by Erika Yost on March 5, 2009
Goodness knows we need many eyes watching whether revenue is managed effectively in the U.S. Perhaps President Obama should create a department of Revenue Watching in addition to the Recovery Act Transparency and Accountability Board. In the meantime, the non-profit Revenue Watch Institute (RWI) is focused on countries such as Liberia, where the responsible management of oil, gas and mineral resources is crucial for the public good.
RWI believes that with effective revenue management, citizen engagement and real government accountability, natural resource wealth can drive development and national growth. The Revenue Watch Institute is the only organization dedicated exclusively to addressing the special problems of oil, gas and mining-dependent countries-countries where poverty, conflict and corruption too often converge.
Last month RWI issued a report called “Getting a Better Deal from the Extractive Sector: Concessions Negotiation in Liberia, 2006-2008.” The report gives hope that all stakeholders can benefit from resource extraction. In 2006, as part of its wider reconstruction effort, the government of Liberia conducted a review and renegotiation of its contracts with the Firestone rubber company and the ArcelorMittal steel company. The resulting amended contracts offered Liberia significant gains, in areas from taxes and corporate governance rules to environmental and social issues such as housing and education. The contracts were accepted by Liberia’s legislature and general public and also by Firestone and ArcelorMittal.
According to RWI, the successful negotiations have caught the attention of other African governments seeking to ensure that their countries maximize value from natural resource concessions.
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by Rob Kellogg on November 25, 2008
Executives of the U.S. auto industry – flanked by their cadre of lobbyists – are now busy begging lawmakers for handouts. So far, GM, Ford and Chrysler have failed to present a strong case for using taxpa
yer money in their resuscitation. We know that Wagoner (GM), Mulally (Ford) and Nardelli (on behalf of Cerberus Capital, owner of Chrysler ) will get one more chance to prove their case once Obama takes office, if not sooner. And regardless of whether the “big 3″ automakers end up filling their golden chalices with federal money, a mandate stipulating an increase in the production of plug-in electric cars will emerge. This much is sure.
So it seems that this is an opportune time to consider what the next era of America’s auto industry might usher in. Let’s start by taking a quick trip back to high school chemistry class since the future of the auto industry and the new fleet of next generation cars starts with the letters “Li” on the periodic table.
The element lithium is one of nature’s more flexible atoms. Lithium salts were used during the 19th century to treat various ailments and millions of people around the world today rely on it to treat psychosis and manic-depression. Lithium is also used as an industrial agent to kill algae and to filter carbon dioxide from the air in spaceships.
Lithium is the lightest metal and the least dense solid element and because of this it is very effective in heat transfer applications used in rechargeable and primary batteries because of its high electrochemical potential, light weight, and high current density. A lithium-ion battery is the “engine” (non-combustion of course) of today’s electric cars and will likely remain so in the foreseeable future.
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Goodness knows we need many eyes watching whether revenue is managed effectively in the U.S. Perhaps President Obama should create a department of Revenue Watching in addition to the Recovery Act Transparency and Accountability Board. In the meantime, the non-profit Revenue Watch Institute (RWI) is focused on countries such as Liberia, where the responsible management of oil, gas and mineral resources is crucial for the public good.
