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Why water is increasingly seen as a geopolitical risk

29

Jan

Water as a Strategic Resource: Geopolitical Implications

Freshwater is essential for life, food production, energy generation, industry, and ecosystem services. Yet the global distribution of accessible freshwater is limited and uneven. Only about 2.5% of the planet’s water is freshwater, and a very small fraction of that—roughly 0.3% of total global water—is readily accessible on the surface for human use. At the same time, population growth, urbanization, changing diets, and economic development are driving rising demand. Climate change, shrinking glaciers, groundwater depletion, pollution, and deteriorating infrastructure are reducing supply reliability. These forces combine to elevate water from a local resource management issue to a source of transboundary…

Chile: corporate CSR advancing transparency and community participation in local projects

23

Jan

By Jean Thompson

Social Responsibility

Chile: Advancing Transparency & Participation through Corporate CSR

Chile’s economic model has historically relied on extractive industries, agriculture, fishing, and export‑oriented manufacturing, sectors that have powered growth while concentrating environmental and social pressures in particular areas. Consequently, corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Chile is not a peripheral marketing tool but a strategic requirement that influences social license, investor confidence, and local development. In recent years, rising public expectations for transparency and genuine community involvement in territorial initiatives have pushed CSR to evolve from simple philanthropy toward governance, disclosure, and collaborative design.Regulatory and institutional forces promoting greater transparencySeveral public factors push companies toward greater openness and community engagement:Access-to-information and…

Why energy keeps getting used as a geopolitical tool

23

Jan

By Jean Thompson

International

Energy’s Unwavering Geopolitical Significance

Energy is more than fuel and electricity: it underpins industry, transport, household welfare, and military capability. That centrality makes energy an unusually effective lever in international politics. States, companies, and nonstate actors use supply, price, infrastructure, regulation, and technological control to advance strategic aims. The practice persists because of four enduring features: uneven resource distribution, long-lived infrastructure and contracts, the immediacy of economic pain when supplies are constrained, and the broad knock-on effects on alliances and domestic politics.Core mechanisms of energy geopoliticsSupply manipulation: producers may restrict or reroute exports to engineer shortages or penalize partners, doing so openly through quotas…

Trump threatens new 100% tariffs on Canada over possible trade deal with China

23

Jan

By Jean Thompson

Economy

100% Tariffs: Trump’s Threat to Canada

Tensions between the United States and Canada intensified this week after President Donald Trump cautioned that he might levy significant tariffs on Canadian imports should the nation deepen its trade relationship with China, a statement that represents the latest surge in ongoing commercial frictions between the two neighbors.President Trump’s latest remarks have stirred doubts about the stability of trade relations across North America. Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump claimed that Canada could face serious economic fallout if it permits Chinese products to enter the U.S. through Canadian channels. He cautioned that any trade pact between Canada and China…

NASA astronaut Suni Williams retires months after return from troubled mission to orbit

23

Jan

By Jean Thompson

Science and Technology

Astronaut Suni Williams Retires Following Difficult Space Mission

Following nearly thirty years of distinguished service, NASA astronaut Suni Williams has revealed her retirement, drawing to a close a career shaped by resilience, leadership, and groundbreaking accomplishments. Her final assignment, an unforeseen nine-month stretch in orbit during Boeing’s Starliner test mission, has risen as a defining moment in contemporary space exploration.The announcement, confirmed by NASA on Tuesday, formally ends Williams’ tenure in the astronaut corps and transforms what was meant to be a short-duration test flight into her final journey to space. While the agency did not specify the precise timing behind her decision, the retirement caps a career…

What is the break-even point and how do I calculate it?

23

Jan

By Jean Thompson

Investments and Business

Everything You Need to Know About the Break-Even Point Calculation

The concept of break-even point (BEP) plays a key role in financial evaluations and routine business planning, marking when a company’s total income matches its overall expenses, leaving neither gain nor deficit. Once organizations move past this point, they start generating profits, while falling short indicates they are incurring losses. Identifying the break-even point remains essential for entrepreneurs, investors, and managers, as it informs pricing, operational choices, and risk analysis.Key Elements That Contribute to a Break-Even AnalysisTo fully grasp the break-even point, one needs to differentiate between fixed costs and variable costs:Fixed Costs: These stay unchanged no matter how much…