Healthcare: Not just another business

Health | Ano Lobb | Friday 20th November 2009

A reader comment on a posting about electronic medical records (EMR) suggests that medicine needs to follow other industries into the digital age. This is likely inevitable: Medical record keeping is bound to become more digitized over time. The primary reasons are monetary: It facilitates the generation of bills to send to patients and payers, the jury is still out on whether it increases quali
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Leading News and Opinion

	$2.2 Billion Investment by the US in Green Bonds Sustainable Finance \| Justmeans Staff \| Saturday 31st October 2009 In an attempt to encourage sustainable investment, approximately 2.2 billion dollars were released by the United States treasury in new bonds. This move is being considered a great kick-start for the renewable energy sector and it will also speed up the roll out of low carbon energy projects in the US. Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs) is the name of the new financial instrument that will function as a low interest loan to the owners of renewable projects. This bond will be providing them an alternative for traditional monetary sources that had stopped functioning last year due to the global financial crunch. Clean Renewable Energy Bonds in 2005 were originally authorized as a part of the Energy Policy Act. Approximately 800 million dollars in CREBs was created in 2008 under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. Earlier this year, this amount went up to 2.4 billion dollars as a part of the stimulus package by the Obama government. There is a lot of similarity in these bonds and production tax credits awarded to renewable projects. The instrument applies to the same projects on a large basis. The only difference lies in the fact that these bonds serve as a finance tool rather than providing relief from post-implementation tax. These bonds are being said to serve as an immediate monetary help for the renewable sector and take projects related to solar or wind farms into the construction phase. If a utility or government agency will sell the Clean Renewable Energy Bond to any lender, the lender will then become the bondholder. Normally, the bondholder will get interest from the issuer but in the case of CREB, majority of the tab is picked up by the federal government and the bondholders are paid interest in the form of tax credit. Read More

	Small Matters: How Bicycles Are Powering Sustainable Food Enterprises Sustainable Food \| Tricia Edgar \| Saturday 31st October 2009 The word subsistence brings to mind the idea of barely scraping by, growing just enough food to sustain ourselves. There is marginality in this word, and for many there is marginality in their lives as subsistence farmers. In a world increasingly impacted by the rains, droughts, and wild swings of climate change and the stress of many people on too little land, it can be hard to make a living. It's especially difficult when you don't have a surplus of food to put away for the lean times. Why don't people simply sell some of the produce, creating a cash flow and potential reserves for their families? It can be hard to move into the realm of the small-scale food producer. It takes land, money, and time to create a small-scale farm. Recently, Global Cycle Solutions has worked with small farmers to address the need for more efficient labor. Global Cycle Solutions creates bicycle-powered technologies that vastly increase the efficiency of farm labor. The technologies work with a universal bicycle adapter, so many different types of farm equipment can connect to the power of the bike. The adapter doesn't change the bicycle, but it allows its power to be used in other ways. For example, corn that is processed with the power of a bicycle can be shelled forty times faster than a person can do it by hand. For those farmers who would otherwise need to rent a gas-powered machine, the bicycle is cheaper. For farmers who are just breaking in to the small-scale market, the bicycle is an accessible technology that is much more efficient than manual labor. Read More

	Growth of Social Enterprises in India Social Enterprise \| Justmeans Staff \| Saturday 31st October 2009 Change starts with ideas. And when ideas become reality, they transform life - this is the motto on which Rural Innovation Network, a social enterprise in India works. This enterprise has been dedicated towards improving the living standard of rural population in India. Rural Innovation Network believes that environmental concerns are well understood by the rural people and several opportunities can be created out of it. The problem lies in the fact that these opportunities cannot be turned into a reality by the poor people as they don't have the access to infrastructure, skills and capital for reaching the market. Villgro by Rural Innovations Network is driven by the dreams of wealthy rural population in India. It includes a process that is imaginative, systematic as well as scientific. Villgro runs various core programs to fulfill its objective. The Lemelson Recognition and Mentoring Program is aimed at mentoring ideas and seed funding so that the rural people can also reach the markets with their business ideas. It is run in collaboration with Villgro and Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India and Lemelson Foundation funds this program. Samrudhhi is another program that works toward enhancing the last mile linkages to ensure prosperity at the village level. Through this program, accessible innovations will be made to rural farmers by Villgro in few cities of Tamil Nadu, India. In an attempt to increase reach in remote rural areas; this enterprise has also collaborated with institutions that have a rural presence across India. It believes that there are several rural innovations that can be commercialized as successful micro enterprises. These enterprises will not only be beneficial for the rural consumers but it will also help in the creation of sustainable wealth. Villgro has been striving to establish this model in an attempt to transform ideas into reality and encourage rural population with skills and infrastructure to help them make a living. Read More

