Juggling Dynamite

The room for improvement is endless and incredibly exciting. (The sound quality in this clip improves after first few minutes.)

The stunning realization that “a building is like a flower” is revolutionizing the green building and sustainability movement world-wide.

Considered one of the most influential individuals in the green building movement today. McLennan is the recipient of the prestigious Buckminster Fuller Prize, as well as CEO of the International Living Future Institute, a leading NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) that focuses on the transformation to a world that is socially just, culturally rich and ecologically restorative. He is also CEO of Cascadia Green Building Counsel. McLennan is the founder and creator of the Living Building Challenge, widely considered the world’s most progressive and stringent green building program. His vision and published works have made a pivotal impact on the shape and direction of green building in the United States and Canada. Here is a direct video link.

Good historical perspective and discussion on steps needed to restore the rule of law in finance.

Dennis Kelleher talked about the state of Wall Street banking seven years after the financial crisis. Topics include the effectiveness of the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial regulations law that was passed in response to the crisis, and the potential impact of a recent $2.5 billion federal settlement on how banks conduct business. Here is a direct video link.

Something which is never mentioned in the discussion about ‘record’ bank fines to date…the trillions in leverage that the banks helped pump into the global finance system rocketed their profits many multiples above long term trends. The growth rate in fines has been a fraction of the growth rate in their profits.

Today we have official confirmation that Canadian GDP contracted at a 0.6% annualized rate in Q1 2015 and Q4 2014 was revised lower than previously reported. See Canada’s GDP contracts the most since 2009. Much to the surprise of every economist surveyed:

The drop exceeded all 22 economist forecasts in a Bloomberg News survey, in which the median call was for an expansion of 0.3 percent.

But not to worry, those same economists are all predicting a rebound in the second half of the year…

Weakness was across the board with business investment falling 9.7% annualized (led by oil and gas cuts) and consumer spending also falling to just .4% annualized–both the lowest spending since the great recession in Q1 2009.  Even vehicle purchases declined–when 0% down and 0% rates for years are no longer moving cars, you know consumers are tapped out.

With Canadian housing and stock market valuations ‘to the moon Alice’, it might be wise to review all those robust earnings and sales forecasts that the sell side has ‘priced in’…