Feeling Gloomy? Maybe Things On Earth Aren't As Bad As You Think [NPR.org]

Samantha Sangenito 1/22/1512:00 PM

If you want to be a pessimist about the shape the world's in, just turn on the news. It seems as if we're living in an age of terrorism, war, refugees, hostages and natural disasters.

If you want to look on the rosy side, read Michael Elliott's essay on Time magazine's website: "The Age of Miracles." The former journalist, now head of Bono's global advocacy group, One, tells of the progress he's seen: from the dramatic drop in the death of children under 5 to the incredible growth of cellphones in Africa.

Elliott is in the Swiss Alps this week for the World Economic Forum, which starts on Jan. 21 in the city of Davos. Some 2,500 world leaders and visionaries are there trying to figure out how to solve the world's overflowing plate of problems, from poverty to climate issues. We spoke with Elliott about his goals — and his optimism.

[For more of this story, written by Marc Silver, go to http://www.npr.org/blogs/goats...-as-bad-as-you-think]

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