Topic: Economy
August was crowded, as far as small business research goes. So, without further ado, here #8217;s a good sampling: Devil in The Details Verizon released a survey late last month which found that large ... moreIran stores abundant fuel oil on supertankers Iran has been storing straight-run fuel oil on supertankers for at least three months, in an unprecedented move prompted by China s poor feedstock deman ... more
The real key to economic recovery isn #8217;t in the form of a piece of legislation waiting for passage in Congress or on the President #8217;s desk awaiting signature. In fact, the real key to econom ... more
Mexican drug cartels cripple Pemex operations in basin Reporting from Reynosa, Mexico The meandering network of pipes, wells and tankers belonging to the gigantic state oil company Pemex have long ... more
Charlie Hall and I will be speaking at an energy conference in Spain at the end of October. Some European readers may choose to come, but we expect it will be not be feasible for most US readers. Ins ... more
Wall St. firm behind slow solar pace on federal lands? - Goldman Sachs subsidiary bought lots of leases but hasn't used them ROACH DRY LAKE, Nev. Not a light bulb's worth of solar electricity ... more
This is a guest post by Kurt Cobb. It originally ran on his blog, Resource Insights. A frequent critique of those who claim we still have enormous stocks of resources left to exploit is that the flo ... more
The emergence of a creative sector is one of the features of both a structural change of the world economy and society as well as the process of advancing metropolitanisation. Metropolitan areas are a ... more
IEA predicts greater reliance on OPEC oil NEW DELHI - Global dependency on the members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) for oil will rise in the next five to 10 years as pr ... more
This research aims to develop a capabilities-based conceptual framework in order to study the stage-specific innovation problems associated with the dynamic growth process of university spin-outs (her ... more
The primary purpose of this study was to introduce an up-surging trend of technological entrepreneurship in Korea during the last decade and to determine how governmental policy for promoting technolo ... more
This paper evaluates the experience of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the adoption of western business incubation models. Based on a documentary analysis of selected academic papers and additional ... more
This paper adopts a fresh perspective at what companies could do to achieve growth and profitability over the mid- and long-term. Various disciplines of management science have examined the determinan ... more
We need a better understanding of the 'environmentalist's paradox' We hear lots of concerned chatter these days not least, here on this site - about peak oil, peak water, deforestation, resource d ... more
Interview with Michael Smith (Part 2 of 2) I feel the peak/plateau period is much delayed because of the recession. Currently I am looking at around 2020 - perhaps as late as 2025. But of course it is ... more
Oil Price Ignores Long-Term Supply Worries You could be excused for seeing a grim metaphor for the death of the oil age in the scenes of destruction visited on the U.S. Gulf coast this summer. Howeve ... more
Iowa - The Saudi Arabia of Ethanol Iowa is to corn ethanol what Saudi Arabia is to oil. At present Iowa has the capacity to produce 3.5 billion gallons of ethanol per year, which is 26% of the nation ... more
John Michael Greer - Green Wizardry: A response to Rob Hopkins Rob Hopkins is a smart guy, and even though he s garbled a fair number of the details, his post raises useful points regarding some of ... more
This week a study on peak oil by a German military think tank was leaked on the Internet. The document shows that the German government is closely studying the issue of peak oil, and is aware of the p ... more
Based on the system perspective, we develop a theoretical model for the relationship between social network (SN) ties and resource acquisition (RA) and examine how environmental dynamism (ED) moderate ... more
Transforming new start-ups into well established firms is a complex process and contains the management of many complex and challenging tasks. In this paper, we examine the roles played by some Chines ... more
Judge rules against U.S. government on oil drilling HOUSTON (Reuters) A federal judge on Wednesday rejected the U.S. government's request to dismiss an industry lawsuit challenging its deepwater o ... more
This week a study on peak oil by a German military think tank was leaked on the Internet. The document shows that the German government is closely studying the issue of peak oil, and is aware of the p ... more
The news on Monday that one in six Americans are now enrolled in government poverty programs (Medicaid, food stamps, unemployment insurance and welfare) was an unsettling reminder of the economic fix ... more
The transformation from an industrial economy to a knowledge-based, 'creative'- or 'new' economy has a huge impact on strategic partnerships. As more and more organisations make use of (virtual) netwo ... more
