Blog Archives
KNOW IF GROWTH IS GOOD OR BAD?
Australia's GDP growth was 0.2 percentage points for the quarter ending September 3rd, 2019, bringing the annual pace of GDP growth to 1.2 per cent. It has been higher in the past and is almost at the zero growth rate favoured for a steady state economy. It is a half of the US rate of 2.3 percent for the 4th quarter in 2019. Australia's production is growing slowly. Are we to suppose there has been improvement in something else? Unlike Bhutan, Australia does not record happiness. If there has been an increase in happiness, or a decrease, we wouldn't know. Media reports of growth and its effects provide only a partial picture.. To appreciate what growth is occurring and how beneficial it is, I will switch my viewpoint to individual developments, the criteria for identifying winners and losers, and what they can expect. This is investigated in my paper DOES GROWTH BENEFIT SOME GROUPS AT AN EQUIVALENT COST TO OTHERS? For developments where this occurs, there are several possible philosophies of compensation. A conclusion is that development proposals should be audited for their attention to: markets; the public good; resource use efficiency; disadvantaged people; and conserving environments. Careful development will ensure that growth, although it may be slow, will be fair. My novel Presumed Dead is a crime fiction story that illustrates a government decision process for a casino development involving a sassy woman city councillor.
growth-benefits-and-costs-160819.docx
Short of Love
Short of Love is a satirical fiction novel telling of Tom’s loves and career from school, university, oilfield engineering to Chief Executive Officer of an international oil company. He falls for Vicki in an agonising love story when he is studying hard and tries to put her off until later, like in a commodity short. They are brought together in an African country and oppose famine and exploitation. It is a fast-moving page-turning love story from the Beatles era to recent times.
http://www.martinknox.wordpress.com
KNOW IF GROWTH IS GOOD OR BAD?
Australia's GDP growth was 0.2 percentage points for the quarter ending September 3rd, 2019, bringing the annual pace of GDP growth to 1.2 per cent. It has been higher in the past and is almost at the zero growth rate favoured for a steady state economy. It is a half of the US rate of 2.3 percent for the 4th quarter in 2019. Australia's production is growing slowly. Are we to suppose there has been improvement in something else? Unlike Bhutan, Australia does not record happiness. If there has been an increase in happiness, or a decrease, we wouldn't know. Media reports of growth and its effects provide only a partial picture.. To appreciate what growth is occurring and how beneficial it is, I will switch my viewpoint to individual developments, the criteria for identifying winners and losers, and what they can expect. This is investigated in my paper DOES GROWTH BENEFIT SOME GROUPS AT AN EQUIVALENT COST TO OTHERS? For developments where this occurs, there are several possible philosophies of compensation. A conclusion is that development proposals should be audited for their attention to: markets; the public good; resource use efficiency; disadvantaged people; and conserving environments. Careful development will ensure that growth, although it may be slow, will be fair. My novel Presumed Dead is a crime fiction story that illustrates a government decision process for a casino development involving a sassy woman city councillor.
growth-benefits-and-costs-160819.docx
Let’s have petrol of our own.
African children queue for food
Exploration drilling for oil offshore in the Great Australian Bight has been opposed by activists. Australia imports 80% of its crude oil from SE Asia (49%), Africa (24%), Middle East (17%) and others (10%). Import of oil from developing countries depletes their resources and can destabilise government and development. The fiction novel $hort of Love by Martin Knox illustrates horrific ethical dilemmas of importing oil from a developing country suffering famine. After you read this story, you are likely to reduce your petrol consumption or alternatively want drilling in The Bight.
Reviews of the book are here: http://www.martinknox.wordpress.com
