The 59 Countries That Are Most Prepared To Handle An Uncertain Future. We normally judge which countries are "doing best" by looking at economic growth--a realm in which places like China and India thrive, despite their environmental and other problems.
A more grounded approach might look at a range of factors, from a country's energy mix to its democracy. That's what a new report from investment advisors RobecoSAM does, and the results are quite different from the standard narrative. The report takes into account 17 factors, ultimately finding that Sweden is the most sustainable country on Earth--meaning it's best equipped for the future. And the least? That would be Nigeria, in 59th place, despite all that oil. The factors include environmental (which accounts for 15% of scores, and includes things like renewable energy and emissions), social (25%; e.g. life expectancy, and level of worker unrest), and governance (60%; e.g. corruption and inequality). [Slideshow images: Flags via Shutterstock] [Image: Flags via Shutterstock] Country Sustainability Ranking. Robeco and RobecoSAM have worked together to develop a comprehensive and systematic ESG ranking framework for countries, designed to complement sovereign bond ratings developed by traditional rating agencies.
By focusing on selected ESG factors such as aging, competitiveness and environmental risks – which are long term in nature – and taking into account a country’s position in the economic cycle, the country rankings offer a view into a country’s strengths and weaknesses that are not typically covered by rating agencies. Used in combination, standard sovereign bond ratings and RobecoSAM’s country ESG rankings can be a powerful tool to enhance risk analysis for government bonds, enabling investors to make better-informed investment decisions. Country level ESG rankings also offer an additional perspective on the stability of the environments in which companies operate and could therefore be incorporated as an additional tool used in company analysis. Remembering Rikuzentakata through dark tourism.
Remembering Rikuzentakata through dark tourism Aug 05, 2013 Faith Aquino Lifestyle & Travel No Comments Most tourists prefer to witness beautiful sceneries in a country, as tourism is all about promoting a particular place’s merits and beautiful destinations.
On the contrary, the tour organized by travel agent Shuichi Matsuda for 24 people was nowhere close to bringing people to attractive destinations. Instead, they were brought to Rikuzentakata, a town that was “wiped off the map” after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Such is an example of “dark tourism,” which has emerged as people come to visit a place that has suffered devastation courtesy of forces of nature. Among those who came was Akira Shindo, a 15-year old from New York. According to Mitsuko Morinaga, a 62-year old resident of Rikuzentakata, “the tree was the tallest,” standing at stands at 27 metres (89 feet), among the 70,000 pine trees in Rikuzentakata. [via Dawn] inShare0. Louisiana Is Suing The Oil Companies Destroying Its Wetlands. More than just getting mad, Louisiana is attempting to get even with oil companies whose dredging and dredging has eroded Louisiana’s coastal wetlands for decades.
The areas provide an important barrier during floods and storms--and oil companies are supposed to remediate the canals they dig to ensure the longevity of the area. The only problem is: they haven’t been. Now, according to Reuters, the relatively obscure state agency, the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority - East, is suing 97 oil companies in response--including the big guys like BP, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, and Royal Dutch Shell. Reuters reports: John Barry, the vice president of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority - East, a state agency, said companies’ drilling permits required them to perform remediation work that in most cases was never carried out after digging canals to reach drilling platforms. Buy A Timeshare In The Ultimate RV Park Doomsday Shelter. When the apocalypse comes, it will be lonely in your bomb shelter.
Or your neighbors will come knocking, and you’ll have to fight over the canned food. Basically, preparing for the end is a real hassle. This, essentially, is the pitch of Vivos, a network of timeshare doomsday shelters now selling slots in its largest and most budget-conscious facility: A 60-acre former military bunker 130 feet below Atchinson, Kansas. "It’s a turnkey four star underground hotel slash cruise ship," Vivos founder Robert Vicino told Fox Business News. Which is true as long as when you hear "four star hotel" and "cruise ship" you picture an RV park in a cave. Only RV-owners are allowed in the Atchinson shelter "and resort," paying $1,000 per RV-foot for membership, plus $1,500 a person for a year’s worth of food. The recent movement of "preppers" and Mayan apocalypse believers have given the business a new impetus, which the Vivos website insists will outlast the 2012 Mayan apocalypse itself.
Bonjour, America! Annual Impact Report 2013.