In The News

Why the Critics of Globalization Are Mistaken

Jagdish Bhagwati October 8, 2008
The centuries-old process of globalization – people in search of the best locations for their families, the best ideas for organizing daily life – has become an easy target in a more crowded world: workers fear factories and jobs relocating overseas, environmentalists worry about development shifted to countries with minimal enforcement, and savers fret about irresponsible spending and investment...

Beijing Olympics' Opening Ceremonies a Big Hit

Peter Fimrite August 11, 2008
Drumming, dancing and technology – breathtaking in their precision – marked the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. “Amid Friday night's spectacle, athletes from 205 nations marched in and celebrated what is being touted as China's emergence as a cultural, political and economic power,” writes Peter Fimrite for the San Francisco Chronicle. “The Olympic slogan, ‘One World, One...

More Pressure on Global Fish Stocks as Scientists Warn of Underreporting of Catches

Tim Radford July 17, 2008
Scientists have long known that global fish stocks were in trouble. Countries overfish and deplete stocks without thought to long-term consequences and population collapses. Researchers from the Sea Around Us, an international research group based at the University of British Columbia, visited 20 locations, talked to locals and estimated the amount of fish that were caught. They reached the...

Globalization Requires Safety Net, UN Says

Michael A. Fletcher July 10, 2008
As globalization continues to connect distant places of the globe together, many citizens, even those in wealthy nations, face the consequences of “severe economic swings.” Disturbances in the economy resulting from intense competition come in many forms, including food shortages, rising income inequality or steadily increasing fuel prices. According to separate reports from the United Nations...

The Global Rose as Social Tool

Roger Cohen March 18, 2008
Roses are also a modern-day global product, grown over thousands of acres in developing nations like Kenya before shipment to supermarkets in Great Britain. The British pay about $10 for a small bouquet while the Kenyans earn about $70 per month. “Look at the global economy one way and Buyaki earns the equivalent of seven bunches of roses for a month's labor,” explains Roger Cohen for the...

Carbon Prices, Not Quotas

Ernesto Zedillo March 11, 2008
For now, while oil and coal are still relatively plentiful, burning fossil fuels is the least expensive method in harnessing energy for transportation, heating, electricity and industrial development. Controlling emissions carries extra costs, and few countries want to take that step on their own – even though the global strategy of procrastination means putting the burden on future generations....

India Back In Global Chain

Nayan Chanda February 20, 2008
The Tata-Boeing deal to supply a critical part used in the next-generation Boeing-787 Dreamliner shows that India has a chance to become a key member of the global manufacturing network, once again. Given India's long history of participation in the global world, this comes as no surprise. As Nayan Chanda points out, if Tata can meet the challenge of the production, its reputation will...