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Yassine G

The Looming Threat of Water Scarcity - 1 views

  • Some 1.2 billion people—almost a fifth of the world—live in areas of physical water scarcity, while another 1.6 billion face what can be called economic water shortage
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    This articles talks about how much people have to live with less amount of water than they need or, with no water at all in some cases. It also highlights the countries that use a lot of water and how they are using it. It also rises awareness about this global issue and its long and short-term impact on us. 
fie dahl

Colorado town unlivable for months after flooding, residents are told - 0 views

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    I choose this article because it shows how something as basic as water can be scarce even though there is so much of it - I couldn't find the article I originally wanted to post, but it described how people were told to save water! normally we don't even think about water being scarce, but then when things like this occurs water is suddenly both the cause to water being scarce and the object turning scarce it selves.
Azeem K

Nigeria: Fish Scarcity Hits Kaduna As Prices Increase By 20 Percent - 1 views

  • Fish Scarcity
    • Azeem K
       
      This is a good example and consequence of scarcity! 
  • raising its price by about 20 per cent,
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  • was caused by inadequate supply for more than two weeks.
Daniel B

Little to fear but fear itself - 0 views

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    Africa is or rather used to be the biggest exporter of raw materials. The demand on their commodities come mostly from China, Brazil as well as India. The cooling in economy of China causes drop in demand for oil, wood etc.
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    I think Africa is one of the richest continents, if not the the richest, however, unfortunately its people are amongst the poorest and least developed in the world.
Yassine G

Water Demand for Energy to Double by 2035 - 0 views

  • The amount of fresh water consumed for world energy production is on track to double within the next 25 years
  • the IEA calculates that water consumed for energy production would increase from 66 billion cubic meters (bcm) today to 135 bcm annually by 2035.
  • The agency estimates oil and natural gas production together would account for 10 percent of global energy-related water demand in 2035.
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  • "It takes a great deal of energy to supply water, and a great deal of water to supply energy. With water stress spreading and intensifying around the globe, it's critical that policymakers not promote water-intensive energy options."
  • Fellow
  • IEA sees coal-powered electricity driving the greatest demand for water now and in the future
  • Steam-driven coal plants always have required large amounts of water
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    This article gives you an idea of how we get our energy today, and how we will be getting it in the upcoming years. It emphasizes mostly on water, as water is being used in Steam-driven coal plants in a large amount. These plants are increasing as they are more environmental friendly. This means that demand on water is increasing rapidly although water itself is a becoming very scarce. This High demand for this scarce very important natural resource raises many questions about how we would be able to survive in the long run.
John B

BlackBerry confirms loss of $965 million as sales drop 45% | Mobile - CNET News - 0 views

  • BlackBerry offered few surprises as it posted a fiscal second-quarter loss of nearly $1 billion as its smartphones continued to struggle in the marketplace.
  • The official results come a week after BlackBerry released preliminary figures and said it would cut roughly 40 percent of its staff as it shifted its focus away from consumers and more towards business customers.
  • Its newer phones as a whole didn't seem to resonate with consumers. The company said it shipped 3.7 million BlackBerrys, but a majority of them were made up of BlackBerrys running older software, which remain popular in emerging markets because of their low price.
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    This article is about how the BlackBerry phones are dropping in demand, and therefore the company have to "cut roughly 40 percent of its staff..." because of the loss of $965 million. When they have to cut down on he staff, it means that they can't afford the service that those workers can provide.
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    This article is about how the BlackBerry phones are dropping in demand, and therefore the company have to "cut roughly 40 percent of its staff..." because of the loss of $965 million. When they have to cut down on he staff, it means that they can't afford the service that those workers can provide.
Daniel B

Scarcity of endangered species - 0 views

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    This article shows threats of hunting endangered species. The local community doesn't care about biodiversity because their aim is to gain profits from trading rare and luxury goods. Their actions are now limited, however, they still break laws. Scarcity of animals is always common topic.
Sebastian G