	Swine Flu in the United States Health \| Justmeans Staff \| Saturday 31st October 2009 During the first few months of the swine flu causing havoc in the United States, approximately 5.7 million Americans got infected with the H1N1 virus. According to estimations made by the scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from mid-April to July between 2 to 5.7 million people were already infected with the virus and more than 21,000 people had to be admitted for immediate healthcare. Health experts have estimated that approximately half of swine flu cases in the world are present in the US with more than 127 deaths and 3,065 hospitalizations. There has been a significant increase in the number of people getting hospitalized due to infection from the H1N1 virus since July. Based on reports it was found out that 12 is the average age of swine flu patients, 20 for hospitalized patients and approximately 37 for people who died due to swine flu. The virus is more deadly for old people (65 and above), especially patients who are suffering from asthma, immune system problems, diabetes and chronic heart diseases. Health officials in the United States are urging people to get the swine flu shot without fail, whenever required. The vaccination is usually given in two shots with a difference of 21 days. Vaccines being made public for use are first being tested and licensed. Read More

	Boycott of Soy Products Ethical Consumption \| Justmeans Staff \| Saturday 31st October 2009 Major UK based food companies along with Greenpeace have been inviting support from consumers to boycott soy products in the wake of protecting Amazon rainforests. They have joined forces to shun multinational traders that buy soy from the deforested land of Amazon rainforests. In the last few years, too much destruction has been caused to the Amazon forests due to production of soy. In an attempt to support the cause, leading food retailers including McDonald's along with Greenpeace had also formed an alliance in order to demand immediate action from soy traders. Amazon destruction is basically being caused due to the rise in demand for soy based animal feed which is used in production of meat. Due to the rise in pressure from this unique alliance, even the US commodities giants including French-owned Dreyfus, Cargill, Bunge, and Brazilian-owned Amaggi have to come together for negotiation. Earlier this year Brazilian soy crushers announced extension of the ban on purchasing soybeans grown in the Amazon basin for one more year. This extension was the result of the pressure being imposed on them by the buyers and activist groups for the preservation of one of the world's largest rain forests. Read More

	Tribes in India to Heal Nature Climate Change \| Justmeans Staff \| Saturday 31st October 2009 Yes, you read that right! Tribes in India have asked for a free hand to heal the nature with their expertise and traditional knowledge in order to curb the devastating effects of climate change. There are several tribes across the country that cut across groups like forestry, farming, fishing and pastoral. These groups recently released a charter that included details of effective solutions for curbing the after effects of rising carbon footprint and global warming. Climate change is here and if immediate measures are not taken, existence of mankind will be at great risk. Temperature is rising and erratic rainfalls, landslides are causing havoc on people living in poor countries. Tribes in India have years of experience in adapting to major changes taking place in climate and landscapes. Tribes also experience disproportionate economic and environmental impacts of climate change and this makes them a valuable resource for obtaining inputs on how to limit the impact of global warming. There are several organizations that work with tribal partners in India to establish collaboration for climate change solutions. They conduct workshops and meetings for discussions and inputs on the effects of global warming on the society and environment. This collaboration acts as a platform for these tribes where they can share first-hand accounts of climate change and its possible negative impact on cultural, economic and natural resources. This collaboration has made it possible for the tribes to participate in dialogues and policy decisions made on global warming. Climate change experts are of view that new technologies cannot be compared to traditional processes and knowledge in combating this global issue. There are chances that new technologies might worsen the situation and make it difficult to handle environmental issues. Read More

	Methane to Cause More Global Warming than CO2 Climate Change \| Justmeans Staff \| Saturday 31st October 2009 Climate change experts are of view that the role of methane gas in causing global warming is being underestimated. Based on studies it has been found that other than carbon dioxide, chemical interactions between other greenhouse gases can trigger the rate at which global warming is causing havoc on the environment. More underground methane will be released when permafrost in the Arctic regions will start melting due to the rise in temperature. This in turn will speed up global warming as the earth's heat radiation will be trapped efficiently 20 times more than CO2. Experts are predicting that methane present under the ocean is already escaping in the sea floor through vents at an alarming rate. This fast as well as gradual release of methane is being associated with climate change of the past and future. There has been a significant rise in the world temperature in the last few years. The climate warmed at an average of 1.3 degree Fahrenheit from 1906 to 2005 as a result of greenhouse gas emission from large as well as small companies. There is no doubt that carbon dioxide is one of the most hazardous greenhouse gases being emitted by factories but methane produced by industries, landfills and agriculture is being considered as dangerous as CO2. In the last three centuries, levels of greenhouse gas have increased drastically due to deforestation, human activities and burning of fossil fuels. The global average temperature rises very fast as greenhouse gases are transparent to sunlight but tend to retain heat in the atmosphere. According to climate change experts, policy makers need to come up with regulations in order to reduce the greenhouse gas emission in developing countries and rich nations need to provide them financial help in order to make it possible. Read More

