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Food-Price Threat Worsened by Government Mistrust of Business, Olam Says

2011 February 25
Governments need to overcome their suspicion of food companies to tackle record prices that are fueling global instability, Olam International Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Sunny Verghese said.

***Good Article

Trillions in Global Investments at Risk Due to Climate Change: Study

2011 February 25
Investors could risk losing trillions of dollars due to the effects of climate change according to a new report on long term investments and portfolio risk. The report outlines the many possible factors related to climate change that pose a threat to the global economics.

The report describes the findings of a recent study conducted by Mercer, a consulting and investment services firm, which analysed the impact of climate change on strategic asset allocation of institutional investment portfolios. The report further recommends steps for investors to take in order to adjust to these impacts.

Thousands Protest High Food Prices in India | South Asia | English

2011 February 24
Tens of thousands of people marched through India's capital, New Dehli, Wednesday to protest rising food costs.

India has been struggling with rising food inflation, which hit nearly 20 percent late last year. The country's poor have been especially affected.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said inflation poses a serious threat to the India's economic growth. He has called for an increase in food production.

After 50 Years, Nuclear Power is Still Not Viable without Subsidies

2011 February 24
The nuclear power industry has been dependent on government subsidies for 50 years and still the industry is still not economically viable, according to a report released today by UCS.

Malaysia: Plans for Borneo Coal-Fired Power Plant Scrapped – TIME

2011 February 23
The government of Sabah has killed a plan to build a controversial coal-fired plant in the tourism-driven eco-paradise on Malaysia's Borneo -- a big victory for environmental activists in the state

That's not the cutting-edge renewable-energy portfolio environmentalists consider ideal, but it's certainly cleaner than coal. And because the state's vast clean-energy potential is still largely undeveloped, it's the most immediate practical solution to the growing local power needs. Officials anticipate a 7.7% annual increase in demand through 2020.

Rising Food Prices and Global Unrest | Nightly Business Report | PBS

2011 February 23
SUSIE GHARIB: We told you about rising oil prices earlier in the program. But they're not the only global concern. Food prices are also near record levels and that means hunger and the risk of unrest are rising in many countries. For some perspective on this crisis, our Washington bureau chief Darren Gersh spoke with World Bank's managing director, Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala.

Video: Climate Change & Bill Clinton’s Speech at Dreamforce SanFran 12.11

2011 February 22
"..It's an unsustainable world because of the way we produce and consume energy. As far as I know, in the last election, we elected an enormous number of people who don't believe in climate change. They just say that in spite of the evidence, it's just not a problem. But thankfully, we appear to be the only country on Earth willing to give a congressional majority to people who deny it, so most people still think it's a problem.

SinoCoking Coal and Coke Chemical Industries Announces 2011 Second Quarter Financial Results

2011 February 22
Revenues increased by nearly $2.0 million or 13%, due to higher prices of coke and coal products largely driven by the coal supply shortage. Revenues from the sale of coke products increased by 12.6% to $9.5 million although total metric tons sold during the quarter decreased by 1.9%. Average selling prices for raw coal, washed coal and coke increased by 18.7%, 20.0% and 15.6%, respectively. Revenues from the sale of coal products increased by 14.6% to $7.2 million; total metric tons sold during the current quarter decreased by 39%. We have optimized our product mix to maximize results: We increased our washed coal sales significantly and took advantage of higher selling prices created by the tight coal supply.

Coke is the solid carbonaceous material derived from destructive distillation of low-ash, low-sulfur bituminous coal. Cokes from coal are grey, hard, and porous. While coke can be formed naturally, the commonly used form is man-made.

Roubini Global Economics – U.S. EconoMonitor

2011 February 22
Based on a new research paper, Bernanke extends his GSG hypothesis by considering the type of assets desired by these emerging economies as they invested in the U.S. economy. He shows that investors from these countries, as well as from Europe, had a strong appetite for AAA-rated assets which were in short supply elsewhere. The U.S. financial system responded by transforming risky assets into safe assets.

And so, we have a theory that nicely ties together global economic imbalances, developments in structured finance, and the U.S. housing boom. Note, though, that the GSG hypothesis places no culpability on the Fed. Instead, blame is placed on the failings of the U.S. private sector and foreigners who save too much. How convenient for Ben Benanke and the Fed.

How to make China happy: well-being economics | chinadialogue

2011 February 22
Moreover, the narrow pursuit of GDP growth can actually damage the factors that create happiness. For example, many parts of China have welcomed polluting industries for the sake of economic growth, resulting in air and water contamination, higher rates of illness - and a decline in day-to-day well-being. What is the point of this kind of economic growth?