the morningside post

Rothbury: A Music Festival With Some Suggestions

By Ben Colmery
MIA 2009

In about a month everyone’s going to be asking each other, “So, what did you do over the summer?” Mostly, people are going to be interested in what internships everyone did, and just as importantly, where they did them.

Sure, these are interesting questions for SIPA people. After all, some are out there working on climate change, food security, economic development, conflict resolution, HIV/AIDS, or human rights. They are doing it in places like Ghana, Uganda, Thailand, Brazil, and Nigeria. And so much of it is important work, in the name of helping others.

I, on the other hand, recently did something that was of pivotal importance to helping me. I got my head screwed back on right. It wasn’t until I pulled this off that I realized just how askew my head had become after a year of pushing my brains to their outer reaches at SIPA. For all the good it had done me, something just wasn’t right.

Meet Me and Malthus at Dinosaur BBQ

By Christian Kim
MIA 2009

The recent spike in global food prices touched off a storm of violent protests in developing nations and unsettled those keeping close tabs on the global economy. Unbelievably, many economists failed to anticipate that an increased demand for biofuels would lead to more expensive grain, which in turn has had a deleterious effect on the purchasing power of the world’s poor and exacerbated their struggle for survival.

Perhaps this food supply shock, in addition to the increasingly serious debate among analysts about the veracity of "peak oil" and concerns over the future supply of potable water prompted a May edition of the Economist to publish an article entitled, “Malthus, The False Prophet.” Thomas Malthus’ 1798 thesis, “An Essay on the Principle of Population,” postulated that future food production would fail to keep pace with population growth because the former had finite parameters whereas the latter, in theory, did not. According to the Economist, while Malthus presents “arguably an accurate description of pre-industrial societies, which teetered on the balance between empty and full stomachs,” his prediction of food shortages in face of exponential population increases (which has gone from nearly one billion people in 1798 to 6.7 billion today) has proved to be but an empty jeremiad.

"If this book represents a fraction of their zeal..."

I was reading the New York Times Book Review this afternoon only to see the name of a fellow TMPer mentioned.   TMP's very own Jeca Taudte has been working away at a book co-written with the MySpace Community. - MYSPACE/OURPLANET and by the account of the NYTimes she's has created quite a book.

In the opinion of reviewer Elizabeth Royte it's "blessedly straightforward....makes its point with a sassy tone" and left her feeling that "if this book represents a fraction of their [the Myspace Community's] zeal for treading more lightly on the planet, there's hope for everyone." 

So if you're in need of eco-tips go buy the book by clicking here. Or if you prefer to meet the 179,542 friends of the MySpace/Ourplanet click here.

- This alum publication comes on the heels of another. So if you're also a SIPA grad who has written a book let us know and we'll feature it on our about page.

Looking for Some Job Ideas?

By Courtney Doggart
MIA 2009

In The History of the Siege of Lisbon, author Jose Saramago explores the historical implications of a book proofreader slipping in the tiny word “not” into a historical account of the 1147 siege of Lisbon.  The ensuing romp underscores, among other things, how words are indicators with long-lasting implications. A more modern version of the proofreader’s tale can perhaps be found in the unfortunately named “nonprofit sector.” With urban legends of underpaid, overworked employees and a sector name that is less than tantalizing, it is unsurprising that the nonprofit sector consistently draws the fewest SIPA students into its ranks.

While I don’t make a habit of reading career guides cover-to-cover, I can confidently say that this one is far from dry.

Last week, I sat down last week with Shelly Cryer, SIPA alum and former adjunct professor, to talk about her new book, a guide to the nonprofit sector. From the beginning both she and the book emphasize that the sector is done a disservice by being defined by what it is not. Rather, Cryer believes that the nonprofit sector should be recognized for what it is—a sector that “emphasizes mission and not the financial bottom line.” The book, aptly titled The Nonprofit Career Guide: How to Land a Job That Makes a Difference, dispels some of the common myths (salary...) about the sector about and provides a thorough analysis of its job market.

Sustainability: The Best Place to Start is Your Own Backyard

By Cathleen Monahan
MPA ESP 2008

If I were to make a generalization about SIPA students, it’s a pretty safe bet to say we’re an idealistic bunch.  Not blindly idealistic, but a reasonable mix of desiring both meaningful work as well as making a living, a group searching for that elusive career that brings additional fulfillment on top of a paycheck premium.  The MPA in Environmental Science and Policy program, of which I am a part, certainly attracts a diverse group of students with the common desire to have an impact on the environmental issues of our time.  And in the 10 months of our 12-month MPA program, we’ve been studying how to go about influencing the agencies and firms of the world to heighten their environmentally sustainable practices.  We’ve been trained to be entrepreneurs of such changes, to seek opportunities to effect actions that will benefit the environment.  In perhaps a direct application of the “think globally act locally” catchphrase, we didn’t have to look much further than our own International Affairs Building (IAB) to see an opportunity.
 

