Category: Current Affairs

Current Affairs

Logic and Emotion in Times of Market Volatility

Joss and I worry about our clients. A lot. What we don’t worry about is stock markets or bond markets or global economics, which we understand from decades of reading, research, analysis and experience, to be volatile and unpredictable in the short term. We understand investing is a marathon not …

Current Affairs

The Evolution of Capitalism

In this remarkable report from the New York Times, Laurence Fink, the chief executive of investment firm BlackRock, responsible for managing over US$6 trillion of investments in the global economy, has stated that his firm will not support investment in companies unless they are able to prove they are making …

Current Affairs

Driverless Car Revolution

When sitting with clients to discuss investment ideas, I try to zero in on long term disruptive technologies. Not fads, but mega trends. These are ideas and concepts that will be sustainable beyond our lifetimes. No doubt by now you have heard talk of driverless cars, but perhaps you haven’t …

Current Affairs

Toyota issues ‘Green Bonds’ to help investors finance growth of hybrid vehicle market

New ‘green bonds’ bonds will allow companies such as Toyota to get better financing mechanisms in place for getting their hybrid, electric and alternative energy cars out to the masses. See more here… http://cleantechfinance.net/energy-finance-policy/toyota-issues-highly-demanded-green-bonds-drive-efficient-vehicles/

Current Affairs

Germany sets new record for renewable energy generation

On one day last week, Germany generated 75% of their daily energy needs from renewable energy sources! http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/05/13/3436923/germany-energy-records/

Current Affairs

Buying a home as an investment?

Yale economist Robert Shiller won the Nobel Prize last year, and in this interview he shares his views on whether a home makes a good investment. He predicts real home prices (adjusted for inflation) may decline for the next 30 years!  

Current Affairs

The Degrowth Paradigm – A radio program that ran recently on CBC

Here is a very interesting program that ran recently on CBC Radio. Degrowthers believe we need a more modest and sane alternative to the constant pressures of expansion that are destroying the ecological basis of our existence. http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/episodes/2013/12/10/the-degrowth-paradigm/#igImgId_83174

Current Affairs

Solar Energy Insights – from one of the world’s leading entrepeneurs

Elon Musk is one of the world’s great innovators and it might be worth paying attention to his views on solar energy… http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2014/01/16/elon-musks-five-insights-into-solar-energy/

Current Affairs

The Investment Logic for Sustainability – A TED Talk by Chris McKnett

An excellent TED talk. “Sustainability is pretty clearly one of the world’s most important goals; but what groups can really make environmental progress in leaps and bounds? Chris McKnett makes the case that it’s large institutional investors. He shows how strong financial data isn’t enough, and reveals why investors need …

Current Affairs

The Story of Stuff – A modern classic on YouTube

This is a thought-provoking video that has been circulating around the web for a few years now. It is a simple perspective of our production and consumption patterns, and what that means to the natural systems upon which we depend. The Story of Stuff is sure to stir some heated …

Ask An Ethical Investment Expert