Articles of note

The world’s lungs. The Economist. Fairly upbeat comment piece on the prospects for the world’s forests linked to an Economist survey on forestry.

No free locavore lunch, Wall Street Journal, by Virginia Postrel. A critical article on the local food movement.

Serving up some home truths about food, spiked, by Rob Lyons. A review of Robert Paarlberg’s Food Politics.

How butter leads to women’s emancipation: a self help group in Ethiopia, From Poverty to Power blog, by Duncan Green. The head of research at Oxfam unwittingly reveals his low horizons in relation to development.

Why ringfence aid? Prospect, by Paul Collier. The development economist gives some dubious reasons for supporting aid: including giving Britain more moral authority in the world and it is cheaper than allowing immigrants into the country.

How to be happy (but not too much), New Scientist, by Dan Jones. The science weekly turns itself into a happiness adviser.