Has The Earth Ever Run Out of a Natural Resource? | Resource Investor - 0 views

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    This article is concerned about the question if the earth has ever run out of a natural recource. Until now there hasn't been any recourse that ran out before it became irrelevant for our economy.
Pietro AA

Analysis: Energy costs keep Japan's focus on nuclear, despite risks and use of renewabl... - 0 views

    • Pietro AA
       
      Other scarse vaariables introduced: time and technology
    • Pietro AA
       
      safety is a desire of most men and it is also not infitite therefore it is scarse.
  • ctions take about six months for each reactor, and obtaining con
  • ...19 more annotations...
    • Pietro AA
       
      a conflict between the scarsity of safety and scarsity of energy
    • Pietro AA
       
      a conflict between the scarsity of safety and scarsity of energy
  • Energy costs keep Japan's focus on nuclear, despite risks and use of renewables
  • other plants remained closed for intensified safety checks
  • The issue is cost, and to a lesser extent, concern over a resurgence in climate-changing carbon emissions due to increased use of coal and oil to generate power. Clean energy still only accounts for 10 percent of total consumption — most of it hydropower. Much of the new capacity approved has yet to come online.
  • nuclear power remains essential, even with a surge in generation capacity from solar, wind and other renewable sources, and that the world's No. 3 economy cannot afford the mounting costs from importing gas and oil.
  • Japan has managed to avoid power rationing and blackouts. Industries have moved aggressively to avoid disruptions by installing backup generators and shifting to new sources, such as solar power.
  • households no
  • paying 30 percent more for electricity than before, with more rate hikes to come.
  • prompted a rethink of plans to raise nuclear capacity from one-third to over half of total demand.
  • Reliance on imported oil and gas has surged from about 60 percent of energy consumption to about 85 percent.
  • The recent weakening of the Japanese yen has added to the burden on the economy from oil and gas imports.
  • Abe and others in favor of resuming nuclear power contend that renewable energy is too expensive and unreliable — wind doesn't always blow, the sun doesn't always shine.
  • Apart from those issues, national security requires that Japan retain some self-sufficiency
  • Local communities are divided: many have relied heavily on nuclear plants for jobs and tax revenues, but worry over potential risks.
  • hat there's a huge opportunity in power
  • We're also seeing radical efficiency gains.
  • he disposal and security of nuclear waste are issues yet to be resolved.
  • For now, however, it appears any phase-out of nuclear power will be very gradual.
  • "In the long term if we can create new resources that are more efficient than the current oil-based system, then we can rely less on nuclear power, that's quite possible," Adachi said. "But it will take quite a long time."
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    This article shows how, since the meltdown of the Fukushima plant in 2011, the "want" of security (which is scarce) increased and gave energy problems to the country (energy is one of the most important scarce resources . Japan finds itself making decisions limited by the scarcity of energy, safety, time and technology. Should it take risks and stop spending money? Should it keep everybody safe and just go for the hydrocarbur plants? Should it simply invest on renewable energy plants? Should it take time and reaserch   Pietro
John B

CNN - GalapagosQuest: Water Scarcity in the Galapagos - March 9, 1999 - 0 views

  • Water is a scarce and valuable resource in the Galapagos and always has been. Only a few of the islands have regular springs where people can find water. The presence of water depends mostly on rainfall, which happens only between January and June, the wet season. The amount of rainfall is different from year to year and from island to island. But the greatest variation is a result of altitude. The highlands receive a lot more rain than the coastal areas and are a better place for most plants, animals, and people to live. Most of the underground pools and springs are found only on the older islands, like San Cristobal, Santa Cruz, and Santa María. Here, thousands of years of erosion created pockets and caverns deep underground where rain water and dew could pool and be collected. Patrick Watkins figured this out pretty quickly and managed to survive here for years. Others weren't so smart, or so lucky.
  • Back home we take water for granted, even though we know we shouldn't. People here on Santa María know what it's like to not have water for days, to go without showers and to settle for just one glass of water a day. That trickling rock where pirates filled their water casks still keeps Santa María alive. Rubber hoses carry water over four miles downhill to town, irrigating gardens and watering cattle along the way.
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    I think that this article has a very important aspect on the water scarcity in the world. It's about a person visiting the Galapagos where water is seen as a very valuable resource. It can pass days before the people living on the Galapagos can drink water again. This made me think about how we (in Sweden) even flush down clean water in the toilet, and then there are people who does not even have clean water to drink every day. Though the article was posted in 1999, which was a while ago, but there is still water scarcity in parts of the world that we need to consider in our daily life. To perhaps donate money to organizations that help these people who have a lack of clean water.
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    Yes, indeed. There are few people from Western countries who notice that problem because they do not face with it. Of course there are still many other locations (especially in Africa), in which the residents' strongest desire is connected with scarcity of water.
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    In order for people to realize something is to go through it. I think that if governments around the world start supplying a limited amount of water to every house, depending on how many people live in it. this would make people realise how scarce water is and eventually start using it efficiently.
Philine D

