When China told the WTO it would no longer recycle a lot of the world’s waste, it created a ripple of externalities from Hong Kong to Portland, Oregon.…
Why China Wants To Be Called a Market Economy
A year ago, China filed a formal complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO). Targeting the European Union and the United States, China’s goal was to have its economy called a market. The …
The Shrinking Cities Problem
An idyllic mountain village wants you. The town has one shop, a church, houses that have been there forever, and a population that has shrunk to 240. It is located in the Swiss Alps. Albinen’s p…
The Countries With the Most and Least Cash
India appears to love its cash. Last year’s demonetization of large bills was supposed to diminish the use of cash, eliminate “black money,” and expand the digital economy. However, …
Two Amazon Stories (and More)
Sweden had unusually low Amazon numbers in the 2017 PwC global retail survey. In Sweden just 13% of all product searches start with Amazon. For the U.S. that number is 45%. Wondering about the differe…
Looking at a Global Supply Chain With a Smile (Curve)
A smile curve is a handy way to see that the global supply chain for technology is much more complicated than a Made-in-China label.…
How a Social Score Gets You China’s Goods and Services
As China’s social scoring system develops, undesirable behavior like jaywalking could limit someone’s access to goods and services.…
Really Understanding the World
Seeing the world develop through bubble animation from Hans Rosling makes health and income statistics mesmerizingly enjoyable.…
Where To Find China’s Missing Women
Upsetting the conventional wisdom, researchers recently found millions of “non-existent” women who could enter Chinese marriage markets.…
The Cost Air of Clean (Bottled) Air
When we have air pollution reflecting the abuse of a shared resource then markets response with a privately owned higher quality version.…