Claude Lévi-Strauss †
Category “Comings and Goings”
China to Ban export of large chunk of Periodic Table
{Rare earth element-oxide production, x103 tons. Source: Naumov (2008), publication unknown}
China stands posed to ban all exports of Thulium, Terbium, Dysprosium, Yttrium and Lutetium, whilst implementing large reductions in exports of Neodymium, Europium, Cerium and Lanthanum.
http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/chinabuystheworld/2009/08/20098125223767930.html
Endgame (Ø2): Special Drawing Rights hit the Arena
Brasil-Russia-India-China (‘BRIC’) nations are poised to start trading in Special Drawing Rights (‘SDR’s’) in lieu of greenbacks. In brief: the use of US$ as the medium for international exchange enables American household- and federal- debt to be as high as it is. The shift away from a global dollar economy marks the beginning of the end of Amerika-as-it-is-known. You heard it here first.
Endgame: Brasil and 中國 looking to scrap $ for real & renminbi
Lula da Silva and Hu Jintao are considering scrapping the US$ in favour of reals and renminbis in their trade transactions.
Garbagedump Africa – someone finally said it
“I think the economic logic behind dumping a load of toxic waste in the lowest wage country is impeccable and we should face up to that. […] I’ve always thought that under-populated countries in Africa are vastly underpolluted.” – Larry Summers, Obama’s Director of National Economic Council
