11.22.2013
11.20.2013
Another non-environmental wonder
Outstanding example of mitigated language downplaying a serious problem - $670 million spent on consumer financial education every year vs. $17 billion spent by the industry to market financial products (via Businessweek):
"That means the majority of information consumers receive about financial products comes from a company trying to sell them something—which can make it quite a challenge for consumers to find unbiased information," CFPB Director Richard Cordray said.
"That means the majority of information consumers receive about financial products comes from a company trying to sell them something—which can make it quite a challenge for consumers to find unbiased information," CFPB Director Richard Cordray said.
11.19.2013
Gem of the day
Status update on the International Energy Agency (via Kurt Cobb):
"If the agency were a single person, what it has released over the last year as official pronouncements would likely have a psychiatrist reaching for the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition)."
"If the agency were a single person, what it has released over the last year as official pronouncements would likely have a psychiatrist reaching for the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition)."
11.13.2013
Gem of the day
Like all executives in industries tightly tied to the government, BAE Systems US CEO Linda Hudson has an uncanny ability to sidestep awkward revolving door conversations (via the WSJ):
"The lifelong Democrat [Hudson] has said she will leave BAE early next year and has been mentioned as a possible candidate to succeed Ashton Carter as deputy U.S. defense secretary when he steps down in December. The problem is she plans to remain on the board of BAE’s U.S. business for another year, ruling out a job with the company’s key customer. 'The timing is not right,' said Hudson."
Luckily there's nothing standing in the way of her alternative plan to consult on all things defense in the meantime:
"Once she retires, Ms. Hudson said she intends to set up a leadership and strategy consulting firm, take additional U.S. corporate board seats."
"The lifelong Democrat [Hudson] has said she will leave BAE early next year and has been mentioned as a possible candidate to succeed Ashton Carter as deputy U.S. defense secretary when he steps down in December. The problem is she plans to remain on the board of BAE’s U.S. business for another year, ruling out a job with the company’s key customer. 'The timing is not right,' said Hudson."
Luckily there's nothing standing in the way of her alternative plan to consult on all things defense in the meantime:
"Once she retires, Ms. Hudson said she intends to set up a leadership and strategy consulting firm, take additional U.S. corporate board seats."
11.11.2013
Something that's actually good
Revisiting John Thackara's great rejoinder to the insurance industry on why trust is not an algorithm:
"My biggest concern with Big Data is the prospect that they will give managers and policy makers a sense of being in control when such confidence is not justified...[Big Data] capture information about transactions in the formal economy where they are most easily monitored. This focus obscures most of the world’s economic activity, which is informal."
"My biggest concern with Big Data is the prospect that they will give managers and policy makers a sense of being in control when such confidence is not justified...[Big Data] capture information about transactions in the formal economy where they are most easily monitored. This focus obscures most of the world’s economic activity, which is informal."
11.08.2013
Another non-environmental wonder
In case you didn't already have enough proof that inequality in the USA has reached epic proportions (via the SSA):
32% of working Americans made less than $15,000 in 2012. Translation: a third of Americans earned less than the official poverty line.
32% of working Americans made less than $15,000 in 2012. Translation: a third of Americans earned less than the official poverty line.
11.06.2013
Something that's actually good
Memo from Bill McKibben to the rest of the world (echoed by WorldChanging founder Alex Steffen):
11.05.2013
Gem of the day
It's hard not to focus on the irony in the Norway Sovereign Wealth Fund's forthcoming decision to divest from coal assets - a $760 billion fund bankrolled by Norway's massive oil wealth, lauded for a radical move to decarbonise its investments.
Then again, for a fund that owns an average of 2.5% of every European listed company, a move is a move. In that case here's the next logical step - divest from three of the fund's top ten holdings, which are...in oil companies.
Then again, for a fund that owns an average of 2.5% of every European listed company, a move is a move. In that case here's the next logical step - divest from three of the fund's top ten holdings, which are...in oil companies.
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