tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50760634970697377372011-12-27T14:17:37.999-08:00"It is the theory which decides what can be observed."<br> Albert Einsteinecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.comBlogger751100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-9336262980267576292007-07-27T16:37:00.000-07:002007-07-27T16:57:33.964-07:00

Okay, it's official. This blog has moved to http://ecoecon.wordpress.com/If you've been coming by here regularly it's time to update your bookmarks. I made a few edits to the default CSS template over at word press and I believe I'm committed to the change. There are a number of features that are definitely improvements on blogspot including easy integration of content pages outside the post

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-76944523549031601192007-07-26T11:41:00.000-07:002007-07-27T16:58:42.465-07:00

For those of you who come by here regularly:I've been checking out Wordpress blog hosting. Though I actually like the way this blogspot version looks, there are several features over at Wordpress that are improvements. I'm toying with the idea of signing up for the style sheet editing feature to make a few changes to the formatting. There are a couple of new posts on the Wordpress version that

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-76850502785119394722007-07-24T10:55:00.000-07:002007-07-24T10:56:59.328-07:00

Bloomberg.com: OpinionHypocrisy Reigns in Anti-Takeover DefensesBy Michael R. SesitJuly 20 (Bloomberg) -- How's this for disingenuous?For years, China, Japan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Norway and other countries have lent billions to Americans and Europeans. The money helped pay for the burgeoning U.S. trade deficit, funded consumers living beyond their means and financed budget shortfalls

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-73679633354404811882007-07-24T10:02:00.000-07:002007-07-24T10:08:26.983-07:00

In London, Carbon Trading Is the New Big Thing - Mergers, Acquisitions, Venture Capital, Hedge Funds -- DealBook - New York TimesJuly 6, 2007, 8:04 amSeeking to match a desire to make money with his environmental instincts, Louis Redshaw, a former electricity trader, met with five investment banks in 2004 to propose the trading of carbon dioxide. Only one, Barclays Capital, was interested.Three

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-66114786706429315022007-07-21T08:52:00.000-07:002007-07-21T10:38:22.017-07:00

The Dow broke 14k this week, yet another new record. WTF. The dollar is in decline, prices on food, fuel and commodities are going up, the housing market isn't due to rebound till at least 2009 and the willingness of foreign central banks to purchase US debt is weakening. The Dow also fell over 150 points from peak to trough twice prompting an increase in sightings of the rumored Plunge

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-59832430669338366252007-07-11T18:56:00.000-07:002007-07-12T00:49:18.197-07:00

IEA Forecast Underlines Oil, Gas Supply Worries - WSJ.comBy 2012, Production Is Expected to Fall Short Of Global DemandBy BHUSHAN BAHREEJuly 10, 2007; Page A12The industrialized world's energy watchdog added to rising concerns in some quarters that oil and natural gas production won't keep up with the world's growing thirst for energy in coming years, highlighting worries over supplies and

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-36902712347852722692007-07-11T18:54:00.000-07:002007-07-12T00:48:23.458-07:00

Lawmakers unveil anti-pollution proposalBy H. JOSEF HEBERT Associated Press WriterArticle Launched: 07/11/2007 01:32:00 PM PDTWASHINGTON—The nation can begin to address the risks of climate change while avoiding harm to the economy, senators said Wednesday in unveiling anti-pollution legislation.The bill would establish a mandatory cap on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, refineries and

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-12816192083000433822007-07-11T11:16:00.000-07:002007-07-11T11:21:14.837-07:00

In Economics Departments, a Growing Will to Debate Fundamental Assumptions - New York TimesBy PATRICIA COHENPublished: July 11, 2007For many economists, questioning free-market orthodoxy is akin to expressing a belief in intelligent design at a Darwin convention: Those who doubt the naturally beneficial workings of the market are considered either deluded or crazy.But in recent months, economists

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-33354250132762497672007-07-11T08:47:00.000-07:002007-07-11T09:10:43.831-07:00

Growing complaints of shoddy and unsafe products coming out of China led to a quick response by Beijing leaders... It appears that Chinese leadership concerns regarding protectionist US policy are dead serious.More quality control of China food imports needed in both U.S., Chinaby Jing ZhouJun 27, 2007Among some of Chicago’s food markets, there are complaints of inadequate U.S. governmental and

