“They are so cheap, I might even buy one as a hedge against global warming” Source of picture: www.formalwilderness.blogspot.com This blog has spent a lot of time tormenting itself over the sustainability of China’s extraordinary economic rebound during 2009. “Just where are all those imports of chemicals and polymers (polymers up 50% year-to-date) going?” […]
Asian Chemical Connections
It’s tough at the top…….
It’s easy to take pot shots at the boss, and everyone of course feels they have been underpromoted and could do the job better themselves. Andrew Liveris is just the latest in a long line of CEOs to experience both envy – and at the moment perhaps a little pleasure at their failures. The gloating […]
The world is round after all
Thomas Friedman, globalisation, global warming, Peak Oil, Hot, Flat and Crowded, climate change, SABIC
Even the goldfish will get it
Tigers, flooding, Lehman Brothers, New Scientist, Guangdong, climate change, global warming, goldfish brains
China’s growth conundrum
I couldn’t let today pass without including a picture of the Olympic Stadium in Beijing where the opening ceremony is about to take place. The purpose of this redefined blog is not to look at the short term, though. For expert commentaey on the effects of the Olympics and other macroeconomic factors on the world’s […]
The West can still be the best
It is very easy assume that Asia ex-Japan will eventually catch up with the West and become as good at “solution” chemicals as the West. I am excluding Japan because it has long been a major speciality player. All the money that China, for example, is pouring into its state-run research institutes would seem to […]
Innovate or lose your job
Continuing my environmental theme, I’ve been musing over building a new training course around helping companies help their employees to think outside the box. This is a tough task in certain companies and cultures. As Benjamin Franklin so wisely said, “insanity is doing the same things over and over, and expecting a different result.” So […]
How clean are coal-to-liquids? Does it really matter?
Paul Hodges, in his excellent chemicals and the economy blog, talks about the recent Shenhua Energy listing on the Shanghai stock exchange and how it shares jumped by 93% following the IPO. Now it has ample cash to pursue its ambitions. Shenhau is just one of numerous companies involved in coal-to-liquids projects in China which […]
Bringing the sceptics and the greenies together
The famous “Skeptical” environmentalist (unfortunately, the American spelling and therefore the wrong spelling), Bjorn Lomborg argues against the Kyoto Protocol in this article from the special green edition of our magazine, ICIS Chemical Business.He says, in short, that all the fuss about Kyoto is a waste of time and effort. Even if it is fully […]
Prepare for a legislative flood
Global leaders from the Group of Eight rich nations plus Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa have agreed that developing countries will have to face targets for cutting emissions as well as developed countries.If these noble words are followed by action, prepare to be legislated against. I wrote yesterday about Rex Tillerson and his […]
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