Jim Harris

Davos

Davos: Talking Champagne on a Sinking Titanic

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I am in Davos at the World Economic Forum (WEF) where the top issues that world leaders must address are: unstable global economy, eurozone fragility; and financial system instability. Climate change only ranks as the 7th issue. To me, it's like a group of business leaders and "experts" on the sinking Titanic discussing the fragility of champagne sales. I am deeply concerned about the Alice-in-Wonderland perception of the environment's big picture. On the morning of Saturday, January 12 when I logged onto Facebook, a friend's status update jumped out at me: "WHY DO MEDIA FAIL TO DISCUSS OPENLY THE SIGNS OF CLIMATE CHANGE? IT"S NOW 12 DEGREES IN TORONTO, NO SNOW, AND THE SIGNS OF SPRING IN JANUARY ARE NOT GOOD FOR ECOLOGY, HYDROLOGY, OR HUMAN PROSPERITY." Later in the day the temperature rose to 15ºC, at 3 p.m. setting a new record according to Environment Canada. It is deeply disturbing that we experience +15ºC in the middle of winter. And I am disturbed listening to the media commentary about how wonderful this warm weather is. A friend mentioned that the Magnolia tree in their neighbourhood was showing signs that it was about to bud. If this Spring weather continues in the middle of winter it will bud. And its flowering will be killed off with the inevitable return of winter weather. The stability and predictability of the seasons is defined as "security" by many Aboriginal peoples. The changing of the weather on a global scale is bringing unprecedented, … [Read more...] about Davos: Talking Champagne on a Sinking Titanic

Occupy Davos?

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"Severe income disparity" is the most likely risk facing business and political leaders according to the World Economic Forum's Global Risk 2012 Report. This finding really caught me by surprise. So while the Occupy movement isn't anywhere on the agenda, here at Davos, its impact has been very much felt.   There's the published agenda for the World Economic Forum (WEF) this week in Davos -- and then there are the elephants in the room. "Severe income disparity" is the most likely risk facing business and political leaders according to the World Economic Forum's Global Risk 2012 Report. This finding really caught me by surprise. So while the Occupy Wall Street movement isn't anywhere on the agenda here at WEF in Davos, its impact has been very much felt. "Capitalism, in its current form, no longer fits the world." A statement from an occupy protester? No, it was uttered by WEF Founder Klaus Schwab. But it's not a view that I have found widely shared by the 2,600 delegates here. The ultimate irony, of course, is that those at WEF aren't even the one per cent -- they're the 0.0001 per cent of global corporate and political elites. There's a lot of talk about the European debt crisis, which centres on Greece. At the heart of it is the fact that wealthy Greeks don't pay taxes; tax evasion is a national past time for the rich. In turn the Greek government's austerity program will cut the benefits and pensions of average citizens. Here's a warning: That's the … [Read more...] about Occupy Davos?