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-17366101887000755172007-07-10T21:29:00.000-07:002007-07-10T21:32:21.479-07:00

The Wind

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-11537489071583884332007-07-10T20:29:00.000-07:002007-07-10T20:33:28.564-07:00

Can’t Sell Your Home? Maybe It’s Priced Too Low - New York TimesBy DAVID LEONHARDTPublished: July 11, 2007Given that the real estate market is supposed to be in free fall, some strange things have been happening recently in Mill Valley.It is one of the expensive suburbs of San Francisco just over the Golden Gate Bridge, and much of the housing market there seems to be doing just fine. One

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-4342625560687826592007-07-10T20:19:00.000-07:002007-07-10T20:22:24.124-07:00

I'll try not to link through to pay/subscription sights too often, but today the WSJ webiste is free.Ratings Cuts By S&P, Moody's Rattle Investors - WSJ.comCritics Say Companies Are Reacting Too Late To Subprime Debt WoesBy SERENA NG and RUTH SIMONJuly 11, 2007The widening meltdown in the subprime-mortgage market caught up with the nation's two big debt-rating companies yesterday, with Standard &

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-11190011214695744422007-07-10T18:35:00.000-07:002007-07-10T18:45:21.207-07:00

Bloomberg.com: WorldwideD.R. Horton to Report Net Loss After Orders Plunge (Update6)By Brian LouisA D.R. Horton home under constructionJuly 10 (Bloomberg) -- D.R. Horton Inc., the second-largest U.S. homebuilder, will report a third-quarter loss after orders plunged 40 percent, and said it sees no sign of a housing rebound.``We expect the housing environment to remain challenging,'' Chairman

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-29183330524088216982007-07-09T01:54:00.000-07:002007-07-09T01:57:32.252-07:00

Chery targets annual output of 1million vehicles by 2010: report - MarketWatchBy China BureauLast Update: 12:46 AM ET Jul 9, 2007BEIJING (MarketWatch) -- Chinese carmaker Chery Automobile Co. plans to raise its annual output to 1 million vehicles by 2010, the Xinhua News Agency reported over the weekend, citing unnamed company sources.The company plans to increase its production capacity by

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-34788473842095550302007-07-09T00:43:00.000-07:002007-07-09T00:46:05.941-07:00

FT.com / China city to tighten internet controlsMure Dickie in BeijingPublished: July 8 2007 22:14 A Chinese city where residents recently held mass protests against a planned chemicals plant is preparing to tighten controls on the internet and force users to use their real names when posting messages on local websites.The decision by the south-eastern city of Xiamen appears to be a response to

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-48263389972292124532007-07-07T14:27:00.000-07:002007-07-07T15:37:42.770-07:00

Interesting. US consumption of Chinese goods allows rapid growth in Chinese manufacturing... growth aided and abetted by US expertise and investment drawn to China by low cost labor and lax environmental standards. Guess what happens next... you'll never guess... surprise! Air quality in China declines, carbon emissions go up, acid rain follows the trade winds into Japan and South Korea. So.

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-17140965718906429302007-07-04T09:42:00.000-07:002007-07-04T12:53:49.224-07:00

Here's the latest heads up on the willingness of the rest of the world to continue to finance US debt. While most of the posts on this blog reference macro economic policy/events well beyond the jurisdiction of local players, these events do and will have significant impacts on how local events play out. It's difficult to bring the implications of these macro level issues back down to earth in

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-33294760763507763922007-07-02T09:56:00.000-07:002007-07-02T10:11:22.374-07:00

Here's an article from Mike Whitney at Counterpunch. Many of the issues he raises have been covered by articles referenced on this blog. While you may draw different conclusions, this summary of bearish arguments is worth reading...Mike Whitney: The Fed's Role in the Bear Stearns MeltdownA Subprime Chernobyl?The Bank for International Settlements issued a warning last week that the Federal

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-7421940105645548252007-06-22T03:04:00.000-07:002007-06-22T04:06:38.405-07:00

