Blog

Why protectionism returns during uncertain times

07 Apr

Why Nations Embrace Protectionism During Periods of Uncertainty

Miles SpencerInternational

Uncertainty—whether from financial crises, pandemics, geopolitical clashes, or sudden technological change—creates pressures that push governments and voters toward protectionist policies. Protectionism surfaces as a response to fear, political incentives, and strategic calculation. This article explains the forces that revive protectionism in bad times, illustrates them with historical and recent cases, examines economic mechanisms and consequences, and outlines policy options that can reduce the temptation to retreat behind trade barriers.Historical pattern and recent examplesProtectionism has long been more than a modern curiosity, exemplified by the 1930s Smoot-Hawley tariffs, when the United States raised duties to shield domestic industries, only to trigger…

07 Apr

Why is in-orbit servicing becoming a strategic space capability?

Miles SpencerScience and Technology

In-orbit servicing describes the capability to examine, fix, refuel, enhance, or relocate spacecraft once they have been deployed, and although it was once viewed as experimental, it is increasingly recognized as a strategic asset with broad economic, security, and environmental consequences; as orbital space grows more crowded and competitive, the capacity to sustain and modify existing satellites is transforming how governments and private entities design and manage long-term space activities.The Economic Logic: Extending the Value of Expensive AssetsContemporary satellites, particularly those positioned in geostationary orbit, can demand hundreds of millions of dollars for design, launch, and insurance, and their service…

07 Apr

Public Policy Implications of Algorithmic Bias

Miles SpencerInternational

Algorithmic systems now make or influence decisions across criminal justice, hiring, healthcare, lending, social media, and public services. When those systems reflect or amplify social biases, they stop being isolated technical problems and become public policy risks that affect civil rights, economic opportunity, public trust, and democratic governance. This article explains how bias arises, documents concrete harms with data and cases, and outlines the policy levers needed to manage the risk at scale.Understanding algorithmic bias and the factors behind its emergenceAlgorithmic bias refers to systematic and repeatable errors in automated decision-making that produce unfair outcomes for particular individuals or groups.…

Fotos de stock gratuitas de adentro, analytics, artificial brain

07 Apr

How Trends Are Speeding Up BCI Development

Miles SpencerScience and Technology

Brain-computer interface research is advancing rapidly, driven primarily by pressing medical demands. Neurological conditions including paralysis, stroke, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis impact millions around the globe, intensifying the push for technologies capable of restoring communication or motor function. Evidence from clinical trials showing that implanted BCIs can support typing, control robotic limbs, or decode speech has moved these systems from theoretical concepts to practical therapeutic solutions. Hospitals and rehabilitation centers are forming closer partnerships with research laboratories, reducing the time needed to transition laboratory prototypes into systems prepared for patient use.Advances in Artificial Intelligence and Machine LearningModern…

Eritrea: CSR cases strengthening community health and capacity-building

02 Apr

Eritrea: CSR initiatives bolstering public health & skill development

Miles SpencerSocial Responsibility

Eritrea’s political and economic landscape influences how corporate social responsibility functions in practice, and although its private sector is smaller than in many other nations, extractive firms, infrastructure contractors, local businesses, and diaspora-backed ventures have driven CSR efforts that emphasize community well-being and skills development. This article brings together reported examples, program categories, results, obstacles, and actionable insights aimed at enhancing health and human capital across Eritrean communities.Background and reasoning behind CSR initiatives in EritreaEritrea continues to confront enduring public health challenges and capacity limitations common in low‑resource environments, including limited rural health infrastructure, insufficiently trained medical personnel, inadequate water…

Egypt: industrial CSR improving workplace safety and resource efficiency

31 Mar

Industrial CSR in Egypt: Enhancing Safety & Efficiency

Miles SpencerSocial Responsibility

Industrial corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Egypt is increasingly understood through two closely connected aims: safeguarding employees and optimizing resource use. As the country advances economic development under national frameworks like Egypt Vision 2030, manufacturers, energy enterprises, construction firms, and industrial parks are translating CSR pledges into tangible safety measures and resource‑efficiency initiatives that cut expenses, lessen environmental harm, and strengthen social well‑being.Why workplace safety and resource efficiency matter for Egyptian industryWorkplace safety has a direct impact on employees, operational efficiency, and overall expenses, as hazardous environments can raise absenteeism, boost insurance costs, and drive higher turnover while putting at…

Brazil: CSR cases integrating reforestation and responsible supply chains

31 Mar

CSR in Brazil: Integrating Reforestation and Sustainable Sourcing

Roger W. WatsonSocial Responsibility

Brazil's land-use profile links global supply chains with one of the planet's largest remaining tropical forest stocks. Agricultural expansion, timber production and commodity exports have driven deforestation for decades, while increasing corporate and civil-society pressure has produced a wave of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives that explicitly pair reforestation with responsible sourcing. These initiatives seek to reduce forest loss, restore degraded landscapes and align procurement practices with climate, biodiversity and social goals.Background and key motivatorsLand-use pressures: Expanding production of commodities such as beef, soy, pulp and paper, and sugar continues to underpin extensive clearing across the Amazon and other Brazilian…

Why oceans matter for climate and for the economy

31 Mar

Oceans’ Contribution to Climate Stability & Economy

Miles SpencerInternational

Oceans as the planet’s dominant climate regulatorThe global ocean spans about 71% of Earth’s surface and functions as the planet’s chief climate moderator, absorbing and redistributing heat and carbon to soften temperature fluctuations, shape weather systems, and maintain essential life-supporting biogeochemical processes. Two key functions are especially notable.Heat storage: The ocean has taken up the vast majority of excess heat from greenhouse gas emissions—commonly estimated at over 90% of the planet’s stored excess heat—slowing atmospheric warming but creating long-term thermal inertia that locks in future change.Carbon sink: The ocean absorbs a large fraction of human-emitted CO2—roughly a quarter to a…

Ecuador: How dollarized economies change credit, inflation, and investment planning

31 Mar

Dollarization in Ecuador: Effects on Credit, Inflation, and Investment

Miles SpencerEconomy

Ecuador adopted the United States dollar as its legal tender in 2000 following a severe banking and currency crisis. That pivotal decision removed exchange rate swings against the dollar and placed monetary policy under the influence of the U.S. Federal Reserve. Dollarization reshaped the country’s macroeconomic landscape: it brought price stability and anchored inflation expectations, yet it also eliminated vital policy instruments such as a domestic lender of last resort, an autonomous interest rate framework, and the ability to finance fiscal gaps through money creation. These structural changes continue to shape credit conditions, inflation trends, and investment strategies in ways…

31 Mar

How standards shape trade and who gets locked out

Roger W. WatsonInternational

Standards are the rules, specifications, testing methods and conformity procedures that determine what products and services must be like to enter a market. They range from technical specifications for a household appliance to sanitary rules for meat, to data-protection protocols, to private sustainability labels imposed by multinational buyers. By reducing information asymmetries and improving interoperability, well-designed standards can lower transaction costs, build consumer trust, and expand trade. At the same time, standards can be deployed — intentionally or not — as barriers that exclude competitors, fragment markets, and reshape global value chains. The distributional effects are profound: who benefits, who…