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DGI Brief - July 29, 2016


Happy Friday, everyone. Today's top 5 global issues news are about #Turkey's pressure on #Africa, #Argentina and #Mexico, #USA #UK and a #GoodStoryFriday about #cleanenergy

- AFRICA: Turkey, like any country in the world, has the right to ask. And like every country in the world, Nigeria & Somalia have the right to decline. Don’t close down schools, please. Don’t restrict education just because some guy thousands of miles away badly wants to be a dictator. You know, President Erdogan & Fetullah Gulen, the alleged coup mastermind, were allies once. And speaking of allies, Erdogan delivered an angry speech today, suggesting the US may have been involved in the attempted coup…

- The Latin American economic powerhouses, ARGENTINA & MEXICO, are strengthening cooperation to stimulate growth & position themselves more firmly on the global economic stage.

- USA: Despite intense mosquito testing, 4 cases of the Zika virus – 1 women & 3 men – have been confirmed in the Miami area. Both travel & sexual transmission were ruled out. That leaves only mosquitos. Perhaps you want to reconsider your ban on Zika-related funds, dear US Congress?

- UK: All was set for contracts to be signed & construction of the Hinkley Point nuclear power plant to begin. But PM May’s government decided, suddenly, to delay the go-ahead decision until fall (autumn) & review the project carefully. Some of the concerns include national security implications of China’s involvement (owning 1/3 of the project), UK’s commitment to pay 2x the current market value for the plant’s energy for 35 yrs & hopefully most importantly the environmental consequences. When we say sustainable energy, we mean solar, wind, & hydropower, not nuclear.

- #GoodStoryFriday The annual REN21 global status report highlights some exciting facts: an upsurge in solar, wind & hydro plants created largest annual renewable electricity increase of 147 Gigawatts. Global clean energy employment rose 6%, to about 8.1 million people (while jobs in oil industry contracted by 18%). In the US, solar industry employs more people than oil & gas extraction. Clean energy investment rose to $286 billion. The movement is growing, many developing countries, especially in Africa & Latin America, are outspending developed ones (w/ exception of the US) & setting most ambitious targets. And these investments are paying off – in profits & in environmental impact. Are you part of the revolution?

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