risk
Superstorm Sandy’s Silver Lining
At 5 AM on Thursday November 1st…, just days after Superstorm Sandy battered the east coast I boarded a plane from Portland, OR to Newark, NJ. Originally, I was simply going east to visit my 93 year old grandmother; yet as I spoke to my family that morning
The Future of Water: Supply Cannot Keep Up with Demand
A new report on challenges facing the world’s water supply offers a dire prediction that by 2030 we can expect a massive gap between the sustainable supply of water and the projected demand. The compelling report, “Charting Our Water Future…,” was written by the 2030 Water Resources Group,
Japan to phase out nuclear energy by 2040
Following the earthquake and tsunami that forced the Japanese government to shut down all of Japan’s nuclear power plants last March, the country has significantly shifted its energy sources. Today, just two of the country’s 50 nuclear reactors have recommenced operations. Prior to the natural disaster, Japan depended on its…
Safer Products from Sunscreens to Eye Shadow
The Environmental Working Group… (EWG) is an environmental non-profit focused on protecting public health and the environment. The organization concentrates on preventing health problems in children, babies, and infants in the womb attributed to a wide array of toxic contaminants. While the non-profit is active in many different campaign areas,
Debunking “Clean” Natural Gas
I was riding my bicycle to work the other day and a city bus went blasting past me. As it did so, I couldn’t help but see the words “Powered by CLEAN BURNING natural gas!” emblazoned on its rear end. Natural gas is a fossil fuel, it isn’t clean burning,…
Simplicity in a Complex World
While attending the CFA Conference… in Chicago a couple of weeks ago, I got to listen to one of my favorite financial voices, James Montier of GMO. In a conference heavy on academic presentations, it was refreshing to hear an investing practitioner hold forth. Presenting his white paper, “The Flaws
Stocks on the Rise, but with Little Foundation
Here we are a little more than three years removed from the financial crisis-induced stock market bottom and much has changed. Well, some things have changed. For one, the S&P 500 has more than doubled. So the return side of the risk/return equation has moved significantly. What about risk? Certainly…
