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Environmental Scanning through a collection of:
SIGNS OF THE TIMES, TRENDS AND TREND BABIES 1999-2009



 

What is a Sign of the Times? Signs of the times are the result of information gathering that looks for inventions, innovations, attitudes and actions. Signs of the times come from many sources, are systematically gathered and have meaning for the future.

What is a Trend? A trend is long-range and persistent; it effects many societal groups, grows slowly and is profound. In contrast, a fad is short-term, "in", effects particular societal groups, spreads quickly and is superficial.

What is a Mega-trend? A mega-trend extends over many generations, and in cases of weather, mega-trends can cover periods prior to human existence. They describe complex interactions with many factors and they often represent the introduction of several new paradigms or worldviews that arise in hunting and gathering, agriculture, and industrial societies.

Trend babies: Here you find general trends or signs of new trends ("trend babies") from the categories social, technical, ecological, economic or political. Trend babies grow from innovations in the above categories that have the potential of going mainstream in the future (for example: just a few years ago, alternative medicine was truly alternative. Now it is big business and very respectable). The choice of trends is naturally influenced by the author's values.

Trend families: Very often, the chosen Signs are members of a trend family. A parent trend (for example, the change from an industrial society to a knowledge-based society) is well documented. The ways in which such sweeping trends play themselves out in various parts of the community represent the "members of that trends family".

Examples: Jobs in the industrial sector have shrunk causing widespread unemployment.

 

Many countries see small business as a solution to unemployment, driving unprecedented attention to small business in many countries legislatures.

Another example of a trend related to the move from industrial to knowledge society is the privatization of the education industry.

As in all cases in Signs, sustainability is one of the larger branches from which many other twig-sized trends grow. Sustainability is "the property of being sustainable", "using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged". In Signs, I use it to mean sustainable development, "an approach to economic planning that attempts to foster economic growth while preserving the quality of the environment for future generations."

Confirming Trends: When does a "trend baby", gain acceptance as a bona fide trend? When it gets enough confirmation in the various media to show it is an increasingly accepted value, behavior or technology.

Geographical trend growth and "bellwether" geographic sites: There is also an attempt to follow the global spread of trends that have started in the West (for example, Women's rights are a generally accepted topic in the media and on the Internet. Just how and when women's rights develop in various countries can represent global growth of that trend.) Some places seem to lead development in one or a variety of areas and are looked to as the source of new trends. California has long been considered as bellwether for the United States. The Nordic countries of Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark have been considered bellwether in social innovation.

All trends, to a greater or lesser degree affect our lives, our work and our futures. Our ability to understand that effect can many times make a positive difference in the quality of our lives.

 

Back to Signs of the Times.

 

from April 07, 2000
 

Search Signs of the Times:

 

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Leaders of the New Global Economy

 

 

 

 Who's got the Year 2000 right- the people or the experts? Keynote address.

Trend Letter
World Economic Forum - published in The Asian Wall Street Journal July 19-25, 1999

 

 

WFSF Futures Bulletin

Johan Galtung, Professor of Peace Studies

On a list of the world's most competitive countries we find Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan among the top six. Three countries with Chinese culture background. The other three were the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

 

Nato expansion eastward and AMPO (US Japan security system) westward finds China, Russia, and India caught in the middle with 40% of world's citizens.

This is a taste of what might be called the China trend. Many believe that China will play a huge role in the future, and not only as a marketplace for the West.

December 9, 1999

 

 

 

January 2000

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Trend Alert:9 to 5

 

 

 

 

Stress bakom sjukfrånvaro

Stress behind sickleave

The Herman Group Newsletter

Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia

http://www.herman.net/
archive.html

 

Dagens Nyheter

By Börje Karlsson

 

 

 

 

Signs of the Times

The Herman Group tells us about "24/7" a new North American expression meaning 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The masses of work to be done are attributed to the Internet and globalization where companies demand service from many time zones causing long days.

 

In Sweden, media has been reporting drastically rising numbers of long sick leaves. Between 1998 and 1999 sick leave days increased 24 percent and National Insurance Department feel the number will rise. Increased stress is seen as the culprit.
Earlier this stress was seen as driven by the layoffs of the early 90's. Not even five years later, the explanation is a lack of qualified workers.

 

A related trend from Jan 20, 2000 from Tecken i tiden archives notes that lack of sleep is affecting productivity and learning effectiveness causing accidents. Causes for lack of sleep are often stress and overwork.

While different cultures attribute a variety of behaviors to the causes of stress, what values, behaviors and activities will signal the brake in this trend?

February 9, 2000

 

 

 

 

February 26, 2000

 

 

 

 

January 20, 2000

*Title

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Fisken flyr västkusten

Fish flee the Westcoast (Sweden)

 

 

Massgrav med fisk
Photo-Antonio Scorza/EPA

Massgrave of fish

Metro

Christer Ekelund

 

 

Metro

The west coast of Sweden is reporting a huge drop in the fish population on the west coast. From a catch of 400-500 kilos fish last year the same spot gave only 40 kilos small fish this year. Biologist point out several possible reasons for this drop, environmental reasons, over fishing, an overpopulation of seal have eaten the fish.

Dead fish, nearer 100 tons have died in the last two days because of a combination of pollution and extremely hot weather that removes the oxygen from the water.

We have been hearing about this fishy problem for years and basically ignored it. The prices for fish are steadily rising held in check by fish cultivation projects. When you can't afford certain fish anymore, it might be too late.

February 28, 2000

 

 

 

March 7, 2000

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The First ITTA CyberCast Event a Success Using ComputerPREP's PrepVision Web-Conferencing Technology Company Press Release

http://biz.yahoo.com/
bw/000225/
ca_ihollyw_1.html

The distance training industry has experienced a new Web-conferencing technology, in which participants around the world can all be "live" at the same time. The courses are interactive and participants can ask questions, answer surveys and polls, and view presentations by simply connecting to the Internet.

This advance is sure to drive the distance learning trend to even greater growth and increase the spread of those values inadvertently presented.

February 25, 1999

*Title

**Source/ Author

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Rika pappor tar ut ledighet

Rich Fathers take Parental Leave

Metro

TT

Report by Governmental Insurance Department

Fathers taking time off from work to raise their children has been a topic to watch for the last five years. New studies in Sweden show that families where the father earns much more that the mother both share the days they receive for parental leave. When the mothers earn much more than the fathers, both share parental leave more that when there isn't such large differences between salaries. Parents with high education levels and fathers over forty are more likely to stay at home with young children.

Many studies and antidotal materials have shown that having a good mother and father figure leads to healthier, better-adjusted children. In 15-18 years we will have a chance to see what that could mean to communities.

March 10, 2000

*Title

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International Life Skills Survey (ILSS) Department of Education

http://nces.ed.gov/
ilss/skills_domains.asp

Moving into a knowledge society with education designed for the industrial society has been an irritation for some time now. An international survey of life skills which are directed to survival in a knowledge based society, is currently being tested (according to their timetable), with implementation in 2002. Ninteen countries are represented on the Advisory Board. And how do they describe life skills?

