Oil plunges $US3 after record run
News.com.au - The gain rather was because of “speculation, investment funds (purchases), regional tensions and other factors unrelated to supply and demand,” it quoted UAE Energy Minister Mohammad bin Dhaen al-Hamli as saying. The Organisation of Petroleum

US recession is already here, warns Merrill
Daily Telegraph - The US has entered its first full-blown economic recession in 16 years, according to investment bank Merrill Lynch. Get the latest news and analysis of the credit crisis The full financial outlook for 2008 Merrill, itself one of Wall Street’s biggest

Bear Stearns CEO Cayne expected to resign, but remain as chairman
International Herald Tribune - Cayne was expected to be replaced by Bear Stearns President Alan Schwartz, a 57-year-old investment banker respected for his dealmaking savvy. Cayne started notifying Bear Stearns’ board on Sunday that he plans to give up his post but remain as

Introduction to Investing (pdf)
Daily Telegraph - Complex financial jargon can confuse many people into inaction but this plain English guide sets out the fundamental facts you need to get started. Tom Stevenson – whose investment column is a must-read in The Daily Telegraph Business section each

Emerging markets still a good investment
Daily Telegraph - Even if the Nairobi stock market re-opens as planned on Wednesday it will, except for one short session, have been shut for business for almost two weeks. The shut-down gives support to the cynical definition of an emerging market - one you can’t

Taxpayers to foot £16m bill for MPs’ pensions
Financial Times - The government actuary’s lower estimate – reported in the main body of the Commons accounts – uses more optimistic assumptions about stock market investment returns. The FRS17 standard, mandatory in the private sector, was recently applied to

Singapore’s CapitaLand unit to purchase rest of Ascott Group for 1.73 sgd
Forbes - The company, through Somerset Land Pte Ltd and Areca Investment Pte Ltd, currently holds a combined stake of 66.53 percent in Ascott Group. CapitaLand said it intends to take Ascott Group private if its stake exceeds 90 percent at the close of the

Stocks: Playing the 2008 Election
BusinessWeek - As the U.S. Presidential campaign kicks off, Wall Street is watching every primary and caucus result closely, hoping to make money no matter who Americans choose as their next leader. Investment houses are digging deep into each candidate’s policy

Will Foreign Investment Increase?
Donga.com - The European Union Chamber of Commerce in Korea (EUCCK) decided yesterday to give senior director, Jeong Jong-won, the responsibility of leading the Investment Promotion Department, which has been headed by directors. Early this year, the EUCCK

Bear Stearns chief to step down after huge US sub-prime losses
Times On the web - Mr Cayne, 73, is expected to be succeeded by Alan Schwartz, a 57-year-old investment banker and the Bear Stearns president. In August, Bear Stearns removed Warren Spector, the investment bank’s co-president and joint chief operating officer, who

Fuel, rates top business worries
News.com.au - Expectations for future capital investment also softened. On the positive side, hiring expectations were up five points, with 13 per cent of executives anticipating an increase in staff and 10 per cent anticipating a reduction. There were tentative signs

Few have a yen to invest in Japan
Financial Times - Part of the Japanese story in 2007 was related to investors, such as hedge funds, having to prioritise investment choices and picking markets other than Japan because of its relatively low returns. Some investors may already be asking whether changes

Team Telegraph Day 2: Let the real you shine through
Daily Telegraph - Pearls will be your ideal accessory investment this year. Your personality suits the authoritative palette of grey, charcoal, black and navy. Look to Dior, Zara and Autograph at M&S. Girly Goth Those black layers masquerading as clothes look just as

Financial Trends Fund, Inc. Shareholders Approve Investment Advisory
MSN MoneyCentral - COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Financial Trends Fund, Inc. DHFT announced this day that shareholders approved the investment advisory agreement with Diamond Hill Capital Management, Inc. “We are pleased with the results of last week’s

Construction activity expands in December
News.com.au - The non-residential markets, in particular, are providing a major stimulus to activity, highlighting the considerable backlog of work in infrastructure projects, and the continued strong investment in commercial property,” Mr Pensabene stated. HIA

Fla. lawmakers question investment pool
CNBC - TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Baffled lawmakers were given no answers after they demanded Monday to know how the state bureau that invests local government money could have put the funds into mortgage-related securities that later caused a panic

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I’ve mentioned Ray Anderson here on Greener Assets as a model of an inspiring business success story. After an environmental legacy wake-up call, Anderson took to transforming his carpet tile company into a “a sustainable operation that takes nothing out of the earth that cannot be recycled or swiftly regenerated, and that does no harm to the biosphere.” He has become one of the nation’s leading spokespersons and advocates for sustainability.

