Franklin News and Views

Here is an extract from an article by Charles Berger who is the Director of Strategic Ideas to the Australian Conservation Foundation .   The Intergenerational Report discusses just two examples: Italy and Japan. Both nations have experienced very low fertility levels, rapidly ageing populations, and slow economic growth in recent decades. On the basis of these two countries, the Intergenerational Report concludes that “A key lesson from the international experience is that countries with low population growth or declining populations such as Japan and Italy face lower potential rates of economic growth than countries with relatively healthier population growth.” But why focus on those two countries? A broader look across the OECD (see figure 1) shows that rapid population growth is neither necessary nor sufficient to achieve solid per capita GDP growth. (I leave aside here the question of whether per capita GDP growth is a useful goal to strive for, except to say that Jose...

I have been reading the latest Choice magazine (Feb 2010) and feel concern about some plastics that are used with food. In particular two types of plastic should be avoided as there is sufficient scientific opinion that they pose a risk.  These are plastics with the symbol 3 (PVC) or 7 (a catch-all category that includes polycarbonate).  Avoid  foods or beverages that have been in contact with them.  Some cling wrap placed on food that is used by retailers uses the cheap PVC instead of the safer type 4 wrap (polyethylene). Look for the codes 1 (PET), 2 (HDPE), 4 (LDPE), 5 (PP) and 6 (PS) for the safer type of plastics for food. I checked our cupboards and found that Sun Rice was in a PVC (3)container (now transferred to a glass  one and I will complain to that company).  A bushwalking drink bottle from Kathmandu was marked 7 and that is going in the bin and I will write to them too.