Category Archives: Environment, society, politics and economics
On cleanliness
There is a saying, attributed to Methodist preacher John Wesley: “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” In fact, cleanliness is nowhere near Godliness: it gives rise to significant quantities of greenhouse gas emissions, and if there is something God can’t stand, … Continue reading
Elastics
In the days before Pampers, babies wore cloth nappies. Mums would put a pair of elastics over the nappy to keep things dry. Economically speaking, elasticity gave protection against liquidity events. Today, better exploitation of elasticity could help stave off … Continue reading
Green stirrings in Hungary
The Hungarian government has rarely shown the slightest interest in the planet. This is not surprising since for about half the politicians the world is flat and small and ends at Hegyeshalom. The result is a slow withdrawal of the … Continue reading
FTSE4GOOD But Actually Rather Dirty Index
Recently the Financial Times newspaper wrote about the new FTSE4Good Environmental Leaders European 40 Index created especially for an EIB “green bond”. This index is a selection of stocks from the FTSE4 Good Index with the leading environmental management practices. … Continue reading
Going easy on growth. Part 1.
We all like to have a chuckle at communism from time to time. Success was measured in terms of production, so factories just went on churning out more and more shoes and spectacles. It did not matter whether or not … Continue reading