Prose and Document Literacy Numeracy

Problem Solving
Practical Cognition
Teamwork

Information and Communication Literacy

The aim of this survey is to test 16-35 year olds. Check the URL for details. Only when countries know what skills are lacking there will be a change in the education systems.

March 9, 2000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
January 21, 2000

Back to Signs of the Times.

 

 from March 20, 2000

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Tree People

 

 

 

 Här blev Anna, 75, överfallen. Nu berättar hon för elever om otryggheten

Here Anna, 75, was atacked. Now she tells students about her unsecure feelings.

 

Blomstringstid för små partier

Burgeoning times for small parties.

Yes Magazine
Tracy Rysavy

http://www.futurenet.
org/12Climatechange/
rysavy.html
 

 

Göteborgs-Posten
Stefan Lundberg

 

 

 

 

 
Svenska Dagbladet
Fredrik Mellgren

A nonprofit group in Los Angeles, TreePeople, has recruited and trained over 700 volunteers to care for 1,800 trees on Los Angeles school campuses and neighborhood communities.

 

Anna Eriksson, 75, in Sweden shares her experience of being mugged with school children. The children are the same age as those who did the mugging.

 

 

 

Local democracy in Sweden is being upheld by a flurry of new local parties. Seven of every ten of these local parties have been established since 1990. Half of them are motivated by frustration with the major parties.

In light of globalization, it is also important to document how people are acting locally. Research shows that people feel they have more impact on their local environment than they do on global issues. These examples represent a small offering from three different areas of community life.

February 4, 2000

 

 

 

 
March 6, 2000

 

 

 

 

 
March 6, 2000

*Title

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A New Chapter in Publishing

 

 

How the Internet will shape us

Trend Letter Here are just a few areas where the Impact of Internet is being felt:
Electronic publishing is moving forward. Acceptance of e-publishing and investments in it are growing along with the sales of PDA's (personal digital assistants.)

The current trend of individualism is seen on the internet in terms of all the self-education and do it yourself sources on the web including the areas of financial planing, legal assistance (USA).

Other areas where Internet is having an impact are: at work (how and with whom), when shopping (auctions, volume sales), in education. Internet impacts are also seen in auctions for how much education will cost and which academic skills will be taught and in personal relationships with partners who are accused of cheating because of their cybersex relationships.
New areas in which the Internet will effect our lives reveal themselves daily, this is but a beginning of the global communications trend.

February 3, 2000

 

 

December 9, 1999

*Title

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Trend Alert: Rent, Invest, Relax The Herman Group Newsletter

Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia

http://www.herman.
net/ archive.html

In the United States, one of the major home mortgage organizations, Fannie Mae, found in a survey that 28 percent of the renters rent by choice. They can afford to by their own homes but due to financial and lifestyle reasons they are choosing not to make home purchases. The survey reported this to be the highest percentage preferring to rent in the last seven years.
The stock maket is now seen as a better way to make money and a drive for more flexible lifestyles, freedom of movement and control of time, combined with frequent job changes drives this trend.
February 23, 2000

*Title

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Mänsklig utveckling skapar nya farsoter

Human development creates new epidemics

 

 

 

Miljöförändringar med ödesdigra konsekvenser.

Environmental changes with momentous consequences

Metro

Ragnar Olsson

 

 

 

 

Metro

Jens Ergon

The fear of resistant virus and communicable diseases is growing. Those diseases that are of greatest concern, a resurgence of TB, Cholera, Malaria and aids and Ebola. Human development contributes these diseases through ecological changes, widespread travel, technical changes, new social patterns (sexual behavior), sudden changes in life standards and resistance to medicines.

 

We are beginning to experience the results of the environmental damage we have created in the world. The evidence shows itself as heat waves, early springs, the spread of disease, changes in animal life, droughts and forest fires, heavy rains and floods, melting ice and glaciers and higher sea levels and flooding.

Population growth has been one of the most important driving forces in human development.
Two articles pinpoint two possible "natural" ways the earth is dealing with the extraordinarily number of 6 billion people now living on our planet. What is our response to this phenomenon?

February 10, 1999

 

 

 

 

February 26, 2000

*Title

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Scientists Create Half-Human, Half-Silicon Chip

 

 

 

 

Is Jerry the first of a generation of truly wired humans?

WASHINGTON (Reuters)

 

 

 

 

Yahoo! News
By Duncan Graham-Rowe

New Scientist magazine

Yong Huang and Boris Rubinsky of the University of California at Berkeley have created a bionic chip that mixes human cells with layers of silicon, a device they hope to use in research and to treat disease. Electroporation is used in genetic engineering and the new process might make it easier to ensure that genes get into diseased cells.

 

A 62-year-old blind man can "see". A pair of electronic glasses aids his sight along with a brain implant inserted 23 years ago. While retinal implants have given some patients sight (New Scientist, 7 November 1998, p 23), but "Jerry" as he is called, is thought to be the first blind person to "see" the world in real time. The product could be on the market later this year.

The combination of the brain and the computer has been discussed for many years now in scientific journals. Here are two signs that the concept is becoming reality. We seem to accept applications that can help us to be healthier, without considering correlating trends. In this case we are coming nearer to being bionic.

February 25, 2000

 

 

 

 

January 21, 2000

Back to Signs of the Times.

 

 from March 03, 2000

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China Claims To Have Nearly Eliminated Illiteracy A joint report of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Ministry of Education and other government bodies.

Agence France Presse

http://www.insidechina.
com/ news.php3?id=
117670

At the present time 98.9 percent of children in China are enrolled in primary schools, compared to 97 percent in 1990.

Those going on to middle schools are more than 87.3 percent increasing from 71.4 percent in 1990. China still has 127 million primary school students and 182 million people over age 15 who are illiterate.

This is just a small piece of a larger project which brings China into the world as major player.

December 11, 1999

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A robotic snake that moves like the real thing Duncan Graham-Rowe

New Scientist

 

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/
991206/18/c7ya.html

Gavin Miller, an animator in Palo Alto, California, has designed a robotic snake that moves just like the real thing. It is thought that the technology could also be used to handle tough terrain-on earth an on other planets.

This is one of several articles on animal robots. The Japanese were first out with fury pets.

December 4, 1999

*Title

**Source/ Author

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23 Nations Sign New UN Protocol on Women's Rights By Evelyn Leopold

UNITED NATIONS

http://dailynews.yahoo.
com/ h/nm/19991211/wl/
un_women_2.html

A legal protocol allowing women to file discrimination, sexual exploitation and complaints to the United Nations was signed by 23 nations. This is different from other human rights legislation in that individual grievances against their governments will be accepted. Not ratifying are United States, conservative Islamic countries and North Korea.

This is another step in the weakening of national powers.

 

*Title

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There Goes the Neighborhood

As new money floods old neighborhoods, longtime residents fight to preserve their communities.

Trend letter In the District of Columbia 3,000 people, varying in age, race and location in the district, came to a "town house" meeting. There they shared their feelings, needs and opinions about what was needed in their neighborhoods Small table discussions were rigged with electronic equipment which showed the ideas of each table. The response was enthusiastic. The Major has prioritized the needs and has laid up his planning and budget in accordance with what the people most wanted.

