Briefings Magazine: The Long Road to Green Energy

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Energy policy has gotten weird lately. Coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel, came back after an apparent near-death experience. In 2021, delegates at the COP26 climate summit demanded we ditch using coal, followed by less-toxic natural gas. But a year later, long-term green energy proponent Germany increased its use of coal-generated electricity by 13 percent.

Meanwhile, Britain’s government banned natural gas fracking and approved the first new mine in decades. The US isn’t immune, either. The Biden administration’s proposal to eliminate natural gas stoves would mean using electricity, 22 percent of which is coal-generated. The question is, what next? A long tricky slog, experts say. Read more here.

Flashback: Debrief Feb 1, 2009 We're all Socialists Now

 By SIMON CONSTABLE

This continues a series of video flashbacks filmed in the depths of the 2007-2009 financial crisis when John Batchelor and I discussed what was going on in the world.

We had minimal equipment and almost no time for video editing. But we did have mental space for creativity.

As these 20 vintage videos roll out, more contemporary ones will get posted. Stay tuned.

If inclined, please feel free to follow on YouTube.

Watch here.

#France: Index ETFs vs Managed ETFs vs Mutual Funds. @BatchelorShow, Occitane

 By SIMON CONSTABLE

Listen here.

National Archives at College Park , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Flashback to the Crisis: Debrief ll Feb 1, 2009 -- Protectionism Lives

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Here begins a series of video flashbacks to the depths of the 2007-2009 financial crisis when John Batchelor and I discussed what was going on in the world.

We had minimal equipment and almost no time for video editing. But we did have mental space for creativity.

More to come. If inclined, please feel free to follow on YouTube.

Financial Flashback: 110 years Ago the Federal Reserve is Born

 By SIMON CONSTABLE

Exclusively in the print edition of the Wall Street Journal

WSJ: Here’s What Investors Should Know as Actively Managed ETFs Take Off

By SIMON CONSTABLE

The exchange-traded-fund market is getting a lot more active.

After decades of being dominated by index-tracking investments, the ETF market is being flooded by actively managed funds. In 2013, a mere 16% of newly launched ETFs were actively managed, according to Morningstar. That jumped to 66% in the first quarter of this year, following three straight calendar years of more than 50% of new ETFs being active. Read more here.

#France: Commodity prices decline while food prices inflate: where is the recession? @BatchelorShow Forbes

By SIMON CONSTABLE 

Listen here.

The original uploader was Chalupa at Czech Wikipedia., 

Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons