Juggling Dynamite

“Signs are there that we might be approaching an inflection point in the marketplace for autos,” William Black, managing director at Moody’s, said in  on Tuesday.  No credit expansion lasts forever.

Moody’s is also forecasting a drop in used-car prices thanks to pressure from a record number of off-lease supply.

When it comes to auto loans, Moody’s said strong competition among banks, credit unions and finance companies has led to looser underwriting standards. That is “driving rising delinquencies and losses,” the report said. Here is a direct video link.

Moody’s: We might be approaching an inflection point for autos from CNBC.

This interview was actually longer and more detailed than the 2 min clip Bloomberg posted. Too bad, because they post hours of drivel from others. Hunt is a rare independent-of-big-banks-economist with a valuable command of historical perspective. He explains why we will be paying for the latest debt-funded recovery for years to come.

Lacy Hunt, Hoisington Investment Management chief economist, explains why he thinks the U.S. economic recovery has been disappointing. Here is a direct video link.

A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds that if the U.S. population opted for a plant-based diet, instead of an animal-centric one, it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture by about 28% and increase total food production for humans by about 23%.  Today 47% of soy and 60% of corn crops are grown to feed livestock, not to mention all the water waste and pollution these practices bring.

Now factor in the massive health benefits and cost-savings from a dramatic drop in diet related illness and disability–including heart disease, obesity, diabetes and cancer, and the rational course is obvious.  Starting just one person at a time, better ideas can spread. The motivation is overwhelming, see Study finds plant-based diet could reduce green-house emissions and increase food supply.

Industrialized animal agriculture is the largest singular driver of climate change, responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than the entire transportation sector, and is also the culprit behind mass deforestation, water, and air pollution. Considering most people consume about double the amount of protein they need, two-thirds of which comes from animal sources, our everyday eating habits are taking a massive toll on the planet. What’s more, despite all of the resources used and pollution created, one in eight people still suffer from food scarcity.