He is also an author, which brings us to our Mid-Course Correction Contest. This week, readers have the opportunity to win a copy of Ray Anderson’s Book Mid-Course Correction: Toward a Sustainable Enterprise The Interface Model. It’s a great book for anyone interested in the shift towards an environmentally sustainable economy.

Book Description

Mid-Course Correction is the personal story of Ray Anderson’s realization that businesses need to embrace principles of sustainability, and of his efforts, often frustrating, to apply these principles within a billion dollar corporation that is still measured by the standard scorecards of the business world. While the path has proved to have many curves, Interface is demonstrating that the principles of sustainability and financial success can co-exist within a business, and can lead to a new prosperity that includes human dividends as well.

How to play…

Starting this day, answer the five questions below and email me your answers, also leave a comment on this post to let everyone know you’re playing. I’ll keep track of entries with the correct answers in the order they’re received and then the winner will be picked at random from all the entries. The winner will be announced on January 14th, one week from this day!

Here are the five questions (answers are here on Greener Assets)

1. What did Greenpeace find in Budweiser’s beer last year?

2. Can you name two companies that are changing small wind?

3. What is the name of the company that bought Burt’s Bees in 2007?

4. Where and when is the Greener Gadgets Conference?

5. Can you name one of the six sins of greenwashing?

That’s it!

Here are the rules:

• Entries must be sent via email with “Mid-Course Correction Contest” in the subject line to greener.assets@yahoo.com by 11:59p.m. EST on January 12, 2008.

• You must include your full name and your email address with your entry. I won’t publish your email address, but I do need contact information for the winning entry and for your shipping address. I respect your privacy, and I’ll not send you anything unrelated to your entry in this contest.

• Remember to leave a comment on this post that you’re playing along.

• Have fun and check back next week to see if you won!

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I’ve mentioned Ray Anderson here on Greener Assets as a model of an inspiring business success story. After an environmental legacy wake-up call, Anderson took to transforming his carpet tile company into a “a sustainable operation that takes nothing out of the earth that can’t be recycled or quickly regenerated, and that does no harm to the biosphere.” He has become one of the nation’s leading spokespersons and suggests for sustainability.

He’s also an author, which brings us to our Mid-Course Correction Contest. This week, readers have the opportunity to win a copy of Ray Anderson’s Book Mid-Course Correction: Toward a Sustainable Enterprise The Interface Model. It’s a great book for anyone interested in the shift towards an environmentally sustainable economy.

Book Description

Mid-Course Correction is the personal story of Ray Anderson’s realization that businesses need to embrace principles of sustainability, and of his efforts, often frustrating, to apply these principles within a billion dollar corporation that is still measured by the standard scorecards of the business world. While the path has proved to have many curves, Interface is demonstrating that the principles of sustainability and financial success can co-exist within a business, and can lead to a new prosperity that includes human dividends as well.

How to play…

Starting today, answer the five questions below and email me your answers, also leave a comment on this post to let everyone know you are playing. I’ll keep track of entries with the correct answers in the order they’re received and then the winner will be picked at random from all the entries. The winner will be announced on January 14th, one week from this day!

Here are the five questions (answers are here on Greener Assets)

1. What did Greenpeace find in Budweiser’s beer last year?

2. Can you name two companies that are changing small wind?

3. What’s the name of the company that bought Burt’s Bees in 2007?

4. Where and when is the Greener Gadgets Conference?

5. Can you name one of the six sins of greenwashing?

That’s it!

Here are the rules:

• Entries must be sent via email with “Mid-Course Correction Contest” in the subject line to greener.assets@yahoo.com by 11:59p.m. EST on January 12, 2008.

• You must include your full name and your email address with your entry. I won’t publish your email address, but I do need contact information for the winning entry and for your shipping address. I respect your privacy, and I will not send you anything unrelated to your entry in this contest.

