globalEDGE Blog - Page 55

On Friday, September 20th, thousands of people poured through the streets of capitals and major cities all over the world to march for climate change. Over 150 counties held climate strikes organized by youth advocates and had participants of all ages. The climate strikes attracted the media and have caused numerous political and business leaders to promise change.

On September 13th, Saudi Arabia fell victim to a drone attack on their state-owned oil processing facility, a resource they proudly consider to be their kingdom’s “crown jewel,” as oil accounts for 50% of Saudi Arabia’s GDP and 70% of their export earnings.  The attack sent crude oil prices up 15% to about $69 a barrel, marking the highest price increase in over three decades. With such a heavy reliance placed on Saudi Arabia’s oil reserves, it is important for world leaders to keep in mind the damaging repercussions of escalating conflict in the Middle East, an issue that presents another big problem to the world economy, in addition to the U.S. and China trade dispute.  

Renewable energy is growing in popularity across the globe, and with good reason—the benefits of renewable energy sources are widespread.  Finding alternative energy sources that don’t require the use of fossil fuels can lower energy costs for consumers, create more stable and reliable energy prices, and make electricity more available throughout the world.  Furthermore, climate change is proving to be a very expensive ordeal—costing $240 billion in economic losses in the United States alone—and renewable energy has a significantly smaller impact on climate change compared to the burning of fossil fuels. Clearly, investing in renewable energy has economic benefits.  Let’s look at how three regions around the world are faring in their journey to use more alternative energy sources.

The Community College Course Syllabi section was recently updated by the globalEDGE team. This section contains a list of International Business focused syllabi from different community colleges in the United States. Including a wide range of disciplines, make sure to check out and utilize the Community College Course Syllabi resources to develop or enhance international business courses, as well as to gain knowledge as an educator.

This year Halloween doesn’t just have everyone scared from horror movies and ghosts, but also the newest Brexit deadline. The United Kingdom is projected to leave the European Union in just over a month, and they still have no planned deal for a quiet exit. With Boris Johnson suspending Parliament, the question stands of how a “No Deal Brexit” will hurt other countries and Globalization.

It’s undeniable that the internet has dramatically altered the world. From expanding access to new information to revolutionizing the entertainment industry, practically no element of modern culture and life has been untouched. With over 4 billion people (or 55.1% of the global population) using the internet, more and more importance is being placed on the digital landscape. At a time where television is losing 33 million subscriptions over the course of 2018 in the United States alone, more and more advertisers are seeing potential in the digital sphere.

Recently, big retail giants have been approaching their brick-and-mortar stores differently. Instead of following their traditional footsteps, companies have been looking into alternative ways to stay competitive in the digital economy and to attract a wider consumer base. This trend has just recently surfaced in the U.S., but for other countries, this has already been in practice for many years. In areas with dense population and expensive rents, it is very typical for retailers to downsize.  It allows the company to operate without incurring an unreasonable amount of fixed expenses. Best of both worlds, it offers convenience to customers while staying competitive amongst other retailers.

The world population continues to grow at a rapid rate, currently sitting at over 7.5 billion people.  With each individual comes the necessity for resources that foster survival and growth—mainly, humans need food and water.  As society continues to expand to an astounding size, how much food is really needed to meet our growing needs?

Thomas Philippon, French native, moved to the United States in 1999 to pursue a graduate’s degree. While in the U.S., he noticed that cell phone plans and airfare were much more expensive in comparison to the prices in France. Twenty years later, he discovered that these prices were not only lower in France, but in Europe and Asia as well.

The month of September began with a sudden evacuation for many residents of the Bahamas and southeastern parts of the United States. The slow-moving Hurricane Dorian began its course of destruction with severe flooding and winds the first week of September. In the Bahamas alone, authorities predict it will take billions of dollars to repair the damages created by the hurricane. A country can prepare all they can for a hurricane—whether that means boarding up houses and stores, packing up belongings, or evacuating—but an economy can never be prepared for the deadly effects of a hurricane.