Some states are taking a two-faced approach to the healthcare overhaul law.Seven states are suing to overturn the healthcare reform law, saying it's unconstitutional, the Associated Press reports. Bu ... more
The Peak Oil Crisis: Prospects for China The key question in all this is how much longer China's economic miracle can continue before the realities of finite mineral resources force a slowdown? Anoth ... more
Iowa - The Saudi Arabia of Ethanol Iowa is to corn ethanol what Saudi Arabia is to oil. At present Iowa has the capacity to produce 3.5 billion gallons of ethanol per year, which is 26% of the nation ... more
No matter how bleak the economic outlook, here at Small Business Trends we #8217;ve always believed in the power of small business and entrepreneurship to change the world. In today #8217;s news round ... more
Based on the case study of the entrepreneurship in the Peloponnese Region, this paper explores the main characteristics of young entrepreneurs operating in the Greek periphery, the factors involved in ... more
With the rapidly growing Chinese economy in the past few decades, the people of mainland China are now enjoying increasingly more economic benefits than ever before. Out of the many growing technologi ... more
Lenders Back Off of Environmental Risks Blasting off mountaintops to reach coal in Appalachia or churning out millions of tons of carbon dioxide to extract oil from sand in Alberta are among environme ... more
Small business is very much in the news this week, as never in recent memory has there been so much expectation resting on small business owners and entrepreneurs to lead the way. With plenty of data ... more
Kurt Cobb - Personality profile: Do you "go with the flow" or do you "stock up" just in case? Why is it that some people believe they can really store up much of anything? Yes, it is wise to have emer ... more
This is a letter I received from a reader (with the name changed). Below the fold is an expanded version of my answer to him. I would be interested in what other people's thoughts are on this subject ... more
In the Darwinian world of healthcare today, public hospitals may not be fit enough to survive. As standalone hospitals, they don't have the resources to upgrade and meet new requirements, the Wall Str ... more
Biofuels Firms Buy Up African Land, Cause Deforestation, Food Output Loss Biofuels companies from the U.K. to Brazil and China are buying up large swaths of Africa, causing deforestation and diverting ... more
This is a letter I received from a reader (with the name changed). Below the fold is an expanded version of my answer to him. I would be interested in what other people's thoughts are on this subject ... more
The age of easy, cheap oil maybe getting over slowly The Arctic is thought to hold the world s largest reserves of untapped oil and gas, with as much as a fifth of remaining undiscovered oil located ... more
The age of easy, cheap oil maybe getting over slowly The Arctic is thought to hold the world s largest reserves of untapped oil and gas, with as much as a fifth of remaining undiscovered oil located ... more
Summer vacation time is winding down, but there are lots of great upcoming events to help you learn, connect and jump into Fall. This list of small business webinars, events and conferences is brought ... more
A new US oil rush could rock OPEC It contains hundreds of billions of barrels of light crude oil and thousands of wells and should be scaring the pants off any oil exporter needing high crude prices ... more
North American businesses, social economy organisations and government agencies are tackling the challenges of declining non-renewable energy resources and climate change by voluntarily purchasing gre ... more
A new US oil rush could rock OPEC It contains hundreds of billions of barrels of light crude oil and thousands of wells and should be scaring the pants off any oil exporter needing high crude prices ... more
Dealing With Scarcity Julian Cribb, in his book The Coming Famine (which I reviewed today over in Arts), contends that we ve already seen peak oil the time when production can do nothing b ... more
This is a guest post by Ryan King. Ryan is a biologist, independent journalist, and community eco-preneur in Costa Rica. Below, he provides a brief introduction to decentralized biodiesel and ... more
Big Oil ticked off at new money law NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- A new law requiring oil companies to disclose all payments made to governments has sparked a sharp debate, with Big Oil saying it will pu ... more
This is a presentation by Dr. David Korowicz from Feasta, given at the Oil Drum/ASPO Conference at Alcatraz, Italy in June 2009. It can be downloaded here: Things fall apart: Some thoughts on complexi ... more
Wind Turbine Projects Run Into Resistance BARSTOW, Calif. The United States military has found a new menace hiding here in the vast emptiness of the Mojave Desert in California: wind turbines. Mo ... more
On Wednesday, August 25, I gave a presentation called How limited global oil supply may affect climate change policies at the MIT-NESCAUM Endicott House Symposium on climate change. The audience inclu ... more