• Remember to leave a comment on this post that you’re playing along.

• Have fun and check back next week to see if you won!

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I’m not such a fanatic about New Year’s Resolutions because change is an ongoing process. I do have a standing resolution that I don’t want to wake up and start the year with a hangover, I’ve fulfilled that one for quite some time.

However, if I was put on the spot to give you one I’d state that my resolution this year is to do more of what I do and to do it superior, like more of this and this and this and so on and so on. All of my hopes this year have a little to do with this and this. I state hopes with a cheerful optimism because 2007 proved to be a monumental year for the environment and in many ways it looks to just get better.

There are so many ways to go green at home and work, easy steps to make progress include ideas and actions that have sustainability in mind. Like using less paper by printing only when necessary, saving energy by powering down and avoiding phantom loads, biking or walking to work, taking the train, the list is endless.

Still, there is something about a New Year’s Resolution that makes us all listen up. It’s a call to action, a goal, a path. Even if it doesn’t go as planned it’s superior to at least give it a go. So I want to know what readers are thinking. What are your green goals for your business or work this year? I want to know! Leave a comment and share your vision of green for the coming year!

Need a little inspiration? You might like to check out TreeHugger’s ongoing The Year Ahead, where over the month of January a number of green gurus will share their eco-resolutions and outlooks for the next 365 days. The series starts with Danny Seo, green-living guru and author of the Simply Green book series? You can check it out here.

Happy New Year!

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I’m not such a fanatic about New Year’s Resolutions because change is an ongoing process. I do have a standing resolution that I don’t want to wake up and begin the year with a hangover, I’ve fulfilled that one for quite some time.

However, if I was put on the spot to give you one I’d state that my resolution this year is to do more of what I do and to do it superior, like more of this and this and this and so on and so on. All of my hopes this year have a tiny to do with this and this. I state hopes with a cheerful optimism because 2007 proved to be a monumental year for the environment and in many ways it looks to just get better.

There are so many ways to go green at home and work, simple steps to make progress include ideas and actions that have sustainability in mind. Like using less paper by printing only when necessary, saving energy by powering down and avoiding phantom loads, biking or walking to work, taking the train, the list is endless.

Still, there is something about a New Year’s Resolution that makes us all listen up. It’s a call to action, a goal, a path. Even if it doesn’t go as planned it’s superior to at least give it a go. So I want to know what readers are thinking. What are your green goals for your business or work this year? I want to know! Leave a comment and share your vision of green for the coming year!

Need a little inspiration? You might like to check out TreeHugger’s ongoing The Year Ahead, where over the month of January a number of green gurus will share their eco-resolutions and outlooks for the next 365 days. The series starts with Danny Seo, green-living guru and author of the Simply Green book series? You can check it out here.

Happy New Year!

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It would make sense that a store which has ridden the organic movement wave to a peak of commercial success would be making sustainability part of its culture, and Whole Foods Market has certainly done so in the past couple of years.

The store is far from perfect when it comes to certain ethical aspects or how they deal with companies in their supply chain, particularly small farmers, BUT, I can say that their move to ban plastic bags is undeniably wholesome. And might add, it’s about time.

Whole Foods Market is no longer offering plastic grocery bags at the checkouts in its two stores in Austin, Texas. The company says that the move in Austin, where the supermarket is headquartered, is the first step to ban plastic bags companywide by early next year.

Apparently plastic bag manufacturers are quite upset at the audacity of such an endeavor. The Progressive Bag Alliance, a non-profit association of plastic bag manufacturers promoting environmentally responsible plastic bag use, issued a statement saying “that any plan to replace plastic bags with paper bags will yield negative impacts on the environment.” Pardon?

I tried to find these jokers but their site seems to have disappeared. You can read their press release here where they ask Whole Foods to reconsider. Their argument is that plastic is superior than paper. Um, reusable tote anyone? The whole play reminds me of a certain motion picture…what do y’all think?

Via EL

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It would make sense that a store which has ridden the organic movement wave to a peak of commercial success would be making sustainability part of its culture, and Whole Foods Market has certainly done so in the past couple of years.

The store is far from perfect when it comes to certain ethical aspects or how they deal with companies in their supply chain, particularly small farmers, BUT, I have the ability to say that their move to ban plastic bags is undeniably wholesome. And might add, it’s about time.

