticity and the Art of Connection     Each month, I spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars keeping The Marginalian going. For seventeen years, it has remained free and ad-free and alive thanks to patronage from readers. I have no staff, no interns, not even an assistant — a thoroughly one-woman labor of love that is also my life and my livelihood. If this labor has made your own life more livable in the past year (or the past decade), please consider aiding its sustenance with a one-time or loyal donation. Your support makes all the difference.“There is no insurmountable solitude,” Pablo Neruda asserted in his stirring Nobel Prize acceptance speech. “All paths lead to the same goal: to convey to others what we are. And we must pass through solitude and difficulty, isolation and silence in order to reach forth to the enchanted place where we can dance our clumsy dance.”The self-permission to dance into our authenticity, however clumsily, however lonesomely, may be the supreme achievement of life. Continued here

S2

Rethinking Governance for Digital Innovation     Our summer special report helps leaders gain a comprehensive view of risks, learn how to overcome market disrupters, and manage the analytical tools that provide predictive insight for decision-making.Our summer special report helps leaders gain a comprehensive view of risks, learn how to overcome market disrupters, and manage the analytical tools that provide predictive insight for decision-making.When global chemical company BASF launched its Onono lab in São Paulo, Brazil, its mission was to accelerate innovation through rapid collaboration with local partners and startups. But Onono’s director, Antonio Lacerda, faced an immediate hurdle from corporate governance: He was told that his lab would have to follow the same corporate data policies used to secure BASF’s entire cloud infrastructure — which would have made it impossible to partner quickly and nimbly with new startups. Lacerda postponed the launch until he was able, with significant political capital, to arrange an exception: a “sandbox” of separate data for his team, with special permission to share that data through APIs with new partners. Continued here

S3

'Quiet quitting is the status quo': Workers are still proud to do the bare minimum     When Hunter Ka’imi appeared on the US talk show Dr. Phil in autumn 2022, producers didn’t even use his surname. Instead, they just identified him as a “quiet quitter”.“I believe quiet quitting is a protest for workers’ rights,” Ka’imi told the audience. “I don’t find that work is the most important thing in my life, nor do I think it should be the most important thing in anyone’s life.” Continued here

S4

Why KFC failed to master Karachi's famed paratha rolls     Paratha rolls – tender, juicy kebab or bite-sized chunks of grilled meat smothered with tangy chutney, garnished with onions and rolled in flaky, crispy fried flatbread (paratha) – are to Pakistanis what hot dogs are to Americans; they are at the culinary core of the frenetically paced city of Karachi. In this ethnically and linguistically diverse metropolis, paratha rolls are one of the few creations the city can proudly claim as its own. It's not so much a question of whether you've tried them, but which one is your favourite.The central premise is simple – just wrap a kebab in a paratha. But Masuma Yousufzai, a Karachi local who grew up eating paratha rolls, says it's the marriage of the two staples that stands out. Typically, kebab and paratha are eaten by tearing off pieces of the bread to scoop up the meat, but putting the bread and meat in one roll makes it greater than the sum of its parts. For Karachi residents, the food has always captured the zeitgeist of the times in one daring, delicious parcel. Continued here

S5

Chile's 'ugly', edible sea-squirt     At first sight, the piure (also known as the pyura chilensis) is not the most appetising seafood. While served all along the coast of Chile, its strong, iodine taste paired with its "ugly" appearance can be unappealing to consumers, who tend to prefer the softer flavour of mussels, clams, scallops and the beloved loco, a Chilean sea snail that's typically eaten with mayonnaise. However, as more chefs creatively incorporate it into dishes, piure could very well become the next hero of Chilean cuisine. Found on the coasts of Peru and Chile, piure is a tunicate (also known as a sea-squirt) – a spineless marine animal that feeds by sucking in water through one syphon and expelling through the other – that looks like something out of this world. Appearing as a solid rocklike form, each chunk is made up of dozens of piures lumped together, all peppered with what resembles lumpy warts and strands of hair (algae). Continued here