The Psychology of Scarcity, Days late, Dollars short - 1 views

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    The article argues about the psychology that there is in the concept of scarcity. It is said that this concept is partially destroying the economy I believe. They say that because because of scarcity shortens a person's horizons but it is also very positive because when a person lacks of something acts differently. Even if they don't precisely know what they desire the fact that they may lack of it they may "succumb to a similar scarcity"
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    I think this is an interesting article as it explores not only how scarcity affects an economy but takes a physiological approach and investigates how scarcity can effect our mindset. This, I feel is particularly relevant in today's 'tough economy'.
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    This article is essentially promoting a book that has been written about scarcity and the mindset that evolves from it. It is interesting because it offers you some real life example of scarcity and it explains the psychology of scarcity.
Talisha R

Water Scarcity - 0 views

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    I think this article relates to what we are studying as it mainly talks about scarcity. It says that water scarcity is one of the main challenges in Delhi, there is a huge demand for it but they need to learn how to distribute it around the city. People usually do not think that water is scarce, however this article shows that it is and people need to learn how to effectively distribute it.
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    Water scarcity is a very tough argument. We are consuming very high quantities of water and a huge part is being wasted. The study of economics may help people the population to make a "production possibility curve" so that the use of water is balanced.
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    It's really important that everyone start to realize how bad this cold be in the long run. If this wasteful use of water continues, we are going to face some serious consequences. Scientists should start working on developing new methods for agricultural use of water, as agriculture is considered to be on top of the consuming industries of water in many areas. meanwhile I think that countries should develop a water consuming rule, that somehow reduces water consumption.
Aleksi B

BBC Sport - Cristiano Ronaldo: Real Madrid forward agrees new contract - 0 views

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    Real Madrid CF have reported to give Cristiano Ronaldo a new contract making him the most expensive player in football. Now the question is will the club benefit from all this money being spent on this one player? This this the opportunity cost Real Madrid are taking hoping this will lead them to some football glory 
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    I believe you are right. I never though of applying economic concepts to sports and especial soccer. But you are right, soccer teams are similar to companies now days and some are even in the stock market. They are investing money on Cristiano Ronaldo hoping to get back some glory and therefore money. I find that is horrible to classify a soccer player and therefore a human being as an economic good.
Zuzanna G

What happened to biofuels? - 0 views

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    This article is simply about troubles with an alternative to one of the most worrying scarce resources - fossil fuels. Will we eventually have to find something else?
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    I guess this is a fairly important problem the earth is living. Unfortunately we are overusing fossil fuels which are non-renewable resources and are therefore finite. I believe there is a to important market behind fossil fuels and this is probably why scientists are taking so much time to find something good enough.
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    Yes indeed, you're right. I believe this is one of the most important factors among markets; in fact transport rests on it. Well, we still have some time and I'm full of hope scientists will strike a happy medium :)
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    This is an interesting article as it shows how most people and businesses aren't actively investing in Bio Fuels, a renewable source and instead continuing to settle for scarcer fossil fuels even as the price of petroleum rises sharply in many countries. I think it's a sad fact really that we aren't taking a more active role in protecting our planet from vast exploitation.
Marenne M