Whole Foods Market is no longer offering plastic grocery bags at the checkouts in its two stores in Austin, Texas. The company states that the move in Austin, where the supermarket is headquartered, is the first step to ban plastic bags companywide by early next year.

Apparently plastic bag manufacturers are quite upset at the audacity of such an endeavor. The Progressive Bag Alliance, a non-profit association of plastic bag manufacturers promoting environmentally responsible plastic bag use, issued a statement saying “that any plan to replace plastic bags with paper bags will yield negative impacts on the environment.” Pardon?

I tried to find these jokers but their site seems to have disappeared. You can read their press release here where they ask Whole Foods to reconsider. Their argument is that plastic is better than paper. Um, reusable tote anyone? The whole play reminds me of a certain movie…what do y’all think?

Via EL

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Global Green USA, the national environmental organization, recognizes environmental vision and leadership in business, government, media and other fields with two annual awards: The Millennium Awards in Los Angeles and the Designing a Sustainable and Secure World Awards in New York. Recently, the winners of the 8th annual Designing a Sustainable and Secure World Awards were announced and given to several deserving leaders.

“This year’s honorees point the way towards a green future,” said Matt Petersen, President and CEO of Global Green USA. “They’ve been walking the walk long before green became cool. We need more leaders like them given the renewed sense of urgency we received from the current United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) synthesis report.” - GG press release

And the winners are…

Albanese Organization won the Green Building Design Award. The Albanese Organization built America’s first environmentally advanced residential tower, the Solaire, and are currently building one of the greenest residential high rises in the world, the Visionaire, in Battery Park City, New York. They’re helping popularize and demonstrate the benefits of creating smart green buildings that conserve water and energy.

Discovery Communications won the Media and Entertainment Design Award. Coming in 2008, Discovery will launch Planet Green, a global, cross-company initiative which includes delivering the first-ever 24-hour eco-lifestyle television network to more than 50 million homes. Planet Green speaks to people who want to understand green living and to those who truly want to make a difference by providing tools and information to meet the critical challenge of protecting our environment.

Pratt Industries won the Industrial Design Award. Pratt industries, the largest privately owned paper and packaging company in the world, is a leader in environmental stewardship. Pratt’s 100% recycled paper mills in New York and Georgia use no toxic chemicals and keep 700,000 tons of waste paper from landfills.

Shaklee Corporation won the Organizational Design Award. Shaklee Corporation is one of the world’s preeminent sustainable businesses. Founded 50 years ago, Shaklee is a leading provider of natural nutrition, personal care and environmentally-friendly household products. In 2000, Shaklee became the first company in the world to be Climate Neutral™ certified, resulting in a net zero impact on the environment. It is also spreading the message of caring for the planet through its network of more than 750,000 Members and Distributors.

These are just a few of the great initiatives that Global Green has its eye on, check out more here and congrats to the winners!

Via EL

Global Green USA - the American affiliate of President Gorbachev’s Green Cross International was founded by Diane Meyer Simon in 1993. Global Green USA works to foster a global values shift towards a sustainable and secure future. Global Green USA hosts the Designing a Sustainable and Secure World Awards in New York to shine the light on some of today’s innovative ‘designs’ and the visionary leaders that create or implement them.

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Global Green USA, the national environmental organization, recognizes environmental vision and leadership in business, government, media and other fields with two annual awards: The Millennium Awards in Los Angeles and the Designing a Sustainable and Secure World Awards in New York. Recently, the winners of the 8th annual Designing a Sustainable and Secure World Awards were announced and given to several deserving leaders.

“This year’s honorees point the way towards a green future,” stated Matt Petersen, President and CEO of Global Green USA. “They’ve been walking the walk long before green became cool. We need more leaders like them given the renewed sense of urgency we received from the current United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) synthesis report.” - GG press release

And the winners are…

Albanese Organization won the Green Building Design Award. The Albanese Organization built America’s first environmentally advanced residential tower, the Solaire, and are currently building one of the greenest residential high rises in the world, the Visionaire, in Battery Park City, New York. They are helping popularize and demonstrate the benefits of creating smart green buildings that conserve water and energy.