Many communities and regions in the world are profiling themselves as IT specialists. They feel this will bring prosperity to their community and the fame of Silicon Valley to their area. What are the unseen consequences of such visions?

September 30, 1999

*Title

**Source/ Author

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****Date

Capita, Inc. Company Press Release Capita, Inc., Moving Headlong into a Multi Billion Dollar Market

BLUE BELL, Pa.

http://biz.yahoo.com/
prnews/991122/
pa_capita__1.html

The company that issued this press release is in marketing. It offers systems which measure human attention using the electroencephalogram (EEG) which measure electrical activity in the human brain. They can measure whether audiences are paying attention to what they are viewing, which indicates learning. Their system is adapted for Internet and will market to niches.

The trend is to get nearer and nearer each individuals desires and even educate consumers as to what they should desire.

November 22, 1999

*Title

**Source/ Author

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More Differences Between Brains Of Men And Women http://unisci.com/
stories/19994/
1210993.htm

Reference: "Sex Differences in the Inferior Parietal Lobule," Cerebral Cortex, December 1999, vol 9, no 8. Another useful article is "The Exceptional Brain of Albert Einstein," The Lancet, June 19, 1999, vol 353, pp 2149-2153

Researchers show that a brain region called the inferior parietal lobule (IPL) is different in men and women. The right IPL has a working memory of spatial relationships, the ability to sense relationships between body parts and awareness of a person's own affect or feelings. The left IPL, is more involved in perception, such as judging how fast something is moving, estimating time and having the ability to mentally rotate 3-D figures. "It's easy to find women who are fantastic at math and physics and men who excel in language skills. Only when we look at very large populations and look for slight but significant trends do we see the generalizations." Godfrey Pearlson, M.D.

How we shape the future depends on what we believe. Can we accept new knowledge of our own brains with all it's nuances or are we forced by another part of our brain to generalize and create a polar society.

December 12, 1999

*Title

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"Cutting the Costs of Paper: Saving Forests, Water, Energy Ö and Money" Worldwatch News Release

Ashley T. Mattoon is a Staff Researcher.

Janet N. Abramovitz

http://www.worldwatch.
org/ alerts/991211.html

Worldwatch Institute study says that we could cut papermaking by 50%. And gives suggestions. It also names companies which have cut paper use.

Environmental clean-up in the paper industry began in Sweden.

Many think paper is no longer an environmental issue. Not so says WWI who presses the environmental awareness trend upward.

December 11, 1999
Back to Signs of the Times.

 

 from February 12, 2000

*Title

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Moral Standards and Values "Very Important" in 2000 Election

 

 

 

 

Public Values Vision, Leadership and Economic Stewardship in President Gore voters put more emphasis on caring about the poor, Washington and foreign policy experience; Bush voters on moral leadership

 

New survey shows that globally, consumers developing a conscience

The Communitarian Update

Number 22

comnet@GWIS2.CIRC.
GWU.EDU

 

 

 

POLL RELEASES GALLUP NEWS SERVICE PRINCETON, NJ

by Frank Newport

 

http://www.gallup.com/
poll/releases/
pr991108.asp

 

MICHAEL BURGER

Earth Times News Service

http://www.earthtimes.
org/ nov/business_
investingnewsurveynov
12_99.htm

In a ranking of issues important for the next election, voters said that education, crime, and protecting Social Security were the most important issues. Sixty-seven percent of American voters said encouraging high moral standards and values were important. This ranked above taxes, foreign affairs, the environment, and others. This survey is a Washington Post/ABC News poll.

 
In a closer look at what morals and values means to the American public, Gallup finds that Bush voters emphasize moral leadership and marital fidelity, while those planning to vote for Gore emphasize caring about the poor, experience in Washington and foreign policy.

 

 

 
A global expectation of corporate social responsibility in the areas of labor practices, business ethics and environmental impacts has been found in a poll on by Environics International Ltd., Toronto. They worked in conjunction with the Conference Board, New York, and The Prince of Wales Business Leaders Forum, London. Our of the 25,000 people from 23 countries, 6 in 10 people said they formed their opinions of companies based on those issues.

The trend for attention to values and morals is growing. Future decisions, generations and future profits are at stake.

October 1, 1999

 

 

 

 

November 8, 1999

 

 

 

 

 

November 21, 1999

*Title

**Source/ Author

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****Date

Report from Amitai Etzioni on UNESCO conference. The Communitarian Update, Number 22

comnet@GWIS2.CIRC.
GWU.EDU

Full report available from UNESCO Paris, 7 place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris

Telephone: (33.1) 45.68.10.00

Fax: (33.1) 45.67.16.90.

Least the reader think that values and morals is only a national subject, UNESCO's Division of Philosophy and Ethics headed by Dr. Yersu Kim, just issued A Common Framework for the Ethics of the 21st Century,' which includes the following quotes: "Without order, anarchy prevails; without autonomy communities turn into authoritarian states. We must therefore strive for an equilibrium between individual rights and the concern for the common good."

"Recognizing that dialogue is essential to harmonious coexistence, we must learn to act in such a way that dialogue accompanies every action."

"Legislation tends to numb the moral urge."

A group of lay researchers called "Future Builders" predicted a Global Ethical Council by 2021. Could this be it's beginning? See http://www.futuretales.se

October 1, 1999

*Title

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Down the tubes

Europe may ban today's toxic-laden computers, if the US and WTO don't block it.

BY ERIC SCIGLIANO

http://www.seattle
weekly.com/ features/9946/
tech-scigliano.shtml

Lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavelent chromium, and halogenated flame retardants are the waste products of electronic equipment. In a proposal by the European Commission, "Directive on Waste from Electric and Electronic Equipment," called WEEE, "Extended producer responsibility" will be expected of manufacturers who will take back all their electronic products (even toasters, toys, and stoves) and provide and pay for collection.

Europe is clearly leading the recycling trend. Badly needed jobs requiring short training times could be one result.

November 18 - 24, 1999

*Title

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D.C. Residents Turn Out for Their City's Future Washington Post

Page C1

Staff Writer Michael H. Cottman

http://www.washington
post.com/wp-dyn/
articles/A28002-
1999Nov20.html

In the District of Columbia 3,000 people, varying in age, race and location in the district, came to a "town house" meeting. There they shared their feelings, needs and opinions about what was needed in their neighborhoods Small table discussions were rigged with electronic equipment which showed the ideas of each table. The response was enthusiastic. The Major has prioritized the needs and has laid up his planning and budget in accordance with what the people most wanted.

Is going local and electronic the face of a new democratic trend?

November 21, 1999

*Title

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****Date

This Is Not a Polish Joke

Industrious endeavors in the former Soviet empire

Grist Magazine

David Helvarg

http://www.grist
magazine.com/ grist/maindish/
helvarg111199.stm

Emissions trading has taken a creative turn in Poland. In order for industrial facilities to use natural resources each pays a small percent of its operating costs as a users fee. If the facility pollutes, they have to pay a fine when they go over legal limits. The money goes to a fund managed by the Ministry of the Environment which is used to make loans for cleaner technologies. If the company who has taken the loan meets the environmental standards and pays the money back punctually, it only has to return 50% of the original loan.

