It’s enough to turn you green - Part 3

DuPont, the chemicals company, estimates that it has saved $3bn in energy costs since 1990 through measures such as using methane emitted from landfill sites to power its industrial boilers. Wal-Mart saved $25m a year and 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions by fitting auxiliary engines to trucks for use when they idle at rest stops. Wal-Mart also has a solar energy vision to make its stores 100% energy independent. Jupiter’s Green Investments Trust PLC’s Charlie Thomas estimates that Wal-Mart is likely to result in the largest single corporate solar installation in history with demand for solar modules to produce roughly 4 G-watts of energy. With annual global demand for solar modules currently running at 12-15 G-watts and only enough supply for 6 G-watts, Wal-Mart’s ambitions are likely to exacerbate the supply/demand imbalance.

If the only reason to go green was to look good, the world would be in trouble. Happily, there are profits to be made too. Mr. Bush may not see the appeal of laws to stop global warming, but the market and consumers are sending a different signal.
Where and how does one invest in those companies that are attempting to slow down the growth in global warming?
The review of the economics of climate change by Sir Nicholas Stern, the former Chief Economist of the World Bank, has been hailed as the most comprehensive study of the subject ever undertaken. The key premise of his report is that the benefits of strong early action on climate change outweigh the costs. If we are fortunate, the world might escape with a 5 percent fall in global GDP and millions of deaths from the economic impact of climate change. If we are not so lucky, there could be a 20 percent drop in global GDP, mass starvation and hundreds of millions of deaths.
The Stern Review reinforces the critical role of water in relation to the potential effects of climate change. The other obvious winners are those in renewable energy and in the capture of carbon and storage. The latter has the potential to significantly reduce emissions from fossil fuel power generation and is likely to prove a critical technology in global carbon reduction strategies, particularly for developing countries with fast growing economies and rapidly growing fossil fuel consumption.
Some important markets will be created as we struggle to adapt. These are likely to include markets in managing higher temperatures, especially in major cities where there is a need to cope with the magnified “urban heat island” effect; in dealing with vector born diseases such as malaria, which could become more widespread; in flood defences; in new methods of food production and so on.
While the evidence is mounting, it is encouraging to note that millions are invested in tackling climate change through the use of clean energy. Calculations suggest that global expenditure on curbing the effects of climate change could be $1,000bn within five years.
Green investing isn’t such a lonely pursuit anymore. Society is placing a greater emphasis on renewable energy sources and technologies to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Witness Al Gore’s conquering hero status at this year’s Oscar awards as he picked up a statuette for his climate change documentary ‘An Inconvenient Truth’, there is increasing attention paid to this approach.
Lehman Bros., with input from analysts in London and Tokyo, recently published a 143-page paper, “The Business of Climate Change”. The well-being of the planet, the report concludes, has gone from a “fringe concern” of scientists and activists to a “central topic” for CEOs and investors. Discussions about what interest rates mean for stocks are giving way to chatter about what a 1 degree rise each year in temperature would do to profits at businesses ranging from carmakers to solar companies.
“Global warming is likely to prove (to be) one of those tectonic forces that - like globalization or the aging of populations - gradually but powerfully changes the economic landscape,” writes John Llewellyn, senior economic policy adviser at Lehman.
Also California’s Calpers, America’s largest public pension plan and considered a trendsetter among giant money managers, is committing $800 million to invest in clean technology in emerging markets of Eastern Europe, Latin America and Asia.
“We are approaching a tipping point when it comes to climate change,” says Edward Kerschner, a strategist at Citigroup.
From an investors’ standpoint, it doesn’t matter if people believe global warming is real or if greenhouse gases are to blame, Kerschner says. What does matter is if consumers, regulators, governments and corporations “react to the perceived threat.” That is what creates investment opportunities - and risks, he says.
Unfortunately for investors, mainstream enthusiasm for green companies doesn’t always translate into the green that lines wallets. But green is a term that’s open to interpretation. Take General Electric, although the conglomerate has a leading position in green energy like wind power, some of its operations infuriate environmentalists. Meanwhile, small pure-play companies can’t turn a profit. Wading into the green pool, investors may find it safer to play diversified indexes, mutual funds or fund of funds rather than pick out the eventual winners in a crowded field.

