Plastic has long been made from oil, but today it’s increasingly made from ethane, a component of natural gas. To turn ethane into the building block of plastic, petrochemical companies are investing in ethane cracker plants, raising concerns about what these facilities could mean for air pollution and climate change.
Indigenous protesters in Chile took down statues of Spanish colonizers and other heroes during demonstrations last week. Local media called the destruction acts of vandalism, but the Mapuche, the largest Indigenous group in Chile, are demanding more political autonomy and representation.
Some spiritual practitioners call themselves witches. Some use the word bruja. Two women have founded a Eleventh House, a group in Miami that is working to break the stigma of occult practices.
Last year, many of the who's who in politics and business boycotted Saudi Arabia's "Davos in the Desert" event in the wake of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. This year? Many return but there are still some notable no-shows.
The UK economy benefits significantly from the fashion industry — to the tune of around $40 billion per year. But with one week to go before the UK is slated to officially leave the EU, Brexit woes are still trending among designers.
Forced fiscal loosening in a world already swamped with debt and heading into another downturn may unnerve creditors and bond holders, especially those holding government debt as an insurance against recession and a haven from volatility.
