Clipmarks | Marcariel's 'economy' clips

Invasive Species Flood Into China

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 20:09:46 GMT

clipped by: Marcariel
clipper's remarks: The article says this will be one of the hidden costs of the Olympics for China. Welcome to the real world of international trade.

The South (USA) has been over-run with an invader vine brought her from an Exposition (visitors pinched a piece off and took it home), and later for cattle feed.

Clip Source: dsc.discovery.com

It's not just China's economy that's booming. Invasive species are thriving there, too.

Non-native organisms are arriving in growing numbers thanks to increased trade. And they are penetrating once-isolated areas now accessible via new transportation routes

By any measure, China's trade and transportation infrastructure are growing like weeds.

This growth has brought with it exotic species -- some imported deliberately as garden plants or pets, and others introduced accidentally, hitchhiking in products or packaging materials.

Its roster of 400 invasive species costs China a minimum of $14.5 billion a year, according to an estimate cited by the researchers.

This is just what happens with international trade

For decades the United States has battled its own invaders, including increasing numbers of Chinese species like the Asian longhorned beetle, which arrived in 1996.

Aquatic plants may cause some of the worst damage

Clip Source: dsc.discovery.com

It will definitely be a hidden cost of the Olympics

Tags: invasive, species, olympics, china, international trade

America is "on the wrong track"

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:57:22 GMT

clipped by: Marcariel
clipper's remarks: Gas prices continue to rise ... the stock market is volatile ... the dollar continues to fall ... spending is down nationwide. Yes, it's time for a change!

Clip Source: www.msnbc.msn.com

Americans are more dissatisfied with the country’s direction than at any time since the New York Times/CBS News poll began asking about the subject in the early 1990s

81 percent of respondents said they believed that “things have pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track,” up from 69 percent a year ago and 35 percent in early 2003.

Although the public mood has been darkening since the early days of the war in Iraq, it has taken a new turn for the worse in the last few months, as the economy has seemed to slip into recession. There is now nearly a national consensus that the country faces significant problems.

A majority of nearly every demographic and political group — Democrats and Republicans, men and women, residents of cities and rural areas, college graduates and those who finished only high school — say that the United States is headed in the wrong direction.

clear risks for Republicans in this year’s elections, given the continued unpopularity of President Bush.

Tags: america, recession, poll, president bush

China's Dollar Holdings Could Ruin US Economy

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 21:20:16 GMT

clipped by: Marcariel
clipper's remarks: This is frightening stuff. China has USA in a political and financial death grip.

Clip Source: english.pravda.ru

The U.S. dollar is standing at the edge of a cliff, and most people don’t even know it.

Data released by the New York Federal Reserve shows that foreign central banks have been net sellers of U.S. treasuries over the past five weeks, with $48 billion having been sold since late July, and $32 billion in just the last two weeks.

The U.S. runs budget deficits each year. If foreigners stop buying treasuries—or worse, start selling them—the dollar could be in big trouble.

the numbers demonstrate “that world central banks are in a hurry to get out of the U.S.

The nation that analysts are watching especially closely at this stage is China.

China’s massive U.S. dollar holdings (which include treasuries) and how it supports the value of the U.S. currency.

Chinese state media referred to the country’s stockpile of U.S. dollars as its economic “nuclear option,” capable of destroying the dollar at will.

a run on the dollar due to Chinese treasury-dumping go far beyond just the value of the greenback

Tags: china, dollars, economy, political

Green Roofs - The Roof with Benefits

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 15:59:33 GMT

clipped by: Marcariel
clipper's remarks: What a really great idea! I believe these will be the roofs of the future ... if we want to preserve and enhance our environment and stop global warming.

Read more about all of the benefits of this type of roofing on their web site. See more green roof photos (including a pic of the system from a side view) here: http://www.geekarmy.com/templates/links.php?id=2594

Clip Source: www.greenroofs.org

About Green Roofs

Green roof development involves the creation of "contained" green space on top of a human-made structure. This green space could be below, at or above grade, but in all cases the plants are not planted in the "ground'. Green roofs can provide a wide range of public and private benefits.

Public Benefits

Economic - Improved Air Quality - Temperature Regulation - Water - Social - Preservation of Habitat & Biodiversity - Local Food Production

A green roof will have a noticeable impact on the heat gain and loss of a building, as well as the humidity, air quality and reflected heat in the surrounding neighbourhood. In conjunction with other green installations, green roofs can play a role in altering the climate of the city as a whole.

People living in high-density developments are known to be less susceptible to illness if they have a balcony or terrace garden.

Green roofs can help to address the lack of green space in many urban areas.

Tags: green roofs, habitat, economy, humidity, water filtration, cooling

Countrywide Financial Layoff Entire Loan Unit

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 13:47:17 GMT

clipped by: Marcariel
clipper's remarks: Layoff of major lender entire housing loan unit does not sound good for U.S.A. homeowner finances.

Clip Source: www.forbes.com

Cuts Claimed At Countrywide

Countrywide Financial appears to have begun laying off employees in order to cut costs.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Countrywide Financial (nyse: CFC - news - people ) started to lay off employees in its loan origination unit, Full Spectrum on Friday. Countrywide employees received an e-mail on Friday, referencing layoffs made that day. The letter, which was penned by an unnamed senior Full Spectrum executive, did not disclose the number of layoffs, the Journal said.

Last Thursday, Countrywide said it will have to draw on an $11.5 billion credit line to ease its liquidity jam. The sudden announcement, and particularly Countrywide's decision to draw on its entire credit line, was considered a desperate move by the lender and fanned speculation that the company was edging toward Chapter 11. On that day, all three ratings agencies also cut their ratings on the company's senior debt. (See: "Countrywide Breaks Into The Piggy Bank" )

Tags: financial, loans, money, layoffs, economy, countrywide