In The News

Hershey's Outsourcing

Herb Field March 7, 2007
Entire towns often grow up around a company. For example, Hershey, Pennsylvania, was nicknamed “the sweetest place on earth,” after Milton S. Hershey built what was then the world’s largest chocolate factory in 1903. Hershey constructed not only a factory that provided a luxury product to the middle class, but a community with comfortable homes and services for his employees. More than 100 years...

The New Shipbuilding Boom: Giants of the Waves

Thomas Schulz February 26, 2007
Commercial shipbuilding is on the rise, with more than 5000 giant ships set to be launched over the next three years. The boom is a response to China’s growing export market, reports Thomas Schulz in “Der Spiegel.” Germany owns most container ships, followed by China, Japan and Taiwan. But Asian firms construct the large ships, most of which are so massive they cannot fit into European ports....

The New Math of Alternative Energy

Rebecca Smith February 23, 2007
Criticized for years as costly and unsustainable, alternative energy attracting renewed interest amidst a wave of technological developments and rising oil prices. While the US depends heavily on fossil fuels, renewable energy sources such as biomass, wind, geothermal and solar are likely to account for a larger share of the electricity supply in future years. With growing concerns over global...

A Battle Over the Costs of Global Warming

David Leonhardt February 21, 2007
Now that environmentalists and scientists are unanimous that human activities cause global warming, the debate has shifted to the cost and pace of slowing it down. Two sides have emerged among economists: those who support immediate action versus those who support gradual steps. Sir Nicholas Stern of the UK released a 700-page report in late 2006 that suggests global warming could rival World...

Inequality and Globalization

Ben Bernanke February 21, 2007
The US strives to provide equal opportunity for all individuals, but does not guarantee equal economic outcomes, explained US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke in a recent speech. Still, new competition or inventions like the computer can make some workers’ skills obsolete, warns Benanke, and if the nation does not provide a support system for such workers, thus limiting some of the risks,...

Climate Change: Scientists Warn It May Be Too Late to Save the Ice Caps

David Adam February 20, 2007
New studies of ice in Greenland and Antarctica show that ice is melting faster than scientists had expected. Melting ice would raise sea levels by 6 meters and sharply reduce the world’s supply of fresh-water. Low-lying areas – from Bangladesh to London and New York – can expect major flooding. Scientists estimate a 50 percent chance that the planet’s ice caps will melt, regardless of what...

Globalization Forces a Health-Check of US Auto Industry

Susan Froetschel February 19, 2007
Of the top six automobile-manufacturing countries in the world, the US and China are the only ones that lack universal government-backed health care. US workers expect employers like Ford, General Motors and Chrysler to provide cradle-to-grave health coverage, a significant cost burden not shared by competitors. The problem is exacerbated by health plans for retired employees – every plant...