CLIMATE
The
destructive forces of climate change are already being felt in the
world's biggest wine-producing regions, California, Europe and
Australia, as the steady rise in global temperatures scorches vineyards
and depletes water supplies. As a heat wave gripped Ontario this summer,
warmer temperatures radically changed the dynamics of the industry.
Hotter summers can cause heat stress for grapes which threaten whites
such as Chardonnay and Riesling. In 2009, Ontario's wine industry was
worth C$575-million in sales. But as in B.C., the Niagara industry could
also be threatened by pests that are normally killed off in the winter.
EARNINGS
The
wealth gap between whites and minorities in the U.S. has reached the
widest in a quarter century. The median wealth of white households is 20
times greater than that of black households and 18 times that of
Hispanics. Plummeting house values are the principal cause. Many
Hispanics live in regions hardest hit by the housing bust, Arizona,
California, Florida and Nevada.
FOOD
There
are 230,000 Canadians employed in the food manufacturing sector. In
2009, Canada ranked fourth globally in agriculture and agri-food
exports. Food now represents 15 per cent of total manufacturing sales,
up from 10 per cent a decade ago. Canada is first globally in exports of
canola, peas, lentils, mustard seed and linseed.
EXPLORATION
China
plans an ultradeep dive by a manned submersible beneath the Pacific
that will propel it past the U.S. in a race to explore potentially vast
mineral resources in the deepest parts of the world's oceans. The first
dives, between North America and Hawaii will be to a depth of 5,000
metres. There are only four other countries that can explore the ocean
below 3,500 metres--Japan, Russia, the U.S. and France. If the current
mission is successful, China will attempt a dive next year to 7,000
metres which would allow China access to 99.8 per cent of all the
world's seabed.
PANAMA
This
country's smart banks, open economy and long lineups of boats at its
ports have many comparing it to Singapore on which it models itself.
Though Panama is not even one-fifth as rich as its Asian model, from
2005 to 2010 its economy expanded by 8 per cent each year, the fastest
in the Americas. The IMF expects it to grow by six per cent each year
over the next five years. In 2010, the canal revenues were US$2-billion.
Its business-friendly regulations have spawned big insurance, finance
and legal industries and Panama's import tariffs are among the lowest in
Latin America.
CYCLING
For
the first time, cyclists outnumbered motorists on some the United
Kingdom's busiest commuter routes during the rush hours. On Cheapside, a
street in the City of London, cycles make up more than 50 per cent of
commuter traffic and account for 42 per cent on Southwark Bridge across
the Thames. In one Bristol suburb, more than one in four people cycle to
work.
TAXES
324 households in Athens declared ownership of swimming pools for tax purposes. Satellite photos have detected 16,974 pools.
PORTS
India
aims to pour US$60-billion into ports by 2020 under a drive to spur the
fastest growth in more than two decades and ease bottlenecks. The
target is part of a planned $1-trillion revamp of choked transport and
power networks. To date there has been insufficient investment in
infrastructure which has left the world's most populous democracy
trailing a Chinese economy which is now three times larger.
TVs
The
size of the average British television set has surged to nearly 36" in
the past year. The demand for 40" to 47" TVs has increased 93 per cent
against the previous year. The average size is now 35.9", up from 32.9"
this time last year. The increase is the result of a fall of nearly one
third in prices. However, the advent of 3D and internet-ready Smart TVs
has got consumers increasingly opting for extra large 42" models and
above.
TRADE
The U.S. trade
deficit with China widened 11.8 per cent through June of this year. At
the current rate, the trade gap will surpass US$305-billion by the end
of the year. The top Chinese exports to the U.S. in this period were:
computers; wireless communications equipment; audio and video equipment
and games and toys. The top U.S. exports to China in the same period
were: waste and scrap; soybeans; automobiles and light-duty motor
vehicles; semi-conductors and aircraft engines, equipment and parts.
DISEASE
A
new survey reports that more than half of Americans have at least one
chronic disease. Some 55 per cent of people in the U.S. said that they
were diagnosed with one or more chronic conditions compared to 41 per
cent of people in the UK and 52 per cent of Canadians. The international
survey which quizzed people in 12 countries also found that more
Americans rated their overall health as "excellent" or "good" than any
other country.
PATENTS
Apple
has applied for a patent on a mobile phone safety feature that would
deploy an airbag if the device falls. The patent also suggests using a
laser or even radar to determine the distance between the phone and the
ground. Other suggestions for protecting a falling phone include springs
that would be released from the casing to ensure the phone safely
bounced on hitting the ground. The application also suggests that a
gyroscope or jets of compressed air could be used to alter the angle of
the device in the air.