On Wednesday, August 25, I gave a presentation called How limited global oil supply may affect climate change policies at the MIT-NESCAUM Endicott House Symposium on climate change. The audience inclu ... more
Good Intentions, Bad Policy Perhaps the single most important policy-related insight in economics is that changes in policies lead to behavioral responses. More generous unemployment insurance leads t ... more
This paper offers a critique of the increasing commercialisation of healthcare. It argues for a gift economy in which patients are respected for their knowledge and capacity to help control their own ... more
A surprising number of hospitals think many revenue-cycle problems are just part and parcel of doing business (particularly in a bad economy). But hospitals that identify issues and work across depart ... more
BP frozen out of Arctic oil drilling race BP has been forced to abandon hopes of drilling in the Arctic, currently the centre of a new oil rush, owing to its tarnished reputation after the Gulf of Mex ... more
This is a presentation by Dr. David Korowicz from Feasta, given at the Oil Drum/ASPO Conference at Alcatraz, Italy in June 2009. It can be downloaded here: Things fall apart: Some thoughts on complexi ... more
There #8217;s no reason for entrepreneurs to be down in a down economy. In fact, it #8217;s been the inventiveness of entrepreneurs and small businesses in the past that have spurred on economic recov ... more
This is a guest post by Ryan King. Ryan is a biologist, independent journalist, and community eco-preneur in Costa Rica. Below, he provides a brief introduction to decentralized biodiesel and ... more
Oil analyst: U.S. policy detached from market reality The world is running out of oil. This prediction could be made today, of course, but it also has been stated with moral certainty numerous times ... more
The customer from hell. We #8217;ve all been there, says Mark Brinn. We #8217;ve all been across the counter #8211;literally or metaphorically, physically or virtually #8211;from a customer who simply ... more
Hospital stocks are on shaky ground, and weakened patient admissions--due to patients putting off elective and "not critical" procedures--may be responsible. The five major, publicly-traded hospital c ... more
FACTBOX - China's fledging shale gas exploration (Reuters) - China last week launched its first national shale gas research centre to support the country's development of the fuel. Encouraged by the ... more
I have been visiting A2R Farms outside of Corvallis Oregon all year.Β They are a former conventional grass seed farm transitioning to organic seed crops, primarily for local distribution.Β I watched ... more
Universities are widely cited as engines of the knowledge economy, with public policy increasingly viewing universities as integral to economic growth and competitiveness. This new function, colloquia ... more
Calls to tackle rising oil imports BEIJING - China, which is set to import more than 55 percent of its oil needs this year, should seek greater diversification of oil imports, build more stockpiles an ... more
This is a guest post by Steve Andrews and John Theobald. Sally Odland and Randy Udall also contributed. Andrews and Udall are retired co-founders of ASPO-USA. Odland and Theobald are formerly assoc ... more
Pharmacies and pharmacists seem to be evolving into neighborhood healthcare centers. I have posted previous notes about this phenomenon (see: Local Pharmacies Emerge as Centers for Care of Diabetics; ... more
Small businesses are much less important in technology-intensive industries than in the rest of the economy. They account for a slender portion of high tech sales. A recent report by the National S ... more
Whether you buy or sell online, you may need to watch out. Cash-hungry state governments are reconsidering something that s long been threatened and debated:Β taxing Internet sales. One of the rea ... more
The other day I was chatting with a friend.Β It didn t take too long for the conversation to turn to time and our general lack of it.Β I don t know where the day goes. She said.Β Later th ... more
Analysts warn of threat to oil price stability The deteriorating global economic outlook and weakening OPEC discipline could force oil prices as low as US$50 per barrel within the next year, analysts ... more
This is a guest post by George Mobus. George is an Associate Professor of Computing and Software Systems at the University of Washington, Tacoma. His blog is Question Everything. Solving the Unemploym ... more
The importance of management accounting systems (MAS) in measuring the non-financial performance is increasing, especially in the service sector. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to investiga ... more
Could Gulf-like disaster scar the Heartland? (CNN) -- For three decades, Mike and Sue Sibson expected the normal ups and downs that come with working a South Dakota farm and raising two kids. But when ... more
On Friday, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission reopened waters that had been closed to recreational fishing. Some of those areas had been closed since April 30. Now, after more than 100 da ... more