This is an innovation which will hopefully catch on.

November 11, 1999

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Tiny Television Against the odds, pirate TV banishes barriers The Nation

EVELYN MESSINGER

http://www.thenation.
com/ issue/991129/
1129messinger.shtml

Technology has enabled the creation of hundreds of very small television, radio stations, cable and sometimes satellite channels. They are growing in number in previously communist countries such as Macedonia and Moscow, Jerusalem and Beirut, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, even in France Some are pirate and others legal and many are motivated to broadcast what government controlled channels do not.

This trend will continue as long as there are people who feel limited in their access to information and expression.

It is one type of democratic expression.

November 19, 1999
Back to Signs of the Times.

 

 from January 30, 2000

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The Sandman Speaks - and Businesses Listen Trend Letter Sleep syndrome is a growing new trend. Two out of three Americans get less than the recommended eight hours sleep. Productivity and learning effectiveness goes down. Several critical accidents (Challenger explosion, Exxon Valdez oil spill and Three Mile Island have been attributed to sleep deprivation.

The commercial implication is an increase in products for sleeping and staying awake. The social implication in a 24 hour global society could mean a new respect for sleep.

October 28, 1999

*Title

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Huset som blir varmt av kroppsvärme

The house that is warmed by body heat.

Göteborgs-Posten
Page 10

Eva Heyman

It is no longer talk. Twenty energy saving houses are planned for Southern Sweden, Germany has 200 some of which are six years old.

This is the beginning of a trend in energy saving dwellings being build on a larger scale and by government housing authorities.

November 8, 1999

*Title

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Education and the new economy: A policy planning exercise Rand Corporation

C. Stasz, J. Chielsa,
W. Schwabe

http://www.rand.
org/publications
/MR/MR946/

In an exercise conducted by Rand for the National Center for Research in Vocational Education (NCRVE), there were considerable feelings for making lifelong learning available. Half of four panels emphasized the need for a more individually tuned system. Costs would be funded by drawing on individual accounts, perhaps co-funded by the individuals themselves. In Sweden the current model being discussed is a shared contribution between employers and employees.

Trends generally go from words to handling as we see in this case. It begins with discussions and hopefully will end with action.

November 18, 1999

*Title

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"Organs Watch" To Track Organ Traffic http://dailynews.yahoo.
com /headlines/local/
state/california
/story.html?s=v/rs/
19991104/ca/
index_2.html#2
A new group to monitor global trafficking in human organs. Their task is to check reports and rumors of human rights abuses, locate them and define what is ethical.

This is a new NGO Non-gov. Org. confirming the growth of a new type of global democratic institution. Perhaps in the future we will only follow and support a few global causes. We will have to trust that others take responsibility for the issues we don't monitor.

November 5, 1999

*Title

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Public Supports Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in Principle Public is largely unaware of U.S. Senate vote to reject it POLL RELEASES GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

by David W. Moore

http://www.gallup.
com /poll/releases/
pr991105.asp"

Ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty was voted down last month by the Senate. Most citizens didn't know that it was up for a vote. 59% of those Americans responding to the survey voted to ratify the treaty.

In earlier Signs of the Times we reported Americans lack of awareness regarding the amount of gene manipulated food in grocery stores. Clearly having access to information does not guarantee its use.

November 5, 1999

*Title

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Technique Reported Today Could Accelerate Gene Research Daily University Science News

http://unisci.com
/stories/19994/
1105991.htm

The University of Rochester has developed a technique that reduces tedious biomedical research processes to identify the genes that trigger biochemical activities within our bodies to a few simple experiments taking only days.

There are so many breakthrough's in genetics theses days one never knows which are the real breaking points. This could open the doors to treatments and give us even more control over the physiology of future generations. Increased speed makes it more difficult for ethical stands to be determined.

November 5, 1999
Back to Signs of the Times.

 

 from January 16, 2000

*Title

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New Poll Shows Many Leading Exporters Using Bribes Transparency International

http://www.gwdg.de/
~uwvw/icr.htm

Thirty-four member nations of the OECD (the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development)." signed domestic anti-corruption legislation called the Anti-Corruption Convention last December.

This event connects two trends, one, a growing interest in ethical behavior and two, it contributes to a growing body of international laws, treaties and agreements which are the beginnings of a global government.

October 26, 1999

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High-tech first-aid kit gives elderly help in rural areas Japan Times On Line

http://www.japan
times.co.jp/
news/news11-99/
news.html#story9

A new kit, the Electric Health Checker, is being developed in Japan which contains, a thermometer, and equipment to measure pulse and blood-sugar level. It will make possible the sending of pictures of ailing body parts The kit is intended for people who live where there are no medical facilities. Yes, this is from the same company that makes toilet seats that automatically measure a person's weight and percentage of body fat.

This is just one of a number of products that shifts more of the data gathering aspect of health services out to the individual. Will there be public versions homeless people can use at the library?

November 2, 1999

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Pentagon Appoints No Gun Ri Panel By DAVID BRISCOE Associated Press Writer

http://dailynews.
yahoo.com/
h/ap/19991103/pl/
no_gun_ri_3.html

The Pentagon investigation into alleged killings by U.S. soldiers of South Korean civilians at No Gun Ri. They have invited in a panel of experts from outside the Pentagon.

There have been a series of activities intended to finish old business and learn the truth about wartime from W.W.II Activities like gold taken from victims, Swedish "neutrality" etc, are part of an emotional closing of the books. Now, the same process is seen in the United States regarding the Korean war. Is this need to clean up after past sins a trend, or are we just eavesdropping in a global confessional?

November 3, 1999 1:01 AM

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The WTO and Free Trade Rachel's Environment & Health Weekly is a publication of the Environmental Research Foundation, P.O. Box 5036, Annapolis, MD 21403. Fax (410) 263-8944; Internet: erf@rachel.org

http://www.rachel.org/ bulletin/bulletin.cfm

The World Trade Organization was designed to defend a global free market.

It is now four years old and was created by international treaty. The WTO was designed by transnational corporations who play a guiding role the org. It has 134 nations as members, and 700 pages of rules which it can enforce itself.

This is a leading player in the new global governance system and deserves watching.

October 21, 1999

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WHO wraps up first meeting on global anti-tobacco accord GENEVA - AP World News via NewsEdge Corporation

http://www.individual.
com/ servlet/ BuildIssue?
source=npdnp

Health experts at a World Health Org. meeting have reached a consensus to establish a treaty to cut cigarette consumption.

Another area of globalization, health. There are many ramifications, for example, air lines could be required to test passengers who may be carriers of epidemic diseases.

November 1, 1999

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Global Competitiveness The Economist New Business p.143 A report, done for World Economic Forum, rated how difficult, on a scale of easy to difficult (1-7), it is to set up a business in various countries.