Discovery Communications won the Media and Entertainment Design Award. Coming in 2008, Discovery will launch Planet Green, a global, cross-company initiative which includes delivering the first-ever 24-hour eco-lifestyle television network to more than 50 million homes. Planet Green speaks to people who want to comprehend green living and to those who truly want to make a difference by providing tools and information to meet the critical challenge of protecting our environment.

Pratt Industries won the Industrial Design Award. Pratt industries, the largest privately owned paper and packaging company in the world, is a leader in environmental stewardship. Pratt’s 100% recycled paper mills in New York and Georgia use no toxic chemicals and keep 700,000 tons of waste paper from landfills.

Shaklee Corporation won the Organizational Design Award. Shaklee Corporation is one of the world’s preeminent sustainable businesses. Founded 50 years ago, Shaklee is a leading provider of natural nutrition, personal care and environmentally-friendly household products. In 2000, Shaklee became the first company in the world to be Climate Neutral™ certified, resulting in a net zero impact on the environment. It is also spreading the message of caring for the planet through its network of more than 750,000 Members and Distributors.

These are just a few of the great initiatives that Global Green has its eye on, check out more here and congrats to the winners!

Via EL

Global Green USA - the American affiliate of President Gorbachev’s Green Cross International was founded by Diane Meyer Simon in 1993. Global Green USA works to foster a global values shift towards a sustainable and secure future. Global Green USA hosts the Designing a Sustainable and Secure World Awards in New York to shine the light on some of today’s innovative ‘designs’ and the visionary leaders that create or implement them.

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This is it! The final week of the b5media Apprentice Challenge, and from over 30 blogs on the b5 Business Channel there are just four left: Record-keeping Solver, Home Biz Notes, Successful Blog and Greener Assets! You get a state in the final decision, vote for your favorite final Apprentice Challenge post from these four blogs by leaving a comment! Your comment is a vote for that blog!

The final challenge is: Why do you blog? In my mind, the challenge question and answer are one in the same:

What Can One Person Do?

To be honest, I used to think that blogs were for lonely people looking for dates. I’m not kidding. Then I discovered that bloggers were using the internet for positive change. Like TreeHugger, where you can learn something sustainable each day. And Zen Habits, where one man shares his journey of transformation and invites you to join him. Or Sphere, where threatened natural and national treasures find an advocate. I found a thriving discourse in the blogosphere where my ideals were gaining momentum through the global connection of the web.

“the honour and distinction of the individual consist in this, that he among all the world’s multitudes should become a source of social good” - From the Baha’i Faith

So in order to find a platform where I could be heard I turned to b5media and asked, What does bubble gum have to do with birds? What does your new deck have to do with people in Bolivia? What do spiders have to do with Kevlar? The answers to these questions and more have become my voice in the on the web environmental movement.

I’ve learned that carelessly discarded bubble gum is fatal to birds, it’s a simple fact that I want people to know. I’ve seen, first hand, how products made from responsibly harvested wood protect tropical forests and want people to know that their consumer choices really do make a difference. I comprehend that if we use biomimicry principles we could produce a material stronger than Kevlar without generating pollution, just like spiders do every day, and my hope is that by bringing the subject to forum someone will be inspired to find a solution.

When a company finds a new way to harness the wind for electricity I want to tell people. When an individual has made a difference I think that sharing their story can inspire others and lift the cloud of environmental ‘doom and gloom’, even if just for a moment. I believe that if my responses and posts about what I see and learn about the environment have an impact on even just one person than my time here in the blogosphere is well spent. And I’m not alone.

Since I started with b5media, first at Daily Tomorrow and then here at Greener Assets, I witnessed and took part in the first Blog Action Day where the founders asked What Can One Person Do? The answer was a tremendous roar of blogging heard around the world on October 15, 2007, when more than 20,000 individual bloggers across the globe united and stated that the environment matters to them.

By uniting the world’s blogging community we can raise awareness of the environment, get people thinking and trigger a global debate. - United Nations Environment Programme

Blog Action Day reached millions of people worldwide, and that was just one day. As an environmental blogger for Daily Tomorrow, Greener Assets, Inhabitat and Green Redux, every day is Blog Action Day for me. What keeps me writing is the knowledge that the world is one big interconnected system that includes everything from ecology to economics to the web, and I dig that.

So why do I blog? I blog because it’s what one person can do.

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