The Struggling Economic Recovery

Gloomy economic indicators continue to raise questions about the sturdiness of the global economic recovery. Weak global demand for American exports, a near 10 percent U.S. unemployment rate, and sluggish bank lending (Bloomberg) have led to doubts about the Obama administration's efforts to stimulate the economy with a new jobs bill (WSJ). Questions also loom about the Federal Reserve's decision to keep interest rates low indefinitely and how long markets will tolerate high U.S. debt...read on

Is the East really starting to "outshine" the West???

Ocean's Color Affects Hurricane Paths

A change in the color of ocean waters could have a drastic effect on the prevalence of hurricanes, new research indicates. In a simulation of such a change in one region of the North Pacific, the study finds that hurricane formation decreases by 70 percent. That would be a big drop for a region that accounts for more than half the world's reported hurricane-force winds...read on

What do you think???

Wheat Supplies and Food Fears

As the Russian landscape burns and Eurasia's agricultural zone sizzles in a record heat wave, the agricultural commodities markets are threatening to spawn a food crisis akin to the one in 2008...read on

Is this really a cause for concern? Or is it just another "fear factor" thrown out there by the government?

China vs. India: The Hare vs. the Tortoise

When you compare Asia’s two rising BRIC giants, China and India, China comes out on top by almost every measure. After all, China has grown at close to 9% over the past 30 years and has just surpassed Japan as the world’s second-largest economy. Meanwhile, India threw off the shackles of its Hindu rates of growth comparatively recently in the 1990s, and has yet to break into the ranks of the world’s top 10 economies. The Chinese are also just plain richer. China’s per capita income is about six times that of India — $1,016 compared to $6,100 in China... http://seekingalpha.com/article/218793-china-vs-india-the-hare-vs-the-tortoise?source=feed

Interesting Blog and I believe you can prosper financially in both areas.

China v US energy consumption

China has overtaken the US as the world's biggest consumer of energy, according to preliminary data from the IEA...

China's energy use has more than doubled over the last decade to overtake the United States as the word's biggest user, according to preliminary data from the International Energy Agency. As the data from the IEA shows, China has gone from using 1,107 million tons of oil equivalent (Mtoe) in 2000, to 2,131 Mtoe in 2008 and is estimated to have consumed 2,265 Mtoe in 2009.
Full Story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/datablog/2010/aug/03/us-china-energy-consumption-data

7 Green Summer Camps Sending Kids (and Future Environmentalists) into the Great Outdoors

This is certainly different from when I went to camp!

We did have "pollution patrol" but this takes it to a whole other level!!!

There's nothing like a week or two at sleep-away camp to get your kids off the couch, away from the Wi-Fi, and detached from their cell phones in favor of hiking, swimming, and exploring the great outdoors. These camps focus on getting kids in touch with Mother Nature -- from working in gardens that provide the camps with food to taking daily walks to look for different plants and animals -- so that they come back more in touch with their environmental side than ever. And though it may be too late to book a trip for this year, it's never too early to start planning for 2011... http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/07/7-green-summer-camps-sending-kids-and-future-environmentalists-into-the-great-outdoors.php?campaign=th_rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+treehuggersite+%28Treehugger%29

Would you send your kids to one of these camps???

Cap and trade dead huh...not so fast!

After the senate put a kibosh on the bill last week, a consortium that represents several U.S. states and Canadian provinces stepped up and said that they were going to adopt new climate control policies; specifically cap and trade, that will begin in 2012. Perhaps this was a response to China announcing that they will start to trade carbon credits next year. Maybe when the most populated country in the world and a clearly emerging financial power announces that they will start adapting to climate change policies others have embraced; its time for Americans to take their heads out of the sand. What do you think?


Cap Trade is Dead. Long Live Cap and Trade -

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/28/cap-and-trade-is-dead-long-live-cap-and-trade/?partner=rss&emc=rss