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Global Warming Is Real and Has Consequences – Part I Yale economist refutes climate-change skeptics who use his research to recommend standing pat BRICS Alliance Looking for Cement Big emerging economies value relations with the US more than their loose alliance Man and His Endangered Home Our pursuit of growth and luxury may leave us homeless Bound Together: How Traders, Preachers, Adventurers, and Warriors Shaped Globalization Nayan Chanda follows the exploits of historical traders, preachers, adventurers and warriors in shaping our world, and identifies their modern counterparts at work today Get the latest from YaleGlobal for mobile devices Connect with us: Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook   Global Warming Is Real and Has Consequences – Part II Climate-change naysayers claim that shifting from fossil fuels to alternative energies is unnecessary or too costly for economies. Yet, the cost of climate change is clearly evident. Manufacturers are considering moving from Thailand and other countries threatened by flooding and other forces related to climate change, according to Pavin Chachavalpongpun, associate professor at the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, in the second and final article of this two-part YaleGlobal series. The 2011 floods disrupted operations at 250 foreign factories in Thailand and led to price hikes of hard drives, auto parts and other electronics worldwide. Concern about climate change could spur new production and supply-chain strategies: increasing inventories, diversifying plant locations, placing locations close to market and avoiding locales prone to flooding or other climate conditions that could disrupt manufacturing. Before the massive floods, "Thailand was an attractive investment destination in the first place, with a well-developed infrastructure, a free-enterprise economy, generally pro-investment policies and strong export industries," Pavin notes. Thai politicians compounded the disruptions by refusing to cooperate on policies to prevent flooding. So in selecting factory locations, investors and businesses could seek competitive advantage and avoid countries with climate woes and political infighting. More News... For Bolivian Farmers, Quinoa Boom Is Boon and Bane Jean-Friedman Rudovsky Time, 6 April 2012 Quinoa, a "gift from the gods," comes at a price Lift Sanctions or Myanmar's Moment May Be Lost Thant Myint-U The Financial Times, 5 April 2012 An economic boost could give momentum to political reforms Populism or Reforms? Nayan Chanda Businessworld, 4 April 2012 Vested interests resist reforms that keep popular government programs sustainable long into the future Arab Spring Turns to Economic Winter on More Joblessness Mariam Fam, Alaa Shahine Bloomberg, 3 April 2012 Regime change was supposed to add jobs, not unemployment Other Items of Interest... Floods Threaten Global Trade Hub Raging floods in Thailand disrupt global supply chains and exports, threatening economic security A Climate of Our Own Making Everyone knows about climate change – and now it's time for action View email in browser | Unsubscribe | Update your profile | Forward to a friend   Copyright (C) 2012 YaleGlobal Online All rights reserved.