标题: Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Apr 25, 2016 (I) [打印本页] 作者: choi 时间: 4-30-2016 15:15 标题: Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Apr 25, 2016 (I) (1) John Follain, Carolyn Look and Matthew Campbell with Simon Kennedy and Jones Hayden, Fences of Fear. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/ar ... en-europe-s-economy
Note:
(a) summary underneath the title in print: Border-free movement in Europe hits a roadblock
(b) "Free movement in what is called the Schengen area, for the town in Luxembourg where the treaty was signed"
"A government plan threatens to pull down the walls of her gated community and maybe even drive a public road through its manicured gardens.
"Her [of Ji Ping, 48, a homemaker] apartment is in Greenlake Place 观湖国际, a condo spread over an area almost twice the size of Yankee Stadium. It’s typical of the colossal residential projects that China built in their millions during the property-boom years -- a vast walled tract of gardens and lakes, studded with giant tower blocks and patrolled by private security. The government now views these oases as a waste of space, contributing to urban sprawl, traffic congestion and air pollution.
Note: summary underneath the title in print: A new urban blueprint raises questions about property rights 作者: choi 时间: 4-30-2016 15:39
(3) Alan Bjerga, What Happened to Those Amber Wave? http://www.bloomberg.com/news/ar ... a-in-the-wheat-wars
Quote:
Of the wheat he grows, Paul Penner, a farmer near Wichita, Kansas "says profits depend on global markets. About two-fifths of the US [wheat] crop goes abroad, according to the Department of Agriculture. * * * In the 1970s, 90 percent of what he planted was wheat. ' * * * but technology has improved for corn and soybeans [a graphic shows in mid-1990s, 'first genetically modified corn and soybeans [were] planted in the US']. When you look at where you can make money, wheat is a less attractive choice.'
"Ukraine and Russia's Black Sea region boast some of the best land for wheat. Czarist Russia was the world’s top shipper. By 1972, however, wheat production had fallen so far because of communist mismanagement that the Soviet Union had to buy from America. Today, Russia is again the No. 1 exporter, while Ukraine is in fifth place. They’re swallowing the Middle Eastern markets, once American wheat's top destination. The weather in Canada, the second-biggest exporter, has gotten warmer, resulting in longer growing seasons and bumper crops.
"Wheat lost some of its appeal for US farmers because the grain has missed out on both the biotech and biofuels revolutions that have made corn and soybeans the preeminent crops.
"Almost all corn and soy in the US since the late 1990s has been genetically modified (GM) to better combat pests and weather stress. The result is a boost in yields (bushels per acre) and profits. GM crops need less water, expanding the range for wheat’s rivals to drier regions in the North and West.
* * * biotech wheat hasn't been approved for commercial sale anywhere in the world. * * * Wheat will always be grown in regions that are too dry or cold for soybeans and corn
Note: summary underneath the title in print: America loses its No 1 place among wheat exporters
(4) Benjamin Robinson, Katia Dmitrieva, Jeanny Yu and Jen Skerritt, If You Want Ginseng, Ontario Has Plenty. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/fe ... -s-ginseng-industry
("the biggest buyer [of North American ginseng], a company in Hong Kong, spectacularly melted down in January * * * Hang Fat Ginseng 恒發參茸行有限公司, a Hong-Kong listed company founded by brothers Jeffrey [Wing Kong] 楊永鋼 and Matthew [Wing Yan] Yeung 楊永仁 [chairman and CEO] more than two decades ago. From its origins as a wholesaler of Chinese medicine products, Hang Fat grew to dominate the American ginseng trade, buying as much as 70 percent of Ontario’s crop in recent years")
Note: summary underneath the title in print: As a big Hong Kong buyer struggles, farmers feel the pain
(5) Elisabeth Behrmann, A New Game for Big Rigs: Follow the Leader. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/ar ... -to-driverless-cars
("a test of a new automated driving technology called platooning, which links trucks via Wi-Fi, GPS, sensors, and cameras so they can travel semiautonomously behind one another. The leading rig dictates speed and direction, while the rest automatically steer, accelerate, and brake in a closely spaced convoy")
Note: summary underneath the title in print: Convoys of heavy trucks can cut fuel use, emissions, and traffic