S6

Klaus Nomi: The 'singing alien' loved by David Bowie, Lady Gaga and many more     "Will they know me, know me, know me now?" That's the question asked by visionary German singer and performance artist Klaus Nomi on Nomi Song, a self-referential gem from his eponymous debut album, first released in 1981. That LP, along with the rest of Nomi's slender but influential catalogue, has recently been reissued to mark the 40th anniversary of his death. When Nomi died on 6th August 1983, aged just 39, he became one of the first high-profile figures to be claimed by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.In the subsequent four decades, Nomi's reputation has remained cult, even as his influence has been celebrated by mainstream figures. But thanks to TikTok, where clips of his performances have been viewed 4.8 million times, a new generation is discovering that this fascinating performer with a startling operatic voice is so much more than the David Bowie associate he is sometimes pigeonholed as. Continued here

S7

How Suits became TV's most popular show     Twelve years after its first episode premiered on US cable TV, the legal drama Suits is experiencing a huge resurgence in popularity. According to Nielsen's streaming charts, the series has clocked up more than 12.8 billion minutes viewed in the US over the last four weeks, after being added to Netflix in the US, where it is also available on NBC-owned streaming service Peacock. It has twice broken the record for most-streamed programme in the US in a single measurement week.Any show released today would be thrilled with these numbers, let alone a drama that aired its final episode in 2019 and could have just as easily faded from memory. So why has 2023 become the "summer of Suits"? Continued here

S8

Bandits in Nigeria: how protection payments to militias escalate conflict in the north-west     North-western Nigeria has become increasingly violent. This is due to the activities of militias, known locally as “bandits”. These are loosely organised armed groups, reportedly over 120 factions with 28 to 2,500 members. They are now deadlier than the well-known Boko Haram, which operates in north-eastern Nigeria.The origins of the conflict in north-western Nigeria can be traced back to 2011 following disagreements between Hausa farmers and Fulani pastoralists over changes in land ownership and encroachment on grazing routes, primarily due to environmental and climatic factors. They were characterised by small-scale disputes and isolated hit-and-run attacks resulting in crop damage and livestock theft. This conflict also included skirmishes with primitive weapons, such as sticks, daggers and locally crafted Dane guns. Continued here

S9

Diverse teams can improve engineering outcomes - but recent affirmative action decision may hinder efforts to create diverse teams     It may seem intuitive that teams made up of people with a diversity of perspectives, experiences and backgrounds lead to more effective and inclusive outcomes. But the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to curb affirmative action in higher education could hinder progress toward increasing diversity in the science and engineering fields. As a geographer and feminist scholar, my work centers on how diverse engineering teams can create space for better collaborations and outcomes. The first step to creating diverse teams is having diverse people with relevant engineering backgrounds, but this Supreme Court decision may create more roadblocks for people from underrepresented backgrounds pursuing the sciences. Continued here

S10

Daily report cards can decrease disruptions for children with ADHD     As another school year approaches, some caregivers, students and teachers may be feeling something new needs to happen to promote success in the classroom. As a clinical psychologist who studies how schools can help students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, I know traditional report cards distributed three or four times per year don’t do enough to make a difference for children who are prone to outbursts or other challenging behaviors. Continued here

S11

Montana kids win historic climate lawsuit - here's why it could set a powerful precedent     Sixteen young Montanans who sued their state over climate change emerged victorious on Aug. 14, 2023, from a first-of-its-kind climate trial.The case, Held v. State of Montana, was based on allegations that state energy policies violate the young plaintiffs’ constitutional right to “a clean and healthful environment” – a right that has been enshrined in the Montana Constitution since the 1970s. The plaintiffs claimed that state laws promoting fossil fuel extraction and forbidding the consideration of climate impacts during environmental review violate their constitutional environmental right. Continued here