The point spread was between 3.0 and 7.0 points. Twenty countries responded, the first being the United States with 62%. The next five were New Zealand, Iceland, Canada, Finland, Britain, with Sweden being nr. 12.

October 16-22, 1999

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Lättare och lättare förpackningar

Lighter and lighter packaging

Miljöeko magazine. Nr. 4 1999 p.6

Report from APME, The plastics industries European association

The weight of plastic packaging has decreased 28% over the last ten years. Material reduction has saved 1.8 billion tons of plastic. Reuse of plastic packaging has increased 10% since 1995. Survival demands that we look at the negative trends connected with our lifestyles on the planet, but it is encouraging to note that there also trends that point upward as well.

November 3, 1999
Back to Signs of the Times.

 

 from January 02, 2000

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Digital Graffiti or Communication Breakthrough? New World Order Jeff Howe

Village Voice

Article Number: S6351

http://www.alternet.org/
latest.html

A new, free, interactive software package, called The Third Voice, will allow an Internet reader to post comments anywhere on the Web in the form of a icon. A person looking at the home page will be able to see what has been added by readers. Third voice was reported on July 14 on National Public Radio. Interactivity, opens the internet as it was originally intended as uncensored.

This is a new form that will increase interactivity in text communication. The possibilities for both democratic dialogue and abuse are massive.

October 22, 1999

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Artificial chromosome makes engineering humans more tempting than ever

New Scientist. Andy Coghlan
http://uk.news.yahoo.
com/ 991022/18/
9qse.html

 

 

 

http://www.newscientist.
com/ ns/981003/
superhumans.html

 

http://www.newscientist.
com/ ns/981024/
nchina.html

Making genetic changes that will be inherited by future generations or transgenic animals' is becoming a practical possibility at Chromos Molecular Systems of Burnaby, British Columbia. "We are in control of the technology, and we don't want to engage in germline gene therapy," stresses the vice-president of corporate development, Eileen Utterson.

The same author told us over a year ago that globally there are many groups trying to create artificial human chromosomes. New Scientist, 3 October 1998, p 24.

Just recently the Coghlan also reported on the attitudes of 255 Chinese geneticists on the use of their science. The same questions were asked of Americans and Englishmen. "Couples who are both genetic carriers of genetic disease should not have children; Genetic testing should be included in pre-employment physical examinations; Governments should require premarital carrier tests; Woman's abortion decision should be her own." In response to the first three questions the % of Chinese answering was much higher. In the last question their response was much lower. As we human animals increase control over our own evolution, we don't seem capable of deciding whether we want such control in the first place. Cultural differences (China is a collective culture and the other two highly individual) might be the easiest problem to solve.

October 22, 1999

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Alert http://www.world
watch.org/

Private citizens, as members of Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), are showing an increasing level of influence over governmental and corporate decision making. The number of international NGOs having significant activity in three or more countries has quadrupled to 20,000 in the last 30 years.

A new trend in global democracy.

October 27, 1999 1:01 AM

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NEW CHALLENGES FOR OLD HANDS; GROWING NUMBER OF RETIREES ARE HEADING BACK TO WORK The Record (Bergen County, NJ) BYLINE: DAVID GOWRIE, Staff Writer

http://www.shrm.org/
hrnews/

In the United States there is a growing trend for people to remain in the work force beyond the traditional age of retirement. It is fueled by a rapidly expanding portion of the population for whom staying healthy and keeping active is important. The trend is further fueled by a tight labor market.

In Sweden there is evidence that hiring mature employees into youth dominated IT firms is appreciated by both age groups and adds qualities that neither group has alone.

October 25, 1999

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The Consequences of Divorce American Demographics, by Jennifer Lach

http://demographics.com/
publications/ad/99_ad/
9910_ad/ad991005c.htm

A study from University of Utah entitled, "Coupling and Uncoupling: Changing Marriage Patterns and the Intergenerational Transmission of Divorce." has found that children of divorced do not divorce at the same rate their parents did. Behind the figures lies the fact that children choose cohabitation more often and are less likely to marry. This means that those who do marry do not divorce at the same rate as their parents did.

This is evidence of a very segmented trend, depending on the age of a child at the time of divorce and the attitude of the surrounding community about divorce.

October 1999

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A global money market The Economist

Globalization is spreading to corporations as their boards memberships become more international and top managers salaries converge. This does not apply to international banking bemoans the article.

Globalization is happening on many levels, but examples of cultural diversity can also be found locally.

October 16 -22 1999

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No title Clay Shirky is a contributing editor at FEED and Professor of Media Studies at Hunter College.

http://www.feedmag.com/
daily/dy102599
_master.html

Remember the news about the models who were auctioning their eggs on the Internet to infertile women who wanted good looking children? The story was a hoax which was picked up by a respected newspaper, the Times. American and other newspapers use them as a source or gatekeeper of their news stories.

This was a relatively easy joke to uncover. The implications for the development of a shared, global, knowledge base are enormous. What information do we want in our global consciousness and who decides what that is?

October 25, 1999
Back to Signs of the Times.

 

 from December 19, 1999

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Utrotning hotar unik fiskart i Iran

Extinction threatens a unique type of fish in Iran

Metro (IPS)

A type of fish that only lives in 40 degree water in the province of Hormuzga in Iran is threatened with extinction due to water pollution. The Department of Environment Protection in Iran will look into how they can save the fish.

There is an accepted stereotype that countries poor in money and democracy don't care about the environment. Scare stories about what will happen to water supplies when all Chinese have toilets fall into this category. The trend of environmental awareness seems to be stronger than westerners stereotypes.

October 14, 1999

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ADVISORY/Net Firms Barter Ad Space, Online Services

Company Press Release

BUSINESS WIRE ­

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/
991020/expertsour_1.html

Barter has reportedly become a common type of exchange for some Internet companies. By exchanging Web advertising space for other online products and services, several Net companies attributed more than 10 percent of revenues in the second quarter to barter practices.

Look for this form of business to grow on the net where profits are long in coming.

October 20, 1999

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Gas powered By Kurt Kleiner. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, vol 38, p 3045).

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/
991015/18/9dck.html

James La Clair, an independent chemist in Berlin has created a molecule that is fluorescent when nitrogen is present, but becomes non-fluorescent when nitrogen is replaced by CO2 . It is the first molecular switch that is driven by common atmospheric gases.

Now the trick is to follow this development and see if it comes into general usage.

October 15, 1999 1:01 AM

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Mjuka värden trend i världen.

Soft values trend i the world

Svenska Dagbladet

Kristina Lund

In Sweden, trend watching has become a trend in itself. Today trend watching and analysis has become a recognized field and a whole new professional area has developed.

It has really come of age when the major papers begin covering it.

October 21, 1999

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Millions Of South Africans Poised To Use Internet Pan African News Agency

http://www.africanews.
org/PANA/science/
19991020/feat3.html

Cyber-public access terminals are being to provide Internet and other online activities to millions of South Africans.

This has been reported on before, now we see that it is really developing. The prediction has been that the whole of Africa would take this route.

