Namibia: Black Gold – Boon, Boom or Bust?
January 29th, 2024
Via The Brief, commentary on Namibia’s hydrocarbon optimism: Namibia’s oil discoveries have been a source of optimism for the future trajectory of the economy. Yet with great excitement comes caution, as other countries’ experiences internationally, provide stark lessons on the double-edged sword of oil riches. Namibia stands at a crossroads – with a choice between […]
Read more »India’s EV Boom Stalls Over Charging Challenges
January 29th, 2024
Via Nikkei Asia, a look at how limited infrastructure is a major hurdle to lifting sales in India, the world’s No. 3 car market, where the nation has just 11,000 charging stations: Ujjwal Arora was on his way to an important meeting when he realized his electric vehicle battery was running low. So the New […]
Read more »Uzbekistan Becomes Most Populous Nation Among Former Soviet Republics
January 29th, 2024
Via Eca50.com, a report on Uzbekistan’s population growth: Uzbekistan’s population reached 36.8 million people as of January 1st, 2024, according to the country’s statistics agency. Meanwhile, Ukraine has been witnessing a long-term population decline, with a UN estimate of 36.7 million people for 2023. Since 1990, Uzbekistan has seen the biggest population growth among 50 […]
Read more »How Drug Traffickers Made the Galápagos Islands Their Gas Station
January 29th, 2024
Courtesy of The Washington Post, a riveting story on the interactions between economics, illegal activity, the environment, and fossil fuel consumption in Ecuador and a reminder that conservation is inextricable from peace and security, prosperity, and human well being: Charles Darwin described it as the most desolate of the Galápagos Islands, an almost extraterrestrial outpost […]
Read more »How Bitcoin Is Saving Wasted Energy and Expanding Financial Freedom in Africa
January 29th, 2024
Via Bitcoin Magazine, a look at how Bitcoin is monetizing stranded energy, financing electrical infrastructure, and empowering millions in Africa: Hundreds of millions of Africans face two problems holding them back from progress: 600 million lack electricity, while virtually all 1.4 billion people on the continent lack high-quality currency. Compare this to the US, Northern […]
Read more »How Mexico Plans to Reclaim Its Economy
January 29th, 2024
Via Geopolitical Futures, a report on Mexico and plans to reclaim its economy from organized crime: In Mexico, security and economic recovery are intertwined. Politicians and citizens alike understand that the country’s powerful criminal groups threaten both, and though they broadly agree that something should be done, no one agrees on the best path forward. […]
Read more »Focusing primarily on The New Seven Sisters - the largely state owned petroleum companies from the emerging world that have become key players in the oil & gas industry as identified by Carola Hoyos, Chief Energy Correspondent for The Financial Times - but spanning other nascent opportunities around the globe that may hold potential in the years ahead, Wildcats & Black Sheep is a place for the adventurous to contemplate & evaluate the emerging markets of tomorrow.