Fortunately the following hyperbole is not mine. We are actually spilling bits and bytes of data denominated in dollars. Not that there's no pain involved, just not much blood.Rate Rise Pushes Housing, Economy to `Blood Bath' (Update2) - Bloomberg.comBy Kathleen M. HowleyJune 20 (Bloomberg) -- The worst is yet to come for the U.S. housing market.The jump in 30-year mortgage rates by more than a

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-29476129201185306582007-06-22T02:00:00.000-07:002007-06-22T04:04:25.421-07:00

In my youth when the Fed issued a statement denying the likelihood of a given condition or event I assumed that it was likely. Now that Bernanke is outlining significant risks in the leveraged buy out boom, I can only agree. Fortunately he's going to crack down on sub prime lending abuse later this summer, unfortunately the horse is not only out of the barn but he's been trampling the corn

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-86590308009656529162007-06-22T01:47:00.000-07:002007-06-22T01:52:18.524-07:00

China: Pollution complaints unfair -- Shanghai Daily | -- English Window to China News2007-6-22 CHINA said yesterday that it is unfair for rich countries to buy its cheap goods and then condemn its greenhouse gas pollution, a day after one study suggested the nation was already the world's biggest carbon dioxide emitter.Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said other countries need to consider

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-26395029005595998312007-06-22T01:35:00.000-07:002007-06-22T01:38:47.957-07:00

Surging Oil Demand Fuels Higher Prices, Volatility - WSJ.comGlobal Growth Adds To Strain on Industry Operating Near Edge [not to say peak]By BHUSHAN BAHREEJune 21, 2007 2:13 p.m.World oil demand is growing twice as fast as a year ago, straining the petroleum industry's ability to keep up with global needs and likely resulting in higher and more-volatile prices for some time to come.On a

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-23192431244472688722007-06-19T13:15:00.000-07:002007-06-19T14:18:55.278-07:00

Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose...Organic food grows up: attempts to adopt dominant paradigm... FTC Says Whole Foods, Wild Oats Merger Unhealthy - Forbes.comRuthie Ackerman, 06.05.07, 5:31 PM ETWhole Foods Market, one of the leading retailers of organic and natural foods, and Wild Oats announced Tuesday that the Federal Trade Commission will file a lawsuit barring Whole Foods from buying

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-80243935117787180632007-06-19T10:49:00.000-07:002007-06-19T11:16:27.091-07:00

Hit hard by the US housing market downturn Home Depot posted a 30% decline in profits last month. This month they are cashing out their wholesale supply division and buying a 12-store retail chain in China. Guess you gotta go where the money is...Home Depot agrees to sell supply division - U.S. Business - MSNBC.comReport: Unit sale to three private equity firms is worth $10 billion Reuters:

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-15826100803734337652007-06-16T03:20:00.000-07:002007-06-16T03:38:21.400-07:00

Or is China actually signaling their irritation with our posturing protectionist senators?Bloomberg.com: WorldwideChina Sells Treasuries, Signaling Diversification (Update1)By Kevin Carmichael and Ye XieJune 15 (Bloomberg) -- Chinese investors sold more U.S. Treasury securities in April than any time in at least seven years, a signal the nation may be diversifying the world's largest

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-66679767474339683482007-06-13T18:17:00.000-07:002007-06-13T19:14:50.193-07:00

A Brave New WorldThis note (below) from the RGE Monitor email teaser/newletter acknowledges an important point that is often glossed over:Discussions of US currency depreciation note the relationships between trade balances, deficit spending, global liquidity, bond yields and dollar denominated foreign reserves held by the rest of the world's Central Banks. Yet, discussions of whether or not the

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-43016619500386825282007-06-13T10:32:00.000-07:002007-06-13T12:14:06.186-07:00

While these measures intend to protect US companies the impact on US companies busy moving manufacturing capacity overseas may be quite different. New duties could significantly impact IP's cost/benefits analysis of "downsizing" domestic mills coupled with "ambitious expansion plans into Russia, China and Brazil." I googled Printing Industries of America (PIA) to find out which companies are

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-70730282994660660602007-06-12T13:53:00.000-07:002007-06-12T14:40:20.960-07:00

