Podcasts - Heart and Soul: faith perspectives. Catholic teaching: The new zeitgeist for Britain’s Left. 5 November 2012 Last updated at 01:11 GMT By Matthew Taylor Radio 4's Analysis Catholic Social Teaching has been the focus of recent political and economic seminars and debates A new zeitgeist is capturing business people, academics and political players from both the Left and Right, looking for an ethical alternative for our time. Their inspiration? Catholic teaching. In many ways these are difficult times for the Catholic Church. Congregations in England are still in decline, child abuse scandals around the world have cast a long shadow and in many areas of policy - from euthanasia to gay marriage - the church's fixed positions make it sound outdated and out of touch.
Yet in the last couple of months I have received some intriguing invitations from Catholic friends: one to an event on business ethics organised by Catholic bishops and featuring some of our most high-profile corporate leaders. Compassion for the poor The Pope offered the "gift" of Catholic social thought to a troubled world. Science & Environment - Global resources stock check. As the world’s population soars, so does its consumption, and as a result we are stretching many of our natural resources to their limits. Of course, the assumption is that human ingenuity and market forces will prevent supplies from running out: we could create better or cheaper extraction methods, recycle materials, find alternatives to non-renewable sources, or reduce consumption.
The hope is that talks at the Rio+20 Earth summit will help to steer the world economy on a more sustainable path. But the clock is already ticking, and if the unthinkable happens and we fail to correct current trends, then when can we expect our most valuable resources to run out? If you want to see the data we used to construct this infographic, you can find it here [PDF]. (Most computers will open PDF documents automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader, download the reader here) Podcasts - Thought For The Day. Live Report Vuelta a España - Stage 17 | Cyclingnews.com.
Future - Science & Environment - Why keeping eyes on litter promotes better behaviour. How a simple yet quirky measure near bins could be the secret to cleaner streets. You are waiting for a bus, but someone has left a newspaper and empty plastic bottles on the bench in the bus shelter. Posted above the bench is a sign showing a person putting litter in the bin. Do you comply with that request and dispose of the items? About one in three of you will, according to a paper just published by Damien Francey and Ralph Bergmüller, two Swiss “eco-ethologists” at the University of Neuchatel who study human behaviour.
But here’s the thing: the public-spirited one in three will, on average, expend more time and effort in clearing the bench if the no-litter sign has an image of eyes on it, than if it has an image of flowers. The eyes have it But there is something more subtle happening in this litter study. Why are the researchers doing these experiments anyway? Common good Broken windows The findings will need some unravelling and elaboration. Linus Torvalds: Linux succeeded thanks to selfishness and trust. 12 June 2012Last updated at 20:23 ET By Leo Kelion Technology reporter Linus Torvalds developed Linux in 1991 while at the University of Helsinki, Finland. He became a US citizen in 2010.
Linux creator Linus Torvalds has won the Millennium Technology Prize and an accompanying cheque for 600,000 euros ($756,000; £486,000) from the Technology Academy of Finland. He was nominated for the award in recognition of the fact he had created the original Linux operating system and has continued to decide what modifications should be made to the Linux kernel - the code that lets software and hardware work together. Today a variety of Linux-based systems power much of the world's computer servers, set-top boxes, smartphones, tablets, network routers, PCs and supercomputers. Ahead of the announcement Mr Torvalds gave a rare interview to the BBC. When you posted about the original system kernel on Usenet in 1991 what did you think would happen to it?
Continue reading the main story “Start Quote. Quiz of the week's news. Education. US firms put social values before big profits. 20 May 2012Last updated at 12:31 ET By Jane O'Brien BBC News, Washington Penny Jones-Napier says her customers are happy to pay more to support the firm's values Tough decisions are often inevitable if a business wants to make money. But in the next few weeks, half a dozen US states are expected to pass legislation that will for the first time protect companies which value their social impact as much as the bottom line.
Whether it's buying locally, protecting the environment or launching community projects, the new "benefit corporations" have a common mission - to do well by doing good. "It's becoming a national movement," says Penny Jones-Napier, owner of the Big Bad Woof pet store in Hyattsville, Maryland, the first business in the US to adopt the new benefit corporation designation.
"What started with small businesses is moving into the mainstream. " The company can support local suppliers for instance, even though that might not be the cheapest option and could reduce the profit margin.