In a precursor to Copenhagen, U.S. thought-leaders got together to examine the global energy outlook, climate change and U.S. policy on sustainable energy supplies. Makes interesting reading…

South Korea is developing Busan as a world-class city specializing in digital content, with the latest ICON2009 hosted there by Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency (BIPA). Gamers, animation industry, other digital content and CG people from 15 countries were all there.

Home-based businesses provide an opportunity for a better lifestyle for parents and childrens, and more shared time, according to Polaris Media Group.

According to Companiesandmarkets.com, the 2008 value of the carbon market is USD $126 billion, an increase of over 1000% in 3 years. Whilst all estimates can be debated and there’s too many nuances for a pithy response, the bottom line is: there’s money in that carbon!

The Bread for the World Institute “Hunger 2010: A Just and Sustainable Recovery” Report has been released, and identifies the need to reduce poverty and hunger as a key to long-term recovery and leadership. The report identifies the current U.S. economic crisis as an opportunity for change…

The first-ever World Expo held in China will run from May through October 2010, and is expected to attract 70 million visitors – more than any Expo in 150 years of Expo or World Trade Fair history. And it’s a big opportunity for U.S. and Chinese business as well…

Electricity efficiency is the ‘low-hanging fruit’ of sustainability in cities, and LED street lights (and traffic lights) are one of the solutions appearing on the streets of cities like Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Well when the management consultants say it, it must be close to mainstream. Deloitte calls for manufacturing back to the U.S. in the report, and indeed local manufacturing is critical for the development of innovation. In our view, the internet, fuel prices and supply chain improvements have disrupted cost dynamics, meaning manufacturing of a different sort may be here to stay. Read Deloitte’s take here…

In good news, Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology, the United States’ premier high school science competition, is putting science and maths back on the national U.S. agenda. Winners of this leading competition received scholarships and recognition, and chance for further competition.

It’s hard to innovate on an empty stomach. As more U.S. cities become Back-Slider cities it seems that an increased focus on food security, quality and supply – and related solutions – is needed across the U.S. – as this data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture points out.

Start-up culture is vital, and this U.S. and European meeting of heavyweights, and upcoming entrepreneurs, will meet to discuss successful start-up sectors in Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe, from November 15-17 as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week 2009.

A simple idea, and sure to be a crowd-pleasing, exhibit at the Smithsonian. A history of the holiday season. Sometimes city branding opportunities can be straightforward.

Super-fast Internet is the new ‘Wealth of Nations’ – enabling innovation competitive advantage & improving destination desirability; failure is not an option.

Let’s not pretend the last 8 years were capitalism. Capitalism is pro-business, pro-middle class.

COMMENT, USA –Few people understand how the economic paradigm has shifted.
2thinknow do.
We predicted it would shift, and that their would be an economic crisis. Correctly. Back in October 2007, before others.
If you would like to see what it all means, including Obama’s election, see these slides on slideshare.
Opportunity for Local Innovation.
There are a lot of economic opportunities out there, but bright minds need opportunity.
Creativity needs its voice. Anyway, look at the slides.
I hope they help you in your quest to profit in the Bear Market.
Thanks to SlideShare for spreading this …

ANALYSIS, USA — It’s all over!
Obama has won the US Presidency with a probable popular vote of up to 5%.

Political Winds. Economic Trends.
The key significance of Obama, is a little-noticed trend.
Economic local-ism.
Grass-roots.
Ground-up.
In Talbott’s book, Obamanomics, he refers to Obama’s ideas “bottom-up economics”.
Read it: Obamanomics: How Bottom-Up Economic Prosperity Will Replace Trickle-Down Economics
Economics is trend # 1.
Economics has changed.
With the surge of China, Economic Crisis &  under-reported power of Europe, economic intervention is back. Economic regulation is back.
The trends have shifted at the infancy stage, and represent a paradigm shift. Unimaginable …

Voting machines are unreliable across the United States. How can that be in a major democracy?

ANALYSIS, USA — Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has proven to be a visionary leader of California.
Schwarzenegger, a Republican, married to a Kennedy Democrat, will become the nations most senior Republican, as the party moves back to the centre.
There’s an interesting video of Governor Schwarzenegger’s idea for a “Bipartisan Commission Will Address Chronic Budget Problems”. Read the release here.
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Schwarzenegger Action, Ideas.
Interestingly, Obama winning means Schwarzenegger will be the symbolic leader. Vindicated in opposition to Bush on many policies. Bi-partisan. Moderate. Results-driven. Environmentally-focussed. New ideas.
A lot of power …

SLIDES, USA — This slideshow that makes a pithy 7-slide case for Obama.
And if you haven’t tried out SlideShare, click thru & try it out. SlideShare is great for communicating.
Trends.
Trends support change, and a return to a US presidency where the president knows how to do his job.
Whether Obama or McCain, both are fundamentally competent politicians. Paul Daley, sets out the case for change (return to normalcy, decency & competence) in The Age here.
The current US administration deepened the current economic crisis & are now fighting in a war on …

REVIEWS — SlideShare has created a contest on the Economic Crisis. Tell the crisis in 30 slides, it has over 200 entries. A few entries are good summaries from different views.
Of course 2thinknow entered, given the positive feedback we have been receiving on our  predictions of the crisis.
Today, our “Credit Crisis. The Short Explanation.” slides were spotlighted on the main page of the slideshare.net website.
Pretty nifty profile for a set of slides, we thought. Even better in PowerPoint with the animations. You can download them!
Another one I really liked was …