October 20, 1999

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Demographics The Atlantic Monthly p. 16

The number of home- schooled children in the United States tripled during the 1990's. The current growth rate is 15% per year. Dissatisfaction with public schools seems to be the driving force as well as curricula and materials support from the Internet.

Dissatisfaction with public schools seems to be a theme both in the US and Sweden.

September 1999

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PENTAGON WELFARE QUEENS ­ MORE THAN A BILLBOARD CAN BARE http://www.ruckus.
org/about.html

http://www.ruckus.org/
news/ GlobalizeThis/

http://www.alternet.org/
PublicArchive/
Masher1022.html

http://www.adbusters.org/

Print media press in free-speech countries have always had an alternative press. Marketing has never had alternative advertising until the last few years when Adbusters from Canada came on the scene. They specialize in campaigns, spoof ads and uncommercials and are headquarters for a group called culture jammers.

Now they are accompanied by The Ruckus Society based in Berkeley, California. Who recently had their pre-paid contract to place a satirical ad on a billboard rejected. Pentagon Welfare Queen is a satirical bill-board emphasizing private corporations relationship with and dependence on the military.

Advertising has long been an irritant for the public. Nothing goes unquestioned forever, especially considering the strenght of ethical and ecological trends. Now there seem to be some forces who are using advertising's own methods to point out their short comings.

October 23, 1999
Back to Signs of the Times.

 

 from December 04, 1999

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WTO:s arbete kritiseras

WTO:s work criticized

 

 

 

 

 

 

UNION URGES NEW GLOBAL TRADE RULES, BETTER PENSION MANAGEMENT

Metro (AP)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NANCY CLEELAND,

Los Angeles Times newspaper

http://www.shrm.org/
hrnews/

The World Trade Organization is a threat to democracy and the world environment say citizens rights groups in the United States.

The above is the first sign that critique of the WTO has come into mainstream press. Below find some of the views of one of America's biggest trade unions views on the subject. This is just the top of the iceberg when it comes to the public learning about how business and government set rules about global trade that could eclipse legislated powers in nations and loca areas. WTO meets in Seattle, Washington in November, 1999.

AFL-CIO, 700 delegates of America's largest trade union, called for a call for new rules on global trade and a plan called for an overhaul of the rules which govern global trade. They urged the World Trade Organization to take into account workers' rights and environmental concerns as well as free capital flows.

"What we're saying is there are serious problems with the neoliberal model of free trade. The idea that it will lift all boats isn't happening," said Ron Judd, executive secretary of the King County Labor Council.

October 14, 1999

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Polens fängelser överraskar: från historiskt skräckexempel till föregångsland

Poland's prisons surprise: from historic worst to role model.

Runt i Krim

Per Colliander

Prisons in Poland have been updated inside and out. New buildings have been built and the old renovated. The heart of the transformation lies in a two layered system, where all treatment personnel, who work directly with prisoners, have a college education. Guards and treatment personal all are chosen carefully. Every other year all personnel go through a series of tests. If they do not pass they loose their jobs.

Hopefully, Poland will be a trendsetter in prison treatment.

Number 8

September 1999

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Engelska majoriteten bli minoritet.

The English majority will be a minority.

Computer Sweden -Trends section,
Page 9

Up until now 54% of internet users speak English according to ComputerEconomics survey. but in the year 2003 other languages will be in the majority. Two years later nearer 60% will be non-English speakers.

This could put pressure on schools to spice up their language programs and/or give those technicians working with translation programs a shot in the arm. Maybe we are just recreating the tower of Babel.

October 14, 1999

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Americans not alarmed by application of biotechnology in food production http://www.gallup.com/
poll/releases/
pr991005.asp

"As many as fifty percent of American consumers who responded to an International Food Information Council poll believe that grocery stores do not sell biotech products" This quote from an earlier Sign Of The Times needs to be considered in relation to a poll done by Gallup in October, that reports that only " 27% of the U.S. public currently believe biotechnology poses a serious health hazard to consumers; 53% think it does not pose a hazard, and the rest, 20%, are unsure".

Trends can become muddied by all the polls and surveys, but the fact that most people are not even aware that genetic manipulated foods are in the stores, how could they be expected to see it as a serious health threat? Look for American's doubts to rise as the discussion continues.

October 5, 1999

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What's Next in Employee Benefits http://www.demographics.
com/ publications/
fc/newsdesk/ nd970317.htm

Forecast Newsdesk

U.S. Chamber of Commerce reported an increase in costs of benefits in 1997 such as pensions, health insurance, and other "agreed-upon" benefits from 9.7 percent to 16.5 percent in large corporations.

Legally required benefits such as FICA, unemployment, and workers' compensation, rest periods and bonuses/profit sharing and time not worked (vacations, holidays, and sick leave) were lower or the same as the year before.

This collaborates a continuing trend for large companies to offer increasingly more befits. The question is how long are they prepared to go to take care of their employees.

October 5, 1999

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UNION URGES NEW GLOBAL TRADE RULES, BETTER PENSION MANAGEMENT NANCY CLEELAND, TIMES STAFF WRITER Financial Desk

Los Angeles Times

http://www.shrm.org/
hrnews/

At a private meeting of labor fund trustees of the AFL-CIO's, Center for Working Capital presented a new rating system for mutual funds that market themselves as "worker friendly" and urged the trustees to incorporate the ratings when making investment decisions.

Still another action labeling investments and adding to the base of ethical possibilities presented to investors.

October 13, 1999
Wednesday, Home Edition

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N.M. Gov. Clarifies Drugs Position http://www.newspage.
com/ servlet/BuildIssue?
source=npdnp

In an Earlier Signs Of The Times we presented a court order which allowed medical marijuana for patients who could prove it was necessary to their treatment. It came from California. Recently the governor of New Mexico, Gary Johnson said "the nation's war on drugs has been a multibillion-dollar failure that throws too many people in prison." He would rather see it regulated, controlled and taxed.

Given the fact that many people in power positions now grew up in the sixties when smoking marijuana was commonplace and the fact that other products of the hemp plant have economic value, look to see more such comments coming from the United States.

October 7, 1999
Back to Signs of the Times.

 

 from November 21, 1999

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Holy fire New Scientist

 

By Andy Coghlan

 

http://www.newscientist.
com/ ns/19991002/
newsstory10.html

New York has recently had a problem with mosquitoes spreading West Nile virus, a brain disease. The poorest countries in the world are struggling with filariasis, a disfiguring parasitic disease.

The summer cypress contains an oil which can be used to kill the mosquitoes causing these diseases.

A synthetic version is available but is too expensive to manufacture. The natural product is cheap and easy to handle.

This is part of a back to nature trend- looking first to the natural solutions and the synthetics and poisons second.

October 2, 1999

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Organigraphs: Drawing How Companies Really Work The Harvard Business Review

 

 

by Henry Mintzberg and Ludo Van der Heyden

 

http://www.hbsp.
harvard.edu/ products/
hbr/sepoct99/
99506.html

A new management tool called organigraphs is being used by Mintzberg and Van der Heyden to help organizations understand the new and complex forms their companies are taking.