	A Rose With Any Other Label: The Ethics of Food Labeling Sustainable Food \| Tricia Edgar \| Friday 30th October 2009 My father grinned at me one day and invited me to a friend's coffee shop. He knows that I'm interested in ethical and sustainable food, and his friend owns a coffee shop that is bird-friendly, shade grown, organic, fair trade, and roasted locally. Deep breath. That's a long sentence. There are many potential labels that may sit on your food these days. Often, they are longer than the name of the food itself. Understanding these labels can feel like a full time job, especially if you eat processed food - and most of us do, to some extent. Looking at the carbohydrates and the different types of fats on the side is too much for us to bear, as is a peek at the first few ingredients on the list. However, as consumers we know that we should be looking, and that we should remain aware of what's going into our bodies. We also know that we should be concerned about the conditions that our food grows in and that we should think about the workers who grew it. But this can feel like a daunting task. Sometimes, we look for a cure-all, a one stop symbol that will show us whether that food is good for us or not. The newly-developed the Smart Choices program provided consumers with such an option: a single green check mark on the front of the box would show prospective buyers that a product was a healthier choice. The program was developed by a coalition of food companies like General Mills and Kellogg, and it had limits to the allowable fat and sugar in a product. Last week, the US Food and Drug Administration announced that it was going to crack down on food labeling. Since that time, the Smart Choices program has suspended operations. Read More

	Mitigation - a public good? Sustainable Development \| Sara Wolcott \| Friday 30th October 2009 Technology transfer is not going very well. No surprise if you've been around sustainable development for a while. Developing countries are not being given the low-carbon technologies they need to mitigate climate change. Once again, intellectual property law - and the profits behind these technologies - becomes a barrier for low-carbon development. If sustainable development is going to be real, then so will low-carbon development. If low carbon development is going to happen in the developing world and with emerging markets, then there's going to have to be good transfer of technology. That's not happening. Why that's not happening is disputed. For years, developed countries have insisted that developing countries create strong intellectual property laws. However, a new study conducted by a research team from researchers in Malaysia, China, India and Indonesia suggests something different: intellectual property laws can be part of the problem, not part of the solution. Malaysia and Indonesia has a strong set of Intellectual Property laws, including being active members of the World Trade Organization. But neither country has benefited from low carbon technology transfer. Often the firms who have developed the technology have been reluctant to give it over - or firms in the emerging market can not afford the high price of the technology. Read More

	It's Our Fault, You Spend: Why Asia Needs to Spend on Climate Change Climate Change \| Juan Carlo Pascua \| Thursday 29th October 2009 A conversation about climate change is a conversation about carbon emissions is a conversation about energy use: production, efficiency, and research. Abysmally, since the 1980s when the first oil crisis resulted in cheap prices, research funding for alternative energy has never been lower, since then funding has been overall reduced by at least half. If Lord Stern's prescription is to be followed, a flow of funding needs to be initiated. One percent of global GDP is needed if we act now to stabilize at 550ppm of CO2e by 2050 (Stern Review). Some countries contribute more than others to global GDP, but it also means that they produce more carbon emissions. A quick breakdown of global GDP as of 2008: US 23%, China 7%, European Union 30%, Latin America 4%, Japan 8%, India 2%, all other countries 26%. The 2008 global GDP was $61 trillion, a 1% GDP suggests an annual spending of $610 billion. Breaking that down per country equates into the US spending $140 billion, China $43B, European Union $183B, Japan $49B, India $12B, and all other countries $158B, annually. Clearly, the US and the EU are most responsible for climate change, but right now everyone's strapped for cash. With the current economic downturn it has been put into question where all this money will come from. Recent comments from US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke called for more spending by Asian countries stating that: ""Asia appears to be leading the global recovery.... Recent data from the region suggest that a strong rebound is, in fact, under way." Bernanke continues to further the idea that consumption will get us out of the economic hole. But consumption is what got us to our currently mountainous levels of emissions causing climate change. Read More