The above data and research was compiled from sources believed to be reliable. However, neither MBMG International Ltd nor its officers can accept any liability for any errors or omissions in the above article nor bear any responsibility for any losses achieved as a result of any actions taken or not taken as a consequence of reading the above article. For more information please contact Graham Macdonald on [email protected]@mbmg-international.com.com

Snap Shots: by Harry Flashman

10 Tips - often painfully acquired!

I wrote down these tips many years ago. Since then, I have been asked many times to give out the “secrets” you learn in the professional photography arena. There are really no secrets, they are all here. The secrets come after painful experiences and here are my (still) top 10 tips for a happy photographic life! I should add that all these tips come from real life experiences which have happened to myself and other pro shooters. None of it is made up. These days, references to “film” are probably not as applicable as they once were, but you can substitute “memory stick” or “memory card” instead.
Tip number 1. When going on holidays with your camera, take spare batteries with you - always. No matter how new the batteries, if there is a failure while you are trekking in Nepal, or just lazing on the beaches in Koh Chang you will not be able to get the correct replacement. That’s as sure as God made little green apples as the song goes. Remember that your camera may also use more than one type of battery, another trap for young players.
Tip number 2. Always carry one more memory stick or roll of film than you think you’ll need when on holidays. The shot of a lifetime will appear and you will have already used all your film. And don’t use the one you’ve suddenly found in the bag - see Tip number 3. Likewise, you haven’t got the time to sit there going ‘review-delete-review-delete’ with your digital.
Tip number 3. When you find a roll of film in your camera bag or suitcase that you’d completely forgotten about, use it to throw at predatory puppies, rather than using it in your camera. You can be guaranteed the results will be no good at all. The colours will be all wrong because the film has been hot at some time or exposed to airport irradiation. No matter how tempting it is to slip it into the camera when you urgently need another roll of film, don’t do it! You will be disappointed. Guaranteed.
Tip number 4. Always check that the camera neck strap is indeed tight and secure on both ends. If one end lets go, the camera will hit the ground before you have time enough to react. Cameras do not bounce well, if at all.
Tip number 5. Frequently check the exposure controls on your camera, that they really are set on Auto, or Shutter priority or what have you. It is very easy to knock the controls and settings when taking the camera in and out of the bag, or even when it has been hanging round your neck.
Tip number 6. When you get the book of prints back, and the envelope with the negatives from the photo shop, or the CD with the images, immediately write on them the subject material of the shots and the date. Do this with black texta pen so it doesn’t rub off and you will have saved yourself hours of work, flicking through books of prints and CDs, while looking for “Solomon Islands 1998”.
Tip number 7. Never keep your camera in the glove box of your car. With the temperatures that can be reached in the cubby hole reaching as high as 50 degrees Celsius in our blazing summers, at best the film is spoiled, at worst, the camera is spoiled. The newer “plastic” bodied cameras and camera backs can actually warp with the high temperature.
Tip number 8. When you decide that you want an enlargement made of one particular shot, arrange for it straight away, while you still have the negative or CD handy, and before it gets covered in dust and scratched, making it impossible to get a decent enlargement. And before it gets lost.
Tip number 9. Always put spare memory sticks or cards back in their plastic containers, and keep them in the camera bag. I even suggest you tie them in place, so they don’t get lost. When you need it in a hurry, it has to be accessible.
Tip number 10. When shooting kids, get down to their level. You’ll get a better shot!

Modern Medicine: by Dr. Iain Corness, Consultant

Erectile Dysfunction - or diagnostic dysfunction?

Judging by the number of signs outside small medical clinics, Erectile Dysfunction, or ED, must be very prevalent in Thailand. The sign usually indicates the treatment as well, take your choice from Viagra, Cialis or Levitra. It’s all there on the sign. Salvation is through this clinic’s doors. Hallelujah, ED has been conquered, just like we did with smallpox all those years ago.
I used to have a very old cat. Didn’t do much, just slept under the back stairs most of the day. Got up a couple of times for a pee and something to eat and then went back to sleep again. But that cat was a hell-raiser in his heyday. No female tabby cat was safe with him around.
So what has that to do with ED, I hear you ask? I would suggest - everything! You see, I believe that lots of males out there get this ED label hung around their necks, until they begin to believe it. Somehow, this fit young virile 50 year old suddenly gets this disease called ED when in his 60’s. Where did this disease come from? Why did he get it? And how do the rest of you make sure you don’t get it either?
Before we get too much further into this, I want you to think back to when you were in your late teens, early twenties. You could run 100 meters in well under 13 seconds. Now you probably can’t run that distance at all, let alone clock 13 seconds for it. Is this a new disease? Should we call it “Leg Dysfunction”, or LD for short?
When you were in your twenties, you had no problems reading the newspaper, but by the time you were 40, it was becoming a bit of a problem. By the time you were 60, you really had problems with distance vision as well as reading. We should probably call this Visual Dysfunction, but the initials VD have already been taken, so let’s call it Focussing Dysfunction, or FD for short.
In your twenties you probably didn’t have any problems with the erectile thingy either. In fact, it was probably overactive. But as you got older, the frequency and intensity began to slow up somewhat. By the time you were 60 you were told you had this terrible disease - ED. But what’s the difference between LD, FD and ED?
I would suggest to you that there is no difference. I made up LD and FD, because neither is a true “dysfunction”, but just the natural aging that occurs. Likewise, I would suggest that ED is not a true “dysfunction” when it occurs later in life. It is just part of the natural aging process too. So all you 60 and 70 year olds (and older) who have been given the label ED, just throw it away. You haven’t got a dysfunctional disease. You’re just growing older, like my cat.
Now there are a few differences from Mr. Tom Cat and Mr. Tom Expat. Sex is not just procreational, it is recreational, and is something about which we have built up great mystique. We judge ourselves on our horizontal abilities, rather than our intellectual achievements. Those with younger wives feel that they are letting the side down (or something else) if they cannot rise to the occasion (sorry about that) every night, or every second night, or every “whenever” that you have decided “homework” should be done.
So what should be done about it? Well, first off, the Viagra, Cialis, etc., do work for the majority of the older chaps. But they open up much more than just the door to the bedroom, they open you up to physical exercise (I was going to say “viagorous” exercise, but Ms. Hillary stole that line) for which your body might not be fit enough. This is why these medications should only be taken after examination by a doctor, to ensure your general level of fitness is good enough. Homework shouldn’t become work for the undertakers!
Talk to your doctor and get a good check-up first!