Experts say future water scarcity threatens Pakistan - UPI.com - 0 views

  • Pakistan will face an acute water shortage in the not-too-distant future
  • no access to clean drinking water, and farmers lack irrigation water
  • he backbone of the economy
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  • not far from being classified as 'water scarce,' with less than 1,000 cubic meters per person per year.
  • eak regulation, lack of such demand-management tools as consumer meters and "highly inappropriate tariffs”
  • Agriculture
  • storage capacity is equivalent to only a 30-day supply, compared with the recommended 1,000 days
  • ater scarcity means compromising on water quality as well as quantity.
  • Many of Pakistan's rivers pass through India first, giving India control over their flow, and water has been an issue between the two countries in the past -- leading some to point to the possibility of a future war over water.
  • mismanagement and criminal negligence of our successive governments
  • construction of large dams and better planning.
  • solution
  • 18 million gallons of water ran out to sea.
  • 3 percent less water than it needs
  • We should increase efficiency of irrigation by sustainable agriculture practices and advanced technologies.
  • India over water because agriculture is [the] backbone of our economy,
  • dialogue with
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    This article describes the scarcity of water in Pakistan due to a lack of organization and planning. It goes into detail about what causes the scarcity of water, what the current effect is on Pakistan, what effect it could have in the future, and some solutions to this problem.
Haydn W

Rightmove triples its estimate for housing price rises | Money | The Guardian - 0 views

  • A leading estate agent has tripled its forecast for house price rises in 2013
  • Online estate agent Rightmove has raised its 2013 house price forecast for the third time this year to more than double the rate of inflation
  • The chain expects the average property price to increase by 6% this year
  • ...14 more annotations...
  • On Wednesday the Bank of England's financial policy committee
  • and what remedial measures
  • The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics)
  • can be taken
  • discuss the possibility of a property bubble
  • The Rightmove report said the average asking price reached £245,495 in September, a 4.5% increase on the same month a year earlier.
  • Vince Cable, the business secretary, has warned of the risks of "returning to the problems of the last decade when housing got out of control,"
  • and said the chancellor should consider halting the second phase of his Help to Buy scheme.
  • The controversial mechanism, which
  • will allow people to buy homes worth up to £600,000 with a 5% deposit.
  • The Liberal Democrat president, Tim Farron, also attacked George Osborne's flagship scheme
  • has called on the committee to cap annual house price growth at 5% a year.
  • Prices are rising fastest in greater London, up 8.2% over the past year to £493,748, and the West Midlands, up 6.8% to £195,429.
  • In London, prices are up in all boroughs except Barking & Dagenham (down 0.8% to £218,242). Prices in Croydon and Tower Hamlets rose by more than 2% in September alone.The most expensive homes are in Kensington and Chelsea, where the average home is priced at £2.16m – a 6.5% increase on last year.
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    This article explains how many organisations are forecasting a rise in house prices in my home country, the UK. It also details opposition by UK politicians to the Chancellor's 'Help to Buy' scheme which is supposed to help more people get on the property ladder. I believe this is related to what we are studying in Economics as it relates to houses being a scarce resource and how people have to choose between the increasing difficulties of getting on the property ladder and other living essentials in todays economy. (Opportunity Cost)
Jakub B

Food Scarcity May Leave World Hungry Despite Growth - 0 views

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    The article focuses on 'bigger problem' than economical growth in the US. It mentions rapid increase in prices of food (e.g. corn). The writer also compares the growth of median income with the upsurge of essential nutrients.
Amanda Anna G

Help-to-Buy: George Osborne makes major concession | Heather Stewart | Business | thegu... - 0 views

