In 1968, sociologist Peter Berger prophesied that by “the 21st century, religious believers are likely to be found only in small sects, huddled together to resist a worldwide secular culture.” Sixty years later, few predictions have aged worse. Religion, and subsequent religious advocacy, is not retreating from public life—it is increasingly becoming an effective political […]
Month: July 2025
Storm Clouds Over Yosemite: Federal Layoffs Cast Dark Futures on the Park and Its Protectors
My heart stopped as I looked down from my position atop Yosemite’s Half Dome and watched Diana’s grip slip from the metal cables. As lightning illuminated the dark, cloudy sky and rain slashed onto the now ice-slick granite face, I was hanging vertically, 8,830 feet in the air, fearing for my life. Simultaneously, down on […]
The Moral Ambiguity of Carbon Capture
Californians are well aware by now that the world is in the thralls of climate change. The state feels the effects often—every year we deal with fires, earthquakes, and dramatic natural disasters that devastate community after community. And what can we do? The California state government says that we need to cut back on carbon […]
School Vouchers: Salvation or Scam?
Imagine if you were only legally allowed to shop at one grocery store. The produce is rotten, and the store doesn’t have any of your favorite items. Worse, other customers are violent, and they harass you, so you feel unsafe every time you shop. If you pay an exorbitant amount of money, you could shop […]
The Chinese Dream Versus a Chemical Crisis
China has backed itself into a diplomatic corner. In order to achieve its ambitious goals, Beijing must balance its reputation, relations with potential investees in the Global South, and relations with the United States. In terms of the U.S., Beijing wants to project power, mainly by winning the trade war through strategic leveraging of counternarcotics […]
The Refugee Camp That Time Forgot
Nestled in the arid terrain of northeastern Kenya, the Dadaab refugee complex stands as one of the clearest examples of a humanitarian system that has lost its way. Established in 1991 as an emergency response to the outbreak of civil war in Somalia, Dadaab was designed to be a temporary solution. But over three decades […]