August 2015

Exploring the link between globalisation and stress

A direct relationship exists between stress and globalisation – i.e. transnational corporations and transnational economics – according to a recent study published in the Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities. The study, by an international research team in Thailand and Canada, analysed the relationship between globalisation and stress in a sample group of Thai farm workers. Eight years ago, the Thai government began mapping social protection strategies for various occupational groups including rural agricultural workers. Earlier studies had shown that agricultural workers accounted for the highest percentage of all workers, and that more than 30% of them were in debt. Globalisation, also defined as global capitalism, is a well-known dynamic of the twenty-first century. Its effects on health are complex and depend on a variety of factors, including income distribution and the presence (or absence) of resources to support physical and mental health. In the study, the researchers developed a survey based on the hypothesis that a number of factors – including fewer landowners, increased control of scientific management, and increased integration of local and global markets impacting the prices of agricultural goods – has resulted in stress among Thai rural workers. The survey involved 600 rural workers from different areas of Nakhon Pathom province in central Thailand. All the workers were in transition from an existing production system to a new one. Levels of perceived stress were measured using a test developed by the Department of Mental Health in Thailand. The results showed a direct relationship between transnational corporations or translational economics (an umbrella term that broadly describes the economic clout of multinational companies) and stress. The survey also reported that 75% of the respondents had poor health, with stress appearing to be their most frequent illness. The researchers noted that transnational practices, which are associated with mass […]

Food Ingredients in Cosmetics: Sustainability Implications

London – A wide range of food ingredients are making their way into cosmetic & personal care products. Organic Monitor finds the trend is driven by consumer demand for health & wellness products, however it brings sustainability implications. As shown at the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit Latin America (www.sustainablecosmeticssummit.com/Lamerica), the move towards food ingredients is partly driven by innovation: product developers and formulators are looking to the kitchen table for inspiration. With many consumers associating food ingredients with health benefits, such cosmetic products are usually marketed on these ingredients. The Body Shop has been a frontrunner in this respect, having imagery of agricultural ingredients on product packs and store shelves for decades. A large number of cosmetic products are now marketed on these ingredients. Some raw material firms are developing novel actives from food sources. One example is ReGeniStemT Red Rice, which is derived from Himalayan red rice material. Produced by Lonza, the natural active is marketed as having anti-ageing qualities. The UK company Oat Cosmetics specialises in producing similar actives from oats. Some ingredient companies are using food ingredients as feedstock for new cosmetic materials. DuPont Tate & Lyle was formed as a joint-venture between the chemical company DuPont and the sugar company Tate & Lyle. It uses corn sugar to make the monomer 1,3-propanediol as a petroleum alternative for cosmetic applications. Other companies, such as Colonial Chemicals and Wheatoleo, are using sugar chemistry to create new green surfactants. Food ingredients have had most success with natural cosmetics. Some brands, such as Yes to Inc have developed entire ranges based on a core food ingredient. After its initial success with Yes To Carrots, the Israeli company has developed ranges based on blueberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, cucumbers, grapefruit and coconuts. The late Horst Rachelbacher (founder of Aveda) used to promote his new […]

Cyclone Donald around for a year

It’s a good year out from the US 2016 election and good old Fox Network are at it already with their panel discussions on the potential Republican presidential candidates. Talkfest after talkfest is surrounding us with Megyn Kelly and Donald Trump not exactly getting along in the latest instalment. You have to give it to Trump – he sure knows how to win friends and influence people without outlining exactly what he do will if elected president for the unemployed, Middle East, and illegal immigrants. Somehow a firm grip needs to be kept on this presidential candidate so the issues are out there and not the personalities. If Trump doesn’t shoot himself in the foot and stays in the race he may well become a huge distraction to the real issues affecting the American people. There will be so much concentration on his hair and abrasive personality that the centre of the Republican Party will have a darn hard job keeping the focus on exactly what they are doing in an election year. Fox will ride this personality for all it is worth. Even if he blights his copy book, think of the continual high media profile which will be seen across the network? What he doesn’t do will not matter; what he stuffs up will bring a lot of attention. Rupert Murdoch and Peter Ailes may not see eye to eye on Trump and the way he appears on Fox. Or maybe they do? Maybe it doesn’t matter because it draws viewers, commentators and so called experts from other media to watch Trump, Hannity and the team dribble in their coffee how no news…is just about as good as news can be!

Destruction of our soil more serious than climate change

An international soil scientist says restocking the world’s arable soil with carbon is more important than climate change. Dr John Baker says too many people around the world treat soil like dirt when it should be revered because “our lives depend on it.” He believes that because soil isn’t sexy, is not on our radar and is metaphorically beneath us, it’s taken for granted by many farmers and ignored by politicians and city dwellers. “Instead people are besotted by climate change when improving soil health and feeding the world is more important,” he says. “Climate change, while serious, is not going to starve you but the rape of our soil over the last 1,000 years through traditional tillage methods, is already leading to reduced crop yields and will eventually result in famine and malnutrition.” Dr Baker says alarming figures provided by the United National Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the UK Farmers Weekly suggest the quality of soil is rapidly diminishing. FAO predicts the world, on average, has 60 more years of growing crops left while the Farmers Weekly claims that only 100 harvests remain in the UK. Eighty percent of the world’s food comes from crops. Ironically climate change and soil health are closely related and can benefit each other Dr Baker, who has a MAgrSc in soil science and Ph.D in agricultural engineering from Massey University, New Zealand, explains. “Soil health is strongly influenced by the amount of carbon in the soil. That carbon has been oxidised by conventional tillage (ploughing) and even minimum tillage and discharged as carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. Tillage does nothing to recapture it,” he says. “As a result the carbon that was in the soil is now in the atmosphere and contributes to climate change when it should be back […]