Might as well call for cuts in log and lumber prices. The housing (read framing lumber) market is in the tank, interest rates are on the rise and lumber mills have cut production all over the northwest and beyond. The last two weeks Random Lengths' Framing Lumber Composite Price made some incremental moves off the bottom after first quarter production levels were down 17% relative to the same

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-1453752652009434782007-06-12T09:54:00.000-07:002007-06-12T10:42:49.629-07:00

The recent (and continuing) rise in bond yields halted, at least temporarily, the stock market's ability to "climb a wall of worry". There is speculation that rising yields are the result of Asian Central banks holding back on purchases of US debt, sending a signal to US policy makers that unpegging China's currency from the dollar could have repercussions for the US economy perhaps not fully

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-71205411148621588312007-06-07T08:32:00.000-07:002007-06-07T08:35:56.588-07:00

Stocks Fall As Yields Climb - washingtonpost.comBy MADLEN READThe Associated PressThursday, June 7, 2007; 11:17 AMNEW YORK -- Stocks fell for a third straight session Thursday after rising bond yields stoked concerns that an interest rate cut later in the year is less likely.The 10-year Treasury note's yield surpassed 5 percent in overnight trading. With rates rising in the market, the Federal

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-52206197626010135722007-06-07T07:44:00.000-07:002007-06-07T07:50:08.333-07:00

Okay, one more on Ron Paul. I'm not giving my endorsement. But, this is an interesting development. Democrats: take notes.Ron Paul is Bill Maher's New Hero

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-66786703025356872182007-06-06T18:32:00.000-07:002007-06-06T19:08:16.292-07:00

I'm not a republican, nor am I a libertarian. But, there's something about the willingness of Ron Paul to say clearly what he believes to be true, in conflict with republican party doctrine, that has caused me to look a little closer. His analysis of the 35 year bi-partisan attack on the integrity of the dollar is worth a read. After reading this I went back and read Williams Jennings Bryan's

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-70870710103220026262007-06-06T18:20:00.000-07:002007-06-06T18:23:27.659-07:00

BBC NEWS | BusinessBrazil and India 'to boost trade'Brazil and India plan to strengthen their trade ties significantly, after meetings between political leaders.The two developing nations aim to increase bilateral trade three-fold, to reach $10bn (£5bn) by 2010, from $2.4bn in 2006, reports the Associated Press.Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also called for co-operation on defence,

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-31609183942165653262007-06-05T21:35:00.000-07:002007-06-05T21:39:27.736-07:00

I don't know if they read Peter Schiff in Syria, but they do think a declining currency leads to internal inflation. Therefore they want to uncouple the Syrian pound from the US dollar and peg it to a stronger currency. If it's true that following the dollar down leads to internal inflation, then as various central banks begin to move to the euro rising import costs (raw materials and finished

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-73064900600990955542007-06-05T18:30:00.001-07:002007-06-05T21:37:46.941-07:00

As CNBC's pet bear Peter Schiff is convinced the end is near. It's true he's trying to sell his book, (Crash Proof: How to Profit from the Coming Economic Collapse) but some of his arguments are pretty compelling. Peter thinks American consumers have been "borrowing money like drunken sailors and blowing it." But he's really talking about all the dollar reserves piling up in foreign central

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-53327223612895051992007-06-05T11:06:00.000-07:002007-06-05T11:40:09.757-07:00

The Canadian forest products industry provides 30+% of the US lumber supply. Admittedly much of this additional supply is not needed in the near term given current closures and curtailments in the industry due to the housing market freefall. It will be interesting to see how industry on both sides of the border responds to rising energy costs. Four or five years from now when housing recovers

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-60433924904330076642007-06-03T11:01:00.000-07:002007-06-03T11:47:03.787-07:00

Perhaps this helps to explain why local sustainable development strategies are continually sideswiped by economic reality....Economist's View: Axel Leijonhufvud: Life Among the EconThe Econ tribe occupies a vast territory in the far North. Their land appears bleak and dismal to the outsider, and travelling through it makes for rough sledding; but the Econ, through a long period of adaptation,

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-54426798690935637362007-06-02T07:38:00.000-07:002007-06-02T07:40:59.423-07:00

