Wisdom in fragments

Taken together, mass migration, mass starvation and mass extinctions are what we will see if we sleep walk into a future of unmitigated climate change. These stresses will ruin economies and drive competition over dwindling resources.

Environmental activist & former Executive Director of Greenpeace International

It is difficult to imagine a graver threat; or an area of human endeavour or global ecology in which the profound consequences of runaway climate change would not be disastrous. Already, it is estimated that around 300,000 people die every year as a direct result of climate change.

Environmental activist & former Executive Director of Greenpeace International

I am also here to send a message to the world: these unprecedented floods demand unprecedented assistance

Former UN Secretary-General, served two five-year terms.

This has been a heart-wrenching day, and I will never forget the destruction and suffering that I have witnessed. I have visited the scenes of many natural disasters around the world, but nothing like this. The scale is so large: so many people, in so many places, in so much need…

Former UN Secretary-General, served two five-year terms.

the U.S. faces a 25 percent chance of a double dip and deflation.

Chief Economic Advisor at Allianz; Global Markets Expert & Author

Risk of a double dip recession in advanced economies (US, Japan, Eurozone) has now risen to 40%.

Economist known for predicting the 2008 financial crisis.

Risk of a double dip recession in advanced economies (US, Japan, Eurozone) has now risen to 40%.

Economist known for predicting the 2008 financial crisis.

So when the economy's booming, banks are going to need 9.5% common equity, 11% Tier 1 capital, and 13% Tier 2 capital.

Financial journalist and media critic specializing in economics and markets.

When credit in an economy is growing faster than the economy itself, a countercyclical capital buffer kicks in, which essentially says that banks need to have more capital in good times.

Financial journalist and media critic specializing in economics and markets.

Possibly the most important thing here is the existence of the first column, setting minimum standards for common equity — which is also known as core Tier 1 capital. Such standards did exist in the past, but they were set extremely low, at just 2%, and so were generally ignored.

Financial journalist and media critic specializing in economics and markets.

No more throwing any old garbage into the Tier 1 bucket and calling it capital: the new standards for common equity are significantly tougher than the old standards for Tier 1 capital in total.

Financial journalist and media critic specializing in economics and markets.

Fundamental sense of well-being crucially depends on our having the ability to exert control over our environment and recognising that we do.

Psychologist & Founder of Positive Psychology Movement

It is not an exaggeration to say that most of our fundamental sense of well-being crucially depends on our having the ability to exert control over our environment and recognising that we do.

Psychologist & Founder of Positive Psychology Movement

Animals in this third group had learned from being exposed to inescapable shocks that nothing they did made a difference- they were essentially helpless when it came to controlling their fate. Learned helplessness can affect the future motivation to try. It can affect future ability to detect that you do have control in new situations.

Psychologist & Founder of Positive Psychology Movement

There really is a very weak moral justification for these weapons that mainly relies on the concept of deterrence—that their purpose is to prevent another country from attacking you with them. That case is so weak that you see major global institutions like the U.S. Catholic Church condemn nuclear weapons as immoral.

Nuclear weapons expert and president of the Ploughshares Fund.

When the hydrogen bomb was first proposed in the early 1950's, the scientific panel in charge of US nuclear research recommended against it, unanimously. They called it a weapon of genocide whose only purpose would be to kill hundreds of thousands of civilians.

Nuclear weapons expert and president of the Ploughshares Fund.