We are well into what is called the “short rains” now, and it has been raining steadily since about 2 o’clock this morning. What this means is that I was once again blessed with the opportunity to take my morning exercise under a cloudy, cool sky with the fresh smell of rain and earth all …

There’s more than good food cooking in the Costa Rican sun — the sun’s energy is being tapped to make positive change in local, developing communities. Projects initially designed to teach solar oven construction and solar-powered cooking are blossoming into sustainable development initiatives promoting good nutrition, conservation of natural resources, literacy, education, and women’s rights. …

Slowly and carefully, through mud and landslide debris, I walked along a remote and desolate road in Bhotechaur, hoping to find people who had previously received emergency earthquake relief distributions. Bhotechaur is a small, mountainside village in the very remote outskirts of central Nepal. The houses were spread far apart, and I could see both …