S12

Ghana's plans for a national cathedral are mired in controversy and delays - but also reflect religion's strong role in the nation's identity     Ghana’s government aims to build a national cathedral: a multidenominational, monumental undertaking to house religious services and state events. Plans include a 5,000-seat worship space, a museum and a music school, reportedly projected to cost around US$400 million. President Nana Akufo-Addo, the project’s biggest backer, describes the cathedral in weighty terms on its website. The cathedral “provides a historic opportunity to put God at the centre of our nation’s affairs,” he writes, “and serves as a symbol of our eternal and continuing gratitude to Him for the blessings He continues to shower and bestow on our nation.” Continued here

S13

Threat from climate change to some of India's sacred pilgrimage sites is reshaping religious beliefs     The famous pilgrimage site of Kedarnath, located in the central Himalayas of India, is believed to be a sacred land. It has been referred to as “deva bhumi,” or the “land of the gods,” for centuries. Millions of people visit this region each year in search of divine blessings and other religious benefits as part of what is known as the Char Dham Yatra, or the pilgrimage to four sacred mountainous abodes devoted to different gods and goddesses. Situated at the base of 20,000-foot snowy peaks, Kedarnath is one of these four major destinations. Continued here

S14

Red, White & Royal Blue review - this queer romcom puts a new spin on the US and UK's 'special relationship'     Global interest in the British royals has increased in recent years, thanks, in part, to the prominent romance between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. So, it is perhaps not surprising that Amazon Prime’s new queer romantic comedy, Red, White & Royal Blue, has taken social media by storm. The feature-length romcom follows Alex Claremont-Diaz, son of the first female US president (played by Uma Thurman), and Prince Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, who is fourth in line to the British throne, as they fall in love. Based on the 2019 novel by Casey McQuiston, the film follows the enemies-to-lovers trope, and starts off by showing off the protagonists’ dislike for each other. Continued here

S15

Mobile money in Ghana isn't all good news: customers are paying a hefty price     Fintechs, notably mobile money, have transformed banking and finance in developing and emerging economies in Africa and beyond. Financial technology (better known as fintech) is used to describe new technology that seeks to improve and automate the delivery and use of financial services.Mobile money in Africa was spearheaded by Kenya’s M-Pesa in 2007. Ghana’s MTN MoMo followed in 2009. Mobile money is a pay-as-you-go digital medium of exchange and store of value using mobile money accounts and a mobile phone. Continued here

S16

South Sudan is gearing up for its first election - 3 things it must get right     Luka Kuol is affiliated with the Abyei Community Action for Development and the Rift Vally Institute.The people of South Sudan have not exercised the right to choose their leaders since the referendum that secured independence from Sudan in 2011. Instead, they have suffered through cycles of violent conflict that have prevented the democratic transfer of power. Continued here

S17

Jamie Reid: the defiant punk art of the man behind the Sex Pistols' iconic imagery     The death of graphic designer and activist Jamie Reid earlier this month was a huge loss for both the design community and the political left. Right until his death, Reid made incendiary works that incessantly attacked the political status quo.Announcing his passing, his family and gallerist James Marchant released a joint statement describing him as an “artist, iconoclast, anarchist, punk, hippie, rebel and romantic”. This eulogy doubles as a shorthand for the anarcho-punk design language he weaponised throughout his career. Continued here

S18

Turkey: are we witnessing the end of Erdoganomics?     Is the tide finally turning for Turkey? Three months after the re-election of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for his third term as president, which many feared would lead to economic chaos, ratings agency Moody’s has indicated that Turkey’s credit rating is on course for an upgrade. Since the election, Erdoğan has installed a new economic team with a commitment to reintroduce conventional monetary policies after years of a more singular approach. This has yielded some early positive results, with June recording the first current account surplus in 18 months – meaning more money came into the country than went out (mostly due to tourism and lower energy imports). Continued here