A new report by the World Bank declared that, if action isn’t taken against climate change, the world could see another 100 million people pushed below the poverty line. Though the report is not the first of its kind, experts say that the report carries weight nonetheless. With the effects of climate change felt on every continent, the effects could be extremely detrimental to those in less developed areas. Increased temperatures and lower water levels will mean lower food production, and higher prices. Like in the 2008 jump in food costs, it is likely that another 100 million, who are already facing poverty will join those already below the line.
Travel experts have said that the weak loonie will be no excuse for missing out on winter vacations this year. If you decide to plan early, then you may just benefit yet. Leaving bookings till the last minute may mean missing out on the savings, but many of the major destination resorts and attractions are looking to book out their vacation packages as soon as possible. Because of this, they have incentivized their packages with early booking bonuses, reduced deposits, added perks, free seat selections, and other bonuses, to get travelers to commit early. So, if you are looking to head South this winter, start looking now, and you might just luck out on a great deal.
Canada is no longer the U.S.’s largest trading partner, and you can blame it on the oil. As if the Obama administration’s rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline didn’t drive home the point enough, Canada’s place on the trading stage is starting to change, and not in the best way. According to data from the U.S. census bureau, China overtook Canada in the first nine months of this year to become America’s number one trading partner. However, this change in position isn’t because Canada is selling less, it’s because the collapse in oil prices has caused what we sell to the U.S. to be worth less than it used to be. With oil prices down roughly 60 per cent since their peak in mid-2014, the value of Canadian exports to the U.S. is down 11.6 per cent, and that is just for this year so far.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership could see the Canadian diary industry taking a bigger hit than previously thought. Sylvain Charlebois, a professor of distribution and food policy at the University of Guelph’s Food Institute, declared this after studying the text involving 12 countries. In addition to affecting milk, the TPP agreement would allow for more imports of yogurt, ice cream, and different types of cheeses. Though Charlebois is currently in Austria as a visiting reporter, when the Huffington Post reached out in a telephone interview, Charlebois expressed discontent with the amount of evaluation done on the impact of the agreement on diary imports and its long term impact on the industry.
After the scandal that rocked the company to the core, Volkswagen is looking to make amends, with cash. The car manufacturer, who had to recall 482,000 cars after inspections revealed a bypass for emissions tests, is offering buyers $1,000 in gift cards and vouchers as a goodwill gesture to U.S. owners of small diesel-powered cars effected by the recall. The company is hoping to mend some fences after the scandal that plagued them in recent weeks, and at a great cost to them. No reaction has been made by the general public as of yet, but surely some will see this gesture as “too little, too late.”