Reducing Fire, and Cutting Carbon Emissions, the Aboriginal Way

Bangladesh, whose garment industry is second only to China’s in size, is responding to both international and domestic pressure and undergoing the most radical revamping of worker safety it has ever seen, in large part due to consumer and client pressure.

In the aftermath of the Rana Plaza disaster, more than 200 clothing brands pledged to make their source factories compliant with international safety standards under two international agreements, using laws and rules to reform.

Eliminating sweatshops and child labor depends on regulation, not consumers' preferences, as supply chains have become so complex and obscure as to prevent simple labels from being valuable.

In the wake of the Rana Plaza collapse, Bangladeshi civilians—often first on the scene of disasters in poorer countries–are being trained to support emergency teams.

After a major fire, labor standards in Bangladesh are improving, but workers must have a voice if these changes are to be sustainable.

Summer in the Northwest presents a great risk of wildfires. A pile burning operation, just one facet of the strategy that Oregon has enacted to conserve its forests, clears undergrowth to lessen the risk of mega-fire. The work stimulates the local economy and provides employment, but it's also a very small part of what needs to be done.

New York City suffered from fires that erupted in overcrowded, run-down apartments. Then the city sleuthed through residential records and found that landlords who foreclosed let their properties fall apart and ignored safety-code violations. Greater Toronto wants to expand upon New York City’s method by using transportation surveys, census data and computer data to build transit lines.

The Aboriginal community in Australia is 31 times more likely than other Australians to die of alcohol-related causes. Could a "tough love" approach stressing accountability and making rehab mandatory work? Or is further restricting access to alcohol for everyone a better approach?

A new timber mill in Costilla County could majorly improve the forest health of the greater region by thinning undergrowth to reduce risk of wildfires, curbing the spread of invasive insects, and decreasing the demand for water in the face of drought. The mill could also create jobs and further economic development for the area.

Native American students are 237% more likely to drop out than their white counterparts. Organizations like the Native American Community Academy (NACA), are changing those statistics by creating curricula that focus on tribal identity values. These alterations have proved successful as graduation rates and college attendance have risen among Native American students attending NACA.