November 2007 Edition
LINGERIE
The first Russian retailer has just opened in Britain. Russia's biggest lingerie retailer, the Wild Orchid group, is trying to cash in on the booming sales of ladies underwear. Britain's fast growing lingerie market is forecast to grow from US$5-billion in 2006 to $6-billion by 2011. Women in the UK buy more underwear than any country in the European Union.
ENERGY
The sun remains largely untapped as a source of energy. The world's biggest solar farm, where more than 400,000 mirrors cover four square miles of California's Mojave desert, was built in the 1980s and still churns out 354 megawatts of electricity, enough for 900,000 homes. Until recently, no more large solar plants have been built, despite souring demand. A new plant went on line in June in Nevada which will generate 64 megawatts of power.
TRENDS
Despite the notion that bank machines and the Internet will replace the teller and the local bank branch, one Canadian bank is experimenting in selected branches in Toronto and Vancouver with opening on Sundays. Another major Canadian bank is adjusting its hours so as to be open 60 hours a week from its present 50 hours.
AIRLINES
A recent forecast states that the international airline sector could post a US$5.6-billion profit this year, finally recovering after being stuck in red ink since September 11, 2001. The forecast reflects robust consumer demand for flights and efficiency gains made by airlines operating with greater labour productivity and lower non-fuel costs.
MARKETS
China has now firmly eclipsed Canada as the No.1 seller of goods to the U.S., a shift in trade that reflects the Asian consumer goods juggernaut's ever deeper penetration of the U.S. market. Trade statistics show that in the year to July 31, 2007, China sold US$312-billion worth of merchandise while Canada shipped $$306-billion. The U.S. shipped $238-billion to Canada in the same 12-month period while it sold only $60-billion to China.
QUITTING
An international survey of more than 82,000 people in 11 countries sugggests that Canadians are more daring than workers in other countries when it comes to resigning their jobs to start all over again. Canadians were the least conservative with just 35 per cent taking a new job in the same sector and the most likely to jump to a new career in a new sector. Indians were the most conservative with 51 per cent who resigned staying in the same industry sector. Over nine per cent of Canadians leave to start their own business.
DRESS
Business casual is here to stay according to a survey of 1,182 executives in New York and London making more than $100,000 a year. 89 per cent said they prefer to wear business casual or outright casual attire for work. 62 per cent said they have made casual their standard office dress code. 22 per cent say their definition of casual attire could include jeans. The survey found that 39 per cent of executives said employees who are dressed casually are perceived to be creative.
LAND
The European Union has unveiled plans to make more land available for farming in a bid to curb soaring prices of cereals such as wheat. Under the proposal a requirement that farmers must leave 10 per cent of their land fallow would be abolished for one year. The changes would bring about 10 million tonnes of grain onto the markets. The rule about fallow land was introduced in the early 1990s to cut Europe's crop surplus and appease exporters such as Australia.
ENVIRONMENT
China's environmental problems are mounting. Water pollution and water scarcity are burdening the economy, rising levels of air pollution are endangering the health of millions of Chinese, and much of the country's land is rapidly turning into desert. China has become the world's leader in air and water pollution and land degradation and a top contributor to some of the world's most vexing global environmental problems, such as the illegal timber trade, marine pollution and climate change. All of these pose risks to the economy, public health and social stability.
GOVERNORS
The highest pay for a governor in the U.S. is $206,500 (Governor Schwarzenegger turns his salary back). The lowest gubernatorial salary is $70,000 in Maine which has kept the status quo for 20 years. The governors of New Jersey and Tennessee only accept $1 a year. The average salary for all 50 governors is $124,398.
GROOMING
In a society obsessed with beauty and celebrity, two-thirds of U.S. consumers agree that the pressure to look good is much greater now than ever before. U.S. consumers reported spending the most of their grooming dollars on hair care followed by skin care and facial treatments. The fewest dollars are spent on hair removal and tanning. If money wasn't a concern, U.S. consumers would spend the most on body massages, teeth whitening, hair care, facial treatments and manicures.
FREEDOM
The Fraser Institute, a Canadian think-tank publishes a list annually of countries according to how much they encourage free trade, both internally and with other territories. Countries with fewer taxes, strong property rights, low regulation and sound money score best. Hong Kong retains its top position. Britain, the U.S. and Canada tie for fifth position. Germany is ranked 18th, on a par with El Salvador. France and Italy are outside the top 50.