Chinese eco-protest takes high-tech pathMitchell Landsberg, Los Angeles TimesSaturday, June 2, 2007(06-02) 04:00 PDT Beijing -- In the cat-and-mouse game that characterizes political protest in China, the mice won a round this week. They did it by finding a new way to use a familiar form of technology.Opponents of a chemical plant being built in the coastal city of Xiamen used cell phone text

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-6164586666940584532007-05-31T21:59:00.000-07:002007-05-31T22:03:30.933-07:00

[Canadian] Forest Products Industry Calls for Swift Government Response to Dollar's Rise -- CNW TelbecOTTAWA, May 28 /CNW Telbec/ - The head of the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) today called on the Government and Bank of Canada to take swift action to mitigate the damage that the rapid appreciation of the Canadian dollar is doing to Canada's forest products industry. Over the past

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-64306139237862182082007-05-30T07:58:00.000-07:002007-05-30T08:07:28.015-07:00

Kudos to Hank Sims for recognizing that the forces driving real estate prices outside of Humboldt County may actually impact local affordable housing...North Coast Journal May 10, 2007 : THE TOWN DANDY Hank SimsThe Humboldt County housing market is part of an immensely complicated national and international economy, affected by all sorts of factors -- for example, the desirability of real estate

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-38985220832980962092007-05-30T07:45:00.000-07:002007-05-30T07:58:54.042-07:00

The latest upswing in housing sales encouraged some to think we've reached the bottom of the housing downturn. Others indicated that the surge in sales was based on major developers offering deep discounts to reduce inventories. Meanwhile national inventories of homes for sale reached record highs. U.S. Home Construction Bust May Last Until 2011 - Bloomberg.comBy Bob Ivry and Brian LouisMay 29

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-44608906359576976602007-05-24T09:00:00.000-07:002007-05-24T09:21:43.067-07:00

Curtis White gives an interesting perspective on the nexus of environmental activism, Cartesian logic and corporate malfeasance. He points to inconsistencies, at the philosophical level, that leave environmental advocates unable to change the "very fabric" driving the continued degradation of ecosystems world wide. He's right. Perhaps in a few years he will write an equally articulate article

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-21206185268142612732007-05-23T09:22:00.000-07:002007-05-23T09:23:46.090-07:00

Global carbon emissions in overdrive | csmonitor.comGlobal emissions of carbon dioxide are growing at a faster clip than the highest rates used in recent key UN reports.CO2 emissions from cars, factories, and power plants grew at an annual rate of 1.1 percent during the 1990s, according to the Global Carbon Project, which is a data clearinghouse set up in 2001 as a cooperative effort among

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-70527272258406259172007-05-23T06:55:00.000-07:002007-05-23T06:57:07.081-07:00

The Poverty Business - Business WeekIn recent years, a range of businesses have made financing more readily available to even the riskiest of borrowers. Greater access to credit has put cars, computers, credit cards, and even homes within reach for many more of the working poor. But this remaking of the marketplace for low-income consumers has a dark side: Innovative and zealous firms have lured

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-17390778678228540962007-05-21T12:34:00.000-07:002007-05-21T12:35:58.645-07:00

The Unbearable Whiteness of the Green MovementBy Van Jones, Grist MagazineCalifornia Provides Cautionary Tale to Eco-EliteThe idea for Prop 87 was brilliant in its simplicity: California would start taxing the oil and gas that we extract from our soil and shores. And those dollars would go into a huge, "clean-energy" research and technology fund.Many states and nations have similar excise taxes.