The last Presidential election here in the U.S. was run on a platform of change. But, as usual, most of that change has happened far beyond the political arena. Meanwhile, here in the small business c ... more
(TrendHunter.com) Next time you are driving in the Bahamas, keep your eyes peeled for the water-powered car. That's right, a 19-year-old resident of the islands has designed a hybrid car that runs of ... more
Crude Oil Declines to Six-Week Low Amid Signs U.S. Recovery Is Faltering Crude oil declined to six-week low as rising U.S. jobless claims and a contraction in manufacturing added to concern growth in ... more
This Small Business Trends roundup is all about getting down to business. Small business owners and entrepreneurs know that after all the planning its time to make things happen. But to do so, small b ... more
Summary: #0160; Could we bring our nation s health care bill down from 17% of GDP to 12%? An intriguing study from Milliman, the independent consulting and actuarial firm, says yes. Looking at ... more
Bangladesh shuts gas filling stations for Ramadan DHAKA (AFP) Energy-starved Bangladesh has shut natural gas filling stations in Dhaka for six hours a day to ensure enough household fuel for the M ... more
This is a guest post by David Fridley, known on The Oil Drum as Spraxis. See end of post for more information. The scramble for alternatives is on. High oil prices, growing concerns over energy securi ... more
A technology coming to Chrysler vehicles can improve the fuel economy of standard gasoline engines by 25 percent. ... more
Dick Smith is a famous Australian, an entrepreneur, aviator and well regarded 'good guy' who was honoured with the 'Australian of the Year' award in 1986. Until recently, he was not prominent in th ... more
For most of my business life, and probably most of yours, there has been one constant: inflation. Things always cost more tomorrow than today, more next year than last year. Because of this, wages and ... more
Cuba plans 7 Gulf of Mexico oil test wells - U.S. group HAVANA (Reuters) Cuba plans to drill seven exploratory oil wells in its Gulf of Mexico waters over the next two years, according to a U.S. o ... more
In this post I present an analysis of how OPEC oil supplies have responded to changes in crude oil prices during the last 10 years. My objective was to estimate OPEC's probable marketable crude oil ca ... more
What are the basics that will make your business better today? Small business need to utilize technology as perhaps never before but also to understand their own unique niche. From better business blo ... more
Peak oil theory has peaked and there is no apocalypse now Simmons predicted a collapse of 30 or 40 per cent of [Saudi] production ¦ sometime in the next three to five years but it could even ... more
This is a guest post by Gregor MacDonald. Gregor is an oil analyst and energy sector investor, who, in his words, "also focuses on the coming transition to alternatives". This post was previously publ ... more
China's economy overtakes Japan's in real termsCHINA has become the world's second biggest economy according to data released on Monday August 16th. Japan's economy fell behind China's at market excha ... more
Crude prices likely to rise on firm global demand Peak Oil is the time when petroleum-extraction activity in the world reaches an optimal level. Thereafter, the rate of oil production enters a termina ... more
As China Expands in Latin America, Tensions Fester at Its Mining Venture in Peru SAN JUAN DE MARCONA, Peru In its worldwide quest for commodities, China has scoured South America for everything fr ... more
Our list this week has some really good opportunities to learn and network, whether you get our there to one of the big conferences or log in from your desktop. This list of small business webinars, ... more
Efficiency in the service section is a significant issue in the global trade. The increase of the influence of the service industry on the economy causes more and more firms to be sensitised to servic ... more
Oil industry's deep well of fear There is an open secret in the oil industry that dare not speak its name: peak oil. Well, two did speak its name and gained no acclaim for it. One, M. King Hubbert, d ... more
Russia: Iran's nuclear plant to start next week MOSCOW (AP) Russia's nuclear agency said Friday that it will load fuel into Iran's first nuclear power plant next week, defying U.S. calls to hold o ... more
Before the Deepwater Horizon incident I would follow the EIA weekly announcements known as This Week in Petroleum and occasionally comment on what I thought to be important. At the same time, trying ... more
The jobless recovery, long prophesied, is hereFEARS that the recovery of America's economy after the financial crisis would fail to spur an increase in employment are being realised. In July, 52,000 f ... more
After the House voted this week to approve a $26 billion aid package to states $16 billion of which will go toward helping keep strained Medicaid programs limping along Rep. Joe Barton, of Texas, ... more
In 2007 and 2008, a comprehensive study was conducted to estimate the dollars, jobs and tax revenues created by anglers in the Los Cabos region. In that period an estimated 354,013 people, most all of ... more
