By Walter Borden In the coming months, we will hear a lot about the Taxed Enough Already (TEA) Party’s plans for the U.S. during the 112th Congress. No doubt we shall hear how such plans signal a new, brighter era. But do they? The principles espoused by the Tea Party …
With Proposition 23 in California defeated, the hard and important work on Cap and Trade in the United States can begin again. Advancing the Western Climate Initiative (WCI) will be critical in building a framework in North America for Cap and Trade policy. “A cap-and-trade system is a market-based mechanism …
As we reach the end of the first decade of the 21st century, some dangerous misconceptions linger from the 20th. Two of which are that global warming is not happening and that it is not primarily a man-made phenomenon. While factors such as Solar Irradiance clearly have secondary and significant …
The financial crisis that was precipitated in 2007 by structured finance (credit default swaps, collateralized debt obligations et al.) parallels the Deepwater Horizon spill in important ways. And indeed, the very first credit default swap was engineered to offset Exxon’s exposure to remediation, fines and legal costs resulting from the …
Mainstream media coverage of the critical depletion of key fish populations – and the serious economic threat it represents – echoes a key refrain at Fund Balance. Time Magazine covers how climate change is warming oceans and thus reducing their ability to support life, and CNN.com has a post by …
One of our focal points at Fund Balance is extraordinary local efforts to sustain the environment. Recently a story appeared in the Birmingham News covering a Pastor’s efforts in Powderly, Alabama to save the endangered Water Cress Darter (Etheostoma nuchale). It chronicles a story of how faith and efforts to …
There is an important synergy emerging in principle between the London Accord, the World Bank, Central Banks and the Prince of Wales’ Rainforests Project. We recently learned that the World Bank is already working with the Rainforests Project to improve financing and investment opportunities in protected, living rainforests. We encourage …
Fund Balance has been examining the Dead Zones occurring in coastal and estuarial zones over the last year. Their magnitude is striking. Their damage to ocean ecosystems, seafood supplies and business is severe. And they are connected to vital food supply economies in the Midwest. Nitrogenous run-off from fertilizer used …
This past week, countries meeting in Doha at the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species voted down a proposal by Monaco and the United States to ban international trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna. The species, Thunnus Thynnus, is spiraling toward extinction, and is listed as endangered by …
One hears frequently these days that eco-nomic needs trump eco-logical ones in the public mind – especially here in early 2010. But it is increasingly hard to see a difference between the two at all. Tanya Ott’s recent coverage on WBHM reporting on the challenges the city of Anniston, Alabama …
by Leland Lehrman This cartoon, from the front cover of the February 2010 issue of Funny Times, describes the Fund Balance position with respect to Climate Change. We acknowledge that there remains uncertainty in the scientific community about the extent to which anthropogenic CO2 emissions drive global temperature increases. We …
There are more signs recently of the climate crisis, sustainable industry, and ecosystem repair issues crossing party lines and effecting change in Red States and rural areas. Tanya Ott reports from WBHM in Birmingham, Alabama about “tree-hugging conservatives” in Magnolia Springs, the reclamation of a wetlands and a burgeoning eco-tourism …
This year the Southern Hemisphere is experiencing its warmest temperatures on record. A very straightforward and compelling presentation on the Climate Crisis in this video from Peter Sinclair.
Fund Balance articles can be found under the “Articles” tab in the menu at the top of the page. These articles, selected and written by Managing Partner Walter Borden, range over some of the key issues of our time, issues which must be faced and solved using the best our …
Fund Balance sees Green Computing as an essential component in economic planning for the coming decade and beyond. Many rare earth metals required for key components of workstations, laptops and smartphones are growing scarce. China possesses the most significant deposits of these essential rare earth metals. The PRC government is …
HP has opened a data-center Wynyard, United Kingdom. A so-called Green data-center, it is a retrofit of an overhauled distribution center. This is a great example of how energy efficiency works within basic business balance sheet environments: it can cut costs both through improvement of energy efficiency by utilizing existing …
We have been covering China’s intensive and substanstial focus on Green Technology, Smart Grids and non-petroleum-based energy sources and supplies here at fund-balance.com since our launch in October 2008. Now that a picture of national stimulus spending is emerging for 2010, its no surprise then to see that China will …
Over the past few weeks we have seen communities increasingly turn away from unchecked development and new electricity access, especially from coal burning plants, in the name of preserving clean air and water supplies. Even if it means that short-term economic gain may be traded for a greater quality of …
Over the last two weeks, a substantial amount of journalism has covered stories that converge on a basic theme: China and India are planning for a world where a) Green Technology drives economic activity, and b) the need for Energy Technology, however “Green” will conflict with available natural resources and drive rapidly increasing investment outside of their borders, and equal demand for innovation on both sides.
My top three stories this from this week. — WB The Chinese Government is moving to restrict and in some cases completely block, supplies of Rare Earth Metals (REEs). These metals, such as Neodymium, are critical to building wind-turbines and ultra-efficient motors. I have heard fearful commentary concering their virtual …