Learn to Live to Learn: with Andrew Watson

The Joy of Scholarships

One of the most beautiful things about being an administrator in a school is being able to “do good” – to “be of use” as John Irving puts it. Regular readers won’t be surprised to learn either that I consider myself a little bit of a subversive, or that I consider that quality (and I mean ‘quality’) to be a necessary part of becoming a good, or indeed a great teacher (as do gurus from Drucker to Collins). Call it a ‘healthy disregard for authority’ if you will, or a ‘maverick tendency,’ but for me, a sense of the subversive allows me to both remain empathetic towards students, whilst simultaneously it affords me a level of introspection which ensures that, as an administrator, I never take myself too seriously.
Most of all, it helps me to on the one hand, identify social injustice and secondly, to address iniquity wherever and whenever it may raise its ugly head. I think that in part, this stems from my own school experience and a couple of incidents in particular, which stand out in my memory. Small fragments perhaps, from a life in education, but nonetheless experiences which have informed my approach to students, who (is this really so revolutionary?) must always come first.
I was in my second year of secondary school and wasn’t doing very well academically. I had been placed on report and the teachers, probably for good reason, bless ‘em, where ‘after’ me. In retrospect, the school culture was oppressive, characterised by a bullying and detached relationship between teacher and student. Whenever I’ve recognised the same in teachers and administrators in schools since, I don’t suffer the fools well, I’m afraid. But as Howard Gardner recommends, “If you can’t change the school culture, then do your best and then leave and find a place which shares your ethical values” (If you can find one which has any at all!) But I digress. One evening, at home, faced with a mountain of homework, I decided to change, to turn over a new leaf. I worked as hard as I have ever worked on a piece of Geography homework. It was a beautiful piece of work, the result of hours of concentrated and dedicated activity. Arriving at school the next day, I was actually excited by the promise of reward rather than reproach from the teacher, an admittedly cold, removed character, but someone who knew his stuff – he wrote the textbook that we were using. When he called me up to show my homework I was filled with unfamiliar feelings of pride and excitement. He didn’t look up. He glanced fleetingly at my work – work which I had given my heart to – and marked it with a dismissive flick of his hand, with a ‘C’. My shock and disappointment must somehow have manifested itself because only now did he look me in the eye, whereupon he must have seen through my expression to my utter devastation. I’ll give him credit now, because he did respond. He had another look at my homework as I mumbled about the time I’d spent on it and he remarked it, like a baker’s man, with a ‘B’. It was a better grade, but not much better. From that moment, I was determined that I would never let great work go unrecognised, neither would I let dereliction go untouched. Now, I am grateful that once again I am in a position to do something real to help people who deserve it.
Five years later, (this is the second experience) I had just played a football match on a Saturday morning in November, dewy with a slight chill in the air, leaves on the ground; perfect conditions. On Sunday evening, I received a phone call from an American coach who had come to watch the game, offering me a soccer scholarship to an American University. It was one of the most beautiful feelings I have ever known. ‘Someone has recognised me for what I am good at” I thought and you know what? I was slightly envious of the coach who had brought me this incredible news, a messenger with beauty and grace in his heart, giving something to somebody in this world, who deserved it. (Trust me I deserved it)
“In giving we receive?” You’re damn right. It feels great. I am fortunate enough to be working for a progressive, imaginative, dynamic school who genuinely want to recognise and reward the best students, wherever they might be, locally, regionally and globally. Think about it; in this competitive capitalist climate, there is a school (actually there are plenty around the world) who want to put their money where their mouth is and say, “Sure we’re a business, but rewarding the best students is good business and in fact, it’s great educational practice as well.” It’s also a model for the future. Surely, you might very well conjecture, there cannot be any critics of such schemes? If there were, they must surely come from the past? Scholarships are a paradigm too far only for the remedial, a cut into profits too far for the greedy. How perverse it would be for any school losing students to the paragons of initiative and altruism who offer scholarships, to cry “Foul! It’s not fair!” For whom, precisely, is it not fair? Surely, what they would really mean is, “We wish we had thought of it first!” Worse still if the opportunity to start a scholarship programme was turned down on the whim of arrogant, apathetic greed? Ignorance and belligerence would convince them that scholarship schools are “poaching” instead of celebrating and following an example of best educational practice. Well, if ever such schools existed, they had their chance, but blew it. But wait a minute, why doesn’t everybody offer them? I just love that idea! If you’re going to “play profits” in the education sector, let’s bid for the best students around and you know what? The students who deserve it most, will reap the rewards. Brilliant! And what, you might ask, will the school get out of it? First, they will find that they have leaders of the student body in their midst who can by their example, play their part in inspiring those fortunate enough to come into contact with them. Second, they will be able to rest assured that they have done the right thing, morally, ethically and educationally. They will have fulfilled one part of their moral obligation to education. Tremendous.
Please support the Esther Benjamins Trust:
www.ebtrust.org.uk email: [email protected]
Next week: Eating you up inside

