Poisoned Toothpaste in Panama Is Believed to Be From China

Diethylene glycol, a poisonous ingredient in some antifreeze, has been found in 6,000 tubes of toothpaste in Panama, and customs officials there said yesterday that the product appeared to have originated in China. From New York Times Just as the wheatgerm story dies out, a reminder that in the era of globalization; a supply chain… Continue reading Poisoned Toothpaste in Panama Is Believed to Be From China

Iranian Oil Bourse

The Internet is suddenly alive with chatter about an “Iranian Oil Bourse,” supposedly scheduled to open for business in March 2006. Right now, the two leading oil exchanges in the world are the New York Mercantile Exchange and London’s International Petroleum Exchange. In both exchanges, trades for oil are denominated in U.S. dollars. But in… Continue reading Iranian Oil Bourse

Hungry Planet

Perhaps we are simply destined to live in a world where local cultures exist only as residue preserved for the sake of tourists. If our children’s children want to know about hand-grinding barley on a stone or spreading manure on fallow fields, they can read about it in “Hungry Planet.” A review of the book,… Continue reading Hungry Planet