This paper proposes a definition and an algorithm to compute the value created in an economic process. The created value is the amount of value, from the gross value added, that exceeds a minimum valu ... more
(TrendHunter.com) Hug-A-Banker wants to make the bankers of New York City's Wall Street feel better; their lives have been tough the lately. The comedian Rob Lathan from Landline TV walks up and dow ... more
Tom Whipple: A Gathering in Louisville Every year the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) holds a conference where legislators from all over the U.S. gather for updates on major policy co ... more
This is a guest post by David Fridley, Staff Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). David posts under the name Sparaxis. Everyone knows that it takes energy to produce anything. The ... more
The harsh fact of today #8217;s economy is reflected in the Bureau of Labor Statistics report (July 10, 2010): There are 14.6 million unemployed in the US according to the June report, The Employment ... more
If you re like most small business owners, you could really use some extra help around the office right now. But are you ready to hire full-time employees? With all the uncertainty about tax issues, ... more
Shadow economies have grown since the financial crisis beganA NEW estimate of the size of shadow economies around the world sheds light on a worrying trend. Friedrich Schneider, of Linz University in ... more
IEA Raises Forecast for Global Oil Consumption Even as 2011 Growth Slows Global demand for oil will exceed the International Energy Agency s earlier estimates, even as the adviser predicts the econo ... more
Like it or not, a successful small business means good marketing. Who wants the product or service you offer? How much do they want it and are they ready to buy? These are all important questions to a ... more
Atlantic Hotter Than Before Katrina, Boosting Storm Forecasts William Gray, who pioneered seasonal hurricane forecasting at Colorado State University 26 years ago, rings a bell each Aug. 20 and tells ... more
We are saddened by the news that Matt Simmons died suddenly on Sunday, August 8, at his summer home in Maine. Matt Simmons was an energy investment banker and spoke frequently about peak oil. Matt was ... more
I took my 12-year-old son to see his first concert two months ago. We had more than our fair share of good luck Los Lobos, the East L.A. band that has been performing for 37 years now and that I l ... more
Global warming heats up a nuclear energy renaissance: Global warming and the BP oil spill have helped rehabilitate nuclear energy in the eyes of the public and some environmentalists. Public and p ... more
The following is the second of two posts based on a recent paper published under the same title in the journal Environment, Development, and Sustainability. I was the lead author for the article. The ... more
The Kalamazoo River 'mess' is a lot more than that: An oil spill in Michigan's Kalamazoo River points out the grave flaws in America's energy policies If the BP blowout in the Gulf of Mexico is causi ... more
In marketing, identifying customer segments is extremely important to strategy development and ultimately business success.Β But what is the ethical line between serving a neglected market segment an ... more
One of the questions I was asked earlier in the spill was, "Do you expect other countries to stop drilling in deepwater locations, because of the oil spill?" My response was, "Maybe a bit, in a few lo ... more
Successful and pioneer organisations are trying to combine budgeting process, strategic planning and performance management. Our objective is evaluating implementation of performance-based budgeting ( ... more
Contests and awards are a great way to get the word out about your business. Even if you don #8217;t win, many offer an opportunity for recognition and publicity #8211; so it #8217;s not just about t ... more
Not So Easy The writers and editors at Nature this past week boldly proclaimed, with some carefully qualified caveats, that producing enough food for the world s population in 2050 will be easy. M ... more
China says to maintain trade cooperation with Iran (Reuters) - Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang told the visiting Iranian oil minister on Friday that Beijing would maintain cooperation with Tehran on e ... more
Below the fold is a post I wrote a little over two years ago--in May 2008--about the deplorable state of the US electrical transmission system. The situation may have improved somewhat since then, ina ... more
Under the critical and fast changing trend in global economy, a paradigm shift in manufacturing is predicted in the West as well as in the Far East. Large manufacturing firms are moving towards a glob ... more
Oil glut in Middle East as crude sales falter The Gulf region, which supplies 40 per cent of the world s oil, is glutted with crude that producers cannot immediately sell, even as US and European oi ... more
This is a guest post by George Mobus. George is an Associate Professor of Computing and Software Systems at the University of Washington, Tacoma. His blog is Question Everything. There seems to be an ... more
