Being ethical doesn’t always pay off. It is apparently possible to try too hard.
Question: What should Chiquita do now to improve its situation?
No! And to an A-Level (or Matura) economist it should be immediately clear why not. Why can’t you compare stock market value with GDP? Think this through before you read this.
A very accessible (easy to read) article about how a new UK firm is making solar power available to families in Kenya through a leasing scheme. The energy provides enough power for two lightbulbs and a mobile phone charger.
Questions: Explain how the scheme works, and outline the advantages and disadvantages to families of participating.
An excellent article which clearly explains the core of the euro problem.
When it was created in 1999, there was a fatal flaw. While governments shared a single currency, they continued to have their own separate bond markets.
Read the article and find out more.
Discussion questions:
- How important for you is a car? (Could you live without one?)
- Is it important to have an expensive (BMW, Mercedes, Lexus…) car?
- Do you think you a person’s car is a reflection of their personality?
- Do you think there is a market for this car in India? In Austria?? In the US???
- Reading between the lines, what are the reasons why Tata thinks the first Nano didn’t sell well?
- What other reason do analyists also have for the poor sales?
Was Steve Jobs the most influential person of his generation? Discuss his (or Apple’s) achievements - including how their designs have influenced other products - and consider other people who might also deserve the award.
Questions for discussion:
Why is this big news? What are the advantages of this plane for airlines? Make a list of 5-10 statistics in this article. Do you travel by plane often? For what purposes do you travel? Do you enjoy travelling? What is the best thing and the worst thing about flying?
