Cars, GDP Growth, Environment
All those cars that Volkswagen bought back in the wake of their embarrassing emissions scandal have to end up somewhere, and that somewhere is large parking lots across America. Today, there are currently 294,000 cars parked in such areas as the abandoned Detroit Lions stadium, some are rotting on a decommissioned California Air Force base, and thousands are being held at a port in Baltimore. Reuters, March 29, 2018
The average American spends 93% of their life inside- they spend 87% of their time indoors and another 6% in automobiles. Environmental Protection Agency
Since the release of “Grand Theft Auto” in 2013, the game has sold 90 million copies, putting its haul well north of $6 billion, making it the most commercially successful media property of all time. FiveThirtyEight, April 10, 2018
The annual GDP Growth Rate in the U.S. averaged 3.19% from 1948 until 2017. Trading Economics
“The function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable.” John Kenneth Galbraith
In March of 2018, Portugal produced more than enough renewable energy to meet the entire country’s mainland electrical demand. Fifty-five percent was produced through hydro power, while 42% came from wind. NPR, April 5, 2018
Japan has always been a relatively low-crime country, but lately crime rates have gotten so low that police are getting bored. One woman describes how five officers crowded into her cramped apartment after she reported her knickers being swiped from a clothesline. In fact, as the police run out of things to do, they are becoming more inventive about what constitutes a crime. In one recent case they arrested a group of people who had shared the cost of renting a car, deeming the arrangement an illegal taxi. The Economist, May 18, 2017