This post was published in June 2009 under the name The Fifth Problem: Peak Capital. The five main elements of the world model developed in "The Limits to Growth" study according to Magne Myrtve ... more
Successful small businesses are nimble #8211; able to stay ahead of the pack no matter what is thrown at them. Thanks to their swift responses, they #8217;ve remained at the top of their game, even t ... more
In today's complex, knowledge and innovation-driven economy, innovating business models and their architecture is in growing demand. Innovating business models to become network-based is a complex ven ... more
Predictions of Coal, CO2 Production Flawed, Says Latest Research AUSTIN, Texas The CO2 emission estimates used for government policy decisions assume unlimited coal and fossil fuel production for ... more
If you stop and think about it, you might think it a bit odd that everybody is still talking about the Great Recession when the economy has been growing for a full calendar year. Except, of course, th ... more
It has also been widely accepted that exports make significant contributions to economic development and well-being of a nation. For example, the export-led growth hypothesis (ELGH) postulates that ex ... more
In recent years, businesses between China and India increased in large quantity. China was accepted 143rd member of World Trade Organization (WTO) on 11 December 2001. Accession to the WTO will provid ... more
The administration has trotted out Andy Griffith, who starred in classic TV shows "Matlock" and "The Andy Griffith Show," to sell senior citizens on President Obama's new healthcare law in a new TV co ... more
Renewable resources becoming a real alternative Abu Dhabi s first major solar power project, a field of panels at the edge of the capital, cost US$50 million (Dh183.6m) to build in late 2008. If the ... more
Buying gas to fuel Gulf oil sales Maximising oil exports from the GCC will hinge on the region importing more gas, the Scottish consultancy Wood Mackenzie says. Wood Mackenzie has belatedly realised ... more
In Bad Medicine the Cato Institute white paper exploring The Real Costs and Consequences of the New Health Care Law, Cato senior fellow Michael Tanner declares the individual mandate, ... more
With MinuteClinic visits up 36 percent in the second quarter, according to Drugstore News, consumers seem to be shifting their demand away from expensive physician offices with limited hours to affo ... more
ANALYSIS - Iran sanctions could add to gasoline glut (Reuters) - The impact of disrupted Iranian fuel supplies following tough new sanctions is likely to hit gasoline markets after the peak summer sea ... more
I #8217;m getting a little concerned. I #8217;m starting to wonder if there will continue to be enough senior citizens to go around. Recently, I contributed a post over at Business.Gov in which I disc ... more
Renewable resources becoming a real alternative Abu Dhabi s first major solar power project, a field of panels at the edge of the capital, cost US$50 million (Dh183.6m) to build in late 2008. If the ... more
This week #8217;s list has some excellent opportunities for growing companies to learn and network over the next few months. This list of small business webinars, events and conferences is brought t ... more
Starting a business need not be scary and you don #8217;t need to be a seasoned entrepreneur to get on the right road to success. In fact, for the most successful entrepreneurs, the key has been simpl ... more
This is a guest post by Gregor MacDonald. Gregor is an oil analyst and energy sector investor, who, in his words, "also focuses on the coming transition to alternatives". This post was previously publ ... more
We need you, small business owners and entrepreneurs. To start new businesses and create new jobs. To drag us out of this long recession and into new prosperity with new ideas and new vision. In fact, ... more
Will small business lift the economy out of recession? Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne hopes so, and he #8217;s trying to help. Recently the online discount retailer announced the launch of its #8220 ... more
The trend of Americans cutting back on healthcare use during tough economic times is nothing new, considering that many lose their jobs and, in turn, their health insurance. However, according to stat ... more
With recovery shaky at best and fears of a double dip recession still looming, small businesses have seen many ups and downs. There are many ways to deal with trouble in your small business efforts or ... more
Mitsui Says Oil Tanker Possibly Attacked Near Hormuz Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd., operator of the world s second-largest oil-tanker fleet, said one of its ships may have been attacked near the Strait o ... more
Though we generally try to bring you the latest in small business news, this Small Business trends roundup attempts to dig deep, not only into the present but into the history of the federal estate ta ... more
Several factors--most notably an anticipated stabilization of Medicare payments to physicians and the new healthcare reform law--are contributing to many experts' opinions that more jobs at both docto ... more