Life in the laugh lane: by Scott Jones in Chiang Mai

I’m back with a book

Facts, fiction and photos from America to Asia

Now that I’m back as well, I can formally welcome Chiangmai Mail back after its little siesta for a few months. It’s truly Thai that newspapers can take naps like Thai folks who routinely drop into slumber land at any moment, even at work; apparently dead on the wares they’re trying to sell, as if they’ve fallen into their stalls from a tall building. Farangs need this newspaper to inform them that other things are happening around them besides bars, bars and more bars.
My faithful readers, of whom there were at least three (give or take three) may be pleased to know I survived the editing and publishing of my new book ‘Life in the Laugh Lane: facts, fiction and photos from America to Asia’, which I had written about before the newspaper took its nap. During the ordeal to remove typographical errors which magically appeared in my computer or on paper as the words fornicated and reproduced at night, I neglected personal hygiene, causing my hair to look like Einstein’s, then like broccoli, and finally cauliflower, which meant it was turning white. I eventually pulled it all out and had to stay out of sight until I looked socially acceptable. We had a splendid book release party last year on my birthday in December. Since I was born in 1949 and last year was officially 2549 in Thailand, I was 600-hundred-years old...and looked it.
My book is available at Gecko Books, which I think I can mention since they advertise on the front page of Chiangmai Mail. All profits are donated to Children’s Garden orphanage near Doi Saket, so you’ll be giving while you’re grinning. If the book doesn’t make you laugh out loud, you should check yourself into the Nursing Home for the Dead, unless you’re already in a coma. You have my personal money-back guarantee on this, though since the bucks pass to the orphanage, you’ll have to get them back from the kids. I’ll take you out there; maybe they’ll give you back some rice or a school book.
Life in the Laugh Lane is a collection of columns from the past couple years, plus one the paper saw fit not to print, several I never bothered submitting and additional ramblings in select columns using words that neither a newspaper, nor my mother, would accept. Since she has passed on, I feel confident she won’t read them and wash out my mouth with soap like she did once when I used the S-word (I was 45 at the time). If my mother had even read the F-word, she’d have had a stroke. She never spoke any words beginning with the letter “F” and didn’t even allow me to play an F-chord on the piano. In fits of sheer rage, she’d say “Dag nab it! or “Itch with a B!” Once or twice she actually said the D-word very quietly, then tried to blame it on France, “Damn it...pardon my French” and was convinced she’d rot in H-word, another one she couldn’t say.
I’ve never quite understood the strict distinctions between good and bad words, but to Mom, M-words were definitely better than S-words. “Manure” was good, but “s#*%” was bad; “mother” was good, but “son” was bad; “marriage” was good, but “single” was bad; “many” was good, but “s#*% load” was prohibited. An avid gardener, she was constantly surrounded by bags labeled “Manure” that would never have been there if they had said “S#*%.”
You can read more about Mom in the book, which has 300 photos and 64-pages in color - Thailand is not black and white - plus fun stories about the coup, serving elephant steak at the Nightmare Safari in “I’d like my tiger poached, please,” traffic tips in “Think Thai or Die,” Asian oral adventures in “Body Parts Ala Carte,” sports horror stories like “Golf is a four-letter word,” massive masticating tourists on “The S.S. Cellulite” and “cow plops” involving the S-word in my home town in North Dakota: “I was born in Fargo, but I take pills for it.”