21 October 2017
America Magazine: Half of U.S. Catholics say belief in God is not necessary to be a good person
For the first time, a majority of Americans—56 percent—say it is possible to be a good person without religious belief. And about half of all U.S. Catholics agree. [...]
“In the 2011 Pew Research Center survey that included the question about God and morality, religious “nones” constituted 18 percent of the sample. By 2017, the share of ‘nones’ stood at 25 percent,” the report notes.
But even some believers have changed their opinions on the matter during the past few years. According to the report, among white evangelical Protestants, 32 percent now say belief in God is not necessary to have good values and be a moral person, up from 26 percent who said this in 2011.
Vox: Spain is moving to crush Catalonia’s independence movement once and for all
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced in Madrid on Thursday that the parliament would meet Saturday to begin stripping Catalonia — one of Spain’s wealthiest regions, anchored by Barcelona — of autonomous rule. It is an unprecedented moment for Spain, and the worst political and constitutional crisis the country has seen in four decades. It is also sure to set off a fresh wave of protests and anger in a region already on edge. [...]
While 90 percent of those who voted in the October 1 Catalan independence referendum checked off yes for independence, only 43 percent of the eligible voters participated in the ballot. The day was marred by police violence — voters were pulled from polling booths by their hair, and rubber bullets were used on crowds. [...]
Secessionists hold a slim majority in the Catalan parliament, but those who want to remain a part of Spain feel the decision to hold a referendum, let alone break away from Spain, is itself an undemocratic move that doesn’t represent the will of the people. [...]
And the tremendous uncertainty about the future of the region has already had an impact on business. Banks and multinational corporations based in Barcelona have begun the process of relocating their headquarters elsewhere in Spain. Today’s news won’t calm that economic anxiety anytime soon.
IFLScience: New Solar Innovation Cuts Costs By 60% While Increasing Efficiency By 24%
From the billions of dollars being injected into the Californian economy to the hundreds of thousands now employed in the solar industry, it is becoming more and more obvious to major companies and investors that the renewable sector is rapidly turning into quite a profitable business. [...]
One of the biggest hitters in the sector is the ever-present Elon Musk, who pioneered the development of household battery storage devices by launching the Tesla Powerwall. Bringing the ability to store solar energy at home to the mainstream was a significant step forward, and one that has already inspired other companies to produce their own versions, from the Japanese car-maker Nissan to the Swedish furniture shop Ikea.
But one major issue is simply the cost. For a long time, the price of renewables suppressed the market, limiting its spread. But now things are changing, and a new company is hoping to radically alter the industry. A novel technique developed by the California-based solar manufacturing company Rayton Solar might be able to cut the cost of production by a stonking 60 percent while increasing efficiency of solar panels to 24 percent.
Al Jazeera: Keeping Boris Nemtsov's memory alive
He is part of a small group of concerned citizens who call themselves the Nemtsov Bridge and who have established a 24-hour watch over the makeshift memorial.
They decided to do so after there were attempts shortly after Nemtsov's death to remove the memorial.
Since then it has been attacked a number of times by right-wing activists and also regularly removed by the municipal cleaning service.
Moscow's local authorities have refused to allow the installation of a plaque in the memory of Nemtsov and have rejected suggestions to rename the bridge to bear his name. [...]
Nemtsov's murder has been the latest in a string of political assassinations in Russia since the early 2000s. [...]
In June this year, Nemtsov's daughter Zhanna, said in an interview that he had a plan to run in the 2018 presidential elections.
Unlike opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is likely to be disqualified because of a past criminal conviction, Nemtsov wouldn't have had legal problems to stop him running and challenging Vladimir Putin's presidency.
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