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	$2.2 Billion Investment by the US in Green Bonds Sustainable Finance \| Justmeans Staff \| Saturday 31st October 2009 In an attempt to encourage sustainable investment, approximately 2.2 billion dollars were released by the United States treasury in new bonds. This move is being considered a great kick-start for the renewable energy sector and it will also speed up the roll out of low carbon energy projects in the US. Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs) is the name of the new financial instrument that will function as a low interest loan to the owners of renewable projects. This bond will be providing them an alternative for traditional monetary sources that had stopped functioning last year due to the global financial crunch. Clean Renewable Energy Bonds in 2005 were originally authorized as a part of the Energy Policy Act. Approximately 800 million dollars in CREBs was created in 2008 under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. Earlier this year, this amount went up to 2.4 billion dollars as a part of the stimulus package by the Obama government. There is a lot of similarity in these bonds and production tax credits awarded to renewable projects. The instrument applies to the same projects on a large basis. The only difference lies in the fact that these bonds serve as a finance tool rather than providing relief from post-implementation tax. These bonds are being said to serve as an immediate monetary help for the renewable sector and take projects related to solar or wind farms into the construction phase. If a utility or government agency will sell the Clean Renewable Energy Bond to any lender, the lender will then become the bondholder. Normally, the bondholder will get interest from the issuer but in the case of CREB, majority of the tab is picked up by the federal government and the bondholders are paid interest in the form of tax credit. Read More

	Small Matters: How Bicycles Are Powering Sustainable Food Enterprises Sustainable Food \| Tricia Edgar \| Saturday 31st October 2009 The word subsistence brings to mind the idea of barely scraping by, growing just enough food to sustain ourselves. There is marginality in this word, and for many there is marginality in their lives as subsistence farmers. In a world increasingly impacted by the rains, droughts, and wild swings of climate change and the stress of many people on too little land, it can be hard to make a living. It's especially difficult when you don't have a surplus of food to put away for the lean times. Why don't people simply sell some of the produce, creating a cash flow and potential reserves for their families? It can be hard to move into the realm of the small-scale food producer. It takes land, money, and time to create a small-scale farm. Recently, Global Cycle Solutions has worked with small farmers to address the need for more efficient labor. Global Cycle Solutions creates bicycle-powered technologies that vastly increase the efficiency of farm labor. The technologies work with a universal bicycle adapter, so many different types of farm equipment can connect to the power of the bike. The adapter doesn't change the bicycle, but it allows its power to be used in other ways. For example, corn that is processed with the power of a bicycle can be shelled forty times faster than a person can do it by hand. For those farmers who would otherwise need to rent a gas-powered machine, the bicycle is cheaper. For farmers who are just breaking in to the small-scale market, the bicycle is an accessible technology that is much more efficient than manual labor. Read More

	Growth of Social Enterprises in India Social Enterprise \| Justmeans Staff \| Saturday 31st October 2009 Change starts with ideas. And when ideas become reality, they transform life - this is the motto on which Rural Innovation Network, a social enterprise in India works. This enterprise has been dedicated towards improving the living standard of rural population in India. Rural Innovation Network believes that environmental concerns are well understood by the rural people and several opportunities can be created out of it. The problem lies in the fact that these opportunities cannot be turned into a reality by the poor people as they don't have the access to infrastructure, skills and capital for reaching the market. Villgro by Rural Innovations Network is driven by the dreams of wealthy rural population in India. It includes a process that is imaginative, systematic as well as scientific. Villgro runs various core programs to fulfill its objective. The Lemelson Recognition and Mentoring Program is aimed at mentoring ideas and seed funding so that the rural people can also reach the markets with their business ideas. It is run in collaboration with Villgro and Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India and Lemelson Foundation funds this program. Samrudhhi is another program that works toward enhancing the last mile linkages to ensure prosperity at the village level. Through this program, accessible innovations will be made to rural farmers by Villgro in few cities of Tamil Nadu, India. In an attempt to increase reach in remote rural areas; this enterprise has also collaborated with institutions that have a rural presence across India. It believes that there are several rural innovations that can be commercialized as successful micro enterprises. These enterprises will not only be beneficial for the rural consumers but it will also help in the creation of sustainable wealth. Villgro has been striving to establish this model in an attempt to transform ideas into reality and encourage rural population with skills and infrastructure to help them make a living. Read More

