But wait, there’s more…

As signalled a while back, in response to the ongoing global financial crisis the New Zealand Reserve Bank is joining other Central Banks in exposing taxpayers to billions in contingent liabilities, outside of normal Parliamentary budget processes.  And those processes might have raised some interesting questions.

Economic policy and the possibility of a green change: Bad Samaritans – Take Two

David has reviewed Ha-Joon Chang’s book Bad Samaritans for well sharp already – his review is here -  I’d like to pick up on few more points the book raises, and explore how they can help us tackle the economic and environmental challenges we face.

Bigots on Buses

Who would have thought public transport would become the site of a battle between hellfire and damnation Christians and fundamentalist Atheists? Apparently, after getting fed up with religious messages on bus-ads in London, science author Dawkins has agreed to pay for ads with the tag-lines: “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your [...]

I can’t get no satisfaction: Consumption, identity and alienation

A survey by the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development (reported here) suggests a decline in green consumption by New Zealanders in 2008, and, compared to last year, fewer people have ‘green intentions’ for the coming year. Commenting on the survey, the splendidly named Rick Starr, a marketing academic, said people were intrigued by [...]

The preconditions for sustainable business: system-wide structural and cultural change

What are the ingredients of a sustainable business? Australian academics Wendy Stubbs and Chris Cocklin have tried to develop a model of sustainable business based on two case studies, chosen as ‘ideal types’. The chosen case studies are both well-known already: US carpet manufacturer Interface Inc (which features – as one of the good guys [...]