The new questions this tool answers are "What parts connect to one another? How should processes and people come together? Whose ideas have to flow where?".

The new "trend" of systems thinking is drifting organizational understanding.

 

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Kompetensför-
säkringen får nytt liv

Competence insurance takes on new life.

Morgondagens Omvärld published by Bengt Wahlström

Competence insurance is being discussed in Sweden. The latest to request such an insurance was the Association of Cities "Kommunförbundet" One proposed model for this life long learning insurance is that each person saves five percent of their salary and their employer puts in the same amount. After ten years savings, you have enough to study for a couple of years.

Note: The Swedish government pays university tuition. Similar schemes are being discussed in Norway. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a trend.

October 7, 1999
Number 4

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The High ­Tech Food Fight Ahead

Controversy over genetically modified foods puts Industry¹s PR skills to the test

Trend Letter

A report on the forces transforming the economy, business, technology, society and the world

As many as fifty percent of American consumers who responded to an International Food Information Council poll believe that grocery stores do not sell biotech products. The reality is that 60 percent of processed foods in the U. S. Contain gene-altered ingredients. Nearly 100 million acres are planted with genetically modified seeds. US farmers have fifty-five percent of soybean crops planted with altered seeds and half of all cotton and 40 percent of all corn. In 1990 there were none.

Do we really live in an information society? This story has ramifications for the quality of democratic processes.

September 30, 1999

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Mind your Ps and Qs. Trend Letter

Business is starting to use a program which filters out words considered racist, profane or offensive. There is opposition on the basis of free speech.

An unintended result could be kinder, more respectful speech between people.

September 30, 1999

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Home Improvement:

Equal pay and benefits ahead for home based workers

Entrepreneur International Magazine

By Christopher D. Lancette

http://www.entrepreneur
mag.com/page.hts?N=
7774&-AD=S#top

The European Commission (EC) of the European Union (EU) has passed a resolution to provide equal pay and treatment for the 6.9 million people--or 4.9 percent of the population who worked from home in 1992. A large number of these home workers are women. It is hoped the resolution will be applied in all member states who must report their progress. Their work involves everything from traditional home based jobs like crafts to "modern" tasks such as those involving electronics.

This resolution sets a model for home workers. If implemented it could raise the status and class of many home workers.

May 1999 Issue

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Arbete Nyheterna

The Workers News

By Ingegerd Svedberg

Göteborg

A new method to treat bulimia has been announced by the Child and Youth clinic at the Swedish University Hospital East in Göteborg. It is a combination of two treatments. The first 10 weeks are a cognitive treatment directing toward relating to food. The next 13 weeks are spent in interpersonal therapy. Seventy-two percent have been well or very much better research shows.

All methods for understanding mental/emotional illness improve quality of life for all of us. These breakthroughs are not as exciting as the technical ones, but they have even more impact. There is part of a trend to take those "secret" problems out into the light and find solutions for them. We now treat incest, torture etc.

October 9, 1999
Back to Signs of the Times.

 

 from November 07, 1999

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Home on the Organic Range

American Demographics
By John Fetto

http://demographics.com/
publications/ad99_ad/
9908_ad/ ad000810.htm

The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts that by 2000 half of all U.S. farm production will come from only 1 percent of all farms. In order to keep a family farm there are only a few choices and one of them is organic or natural farming.

This article represents the dying of one trend and the birth of another. The family farm is dying and organic production is growing.

Sept.15 1999

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African Leaders Urged to Stop HIV/AIDS Crisis http://www.newspage.
com/ servlet/Buildlssue

The World Bank on Monday called on African leaders, the private sector, and society at large to push the HIV/AIDS crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa to the center of their national agendas in order to stop the fastest-growing threat to development in the region. They are backing it up with a funding package.

Another sign of the globalization of health? This is an important move for those looking forward to doing business in Africa. It is important to understand the effect this pronouncement might have on the effected African leaders.

September 13, 1999

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Court Boosts California Medical Marijuana Clubs SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Reuters [OL] via NewsEdge Corporation

"The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer to review his October 1998 decision, which shut the Oakland Cannabis Buyers Cooperative (OCBC) for violating federal anti-drug laws.

The new order will "allow medical marijuana clubs to resume service for patients who can prove that cannabis is a medical necessity for treating their illnesses."

"I think we will have an opportunity, for the first time, to provide medical cannabis to a class of patients legally under federal law,'' Robert Raich, a lawyer for the OCBC.

This has implications for other parts of California as well. It may well be one indication of a changing attitude towards drugs which became known due to their illegal use.

September 14, 1999

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Own a slice of life Clay Shirky is a contributing editor at FEED and Professor of Media Studies at Hunter College.

http://www.feedmag.com/
daily/dy090899.html

"Two teams, one public and one private, are working feverishly to sequence all of the 100,000 or so genes which lie within the 23 pairs of human chromosomes. The public consortium aims to release the sequence into the public domain, while the private group aims to patent much of the genome, especially the valuable list of mutations that cause genetic disease." The competition between these two groups has vastly accelerated the pace of the work -- moving it from scheduled completion in 2005 to next year -- but the irony is that this accelerated timetable won't give the public time to grasp the enormous changes the project portends."

This subject is an definite wild card with overwhelming significance.

September 14, 1999

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US government paves way to let the water flow in the American West Earth Times News Service

http://www.earthtimes.org
/sep/ environmentus
government pavessep
12_99.htm

"Water in the West: The Challenge for the Next Century"--soon to be published by the Western Water Policy Review Advisory Commission--will recommend that water from farming and agribusiness be used in urban areas instead and to restore rivers and natural waterways. view the report on the Internet at www.den.doi.gov/wwprac/.

This marks a new way in thinking in the west but the change will not happen without a fight from the farmers.

September 18, 1999

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NewsEdge NewsPage http://www.newspage.
com/ servlet/BuildIssue
?source=npdnp

A negative long-term impact of managed care on women's access to appropriate quality health care services was reported in "Health Care Access and Coverage for Women: Changing Times, Changing Issues," by The Commonwealth Fund Commission on Women's Health.

Even with all our scientific progress, we still don't know how to deliver quality health care to everyone. This is not just an American problem, it is international. So far the trend is to a worsening of care everywhere.

September 17, 1999

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Herbalife To Take Company Private Newspage

http://www.newspage.
com/ servlet/Build
Issue?source=npdnp

Herbalife's Chief executive Mark Hughes has bought his companies outstanding shares on the market to make Herbalife a private company. `As a private company, without the distractions of day-to-day and quarter-to-quarter fluctuations in our share price, I will have more flexibility in making decisions to bring Herbalife where we want to be.

This could be a very interesting beginning of a new trend in managing a downturn in a business.

September 16, 1999
Back to Signs of the Times.

 

 from October 13, 1999

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Young, Gifted, and Red

Communism's surprising appeal to a new generation

By Leora Broydo
Utne Reader

Young Communist League, opened up shop on the Internet to promote its Marxist-Leninist doctrine ("capitalism sucks") to the 14-to-30 crowd. YCL has signed on more than 1,500 new members, increasing its ranks by more than a third.