	Swine Flu in the United States Health \| Justmeans Staff \| Saturday 31st October 2009 During the first few months of the swine flu causing havoc in the United States, approximately 5.7 million Americans got infected with the H1N1 virus. According to estimations made by the scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from mid-April to July between 2 to 5.7 million people were already infected with the virus and more than 21,000 people had to be admitted for immediate healthcare. Health experts have estimated that approximately half of swine flu cases in the world are present in the US with more than 127 deaths and 3,065 hospitalizations. There has been a significant increase in the number of people getting hospitalized due to infection from the H1N1 virus since July. Based on reports it was found out that 12 is the average age of swine flu patients, 20 for hospitalized patients and approximately 37 for people who died due to swine flu. The virus is more deadly for old people (65 and above), especially patients who are suffering from asthma, immune system problems, diabetes and chronic heart diseases. Health officials in the United States are urging people to get the swine flu shot without fail, whenever required. The vaccination is usually given in two shots with a difference of 21 days. Vaccines being made public for use are first being tested and licensed. Read More

	Boycott of Soy Products Ethical Consumption \| Justmeans Staff \| Saturday 31st October 2009 Major UK based food companies along with Greenpeace have been inviting support from consumers to boycott soy products in the wake of protecting Amazon rainforests. They have joined forces to shun multinational traders that buy soy from the deforested land of Amazon rainforests. In the last few years, too much destruction has been caused to the Amazon forests due to production of soy. In an attempt to support the cause, leading food retailers including McDonald's along with Greenpeace had also formed an alliance in order to demand immediate action from soy traders. Amazon destruction is basically being caused due to the rise in demand for soy based animal feed which is used in production of meat. Due to the rise in pressure from this unique alliance, even the US commodities giants including French-owned Dreyfus, Cargill, Bunge, and Brazilian-owned Amaggi have to come together for negotiation. Earlier this year Brazilian soy crushers announced extension of the ban on purchasing soybeans grown in the Amazon basin for one more year. This extension was the result of the pressure being imposed on them by the buyers and activist groups for the preservation of one of the world's largest rain forests. Read More

	Tribes in India to Heal Nature Climate Change \| Justmeans Staff \| Saturday 31st October 2009 Yes, you read that right! Tribes in India have asked for a free hand to heal the nature with their expertise and traditional knowledge in order to curb the devastating effects of climate change. There are several tribes across the country that cut across groups like forestry, farming, fishing and pastoral. These groups recently released a charter that included details of effective solutions for curbing the after effects of rising carbon footprint and global warming. Climate change is here and if immediate measures are not taken, existence of mankind will be at great risk. Temperature is rising and erratic rainfalls, landslides are causing havoc on people living in poor countries. Tribes in India have years of experience in adapting to major changes taking place in climate and landscapes. Tribes also experience disproportionate economic and environmental impacts of climate change and this makes them a valuable resource for obtaining inputs on how to limit the impact of global warming. There are several organizations that work with tribal partners in India to establish collaboration for climate change solutions. They conduct workshops and meetings for discussions and inputs on the effects of global warming on the society and environment. This collaboration acts as a platform for these tribes where they can share first-hand accounts of climate change and its possible negative impact on cultural, economic and natural resources. This collaboration has made it possible for the tribes to participate in dialogues and policy decisions made on global warming. Climate change experts are of view that new technologies cannot be compared to traditional processes and knowledge in combating this global issue. There are chances that new technologies might worsen the situation and make it difficult to handle environmental issues. Read More

	Methane to Cause More Global Warming than CO2 Climate Change \| Justmeans Staff \| Saturday 31st October 2009 Climate change experts are of view that the role of methane gas in causing global warming is being underestimated. Based on studies it has been found that other than carbon dioxide, chemical interactions between other greenhouse gases can trigger the rate at which global warming is causing havoc on the environment. More underground methane will be released when permafrost in the Arctic regions will start melting due to the rise in temperature. This in turn will speed up global warming as the earth's heat radiation will be trapped efficiently 20 times more than CO2. Experts are predicting that methane present under the ocean is already escaping in the sea floor through vents at an alarming rate. This fast as well as gradual release of methane is being associated with climate change of the past and future. There has been a significant rise in the world temperature in the last few years. The climate warmed at an average of 1.3 degree Fahrenheit from 1906 to 2005 as a result of greenhouse gas emission from large as well as small companies. There is no doubt that carbon dioxide is one of the most hazardous greenhouse gases being emitted by factories but methane produced by industries, landfills and agriculture is being considered as dangerous as CO2. In the last three centuries, levels of greenhouse gas have increased drastically due to deforestation, human activities and burning of fossil fuels. The global average temperature rises very fast as greenhouse gases are transparent to sunlight but tend to retain heat in the atmosphere. According to climate change experts, policy makers need to come up with regulations in order to reduce the greenhouse gas emission in developing countries and rich nations need to provide them financial help in order to make it possible. Read More

