Message Development Posts
Do I Believe in Climate Change? Well, It Depends on What You Want Me to Do About It.
A study found that a scientific finding’s practical implications and solutions – not just the underlying facts – influence people’s likelihood of believing the science itself. This has huge implications for communications professionals.
Not For Sale: Indigenous Peoples Protect Their Lands—Sometimes with their Lives
There are few people who would refuse to sell their home—if the price were right. So investors might assume that money would mollify indigenous and other rural peoples whose land is wanted for gold mining, oil, timber or other extractive projects. But new findings released last month in London by the Rights and Resources Initiative and by TMP Systems revealed the opposite.
US Aid for Peace in Colombia Sounds Like a Good Idea, But Here’s What’s Missing
President Obama announced that he would ask for $450 million in aid to help Colombia end "half a century of wrenching conflict" and usher in a peaceful era. This sounds like good news, but notably absent from the commitment was any mention of those hardest hit by the country's 50-year war.
Death Rates for Middle-Aged White Americans Should Be Falling, So Why Aren’t They?
In the United States, we’ve grown to expect that as time goes on, people get healthier—life expectancy rises, fewer people die of preventable or treatable conditions, and so on. But a recent report from the Commonwealth Fund found that this is no longer the case for middle-aged white people—and the reason might surprise you.
“That’s When Things Started to Change”
For every great societal challenge, there is a moment when we look back and say, “That’s when things started to change.” For our nation’s oral health crisis, that moment is now.
How Prepared Is Your State for an Outbreak?
According to a leading voice in public health, the answer to that question is “not as prepared as it should be,” no matter where you live. And some states are significantly less prepared than others.
All About Forests and Farms at the Climate Talks
In the midst of the United Nations climate change conference in Paris, hundreds of leaders gathered for the Global Landscapes Forum, a major side event focused on the role that farms and forests play in causing and preventing the changing climate.
#StandWithForests
For the first time in history, a climate agreement, signed in Paris, commits nearly every country in the world to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. And forest loss, which contributes about 11 percent of global emissions, was a central focus of the discussions.
Indigenous Peoples ‘Paddle to Paris’ for COP21
Hundreds of indigenous peoples from the major tropical forest regions of Latin America, Africa and Indonesia traveled to Paris for COP21, hoping to be heard above the cacophony of voices shaping the long-awaited climate agreement.
Does Money Stress You Out? You’re Not Alone.
Finances are a struggle for Americans – and not just the poor. In fact, more than half of Americans — 57 percent — are considered financially unhealthy. Our partners at the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) are working to change that.