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-81580578800657254062007-05-17T09:44:00.000-07:002007-05-17T09:46:49.437-07:00

Clash of Hope and Fear as Venezuela Seizes Land - New York TimesFor centuries, much of Venezuela’s rich farmland has been in the hands of a small elite. After coming to power in 1998, and especially after his re-election in December, President Hugo Chávez vowed to end that inequality, and has been keeping his promise in a process that is both brutal and legal.Mr. Chávez is carrying out what may

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-25849661449344687012007-05-16T14:44:00.000-07:002007-05-16T14:46:19.753-07:00

U.S. Sets New China Duties - WSJ.comMove Opens Door For a Wide Array Of Trade ComplaintsBy GREG HITTMarch 31, 2007; Page A3WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration imposed new economic sanctions against China, a vivid reflection of the increasingly tough climate in the U.S. toward free trade -- particularly with Beijing.The new duties apply narrowly to complaints that Chinese producers of glossy,

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-48018124318412749762007-05-16T12:35:00.000-07:002007-05-16T12:38:23.994-07:00

Housing market is a wreck for Home Depot profit - MarketWatchExpect more of the same, CEO warns; hirings still continueBy Jennifer Waters & Angela Moore, MarketWatchLast Update: 4:41 PM ET May 15, 2007CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- Home Depot Inc., still smarting from the faltering U.S. housing market and a host of operational issues, on Tuesday posted a 30% drop in quarterly profit and warned that

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-64642206878687167572007-05-15T11:19:00.000-07:002007-05-15T14:49:29.020-07:00

While the US prepares to punish China for pegging the Yuan to the dollar and China telegraphs a response regarding the risks that would pose to their economy it might be worth reading an outside of consensus perspective . I'd take the last article, the outside perspective, with a grain of salt. Seems like gold dealers see a percentage in increasing fears of US economic weakness, but absent

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-4080875434159403032007-05-15T09:43:00.000-07:002007-05-15T09:46:34.274-07:00

Carbon trading won't work - Los Angeles TimesExperiments with the market scheme favored by Schwarzenegger shows trading favors big polluters without curbing global warming gases.By Michael K. Dorsey, MICHAEL K. DORSEY, assistant professor on Dartmouth College's faculty of science, teaches in the environmental studies program.April 1, 2007Economists, some environmentalists and a growing gaggle of

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-46079969211262655722007-05-15T09:37:00.000-07:002007-05-15T09:42:34.457-07:00

Outside of California forest products companies close due to poor markets, offshore competition, and tight credit... And, they know it.Laramie Boomerang Online - Laramie, Wyoming News and InformationA Laramie-based wood molding company had to lock its front doors and turn away its employees Saturday after it and its parent company filed bankruptcy in District Court.Rocky Mountain Forest Products

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-49003634799876715772007-05-13T15:24:00.000-07:002007-05-13T15:48:50.834-07:00

This one's from Mom...KFW HOT FLASH:DISCOVER THE REAL HISTORY OF THE HOLIDAY:Mother's Day in the United States was first established around 1870 by Julia Ward Howe who organized a Mother's Day peace march in Boston. In her Mother's Day Proclamation, Howe called on women to support pacifism and disarmament each year nationally. Read the original Mother’s Day Proclamation When it was created,

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-36032276475531049352007-05-13T14:37:00.000-07:002007-05-13T14:40:02.288-07:00

The Establishment Rethinks GlobalizationWilliam GreiderGomory's critique has great political potential because it provides what the opponents of corporate-led globalization have generally lacked: a comprehensive intellectual platform for arguing that the US approach to globalization must be transformed to defend the national interest. Still, it will take politicians of courage to embrace his

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-19921404956163401602007-05-09T08:01:00.000-07:002007-05-09T09:58:44.978-07:00

Toyota's annual report, released today, revealed robust growth in 2006. According to some, Toyota's CEO Wantanbe downplayed record breaking profits in order avoid inviting "jealousy and other negative reactions" including trade sanctions. Meanwhile GM and Ford are losing billions. At Ford even the Ford family is considering hiring outside advisers for the struggling company. While Toyota is "'

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-90288277550475768952007-05-08T08:08:00.000-07:002007-05-08T08:09:54.703-07:00

The Carbon Neutral Myth - Transnational InstituteCarbon offsets are the modern day indulgences, sold to an increasingly carbon conscious public to absolve their climate sins. Scratch the surface, however, and a disturbing picture emerges, where creative accountancy and elaborate shell games cover up the impossibility of verifying genuine climate change benefits, and where communities in the South

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-58496550295925631932007-05-07T16:48:00.000-07:002007-05-07T17:04:12.251-07:00