	A Rose With Any Other Label: The Ethics of Food Labeling Sustainable Food \| Tricia Edgar \| Friday 30th October 2009 My father grinned at me one day and invited me to a friend's coffee shop. He knows that I'm interested in ethical and sustainable food, and his friend owns a coffee shop that is bird-friendly, shade grown, organic, fair trade, and roasted locally. Deep breath. That's a long sentence. There are many potential labels that may sit on your food these days. Often, they are longer than the name of the food itself. Understanding these labels can feel like a full time job, especially if you eat processed food - and most of us do, to some extent. Looking at the carbohydrates and the different types of fats on the side is too much for us to bear, as is a peek at the first few ingredients on the list. However, as consumers we know that we should be looking, and that we should remain aware of what's going into our bodies. We also know that we should be concerned about the conditions that our food grows in and that we should think about the workers who grew it. But this can feel like a daunting task. Sometimes, we look for a cure-all, a one stop symbol that will show us whether that food is good for us or not. The newly-developed the Smart Choices program provided consumers with such an option: a single green check mark on the front of the box would show prospective buyers that a product was a healthier choice. The program was developed by a coalition of food companies like General Mills and Kellogg, and it had limits to the allowable fat and sugar in a product. Last week, the US Food and Drug Administration announced that it was going to crack down on food labeling. Since that time, the Smart Choices program has suspended operations. Read More

	Mitigation - a public good? Sustainable Development \| Sara Wolcott \| Friday 30th October 2009 Technology transfer is not going very well. No surprise if you've been around sustainable development for a while. Developing countries are not being given the low-carbon technologies they need to mitigate climate change. Once again, intellectual property law - and the profits behind these technologies - becomes a barrier for low-carbon development. If sustainable development is going to be real, then so will low-carbon development. If low carbon development is going to happen in the developing world and with emerging markets, then there's going to have to be good transfer of technology. That's not happening. Why that's not happening is disputed. For years, developed countries have insisted that developing countries create strong intellectual property laws. However, a new study conducted by a research team from researchers in Malaysia, China, India and Indonesia suggests something different: intellectual property laws can be part of the problem, not part of the solution. Malaysia and Indonesia has a strong set of Intellectual Property laws, including being active members of the World Trade Organization. But neither country has benefited from low carbon technology transfer. Often the firms who have developed the technology have been reluctant to give it over - or firms in the emerging market can not afford the high price of the technology. Read More

	It's Our Fault, You Spend: Why Asia Needs to Spend on Climate Change Climate Change \| Juan Carlo Pascua \| Thursday 29th October 2009 A conversation about climate change is a conversation about carbon emissions is a conversation about energy use: production, efficiency, and research. Abysmally, since the 1980s when the first oil crisis resulted in cheap prices, research funding for alternative energy has never been lower, since then funding has been overall reduced by at least half. If Lord Stern's prescription is to be followed, a flow of funding needs to be initiated. One percent of global GDP is needed if we act now to stabilize at 550ppm of CO2e by 2050 (Stern Review). Some countries contribute more than others to global GDP, but it also means that they produce more carbon emissions. A quick breakdown of global GDP as of 2008: US 23%, China 7%, European Union 30%, Latin America 4%, Japan 8%, India 2%, all other countries 26%. The 2008 global GDP was $61 trillion, a 1% GDP suggests an annual spending of $610 billion. Breaking that down per country equates into the US spending $140 billion, China $43B, European Union $183B, Japan $49B, India $12B, and all other countries $158B, annually. Clearly, the US and the EU are most responsible for climate change, but right now everyone's strapped for cash. With the current economic downturn it has been put into question where all this money will come from. Recent comments from US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke called for more spending by Asian countries stating that: ""Asia appears to be leading the global recovery.... Recent data from the region suggest that a strong rebound is, in fact, under way." Bernanke continues to further the idea that consumption will get us out of the economic hole. But consumption is what got us to our currently mountainous levels of emissions causing climate change. Read More