Ed Dowding

Category: Systems thinking

Market failures: bridges vs tunnels

There are some areas of major importance to human beings: air & water, food, security, shelter, energy, ethics, and economy. In all except shelter, and that one is debatable, there are huge market failures. The economic models that we use do not satisfactorily regulate supply and demand for these good. Take a moment to think ...

The old models don't work

I’m cracking into a great book called “The Age of the Unthinkable”. It seems that the longer I wait before writing the book I want to write, the more other people are likely to do it in my place. The fundamental points in this one are thoughts I’ve been thinking since I was about 14. ...

What cost the bailouts?

With reference to this conversation on facebook, wherein Crispin was suggesting that 5,000 days of lost workforce productivity (on account of the G20 demonstrations) could have been better spent, I was compelled to work out the following. —- Well if it’s maths that worries you… Total spend on bailout so far: £1,200,000,000,000 (1.2 trillion) But ...

An enormous civilisation discovered in the Amazon

I watched a great documentary last night about hunting for El Dorado. (Actually more like ‘El Dorado II’, because the main El Dorado story comes from a place called Muiscas in modern day Colombia, courtesy of conquistador ‘Jimmy the Cheese’, aka Jiménez de Quesada, in 1537). But this story is about another chap, Francisco Orellana, ...

Tied up in knots

1. Heathrow runway ‘approval is due’ The government is expected to confirm approval for a third runway at Heathrow Airport later, the BBC understands. (http://is.gd/fVkJ) Your government doesn’t care about your long term future, so please take responsibility for it yourself. Only fly when you HAVE to. If you want to get away that much, ...

STILL not going to America

Visitors To US Now Required To Register Online Starting today, visitors to the US from 35 visa-waiver countries will be required to register online with the Department of Homeland Security in advance. The DHS is asking people to go online for the ESTA program 72 hours before traveling, but they can register any amount of ...

"Recession is a test of character" — Gordon Brown

I beg your pardon? What? “Recession is a test of character” I’m sorry WHAT? “Recession is a test of character” Jesus H. Christ, you prick. You get us into this mess by deliberately sinking inflation in house prices to keep the recorded levels low, in order to generate an artificial feeling of economic prosperity; you ...

It's all fucking fucked

As the chaps at Global Dashboard point out, this graph really does not require much comment. It sure as hell requires an explanation though. It’s really enough to make me cry and be thoroughly depressed. The positive side is that we have proved we can get it together to act fast and spend lots of ...

DNA / Europe rocks the free world!

DNA database ‘breach of rights’ — Two British men should not have had their DNA and fingerprints retained by police, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7764069.stm

Peace breaks out

I watched a very good Horizon from 1986 a few nights ago which, whilst not saying anything particularly new (not least because it’s 22 years old..), was a good reminder and layered on one or two details, about cooperation and its biological imperatives. I knew, for example, that tit-for-tat is always the best strategy for ...

London is Free

http://www.londonisfree.com/

If only…

Here’s a spoof NY Times that was distributed around NYC today… http://www.nytimes-se.com/2009/07/04/todays-paper/ A) Fantastic B) If only!

Economic Reform

Another good article from the NEF (www.neweconomics.org), this time on practical, simple, realistic steps we can take towards economic reform to create a fairer, more stable system. It breaks down into issues of scale, distance, stability, diversity, value, and participation. Amongst the nice ideas in here is a sliding scale of regulation so “the smallest ...

How to tell if something is a good idea

1. Exactly what problem will this solve? (value proposition) 2. For whom do we solve that problem? (target market) 3. How big is the opportunity? (market size) 4. What alternatives are out there? (competitive landscape) 5. Why are we best suited to pursue this? (our differentiator) 6. Why now? (market window) 7. How will we ...