A trend well worth watching.

June 26, 1999

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Tamarix restoration project in China World Atlas of Desertification Second Edition, UNEP, 1997

http://www.solutions-site.org/

Four Chinese counties joined forces to implement the Tamarix project. an effort to re-establish groundwater recharge, rejuvenate soil conditions, reduce waterlogging effects and salinization, and restore Tamarix populations.

This activity represents a trend to help people preserve the economy/ecology they have had traditionally instead of waiting till their only choice is to change their culture and become a market economy.

June 26, 1999

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Unique Recycling Program Yahoo! News, California

This fall, the City of Moraga, Calif. will test a new kind of recycling program. People will be able to leave furniture, appliances, bicycles and clothing at the curb. Crews from the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse will pick it up and sort through it, recycling what they can, so as to keep as much stuff as possible out of the dump.

This is a social innovation that is a precursor to a general trend to more sophisticated recycling. There are many examples all over the world. The trend is fueled in the US by overflowing refuse dumps.

June 26, 1999

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China stepping up support for small medium-sized business The Xinhua News Agency

China drafting a new law promoting small and medium sized business. They seen small business as a way to solve unemployment and improve the economy.

Small business has become governments new solution to many problems. The trend is to new laws tailored to this business group.

June 27, 1999

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Prøver ut fremtidens mobiltelefonsystem Yahoo News

Oslo: Post- og teletilsynet har tildelt Telenor og Teletopia hver sin prøvekonsesjon for UMTS - mobiltelefonsystemet som etter hvert vil erstatte GSM og gjøre din mobiltelefon brukbar over hele verden. Den nye standarden UMTS skal gjelde for tredje generasjon trådløse kommunikasjons-
systemer, og skal etter planen sørge for at mobiltelefonen virker like godt over hele verden.

This is one more contribution to the building of a global brain.

June 28, 1999

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Healing honey By Andy Coghlan

Dutch biologists are genetically engineering plants so that honey made from their nectar will contain drugs.

A trend to go back to natures substances and use them in new ways. It is driven by the growing genetic knowledge.

June 28, 1999

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Search for nuclear waste dump takes new turn Houston Chronicle

Texas exploring above-ground storage of low-level radio active waste.

Is this the beginning of a new trend?

June 27, 1999
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 from September 13, 1999

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Glädje i Japan när p-piler blir lagliga

Happiness in Japan when birth control becomes legal

TT- Reuers Metro

Champagne corks flew in the air in at least one family planning clinic yesterday, when Japanese women could finally start taking birth control pills.

This is a strong outward sign of an official acknowledgement of a changing role for Japanese women, as it surely isn't needed for slowing population growth

September 3, 1999

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Winning the War for the West

 

 

 

 

Prairie Style

The Atlantic Monthly by Perri Knize

 

 

 

 

Utne Reader by Scott Russell Sanders originally from Audubon

Winning... - Ranchers and environmentalists working together in various parts of the American West are saving ranches from subdivision and improving the ecological quality of the land.

Prairie Style- The Land Institute is studying the use of perennials on the prairie. By copying the structure of the prairie they are developing a perennial poly- culture, which is different from the traditional annual mono-culture. Various perennials grow from the same root and the land never needs plowing (saves topsoil). They have found prairie grasses which fix nitrogen, grasses which are three times as rich in protein as corn and a sunflower which is a rich source of oil.

It is interesting that both of these articles came out at about the same time. Is this stream of creative thinking about agriculture and ranching the beginning of new trends in agriculture?

July 1999 page 54 -62

 

 

 
July-August 1999 page 65-69

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Application hosting growing alternative http://www.nfibonline. com/
news/index.asp

Small businesses are the target for companies selling applications called hosting solutions. They enable small businesses to down load software from a distant server instead of buying the software and hiring an IT person to tailor it for them.

Part of a fast growing trend toward small business as a market niche with products specialized just for them.

August, 21 1999

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Project Presentation New Civilizations Network project presentations

Design technique which is explained at "Alive Designs" at

http://www. alivedesigns.net/
adobe.htm

House design using pressed earth brick technology. The pressed earth block is the newest development that is a hybrid of adobe and standard masonry technique using smaller bricks that can be used right off of the press. A double wall with insulation in the middle is used. It includes building totally off the grid, collecting rainwater, using composting toilets and going non- electric.

Future housing and buildings are being inspired by these innovations in home construction.

September 9, 1999

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Anti-Porn Law Under Fire Wired by Declan McCullagh

http://wired.com/
news/news/politics/
story/21544.html

The Child Online Protection Act developed by the American Congress which makes it a crime punishable by six months in jail and fines that can top US$50,000 to publish "any communication for commercial purposes that includes any material that is harmful to minors, without restricting access to such material by minors on a commercial Web site." It is being fought by a coalition of publishers, Internet companies, and trade associations. They say there is no practical way to monitor site content and keep children from watching it. It would be then illegal to produce such material in the first place and that infringes freedom of speech.

The trend here is a growing need for laws and policies governing the Internet. This is just one of many tricky questions society has to deal in regard to the Internet.

WASHINGTON -- 4:00 p.m. 1.Sep.99. PDT

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Capitalists for Positive Change Trendletter

Continued labor shortages, pressure from employees and the values of the Boomer and Generation X generations (and unions in the European case) are driving a trend christened social entrepreneurism or social enterprise. The trend is found in both Europe and the United States. Capitalists apply their abilities to community development and solutions for social issues.

This trend toward prioritizing social development has an opposing trend in those who feel free market trade will eventually solve social ills without need for their direct involvement.

May 27 1999

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Digital Disobedience How to piss off The Man online Shermakaye Bass is an Austin-based freelancer who covers arts, travel and culture for newspapers and magazines nati

Getting It http://ss.gettingit.com/
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Many new terms: Virtual sit-ins. Online anti-propaganda. Internet blockades. Bogus Web sites. Even digital marches. These are the terms that describe a new phenomenon called "hacktivism."

Hacktivists are international and the agitators behind groups like Electronic Disturbance Theater, The Cult of the Dead Cow and RTMark in the U.S.; London's Mongrel/National Heritage project; Italy's Anonymous Digital Coalition; and Hong Kong's Yellow Pages. They focus their skills on, big business and big government.

Their skills lie in writing and intercepting "code" to stage acts of electronic civil disobedience and disrupt the control language on a computer.

One protest called Mongrel's Natural Selection mission undermines bigotry. "It seems like just a meta search engine until you feed it one of 5,000 racial slurs; then it dumps you into hacked versions of bigot sites with Java scripts that won't leave you alone. 'It is the nightmare the whites-only Internet has been waiting for' Mongrel claims."

The main target of hacktivism is government repression. Protests against both economic and government powers in Mexico, the People's Republic of China, Indonesia, Iraq and the former Yugoslavia.

They try to coordinate online protests with street protests.

Is hacktivism only for the rich, with the equipment and education to protest ?

New trend in activism and web democracy. The author points out the thin line between protest and sabotage.

September 9, 1999
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