In The News

John Vidal September 10, 2007
The notion of an automobile powered by fuel produced from plants appeals to any nation worried about dependence on foreign oil or declining oil reserves. A biofuel boom presents ostensibly environmentally-friendly implications, yet leads some analysts to predict a food crisis for the world’s most vulnerable populations. Plants for fuel will inevitably compete with food-plants, prompting rising...
Elizabeth C. Economy September 7, 2007
China has become a leading polluter in the world, with its citizens suffering from air pollution, decreasing supplies of potable water and reckless development. Consumers around the world buy inexpensive goods from China, but do not pay the true costs. The country has environmental laws, but businesses and local leaders ignore them in order to increase jobs and profits. The nation is capable of...
September 6, 2007
Computer networks could become new battlegrounds for countries that don’t trust one another. Governments, businesses, universities, public utilities rely on computer systems for organization, information, research and trade. Advanced economies rely on the internet, and security specialists constantly look out for thefts, spy operations or disruptions. The UK, the US, Estonia, China, Germany have...
Sacha Kumaria September 5, 2007
Oil prices will probably rise with the approach of winter in the northern hemisphere, continuing a wave of profits. But the world’s largest oil companies plan for contraction rather than expansion. National oil companies in countries like Russia or Venezuela, as monopolies, demand high payments from the competing independent firms, allowing less funds for research and development. Independent...
Steve Hendershot August 29, 2007
The savviest of corporate leaders know that community giving is a good business strategy. As firms grow and do more business overseas, charitable giving has expanded beyond the home base to markets around the globe. US firms seek to develop wealthier client bases in India, China, Latin America or Eastern Europe. Two examples of recent corporate grants, provided by this ChicagoBusiness.com article...
August 26, 2007
Outsourcing can reduce costs, result in some silly mistakes because of misunderstandings over culture or language, and terrify workers in nations where the wage bar is set high. Yet the outsourcing industry has matured, argues this article from the Economist. Signs of maturation include growth slowing to single-digit levels, providers competing over quality and vendors referring to themselves as...
Richard McGregor August 24, 2007
Controlling a booming economy, pointing it in new directions, is no easy task. Attempts by China's central government to reduce production and exports of aluminum and steel – two energy-intensive industries that also create large amounts of pollution – have not worked. Despite an increase in export taxes, exports of the two products during the first half of 2007 have almost doubled from the...