Australia: Food security plan essential for the national interest While people discuss the threat of obesity in the suburbs and in the seat of power, nobody talks about the threat of global food scarc ... more
U.S. Says 27% of Gulf of Mexico Oil Production, 10% of Gas Idled by Storm About 27 percent of crude-oil production in the Gulf of Mexico and 10 percent of natural-gas output is still idle because of T ... more
Nuclear experts seek to advance fusion project MARSEILLE, France (AFP) An explosion in costs has cast a cloud over a multi-billion-dollar nuclear fusion project aiming to make the power that fuels ... more
Anita Campbell recently blogged in this space that the government #8217;s efforts to spur small business lending have largely fallen flat. Last year I blogged here about how big banks including Wells ... more
Worsening electricity shortages fuel growing crisis Global electricity demand is growing again after a lull last year related to the economic slowdown. The result is more countries face electricity s ... more
Worsening electricity shortages fuel growing crisis Global electricity demand is growing again after a lull last year related to the economic slowdown. The result is more countries face electricity s ... more
Three of every four oil and gas lobbyists worked for federal government Three out of every four lobbyists who represent oil and gas companies previously worked in the federal government, a proportion ... more
Scientists: Oil plumes definitely from BP's well TAMPA, Fla. -- Researchers in Florida say they have the first scientific proof that two plumes of oil beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico came fr ... more
This post is long, but summarizes a lot of interesting results with respect to biofuels. Some readers may not have had a chance to read it during the week, so I thought I would put it back up. - Gail ... more
Here #8217;s an updated list of contests, competitions and awards for small businesses, brought to you every other week as a community service by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com. - * ... more
A Big Oil Field in Central Asia Isn't Earning What Chevron Planned On ATYRAU, KAZAKHSTAN A single oil field here in Central Asia stands ready to produce nearly as many barrels each day as the enti ... more
What #8217;s your small business story? And what are the small business stories of other entrepreneurs just like you? Today #8217;s small business news roundup from Small Business Trends looks at the ... more
US court halts Arctic oil drilling for review WASHINGTON (AFP) A US judge ordered a halt to offshore oil and gas drilling off the north coast of Alaska for a new environmental review. Federal Jud ... more
Below the fold is the 3rd in a series of posts providing analysis (and follow up) on the difficulties of maintain our current energy paradigm with renewable energy (generally, 'the fake fire brigade') ... more
Join me tomorrow, July 22, 2010, for another interview in the HP Input/Output series. Jason Fried, founder of software company 37 Signals, will be interviewed. As with other interviews in this series ... more
Who #8217;s in your small business corner? If your small business has no one to turn to, how can you work to improve your company #8217;s opportunities on your own? Unfortunately much promised help fo ... more
The Cato Institute s Michael Cannon has replied to Part 1 of my response to Cato s report on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) .You ll find his reply here. Unfortunately, the ... more
(TrendHunter.com) Who would have thought that something mobile could also be beautiful? When we hear the word "mobile," we typically think of trailers and porta-potties. Young architect Felipe Camp ... more
FACTBOX - Oil reserves: declining - but how fast? (Reuters) - A declaration by Venezuela last week that it hopes soon to overtake Saudi Arabia as the country with the biggest oil reserves has stoked d ... more
Who says summer is a slow time? Not for small business events #8211; Don #8217;t miss these great events, conferences and webinars for growing companies this summer and fall. This list of small busin ... more
America is supposed to be a place where independent inventors and small firms play a key role in the creation of new technology. As New York University economics Professor Will Baumol wrote in the 2 ... more
This is a guest post by Rod Adams, author of Atomic Insights Blog. Pick up almost any book about nuclear energy and you will find that the prevailing wisdom is that nuclear plants must be very large ... more
This study assesses the longitudinal economic impact of tourism on the Penghu Islands using an inputΒoutput analysis. The objectives of this study are to determine multiplier effects on the local eco ... more
Lloyd's hired Chatham House to prepare a white paper on the risks of peak oil called Sustainable Energy Security: Strategic risks and opportunities for business. It seems to me that this new report ge ... more
Rethinking the Measure of Growth Andy Xie, a private economist in Shanghai, has long argued that the 1.3 billion people in China cannot realistically hope to live like Americans. That statement is ... more
