On the remote Pacific island of Anuta a code of “love and compassion” embodied in the culture has preserved a harmonious and happy community. The almost non-existence of outside influence also helps people to keep perspective and enjoy life. While this report from the BC travel correspondent is brief, it offers hints at how little …
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No to trans-fats
California has legislated a state wide ban on the use of trans-fats in food. It is the first US state to do so and sets an example for others, which will no doubt follow soon. Trans-fats are processed oils used to bulk up and preserve processed food, but significantly contribute to weight gain, cholesterol build-up …
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The best new asset class
Hazel Henderson analyses the changing face of financial markets in Nervous Investors Searching for New Asset Classes. She concludes: … the best new asset class is all the entrepreneurial companies that make up the Sustainability Sector. Many of these have quietly out-performed the Dow and S&P indexes.
The Food We Waste
Its not just transport and packaging that are destroying the natural world, but our waste of food. An extensive UK study by WRAP analysed garbage of over 2,000 households to identify the food we waste. The results are revealing. The sheer volume of food thrown away by all types of people is embarrassing: over £ …
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The Day After Tomorrow, today
These pictures show the disintegration of an Antarctic ice shelf in the middle of (southern hemisphere) winter. This is exactly the kind of sensational news that the melodramatic movie “The Day After Tomorrow” portrayed. Another signal from nature to change our behaviour. Come on – eat less, travel less, slow down – help the world …
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Notorious companies
ArcelorMittal, Citigroup, Chevron, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), ExxonMobil, Nestlé, Samsung, Shell, Total, and Wal-Mart were red-flagged by ECOFACT as the most controversial companies in the world. The companies were routinely in the news and criticized by non-governmental organizations in the first half of this year. Social Funds report
High net worth investors increasing green portfolios
The 12th annual World Wealth Report 2008 released by Capgemini and Merrill Lynch states there are over 10 million people globally with at least $1 million of financial assets in 2007, an increase of 6% over 2006. High net worth investors invested in safety last year with 44% of their financial assets in cash and …
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Eat now for tomorrow there will be nothing
Alarming reports from the Rights and Resources Initiative show that an escalation in land acquisition and deforestation is underway. The cause underpinning this land grab is increasing demand for crop land upon which to grow food and biofuel. The consequence of this deforestation will be an acceleration of the destruction of nature and humanity’s home. …
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Nitrogen is destroying the biosphere as much as carbon.
It is rarely mentioned in the media yet, but production of reactive nitrogen is already at catastrophic levels. Its main contributors are vehicles and farming for the gross quantities of fuel they consume. The consequence of emitting massive excesses is destruction of habitats and food chains. As with other identifiable culprits of planetary destruction, the …
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A very worrying World Oil Outlook 2008
OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2008 is a realistic but very worrying analysis of the global energy picture. It discusses the recent gyrations of the price of oil and its underlying drivers, in particular the growth of speculation, and outlines demand and supply parameters. While it projects a sufficient supply for the coming decades, whether or …
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