The sharing economy – the way we consume has changed forever

Share everything

At Union Kitchen in Northeast Washington, D.C., the “equipment library” contains some of the more mundane artifacts of the modern “sharing economy”: an oversized whisk, a set of spatulas, ladles, chopping knives, sheet pans and tongs.  It is also know as “collaborative consumption,” and is more often associated with the big-ticket items that have given the concept such bemusing cachet. Suddenly, it seems, people are casually lending and borrowing cars, bikes, even brownstones. But this basic kitchenware, hanging in a 7,300 square-foot warehouse, reveals the reaches to which all this sharing could ultimately expand, as well as the reasons why it will have to.

 

 

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Ending the global food crisis – we just need to make use of what we have

We could double our food supply just by making farming, shipping, and cooking more efficiently.

By 2075 the global population is set to hit 9.5 billion.  It is widely assumed the world will eventually run out of food. According to one UN study, we will need to increase agricultural production 70% by the middle of the century, if we’re to cater to all the expected bellies.

 

 

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Consumer-led growth in China

China announced its latest growth figures on Thursday. The speed of growth attracted most of the attention, but the source of growth is perhaps more striking. At a press conference, the National Bureau of Statistics pointed out that in the first three quarters of this year consumption* contributed over half (55%) of China’s growth, exceeding the contribution from investment. If that pattern holds, China’s growth this year will not be investment-led (let alone export-led), but consumption-led.**

 

 

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Americans waste more than a billion gallons of gas every year because of obesity

overweight-man-driving-car

For every additional pound of passenger weight, the United States uses up another 39 million gallons of fuel each year.

Obesity raises health costs as we all know with more frequent visits to the hospital, more prescription drugs, and a greater risk for developing diseases like diabetes.  What is less known are the economic costs of obesity.  What are increased costs obesity puts on the public infrastructure, the GDP or on the federal deficit?

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Eating More Salt Could Lower Chances of Heart Disease: Study

salt-shaker

In the eight-year study, people with the lowest salt intake had the highest rate of death from heart disease.

Eating a diet high in salt may not be as bad for you as first thought and could even reduce chances of heart disease.  The controversial findings question the push by authorities to get people to cut consumption.

 

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Natural Gas Is Second Fastest Growing Fuel

gasstovevi5

Pop quiz: Worldwide, what’s the fastest growing primary fuel on a per capita basis?  It should come as no surprise to hear the answer is coal. Cheap and scalable, the ubiquitous black stuff is the first menu choice of nearly all industrializing economies with a growing energy appetite. That was easy; how about the second fastest growing fuel?

 

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Alcohol Goes To Your Head In Six Minutes

Alcohol Goes To Your Head In Six Minutes

Drinking alcohol goes to your head fast 

For the first time, researchers have proved the rapid changes that drinking alcohol causes in human brain cells.

Previous tests on how alcohol affects the brain have only been done on animals.  Scientists set out to test the well-known saying that just one drink can quickly go to your head.

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How Much Energy Is Required To Make Bottled Water?

How Much Energy Is Required To Make Bottled Water?

 The energy required to produce bottled water is up to 2,000 times more than the energy required to produce tap water.

Most people who buy bottled water have access to clean drinking water virtually for free (in the US, tap water costs less than a penny per gallon, on average). Nevertheless, the consumption of bottled water continues to grow, far surpassing the US sales of milk and beer, and second only to soft drinks.

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