This is an article by Wes Jackson that was previously published by Solutions Journal. We have included a few Campfire questions at the end. The Trouble with Agriculture Across the farmlands of the U.S ... more
This is a guest post by Matt Mushalik from Australia. Matt writes under the name Matt. OPEC tells us it has lots of spare capacity, but how much should we believe them? Even when prices were much high ... more
What #8217;s the social media small business? More than just a tool for marketing your small business, social media can be an integral part of your business from products and services to branding. If ... more
Ocean Energy Institute Open for Business The Ocean Energy Institute (OEI) is poised to launch into a corporate endeavor to replace oil and gas with renewable energy from the sea. OEI will host a publi ... more
The Peak Oil Crisis: A Mid-Year Review Nearly everyone will admit that continuing oil shortages and that high (above $100 a barrel) oil prices would be devastating to the prospects for economic recove ... more
This is a guest post by Dr. Stephen R. Humphrey, known on The Oil Drum as NatResDr. Steve Humphrey has been on the faculty of the University of Florida since 1971. Currently he is Director of The Scho ... more
Michael T. Klare: Clean, Green, Safe and Smart If the ecological catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico tells us anything, it is that we need a new national energy policy a comprehensive plan for escapin ... more
Who is the better business owner? Could it be you? Today we realize that it is not so much money or the right connections that make a business succeed in the long run. How many well funded businesses ... more
Wall St and peak oil One of the enduring lines about peak oil is that authorities keep it a secret because there would be some kind of financial havoc if it were revealed. A recent example is a claim ... more
This week the White House unveiled its new national plan to cut HIV infections and curb the AIDS epidemic. The plan, the first ever since AIDS emerged on the scene some 30 years ago, has the goal of # ... more
The economics of biodiversity and businessWhile climate scientists lament the fact that their flagship compendia, such as the IPCC reports, come under endless attack, scientists working on other envir ... more
(TrendHunter.com) Renault-Nissan has teamed up with the Indian auto giant Bajaj Auto to produce efficient, low-cost cars. The proposed vehicle, nicknamed ULC, will cost just $3,000 and can travel up ... more
Jeff Rubin: Oil must rise to make oil sands economical It s not its carbon trail that stands in the way of the Alberta tar sands picking up the supply ball dropped by deep-water drilling in the ... more
This is a guest post by Dr. Stephen R. Humphrey, known on The Oil Drum as NatResDr. Steve Humphrey has been on the faculty of the University of Florida since 1971. Currently he is Director of The Scho ... more
Careful, SMB owners, it seems social media isn t just for chatting anymore. According to new research from the recruiting platform Jobvite, 73.3 percent of business owners say they have used social ... more
Triumphing over tough times is what small business success is all about. So why the doom and gloom over the current tough economic environment? The key for small businesses everywhere is to persevere ... more
Using a sample of 100 companies from a small island economy (Mauritius), this paper for the first time investigates IFRS conversion cost by dividing it into three main elements, namely; training cost, ... more
Saudi Arabia's House Of Cards Seventy-eight years after Abdul Aziz ibn Saud triumphantly carved out his kingdom on the Arabian Peninsula following a quarter-century of warfare against rival tribes, Sa ... more
Europe is finally starting to think about its longer-term energy issues, and how they affect transportation plans. To try to deal with these issues, a new European Energy Consultation was set up, sp ... more
In the short term, the recession has put pressure on nurses to stay put and delay retirement, making it hard for newly graduated nurses to find jobs, according to USA Today. Those lucky enough to find ... more
Six lessons from the BP oil spill For years to come, the United States and the oil industry will be absorbing the lessons of the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Regulators will toughen inspections. Oi ... more
China set to consume 50% of global coal production this year Production and consumption roughly in balance Coal imports used for stock pile growth? Consumption growing >10% year on year in line with ... more
Arid Australia Sips Seawater, but at a Cost In one of the country s biggest infrastructure projects in its history, Australia s five largest cities are spending $13.2 billion on desalination plan ... more
(Intro: In talks with friends (not of the PO cloth), I've recently sensed more consideration of the possibility that economic growth may not return and what that might imply. As such yet I think ther ... more
Discovery of second pipe in Deepwater Horizon riser stirs debate among experts For the first time Friday, the Coast Guard and BP acknowledged that a mysterious second pipe, wedged next to the drill pi ... more