Open Skies = Greater Competition

Just today there was an interesting article about opening up the skies. As of Sunday airline companies based in the European Union can now fly from the Americas to a country other than the country of their origin. This will probably bring more volume and quite possibly cheaper tickets. Usually the case is when supply increases fares go down.

In the same article there was also a recommendation for Canadian airlines. Canada's Competition Bureau has pressed Ottawa to be a little more lax in the ownership restrictions on Canadian airline companies. This would encourage more competition in the market and benefit all Canadians.

As for what this means for Canadians; well we could be seeing some cheaper airfare to Europe. We could also see more competition for flights within Canada. With more competitive markets we could start to see lower airfares making travel more affordable. Well that was just my opinion; what's yours?

News Story: Open Skies agreement to spur 'new era' in transatlantic flight
Image Source: Wiki Media Commons

Climate Change Conference Fallout

I was reading an interesting article on the B.B.C.s website today. Even though the article wasn't exactly about idling cars, it was about a European Union proposal to fine car manufacturers for producing cars that emit more CO2 then a set average limit. Some green enthusiasts are not thrilled about the proposal and some Car manufacturers are up in arms over it. But the E.U. is committed to being a world leader in cutting CO2 emissions.

Germany's BMW and France's Peugeot are calling it an unprecedented move. They don't see the benefits of a reduction in CO2 emissions, at least that's my point of view. The move was to show the world that the E.U. is committed to reducing greenhouse gases, which sounds like a move that is coming on the heels of the recent U.N. Climate Conference in Bali, Indonesia. One of the major contributors to the increase in greenhouse gases is the automobile industry.

Lets think about it for a second. How many cars can you find on the average road at any given time? What happens when the volume of those vehicles increase to the point where highways and motorways are nothing more than parking lots? How much idling is each individual car doing during a 45 km commute when traffic is moving at a rate of 0 to 50km/h? I know that taking public transit is less convenient than driving to and from work, I've had to do it on more than one occassion. The solution to averting the more drastic affects of climate change is out there, we just have to look for it.

I think the E.U.s proposal for setting fines for cars that produce more than a set limit of CO2 per kilometre is a step in the right direction. From what I've seen, most proposals for reducing greenhouse gases are anti-economical, but what is more devastating, increasing the temperature of our planet to the point where it's not habitable or having to spend money to avert killing our planet? We all have the power to find a solution to the current crisis our environment is facing, but all these baracades that business' are puting up in the name of profit have to be removed. If not for us, then for our children and our children's children. What do you think?

Image source: Canada-News
News Story: German ire at EU fine on car CO2

Big Brother Is Watching!

I recently ran across and interesting article on the 'C.B.C.s' website. In the article, U.S. tightens screening of Canadians with visas, the author describes an new fingerprint scanning procedure that the U.S. department of homeland security is introducing. Recently at work, management had a thumbprint scanner installed to get rid of the current system of swiping a card. Every day I see or hear about new technology that have a distinctly Orwellian look or feel to them.

It has been years since I have read George Orwell's '1984' but I still vividly recall the moral behind the novel. Granted that '2 + 2 = 5' in the novel, in reality it seems as though we are getting closer and closer to having two way screens in our living room that some unknown and unseen agent can check up on us. Is Orwell's grim fictional tale of the future becoming fact in our society?

With the introduction of the European Union, one of my first thoughts was a quote from Orwell's 1984, "Big Brother is watching you!" I've read articles that a similar system is to be introduced here on the North American continent, the North American Union (N.A.U.). Shades of these two unions were foretold in Orwell's book. It's amazing that a book written in 1948 could have so much impact on todays world. Just try to remember, "Big Brother is watching."

A Soaring Canadian Dollar Part 2!

Have you heard of the "Amero" or the "North American Union?" Well all this is new to me. Recently I have come across some rather disconcerting news, if you look hard enough you can find more information on it. I will definitely be doing more research on the topic, but here is some speculation based on what I have read and heard so far. An article of note on the topic of the N.A.U. (North American Union) is Debut of the 'amero' written by Judi McLeod, which is the inspiration for this post.

The collapse of the American Dollar and the rise of our Canadian Dollar has been fore casted. According to some sources, the collapse of the American Dollar was planned many years ago behind a curtain of secrecy. The purpose is to help usher in the "Amero" as the currency of the "North American Union." All of this information that I have come across sheds a new light on free trade agreements between Canada, Mexico and the United States. The strength of the E.U. (European Union) and the "Euro" illustrates strength in numbers, but can a similar system prosper here between Canada, Mexico and the U.S.?

A stronger Canadian dollar illustrates to many economists, the high cost of living here in Canada. Minimum wages are relatively higher here in Canada, for instance, an employee at McDonald's wage in Alberta or British Columbia is higher than it is here in Ontario. But here in Ontario, the Minimum wage is currently on a rise towards $10/hour. The cost of living has increased throughout the years and Canadians are suffering from price gouging every where we turn. How would a centralized currency affect the Canadian economy?

My opinion is that a N.A.U. would serve to drive prices down here in Canada, but would that really be good for the masses? Initially, if the cost of living for Canadians was reduced, the increase in disposable income would help out many Canadians throughout the country, and our GDP would be on the rise based on the increase in disposable income. However there is a draw back to falling prices, the reduced cost of products and services will in turn reduce wages across the board as companies reduce operating costs to increase profit margins. I'm no financial wizard, but reduced wages will force people to search for better paying jobs and most likely affect the national unemployment rate.

To Be Continued...