  • Subsidising high LTV mortgages in boom-bust UK housing market was political masterstroke – but economic madness
  • The centrepiece of this year's budget, Help to Buy was a political masterstroke, pumping up public confidence just as many potential buyers were thinking about returning to the estate agent's, and helping the government to claim credit for an upswing in the property market that had already been kicked off by the Funding for Lending Scheme.Economically, however, Help to Buy is madness, as the Treasury select committee, the International Monetary Fund and the outgoing governor of the Bank of England all lined up to say.
  • Offering taxpayer subsidies for high loan-to-value mortgages worth up to £600,000, just as the incorrigibly boom-bust British housing market is moving from stop-to-go mode, is at best risky, at worst, downright reckless.
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  • Initially, the Treasury's argument was that the scheme would help to spark a building boom, as the surge in demand for homes prompted developers to re-start long-stalled projects.Housebuilding has picked up modestly – but by common consent it remains well below the levels that would be required to keep prices stable.
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    The "Help to Buy" was a political masterstroke since, among other things, the government got help with the claim for a credit for an upswing in the property market, helping to spark a building boom. I think, the offering taxpayer subsidies, will help allocate resources in the free market since more will get willingly to pay for houses. But this is risky for the British housing market, since the levels that would be required to keep prices stable will remain below what is needed.
Marenne M

Super Bowl XLVIII Pricing: A Lesson In Demand Elasticity - Forbes - 1 views

  • club-level seats in the mezzanine of MetLife Stadium are likely to cost about $2,600, as compared to the $1,250 charged for the top tickets at last year’s Super Bowl in New Orleans.
  • next-cheapest set of tickets in the lower bowl of MetLife would cost about $1,500, up from the $950 charged for second-tier seats sold in New Orleans.
  • professional sports teams typically price their inventory in the inelastic portion of their demand functions.
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  • eams charge too low a price to maximize ticket revenues
  • maximum attendance
  • omplementary purchases associated with sporting attendance…such as concessions, parking, merchandise.
  • maximizing ‘revenue per seat’ as opposed to just gate revenues
  • onsiderable mark-ups for Super Bowl tickets
  • willingness to spend thousands of dollars above face in some cases merely reflects the uniqueness of the event
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    The author describes inelastic demand taking the Super Bowl as an example of pricing in many other sports.
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    This article describes how many sports events try to keep their prices low, in order to maximize attendance and thereby complementary costs such as food and parking. However, the Superbowl tickets are very expensive, and increasing in price. This is because they want to earn more money purely on ticket sales, and they believe they can make more revenue because the high prices only show how special this event is, which means there is a high demand to meet the high prices.
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    This article describes how many sports events try to keep their prices low, in order to maximize attendance and thereby complementary costs such as food and parking. However, the Superbowl tickets are very expensive, and increasing in price. This is because they want to earn more money purely on ticket sales, and they believe they can make more revenue because the high prices only show how special this event is, which means there is a high demand to meet the high prices.
Pietro AA

Propane Distributors Seek to Boost Demand With Lawn Mowers - WSJ.com - 0 views

    • Pietro AA
       
      The propane economy had problems after the natural gas industry introduced a cheap and comfortable energy source. Clearly propane and natural gas are substitute goods. This article discusses how the propane industry seeks profit by helping a complimentary product: propane lawn mowers. If one buys a propane land mower he obviously then has to buy propane.
    • Pietro AA
       
      Here is another way the propane industry seeks a greater demand: exporting. More people will certainly want the propane.
  • Propane Distributors Seek to Boost Demand With Lawn Mowers
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  • The propane industry has set its sights on that symbol of American middle-class achievement: the lawn mower
  • Blame it in part on the natural-gas drilling boom, which has left distributors scrambling to find new ways to increase demand for propane
  • By promoting the benefits of propane lawn mowers—which have lower emissions, are cheaper to run and last longer—the group is betting it can grow to a 3% share of all commercial mowers sold in the U.S. by 2016 from 1% now. That would goose propane consumption by the machines to 23.8 million gallons by 2016 from about 7.9 million gallons this year.
  • How much the push into lawn mowers will help propane retailers remains to be seen.
  • In addition, the U.S. has become a net exporter of propane in recent years—supplying countries such as Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador and Chile with propane for residential heating and cooking
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    Propane producers try to gain more by selling more. But they need a greater demand. Since natural gas and propane are substitute goods, and the natural gas industy has recently boomed, propane lost a lot of demand. So "propane distributors seek to boost demand with land mowers" and by exporting these two complementary products to other countries.
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