Issue October 12, 2007
Dear Reader, The number of people on Earth has nearly tripled over the past 50 years; it now stands at 6.6 billion people. Demographers expect that global population will continue to grow until at least mid-century, when it will reach its peak. By then, around nine to ten billion people are expected to be sharing the planet’s limited resources and space. Paradoxically, many industrialized societies, including Japan, Russia, and most of Europe, have witnessed a gradually shrinking and – even more dramatic - aging population. How can governments, businesses, and everyday people deal with this challenge? The Allianz Knowledge Partnersite examines the major trends – aging, population growth, urbanization, migration, and diversity – to better understand their impact on lives and businesses around the globe, and to empower solutions. If you are concerned, share the knowledge provided by Allianz experts and our partners. Enjoy our latest newsletter and visit the Allianz Knowledge Partnersite to find out what you need to know! Your Allianz Knowledge Team	Most Recent Media Picture Gallery Migration Hotspots Worldwide: Fleeing repression, war, and poverty> more Partner of the Month CARE International: Interview: Tackling the problems of urban poverty > more
Top Story Demographic Change: The Future Is Urban From 2008, the majority of people on Earth will be living in cities and towns. By 2030, over 4.6 billion people will be urbanites. Depending on how we respond to the challenges of urbanization, today’s cities could become either centers of opportunity or increasingly vast slums. Which way will we go? > more News Climate: Air New Zealand To Test Biofuels on 747 Flights Beginning in 2008 or 2009, Air New Zealand will make test flights using a biofuel/kerosene mix to fuel one of four engines on a Boeing 747. These test flights will not carry passengers. According to the BBC, other airlines are also interested in testing biofuels. News to use Climate: Comeback of Year - The Clothesline Let’s face it: only a few of us will be buying a fancy electric sports car or biofuel SUV anytime soon. But reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions doesn’t always have to be sexy. Take your automatic laundry dryer. Researchers estimate that a standard electric dryer accounts for six percent of total electricity consumed by U.S. households. Now imagine every U.S. household putting up a mundane, old fashioned clothesline in the warmer seasons. Designers might not like it, but the impact on national energy consumption would be massive. Editor's Choice Demographic Change: Who’s Afraid of Thomas Malthus?None of the troubling predictions about overpopulation and global starvation have come to pass. So should we still be worried about there ever being too many people on Earth?> more Calendar October 22 | Workshop: Building the Hydrogen Economy What will it take to turn hydrogen into a central energy source for the future? Energy experts will meet in Shanghai to discuss infrastructure development for a hydrogen economy. The three-day workshop aims at analyzing current investments in hydrogen infrastructure and facilitate future investments.> more October 24 | UNEP FI 2007 Global Roundtable MelbourneThe United Nations Environment Programme's Finance Initiative conducts its annual global roundtable in Melbourne. The two-day event unites bankers, insurers, asset managers, and institutional investors to discuss how to integrate sustainability criteria in the finance sector. A number of specialized workshops will be dealing with topics like financing de-carbonization and a clean-tech future, financial services in a post-Kyoto carbon economy, microinsurance and the uninsured, finance and biodiversity, finance and water, and natural resource depletion.> more
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