Green Dragon Perspectives: Hope from Hvistendahl – China’s Environmental Movement 2.0

By Kerstin Ahlgren
MIA 2009

To a foreigner who has lived in China, Mara Hvistendahl (who spoke at a talk sponsored by Green Dragon on February 18th, 2008) set a familiar scene in her presentation on China’s Environmental Movement 2.0.  She talked about the “China cold,” symptoms of which include hacking, excess flem, spitting, and congestion.  Hvistendahl, however, has gone further than simply living with and complaining about the China cold and has consistently sought out those who are changing China’s environmental reality.  In doing so, she has become a clear voice of nuance and hope among the many China naysayers.

PARIS & THE “PLIGHT OF THE PACHYDERMS”

Our Modern Media World

Paris & the “Plight of the Pachyderms”

Don’t believe Ms Hilton's Animal Magnetism rules here; Trees fall, unheard

Comment by Tom Lansner

Tom Lansner is adjunct associate professor at Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, specializing in international media and communications. He covered conflicts in many countries over a decade as correspondent for the London Observer and other publications. His three-part e-seminar on war reporting is available at Columbia Interactive.

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HAVE we finally seen the perfect media storm? The Mid-November's teacup tempest blew away many other stories, and then became more complex as a torrent of denials and clouds of obfuscation buried a genuinely important story.

In a nutshell, an AP stringer in Gauhauti, the biggest city in Northeast India, filed on 13 November describing local reaction to Paris Hilton’s reported concern over elephants that died in an electrocution accident after sucking down stores of local famers’ rice beer. Paris’s “publicist couldn’t immediately be reached for comment,” AP waved as due diligence. After all, the source was an entertainment website that said it saw the piece in a British tabloid. This story was obviously too good to hold for verification. Hit “send” immediately!

Today, anything Paris Hilton — or Britney, etc.— does (or even doesn’t really do, in this case, as we soon see) is major news for even many of our allegedly most serious news outlets.

AP ran it hard. Pravda picked it up. YahooNews and the Hindustan Times got excited. The Critternews blog commented.  The Orange Country Register in California even elevated Paris’s conjured quote to a headline screamer: “Don't give booze to elephants, sobs Paris Hilton”.

Green Dragon Perspectives: The Real Cost of China's Environmental Crisis

By Kerstin Ahlgren
MIA 2009

David McCann from the Clinton Climate Initiative, Kyle Meng from Environmental Defense, and Jennifer Holdaway from the Social Science Research Council, share a vision for China:  to make addressing global climate change economically feasible and necessary. For McCann, this can be done by retrofitting public buildings, and for Meng by ensuring that the price of carbon is embedded in the economy. For Holdaway, advocacy and research (inherent in which is the collective treatment of environmental and health issues) is necessary to convince government institutions that death and disease stemming from environmental issues are causing a huge drain on the Chinese economy. Some estimates translate this loss to 5.8% of GDP, a vast underestimation according to Holdaway, and much of it is a direct result of individual poverty.

Climate Change, People Power, and the Upcoming Event "Who's A Leader?"

By Elie Chachoua
MPA 2009

[As the largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world, the US will need to get involved for the solution to climate change to reach a global scale. For this to happen soon, there needs to be more public action to put Climate Change on the US political agenda. Margo Bettencourt (CU Alumni 2006), is a great example of the public taking action. I asked her to comment on how she came to grassroots activism, and on the importance of "Who's a Leader?", an upcoming event she is involved with.]

Can I be an eco-American? I didn’t think so last October when I returned from a two year stint in Paris. Seeing our culture through a fresh lens, I was struck by what seemed like a contradictory stance on climate change. On the one hand, I was overwhelmed by the non-profits, businesses, policies and citizens bathed in various shades of ‘green’, promising to end the climate crisis. Yet, I was still trapped, like most people who can’t afford to live sustainably, in the consumption cycle that fuels climate change.

Lisa Anderson called it, Al Gore Wins Nobel Peace Prize

By Matteen Mokalla
MIA 208

As an editor of SIPA News I had the opportunity to meet with Prof. Lisa Anderson last year who was serving at that time as SIPA's Dean.

Before we got to chatting about the next issue of the magazine, Prof. Anderson told me that she had heard through some sources that Al Gore was the front runner for a Nobel Peace Prize. "And if he wins," she told me "remember, you heard it here first."

Well Prof. Anderson I'm telling the world, you called it! Finally the papers can say, "Gore wins." Now, what are next week's lottery numbers?

All for all the Techno-geeks out there, check out Apple's website where they are dropping mad props for the former Veep (a current Apple board member). For Apple nerds like yours truly, this is indeed quite amusing. I guess this will remind me to recycle my next Apple product.