Trechinsky

It’s autumn and the answers to the economic conjonctures/state of the market are blowing in the wind.

In China the pork meat is getting much more expensive. Inflation in the 漢字–country brings forward questions about fair-minded wages and why the Chinese currency is held so artificial low?!

In Norway (Scandinavia), we speak Norwegian and use the currency “Krone” (kr). One USD($) is now (October 2007) worth 5,39 kr and one Euro(€) 7,66 kr. It’s outrageous low, which means that the risk aversion investors have the Krone as their favourite. Norway (the European Kuwait) with it’s high interest rates, strong currency and surplus on the National Budget are importing cheep (high labour intensively) goods from China and exporting expensive pollutant oil. The world still runs on oil and coal.

The high growth in consumption and wages leads to a fragile planet. Buddhist economic theory defend simplicity and a non-violence lifestyle and production. People have to realize that it’s possible to achieve a rich life with simple means. A successful global, ecological development depends on a consensus between nature and humanity. The two should replenish each other. This way of thinking is deeply rooted in Asian philosophy.

If you feel a bit blue this autumn I’ll recommend http://www.cardinal.no/. This Pub & Bar, that I discovered last night, have 309 different types of beer. Hail the wheat/Weißbier.

Trechinsky - Reliable Source, significant-minority viewpoints

Tortilla er blitt tre ganger dyrere for de lefseavhengige mexicanerne til nå i år. Hvorfor? Jo – fordi amerikanerne er hypp på ”økologisk” drivstoff til de digre bilene sine. Markedskreftene og miljøblesten gjør dermed maisbøndene fornøyde, mens fattige innbyggere blir nødt til å se etter næringsmiddelsubstitutter for de tradisjonsrike lefsene.

Er dette typisk for dagens energimiljøutvikling? Mye tyder på det. Mens landsbybeboerne drar nytte av de langsiktige nytteverdiene til f.eks. regnskogens mangfoldighet (urter, medisin, klær, frukt, kjøtt osv.) tar entreprenørene ut den kortsiktige profitten ved å gjøre om regnskogen til dyrkbarmark. Når regnskogen, som bl.a. bidrar med naturlig drenering og beskyttelse mot jorderosjon, blir borte er hele indianersamfunn i fare for å bli flyktninger i eget land. Sentral Amerikas storbyer er ofte neste stopp, og der venter slum og kriminalitet.

I Brasil, som er verdens største produsent av etanol (biodrivstoff er etanol blandet med bl.a. diesel), hogges regnskogen ned for fote. Etterspørselen etter biodrivstoff fører til at regnskogene brenner. Hogst og landbruk er viktigere enn å beskytte regnskogenes enorme reserver av flora og fauna.

Nedhuggingen av skogene, som er blant de største produsentene av O2 (omgjør CO2 til oksygen), kan føre til at det globale CO2-utslippet faktisk øker!

The costly regulations that discourages businesses from seeking legal registration is one of the explanatory variables of capitalism´s fail to bring development across many parts of the world. The poor lack legal title to their home or land, and therefore can not use them as collateral to obtain credit. Recent studies in South America (http://www.sebastiangaliani.com.ar/ Property_Rights.pdf) have found that property titles indeed matters, but it seems that the poor are not more likely to obtain a loan from a commercial bank. It has been left to “non-profit institutions” to provide micro-credit. History suggests that develpoment also depends on a healthy economic policies, an educated workforce and the ability to handle conflicts and minimizing the risk of investments.

Opposite, the housing boom in the United States (similar to the one in Norway) makes it possible for the proprietors to use their property as a cash machine. The consumers feel wealthier and take money out by borrowing against their capital gains. Over the past five years the total value of American homes has increased with 70 %. This bubble is the biggest in American history. It seems that the western economy has become addicted to pure price increase to keep the GDP growth last. While the dot-com bubble left behind a modern capital stock to yield productive gains, the property boom does little to help long-term growth.
Trechinsky - Reliable Source, significant-minority viewpoints