No, not those kind of drugs. Today's senate action managed to block the importation of cheaper FDA approved medicines from Canada, Australia, Europe, Japan and New Zealand...Meanwhile Brazil's president Lula broke the patent on Merck's AIDS drug Efavirenz allowing the government to buy a generic version from labs certified by the World Health Organization.Senate Blocks Bid to Allow Drug Imports

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-844094268361984052007-05-07T07:53:00.000-07:002007-05-07T09:15:51.831-07:00

Seems simple enough: Manage forests, sequester carbon, reduce global warming. A recent summary of science findings Forests, Carbon and Climate Change by the Oregon Forest Institute is supportive:Chapter 5: In conclusion, forest management cannot fully solve the problem of carbon accumulation in the atmosphere (and no other individual sector can). However, measures in forestry and other types of

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-32860790887970512782007-05-05T09:34:00.000-07:002007-05-05T11:00:31.953-07:00

All you've got to do is believe:Shadow Government StatisticsAnalysis Behind and Beyond Government Economic ReportingHave you ever wondered why the CPI, GDP and employment numbers run counter to your personal and business experiences? The problem lies in biased and often-manipulated government reporting.Redefining Progress - 2006 Genuine Progress Indicator UpdateGlobal Warming, Income Gap, Urban

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-3363223176988520112007-05-03T01:53:00.000-07:002007-05-15T13:27:11.926-07:00

There's been a bit of loose talk here and there that the Iraq war was motivated in part by US efforts to keep world trade in crude oil denominated in dollars. This article confirms the rumor that in 2000 Iraq moved to denominate its oil sales in Euros. But, thats almost as an aside - this is a fairly thorough analysis of the current relationships between oil reserves, oil markets, central bank

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-6810052538379020502007-05-02T09:38:00.000-07:002007-05-02T09:42:47.746-07:00

File this one under irony:Latin American Companies Make Big U.S. Gains - New York Times“As Latin America lowered its own barriers to trade and investment, its firms began to look at the world in a very different way,” said Robert Pastor, vice president for international affairs at American University in Washington and a former adviser on Latin America to President Jimmy Carter. “Now Latin America

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-89765238464857540732007-05-01T16:32:00.000-07:002007-05-01T17:38:22.941-07:00

To paraphrase Lily Tomlin: "No matter how pessimistic you get it's never enough to keep up."According to this Reuters report the Arctic ice cap is melting ahead of forecast:The Arctic ice cap is melting much faster than expected and is now about 30 years ahead of predictions made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a U.S. ice expert said on Tuesday.This means the ocean at the top of

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-27731405381483477632007-04-29T10:53:00.000-07:002007-04-29T11:04:41.550-07:00

I've been reading and listening to too much economic analysis lately. Columns like this one from Peter Schiff at EuroPacific: "What Record High?" pointing out the similarities between our current situation and the conditions that led to hyperinflation in the Wiemar Republic. Here's Mr. Schiff on the 4/17 CNBC Morning Call predicting that the value of the dollar will be cut in half in the next

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-82499136477503935362007-04-26T10:11:00.000-07:002007-04-26T11:46:05.107-07:00

Found an interesting article and set of charts today on a website called GoldSilver.com. While the headlines this week are about the Dow reaching record highs, according to the article the Dow is Crashing when measured in anything other than US Dollars.Here's a sample chart that expresses the value of the Dow in gold over the past 10 years. He also has charts of the Dow measured in silver,

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-86181090214718203102007-04-23T11:18:00.000-07:002007-04-23T11:19:50.854-07:00

California home prices to weaken further, Goldman says - MarketWatch"Median California home prices are still creeping up, and the state's strong employment trends should support the real estate market. But Goldman is worried that surging prices in the state in recent years weren't driven by traditional factors such as strong employment and income growth. Instead, the bank reckons an increase in

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-31817221595941908312007-04-23T11:07:00.000-07:002007-04-23T11:14:56.995-07:00

Sign of the times?Vanishing honeybees mystify scientists"Commercial beekeepers would set their bees near a crop field as usual and come back in two or three weeks to find the hives bereft of foraging worker bees, with only the queen and the immature insects remaining. Whatever worker bees survived were often too weak to perform their tasks.Since about one-third of the U.S. diet depends on

