Two events occurred after I left Korea that I wished I could have witnessed.  First, the 2002 World Cup, though being there in 1996 when Korea the bid with Japan was interesting for Koreans' collective angst at having to settle for co-hosting that extravaganza.  Second, last week much of Korea was buried in 10 inches (25 cm), of snow, a record since the country first gauged statistics in 1937.  In addition to the traffic, I can only imagine the mayhem resulting from those trying to trudge through Myong-dong in platform shoes or delivering noodles or appliances on the back of a motorbike.  Perhaps this was a case of best witnessing the news from the safety of television.  However, what that odd weather pattern does remind us is of Korea's third attempt to host the Winter Olympics, this time in 2018 in PyeongChang. (more...)

Japan is undergoing a huge shift in politics.  For only the second time since 1955, Japan's dominant Liberal Democratic Party lost its control of the House in the Diet, all but assuring Yuko Hatoyama will become the next Prime Minister.  How long this change will last is uncertain:  Japan in some ways is like the Italy of Asia--Prime Ministers change as often as well-heeled Japanese citizens change their Louis Vuitton handbags.  (more...)

When one thinks of China, "green" does not come into mind, unless it's the 50 yuan note, or the algae that often infests its water:  by most accounts, two-thirds of China's rivers and lakes are contaminated.  Most of the nation's electricity needs come from coal, a scary prospect from a nation of over one billion and counting.  Most of China's skies are grey:  Hong Kong, a favorite business travel destination of mine, suffers from the nearby factory smokestacks of Guangzhou to the point that many corporations are considering leaving because of quality of life issues.  Littering also seems to be a national pastime:  my memory of hiking in remote areas in China is seeing trash along the trails or strewn along bushes.  Before we pick on China too much, however, this was also true of much of the USA during the 1960s and 1970s. (more...)

I'm very disappointed with Van Jones' decision to resign as White House environmental adviser over the weekend.  I just started reading The Green Collar Economy and while I do not agree with all of his ideas, his book is an excellent read that explains how creating jobs and saving the environment are not mutually exclusive. (more...)

Having grown up in Silicon Valley, I am proud of how this area has reinvented itself time and time again.  Santa Clara County (sorry, San Francisco and San Mateo County, you're not the valley) survived the defense industry meltdown of the 1990s, the dot-com bust earlier this decade, and now will be the nerve center for the green tech revolution . . . provided that it's a revolution and not well, dissolution . . . (more...)

Last year I worked for a company that sent me all over North America for really no good reason.  On one hand, it was a fascinating experience listening to energy executives talk about their corporate strategy when oil was hovering at US$150 a barrel.  But when you are flying halfway across the country spewing out jet fuel for one appointment, you hardly feel green.  One trip that was exhilarating, however, was a quick run to North Dakota, a state that immediately left me smitten.  Bismarck, the capital, was full of Art Deco architecture that would leave most cities envious, and its people were friendly and welcoming.  (more...)