In The News

Hurricane Raises Fears of Global Energy Crisis

Thomas Catan August 31, 2005
As flood waters continue to rise in New Orleans, Louisiana, the full scope of damage due to Hurricane Katrina has yet to be discerned. Nine oil refineries in the Gulf of Mexico – 12 percent of US refining capacity – are now closed. As a result, gas prices in the United States spiked immediately after the storm, but some observers worry that the impact will be more drastic. "It is now...

Enduring an IT Eclipse

A. Sheshabalaya August 30, 2005
In recent years, Bangalore has outpaced Silicon Valley in the global innovation race. This is not a temporary blip, writes author Ashutosh Sheshabalaya, but a fast-evolving reality to which the American IT industry must adapt for the long haul. While offshoring is hardly a new phenomenon, it was previously restricted to back-office support functions. This is no longer the case: IBM and Hewlett...

The Legacy of Lee Kyung Hae

John Feffer August 29, 2005
The organic farms that line the Han River in South Korea may be the country's agricultural future – and sadly, they tell the story of its troubled past and present. More broadly, the Korean agricultural crisis is a story of small farmers forced to negotiate among the shifting currents of globalization. The industrialization of South Korea's agriculture, the Green Revolution, rendered...

Bra Wars: Europe Strikes Back

Larry Elliott August 26, 2005
As of August 22, 2005, six categories of Chinese textile exports had met or exceeded EU quotas – spurring two days of talks in Beijing between the trade partners. The current limits were initially designed as stopgap measures, to allow EU producers to adjust to the January 2005 expiry of the the previous global quota regime. In the longer term, it is unlikely that Western producers will be...

Cellphones Catapult Rural Africa to 21st Century

Sharon LaFraniere August 25, 2005
In areas where electricity and indoor plumbing are rarities, a surprising trend is taking shape. Despite infrastructure shortcomings and widespread poverty, Africa is now the world's fastest-growing market for cellphones. Mobile technology is drastically changing business and daily life – speeding up communication and allowing for previously impossible interactions – in rural areas where...

Catering for Globalization

Salil Tripathi August 24, 2005
The firing of 670 workers employed by Gate Gourmet at London's Heathrow Airport has intensified an already heated labor environment. The company is owned by a US investment firm, and union officials hold "mean-spirited capitalists" responsible. According to this Guardian commentary, however, the company's decision was primarily a response to current economic realities. Gate...

Airlines Outsource Upkeep

Sara Kehaulani Goo August 23, 2005
The struggling airline industry, continually seeking ways to cut costs, has seen a rise in outsourcing of maintenance services. According to The Washington Post, more than 50 percent of all service tasks are performed by contractors – many of whom are outside the United States. For many, this trend has brought about safety and security concerns, given the difficulty in assuring contractors...