Around 11 years ago, two leading economists who had been collaborating for years surveyed the current state of continuing education in economics and saw a large gap. There were lots of programs providing formal education. But there were virtually none offering mid-career professionals the latest tools for dealing with financial issues in emerging markets in a compact format. … [Read more...] about Unique Opportunity to Delve into Macroeconomics at Columbia University
Can We Reduce Emissions While We Wait for a Carbon Tax?
We environmental economists have long advocated carbon taxes as the fastest and most efficient way to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions from cars and power plants and prevent catastrophic global warming later this century. But carbon taxes can be politically problematic. Witness recent events in France where efforts by the government to increase fuel taxes triggered weeks of … [Read more...] about Can We Reduce Emissions While We Wait for a Carbon Tax?
How Using Your Temptations As Bait Can Improve Your Health
We eat too much, watch too much television, fail to exercise and suffer the consequences of our lack of willpower and self-discipline. None of this is good. Today, as revealed in a recent IDB study, one in four adults in Latin America and the Caribbean is obese, with the Caribbean leading the trend at an alarming rate. That, in turn, results in higher incidences of … [Read more...] about How Using Your Temptations As Bait Can Improve Your Health
Making Better Food Choices in 2019
Why do so many New Year’s resolutions revolve around food? It's probably because so many of us eat without restraint, gorging ourselves on extra-large portions; because we know we should be eating less junk and more fruits and vegetables, but still end up reaching for that cookie. It's because what we eat and what we know we should eat don't line up. But it's not only our … [Read more...] about Making Better Food Choices in 2019
Putting Latin America and the Caribbean's 2019 Growth Prospects in Perspective
The outlook for the global economy has shifted from a situation of healthy, broad-based growth across the larger economic blocks to a more nuanced view of growth perspectives, with substantial risks clouding the horizons. Considering the 12 months from 2017 Q3 to 2018 Q3, growth in the United States was 3% but many suggest that this relatively high rate will fade through 2019 … [Read more...] about Putting Latin America and the Caribbean’s 2019 Growth Prospects in Perspective