LAND
Russia
is offering agricultural land to Southeast Asian nations to grow crops
and help secure reliable food supplies, part of a wider effort to foster
trade and investment ties in new markets. In Africa, Mozambique is
inviting Brazilian soy, corn and cotton growers to introduce their
farming expertise on its savanna. Brazil has been successfully growing
crops on its centre-west plains which has similar climatic and soil
conditions to Mozambique.
CHOPSTICKS
A
shortage of chopsticks in China has become so acute that a U.S. company
has begun exporting millions of pairs to the country. A Georgia company
is producing two million sets of the traditional eating utensils each
day. It is operating around the clock to keep up with demand and hopes
to be exporting 10-million pairs a day by the end of the year. Amid a
shortage of wood in China, the abundant poplar and sweet gum trees in
Georgia were found to be perfect.
VENDING
Parisians
can now buy fresh baguettes from coin-operated machines which could
sound the death knell for the bakeries Francophiles hold so dear. And,
if the quality is compromised, it may kill off the baguette too. The
vending machine is described as "the bakery of tomorrow" as the machine
heats up a part-cooked loaf and delivers it piping hot.
TOURISM
The
Canadian tourism industry is ramping up its efforts to target the
blossoming Chinese market. Other countries like the U.S. and New Zealand
have been able to capitalize on Chinese outbound tourism for years. It
wasn't until June, 2010 that Canada finally received approval
destination status from China. There has already been a 26 per cent
increase in tourists this year and it is estimated that the Chinese
market could generate $300-million a year in revenue by 2015.
HAIR
The
growing desire for glossy, long locks is fuelling a multi-million
dollar global trade in human hair, with demand for hair extensions
surging by 160 per cent over the previous year in Britain. It is
estimated that this industry is worth US$110-million annually. Britain
was the third largest buyer of human hair behind the U.S. and China.
SHOPPING
Giant
posters on Shanghai's subway system now allow commuters to do their
weekly shop on the way home simply by taking pictures of the items they
desire with their mobile phones. The posters at the commercial capital's
busiest stations depict several rows of a supermarket shelf stacked
with 80 or so daily groceries with everything from raw meat to juice and
diapers. Commuters photograph a barcode beneath each item they wish to
purchase. Orders are delivered to their door within hours and are
charged by weight.
AGING
The
Ueshima coffee shops that dot Tokyo seem like any other chain. But if
you look closely you see the aisles are wider, the chairs sturdier and
the tables lower. The food is mostly mushy rather than crunchy. Helpful
staff carry items to the customers' tables. The menus are written in
traditional Japanese, rather that Western lettering and are in a large,
easy to read font, and it is no coincidence that the chain is full of
elderly people. Ueshima is not advertised as a coffee shop for the
elderly but it targets them relentlessly. Fully a fifth of the Japanese
population is now over 65.
FUEL
Major
U.S. car makers have agreed new fuel efficiency standards proposed by
the U.S. Administration in an effort to end the dominance of gas
guzzlers. They have agreed that by 2025, cars and light trucks sold in
the U.S. will drive on average 54.5 miles per gallon (mpg) of fuel,
compared with 27 mpg today. It is estimated that this will lower the
country's oil use by 2.2-million barrels a day over the next 15 years
and save consumers almost US$2-trillion in fuel costs.
WHEAT
Canadian
revenue from the export of wheat in 2010 was C$5.2-billion of which 48
per cent came from Saskatchewan. 90 loaves of whole what bread can be
made from a bushel of wheat or 210 servings of spaghetti.
HOLIDAYS
Germans
work hard but they also enjoy the most generous holiday time in the
European Union taking an average of 40 days annually including paid
leave and public holidays. Only Danes are afforded as much time off. In
Greece and Portugal the average is 33 days each year and in Romania it
is 27 days.
DAMAGE
When a
container fell off a forklift recently, 462 cases of the top-rated
Australian 2010 Mollydooker Velvet Glove Shiraz were smashed. Just one
case survived the impact. Each bottle was valued at C$191. The wine had
been headed for the U.S. for its formal launch.
SIGHT
In
the early 1970s, 25 per cent of Americans were near-sighted; three
decades later the rate had risen to 42 per cent, and similar increases
have occurred around the world. There is significant evidence that the
trait is inherited but the genes are not the only factor. The rapid
increase appears to be due to a characteristic of modern life: more and
more time spent indoors under artificial light.
ORGANIC
A
new poll has found that the majority (58 per cent) of consumers prefer
organic food to conventional food. This preference is particularly
strong with those with higher education and those of a younger
demographic. Sixty-three per cent of respondents under age 35 choose
organics when possible. Among those preferring organic foods, the
primary reasons were: supporting local farms, 36%, avoiding toxins, 34%,
environmental health 17% and taste 13%. |
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