The Conversation

Companies need confidentiality clauses – but not to muzzle sexual abuse victims

Written by Elizabeth C. Tippett, Associate Professor, School of Law, University of Oregon

Actor Rose McGowan was recently offered $1 million to agree to keep her settlement with Weinstein secret. She declined. AP Photo/Paul Sancya

Harassment and abuse accusations against Harvey Weinstein and other prominent men, like Bill O'Reilly, have revealed a trail of settlement agreements in their wake, many of which contained language that...

To succeed, large ocean sanctuaries need to benefit both sea life and people

Written by Rebecca Gruby, Assistant Professor, Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, Colorado State University

Rebecca Gruby, CC BY-ND

There is growing concern that the world’s oceans are in crisis because of climate change, overfishing, pollution and other stresses. One response is creating marine protected areas, or ocean parks, to conserve sea life and key habitats that support it, such as coral reefs.

In 2000, marine protected areas covered just 0....

Rebuilding the Caribbean will be pricey, but some are actually vying to finance its recovery

Written by Masaō Ashtine, Lecturer in Alternative Energy, University of the West Indies, Mona Campus

If Caribbean governments can't afford to rebuild their islands, maybe big tech firms can?

November 20 marked the end of the Atlantic hurricane season, but for the Caribbean, it’s only the beginning of a painful recovery process.

In early September, Hurricane Irma largely destroyed Barbuda and several neighboring Lesser Antilles islands. Two...

Rebuilding the Caribbean will be pricey, but some are vying to finance its recovery

Written by Masaō Ashtine, Lecturer in Alternative Energy, University of the West Indies, Mona Campus

If Caribbean governments can't afford to rebuild their islands, maybe big tech firms can?

November 20 marked the end of the Atlantic hurricane season, but for the Caribbean, it’s only the beginning of a painful recovery process.

In early September, Hurricane Irma largely destroyed Barbuda and several neighboring Lesser Antilles islands. Two...

Jet fuel from sugarcane? It's not a flight of fancy

Written by Deepak Kumar, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

A medium-size passenger jet burns roughly 750 gallons of fuel per hour.www.shutterstock.com

The aviation industry produces 2 percent of global human-induced carbon dioxide emissions. This share may seem relatively small – for perspective, electricity generation and home heating account for more than 40 percent – but aviation is one of...

Want to change federal policies? Here's how

Written by Mary Fisher, M.S. Student, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington

Protesters carry signs during a march for science Saturday, April 22, 2017, in Denver.AP Photo/David Zalubowski

What can those armed with facts – like scientists, professionals and knowledgeable citizens – do to shape policy?

In April, scientists and their supporters took to the streets. The March for Science was a public defense of...

Trophy hunting: 5 essential reads

Written by Jennifer Weeks, Environment + Energy Editor, The Conversation

USFWS, CC BY

The following is a roundup of previously published articles.

In November 2017 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it was reversing an Obama administration policy barring hunters from importing trophies (body parts) from elephants killed in Zimbabwe and Zambia into the United States. The Trump administration asserted that...

How advertising shaped Thanksgiving as we know it

Written by Samantha N. N. Cross, Associate Professor of Marketing, Iowa State University

Libby's continues to fiercely compete with pumpkin pie peddlers Borden’s, Snowdrift and Mrs. Smith's for a place on the Thanksgiving table. Jean Beaufort

I have always been intrigued by Thanksgiving – the traditions, the meal, the idea of a holiday that is simply about being thankful.

For my family, Thanksgiving is all about the food....

Storms hit poorer people harder, from Superstorm Sandy to Hurricane Maria

Written by Chris Sellers, Professor of History, Stony Brook University (The State University of New York)

Breezy Point, New York off the coast of Long Island after the storm surge from Superstorm Sandy.AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

The ferocious “frankenstorm” known as Sandy that ripped through greater New York City five years ago remains one for the record books. Like this year’s hurricane season, it racked up tens of billions of dollars in...

A backlash against 'mixed' foods led to the demise of a classic American dish

Written by Helen Zoe Veit, Associate Professor of History, Michigan State University

A drawing from the original edition of Lydia Maria Child's 'Flowers for Children,' which includes her famous Thanksgiving poem.Library of Congress

At the end of “Over the River and Through the Wood” – Lydia Maria Child’s classic Thanksgiving poem – the narrator finally gets to his grandfather’s house for...