JORGE RODRIGUES SIMAO

Democracy in Europe Why the Development of the European Union into a Transnational Democracy is Necessary and How it is Possible - Jürgen Habermas

Jürgen Habermas: Democracy in Europe

Jürgen Habermas

One of the foremost contemporary German intellectuals, Jürgen Habermas (b. 1929) is widely revered for the originality of his philosophy and his perceptive social criticism, though he is not easy reading. Among his numerous insights, which integrate subtle cultural, political, and economic analysis, is his view that despite the inexorable march of ‘instrumental-technocratic consciousness’, and the domination of the ‘life world’ it brings in its wake, the capitalist state also presents opportunities for greater ‘communicative action’.

Mission Possible: World Environment Day 2015

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2015

“The principal greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and a collection of man-made halocarbons. Carbon dioxide accounts for more than 60 percent of atmospheric emissions and is therefore central to any mitigation strategy. The principal anthropogenic sources of CO2 emissions are consumption of fossil fuels (about 78 percent of the total) and land use changes, mainly deforestation. About half the carbon released from fossil fuel combustion goes into the atmosphere.’’

Economics and the Challenge of Global Warming

Charles S. Pearson

A 5 de Junho de cada ano, e desde 1973, é celebrado o “Dia Mundial do Meio Ambiente”, data estabelecida pela Assembleia Geral das Nações Unidas, a 15 de Dezembro de 1972, ao iniciar-se a “Conferência de Estocolmo”, que teve como pilar fundamental o ambiente. O “Programa das Nações Unidas para o Meio Ambiente (PNUMA na sigla em língua inglesa) ” definiu como tema para este ano, "Sete mil milhões de sonhos. Um só planeta. Consumir com cuidado".

Jeremy Bentham: Man and Myth

An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation

The Future of the Law

Internal Challenges

In addition to the problem of bureaucratic regulation and the often unbridled discretion it generates, there are a number of intractable questions that need to be confronted by legal systems everywhere. Among the most conspicuous is the so-called ‘war on terror’. It requires little perception to realize that in the space of less than a decade many legal systems are faced with a variety of problems that test the values that lie at their heart. How can free societies reconcile a commitment to liberty with the necessity to confront threats to undermine that very foundation? Absolute security is plainly unattainable, but even moderate protection against terror comes at a price. And no airline passenger can be unaware of the cost in respect of the delays and inconvenience that today’s security checks inevitably entail. But though crime can never be entirely prevented, modern technology does offer extraordinarily successful tools to deter and apprehend offenders. Closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras, for instance, are able to monitor unlawful activities, such recordings supplying prosecutors with powerful evidence in court against the filmed villain. To what extent should the law tolerate this kind of surveillance? Consider the following example, which may help to demonstrate the difficulty, and the unavoidable ‘balancing’ between competing rights that is a conspicuous characteristic of modern law.

Public Health Impact of Climate Change

Health Impacts of Climate Change

“If the temperatures rise as leading scientists have predicted, less freshwater will be available-and already one-third of the world’s population (about 2 billion people) suffer from a shortage of water. Lack of water will keep farmers from growing food. It will also permanently destroy sensitive fish and wildlife habitat. As the ocean levels rise, coastal lands and islands will be flooded and destroyed. Heat waves could kill tens of thousands of people.”

Changing Ecosystems: Effects of Global Warming

Julie Kerr,

O clima mundial está a mudar devido ao aquecimento do planeta, é situação aceite pela comunidade internacional, incluindo a científica e a sociedade civil. Esta mudança pode afectar à saúde humana de diversas formas, como por exemplo, alterando o âmbito geográfico e a variação sazonal de algumas doenças infecciosas, perturbando os ecossistemas de produção de alimentos e aumentando a frequência de fenómenos meteorológicos extremos, como são os ciclones.