World Bank updating social policies

The World Bank is in the process of reviewing, updating and strengthening its environmental and social policies that serve to protect vulnerable people and the environment in World Bank investment projects. On July 1, 2015, the Committee on Development Effectiveness (CODE) of the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors authorized a third phase of consultations on a revised (second) draft of the proposed Environmental and Social Framework and requested the preparation of an accompanying document to outline certain issues that require further attention. The text of the entire revised framework, as well as the issue summary, was made publicly available today. Consultations will begin immediately. “This revised draft is the result of a robust – in fact, an unprecedented – consultation with World Bank shareholders and stakeholders,” said Hartwig Schafer, World Bank Vice President for Operational Policy and Country Services. “The level of engagement and the caliber of feedback has been excellent, which shows in the revised draft. The proposed Environmental and Social Framework would substantially expand the scope of coverage from our current policy, and would help to ensure that project risk is managed more consistently and effectively.” The proposed framework presents a risk- and impact-based approach to protecting the environment and people, and features a strong emphasis on risk management and achieving sustainable development outcomes over the life of projects; broadened social assessment and management of environmental and social risks; greater clarity of the roles and responsibilities of the World Bank and Borrower; increased harmonization with development partners and recognized good international practices; and renewed and strengthened partnerships with borrowers. “We are well on our way to having ‘leading edge’ environmental and social standards that are clear, stronger and more comprehensive than our current safeguards, and that support our goals of ending poverty and promoting shared prosperity,” said […]

Book Review: How Propaganda Works

Our democracy today is fraught with political campaigns, lobbyists, liberal media, and Fox News commentators, all using language to influence the way we think and reason about public issues. Even so, many of us believe that propaganda and manipulation aren’t problems for us—not in the way they were for the totalitarian societies of the mid-twentieth century. InHow Propaganda Works, Jason Stanley demonstrates that more attention needs to be paid. He examines how propaganda operates subtly, how it undermines democracy—particularly the ideals of democratic deliberation and equality—and how it has damaged democracies of the past. Focusing on the shortcomings of liberal democratic states, Stanley provides a historically grounded introduction to democratic political theory as a window into the misuse of democratic vocabulary for propaganda’s selfish purposes. He lays out historical examples, such as the restructuring of the US public school system at the turn of the twentieth century, to explore how the language of democracy is sometimes used to mask an undemocratic reality. Drawing from a range of sources, including feminist theory, critical race theory, epistemology, formal semantics, educational theory, and social and cognitive psychology, he explains how the manipulative and hypocritical declaration of flawed beliefs and ideologies arises from and perpetuates inequalities in society, such as the racial injustices that commonly occur in the United States. How Propaganda Works shows that an understanding of propaganda and its mechanisms is essential for the preservation and protection of liberal democracies everywhere. Jason Stanley is professor of philosophy at Yale University. He is the author of Knowledge and Practical Interests,Language in Context, and Know How. Review: “”[T]he book crackles with brilliant insights and erudition, while also managing to explain the arcane preoccupations of analytic philosophy in a way that’s accessible to a wider audience.”–Bookforum “How Propaganda Works deserves huge praise and should be […]

New study highlights how perfectionist drive is leading to burnout

A new study from York St John University and the University of Bath has revealed the extent to which perfectionist tendencies in employees are driving many to burnout and points to ways in which habits might be changed. In the report, published today (Friday 31 July) in the journal Personality & Social Psychology Review, researchers looked at the impact perfectionism is having on extreme stress and burnout. Psychologists have long been fascinated by the effects of perfectionism – a personality trait encompassing excessively high personal standards coupled with harsh self-criticism – however this is the first study to aggregate its full effects. Through a detailed review of research, the researchers found that perfectionism is closely associated with burnout – a syndrome associated with chronic stress that manifests as extreme fatigue, perceived reduced accomplishment and eventual detachment. And whilst their findings are relevant across education and in sports, the researchers found this relationship is particularly strong in employment settings – something they suggest is increasingly driven by a prevailing performance-outcomes focus in the modern workplace. In such an environment, where poor performance carries significant costs, perfectionist tendencies are often exacerbated, which not only leads to increased stress for individuals but in fact poorer performance and a lack of innovation for organisations. Dr Andrew Hill, Associate Professor and Head of Taught Postgraduate Programmes at York St John University, who was lead-author of the review and whose work focusses on the effects of perfectionism in achievement contexts said: “Too often people confuse perfectionism with more desirable features such as being conscientious. Rather than being more productive, perfectionists are likely to find the workplace quite difficult and stressful. “Our research suggests that if perfectionists are unable to cope with demands and uncertainty in the workplace, they will experience a range of emotional difficulties.” Dr […]