GUM
Easy-to-remove chewing gum is to become a reality, thanks to a breakthrough by scientists at a British university that could save Britain the estimated $300-million spent annually on removing discarded gum. The British start-up company that announced the non-stick, degradable gum hopes to take a bite out of the global market worth about US$10-billion of which Britons alone spend about $750-million annually.
ACCESS
Despite the potential of the Internet as a tool to overcome distance, living in rural and small town Canada continues to be a factor associated with lower rates of Internet use. Last year, in a survey of 30,466 Canadians, only 58 per cent of residents living in rural and small town areas accessed the Internet, well below the national average.The gap between rural and urban areas may reflect the interaction of other socio-economic indicators, or the availability of broadband.
MIGRATION
The godwit is a small bird that has been shown to make the longest non-stop migratory flight in the world. Recently, a satellite-tagged bar-tailed godwit, a female known as E7, landed in New Zealand after taking a week to fly 11,500 kilometres from Alaska. Unlike sea birds which feed and rest on long journeys, godwits just keep going. E7 set her first record on the way north when she flew 10,200km non-stop from New Zealand to Yalu Jiang in China before flying a further 5,000km to Alaska.
POWER
Fuel derived from cotton and a shrub said to relieve constipation could soon power mobile networks across India. The crops will be used to generate biodiesel to fuel mobile stations in unconnected rural areas without access to electricity. One third of Indian homes are not connected to the power grid and demand for mobile phones is growing rapidly.
HEALTH
According to a new survey of 2,000 U.S. companies, health care insurance costs have jumped 6.1 per cent this year, the slowest health care premium growth since 1999. The bad news is that it is still more than double the rate of inflation and continues to outpace wage increases.
METRIC
Europe's Industry Commissioner is ending the decades-old battle to get Britain to ban using imperial measurements such as pints, pounds and miles. The country has long sought to keep its traditional units that date back to the Middle Ages. Britain had been due to go completely metric by 2010.
SERVICES
Statistics canada reports that in 2006, Canada's services trade deficit increased by C$3.0-billion to reach $15.2-billion,the largest deficit ever. Record deficits were registered for travel and transportation services. In 2005, the most recent year with complete detailed information, services were largely in deficit with the U.S., and in lesser measure with Europe and Asia.
SIZE
The world's largest casino recently opened in Macau. Costing US$2.4--billion, more than Macau's entire public works budget for the past five years. The building is Asia's largest and required 20,000 construction workers and used three million sheet of gold leaf. Running it takes 16,000 employees. It uses enough power for 300,00 homes and the casino has 870 tables and 3.400 slot machines in the world's largest gambling hall which is encircled by 350 shops.
SMILE
The Cyper-shot T is a new compact camera from Sony that is said to automatically weed out pictures where a person isn't smiling. It can automatically detect a smile and immediately drop the shutter. The photographer can program the camera to detect which type of facial expression to look for, be it a faint smile or a tooth-baring grin. The user can turn off the function and use it as a normal camera.
PROTECTION
British police are testing a DNA for property aimed at tackling burglars. Homes are being given enigmaTag, a system that uses microparticles to mark valuable possessions. Each 5-millimetre bottle, similar to a nail polish container, has a unique coded solution registered to each home. A tiny amount is applied to every item and the solution can be identified only by special hand-held readers.
HEADACHES
A new global health survey of 26,486 Internet users around the world by the Nielson Co indicates that headaches, colds, sleeping problems and back aches are the most common ailments of the world's consumers and when it comes to their treatment in an estimated US$70-billion industry, consumers are loyal and habitual purchasers of over-the-counter (OTC) self-medication products. Headaches are the top complaint for consumers with the result that analgesics are the largest category in the OTC market.
PORTS
Australia, the world's biggest exporter of coal, risks losing as much as C$7-billion in export revenue in the next decade if port and rail congestion aren't resolved, government figures show. The development of coal transport infrastructure is currently lagging the demand for exports. About a third of Australia's coal export capacity is at the port of Newcastle where, in late summer, the line of ships waiting load cargoes was a record 79.
ROADS
Bangladesh and Burma have signed a deal to construct the first major road between the two countries. Officials hope that the road, most of which will be inside Burma, will form part of an Asian super highway to boost trade.
TV
An Austrian TV channel in Salzburg is screening The Sound of Music non-stop 24 hours a day. The film was shot in Austria.
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