A Primer on the Global Carbon Markets
In December 1997, members of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiated the Kyoto Protocol that established emissions reductions for the developed and developing nations that ratified the Protocol. The Protocol went into force in February 2005 after Russia ratified it in November 2004. The U.S. did not ratify the Protocol because it set no emission limits for China or India. The Kyoto Protocol covers…
Urban Nomads: Freedom to Roam
Whenever I think of the multitude of phone companies today, I remember that once upon a time, there was ONE phone company. Yes, one – “Ma Bell”. On the AT&T website, they proudly post this fact: “For much of its history, AT&T and its Bell System functioned as a legally sanctioned, regulated monopoly.” While on paper this makes a degree of…
How Technology Can Encourage the Human Element
Much has been written on the mechanics of using social networking and collaborative community environments to develop a pipeline of contacts for business development activities. Rather than deliver more “best practices” on this topic, we decided it would be more useful to discuss a few personal experiences thus demonstrating the practical results of effectively applying technology. This…
How to Change People
The one question I am asked more frequently than any other is, “How can you get people to change?” Many managers and business owners I talk to seem to be stumped by this question. They feel that people often resist change in order to keep things status quo, which is often motivated by fear of change. While there…
Leadership for the Business Battlefield
“Man down! Heat casualty! Candidate, get his temperature! Now! Get a measurement! “Roger that, sir. He’s hot, 104.” “Corpsman! Quickly, we have a possible heat stroke here!” This emergency unfolded during a field exercise more than 20 years ago at Officer CandidateSchool at the United States Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia. We were training in full combat gear on a muggy, 95 degree day in…
Too Big to Fail?
When does a company become too big to fail and by what standards? How can the casual passer-by – not to mention the learn’d industry or government analyst – tell when a company poses too great a risk?Can a government or global / regional economy become too big to fail?If so, then what? In the United States…