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-50565074642026894942007-04-22T11:17:00.000-07:002007-04-22T11:59:03.548-07:00

This is, perhaps, my favorite google video. At 45 minutes it is on the long side, but not nearly as dry as the title might suggest. Robert is a british stand-up comedian with a unique perspective on the role of oil in international affairs. Quite entertaining. I particularly enjoyed his description of Salvador Dali's "magic checkbook."You can watch the first ten minutes from the You Tube

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-51949768888448944122007-04-22T10:59:00.000-07:002007-04-22T12:32:51.135-07:00

Another good idea. One cautionary note: providing a constitutional basis for US environmental law will not limit the environmental impacts embedded in the imported products we consume from around the world. Law of the Land | David W. Orr | Orion magazine"Given the lackluster results produced by thirty years of environmental legislation, I believe the time is ripe for bold action to head off the

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-16412265544200482132007-04-19T17:14:00.000-07:002007-07-07T12:32:17.677-07:00

Al Gore's tax swap proposal is definitely good news: a mainstream politician making an very rational proposal in a high profile venue. Go Al. It's about time."Testifying before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on global warming this week, former vice president and now climate-change evangelist Al Gore urged Congress "to reduce taxes on employment and production and make up the difference

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-55926175291735333282007-04-16T09:26:00.000-07:002007-04-16T09:35:18.132-07:00

This short video from Ernest Cline gives a little perspective on some very human misconceptions...

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-53335458812144196252007-04-16T09:05:00.000-07:002007-04-16T09:24:08.714-07:00

Thomas L. Friedman - The Power of Green - New York Times"In the world of ideas, to name something is to own it. If you can name an issue, you can own the issue. One thing that always struck me about the term “green” was the degree to which, for so many years, it was defined by its opponents — by the people who wanted to disparage it. And they defined it as “liberal,” “tree-hugging,” “sissy,” “

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-82367300180537066542007-04-15T14:48:00.000-07:002007-04-15T15:03:12.329-07:00

While many would be happy if the US would just go ahead and sign the Kyoto protocols, Joeseph Stiglitz points out some weaknesses in the concept. For starters he maintains that by failing to sign the Kyoto accord, the US is unfairly subsidizing energy production. He suggests that Japan, Europe and other signatories immediately bring a case against the US in the WTO for unfair subsidization.He

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-67079001584214045582007-04-14T11:37:00.000-07:002007-07-07T12:18:39.936-07:00

A few years back France and Brazil got together in support of Lula's proposal to tax international arms sales and create a fund to eradicate world hunger. Sounds like a winning combo to me. They made some headway getting this and the Tobin Tax among others onto the UN agenda:UNITED NATIONS, Jul 8 (IPS)Despite strong reservations by the United States, Japan and Germany over proposed new global

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-30689047312504883072007-04-14T09:20:00.000-07:002007-04-14T11:37:07.150-07:00

San Jose Mercury News - Bleak U.N. report on global warming derided as too soft"A new global warming report issued Friday by the United Nations paints a near-apocalyptic vision of Earth's future: more than a billion people in need of water, extreme food shortages in Africa, a planetary landscape ravaged by floods and millions of species sentenced to extinction."Everybody's talking about what it

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-2257495072002297622007-04-10T08:20:00.000-07:002007-04-13T13:36:22.537-07:00

Housing prices and housing sales impact the willingness of developers to build new houses. This in turn impacts lumber markets and limits or expands the economic viability of options available to forest managers.Here's a short entertaining video that illustrates where housing values stood in 2006...Real Estate Roller CoasterUS Home prices adjusted for inflation plotted as a roller coaster:If you

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076063497069737737.post-57003570434508166852007-04-10T08:05:00.000-07:002007-04-10T08:18:21.179-07:00

Here's an item that might help us change the way we think:Do you know when is enough is enough? » Coolest Gadgets"More or less every single day we hear from some one who is stating that we need to save water or cut down on waste, but how on earth are we supposed to know exactly how much water we need to survive? Well the people, who brought us seats made out of recycled egg cartons, think that

ecoshifthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07363728844050916765noreply@blogger.com0