Xylella Another virulent infection with no cure striking fear across the world: Xylella. Has dessicated 23,000 hectares of olive groves in S. Italy. Now in France, Germany & Spain. R rate of 19. Spread by insects & infected plant imports. 520 UK species at risk, especially olive, coffee plants, lavender, grapevines, cherry, almond, oak. Early…
Tag: risk
Everything Covid-19 is the ‘everything crisis’. Its impact is sharper, deeper & less predictable than previous shocks. Even good firms & talented workers will be affected. Don’t put all the eggs in one basket – diversifying reduces risk of running out of cash before recovery starts. To get an omelette, we have to break eggs. …
Out Lockdown release: who should be let out, to return to work? Let everyone out for 4 days, then back in lockdown for 10 days to wait for Covid-19 symptoms to show. Or let people with odd- and even- birthday dates out on alternate days. Or all those under age 50 return before the rest. …
Demise Covid-19 spells the demise for firms in some sectors more than others. Most at risk: energy (oil price slump), retail (non-food), airlines, travel, automotive. Likely to thrive: healthcare (virus-facing), utilities, telecoms, communications media. But for all firms, survival will matter more than profits or growth for the next 2 years. All firms can go…
Unmanned By weaponising unmanned aerial vehicles, pilots can endanger lives without risking their own. Consider & counter the downsides of new tech early. Drones must prove they can fly safely beyond line of sight, over human populations and at night. Defences? Licences, nets, lasers, projectiles, electromagnetic pulses, jamming radio signals & suicide drones Guessed the…
Pounce Who will bell the cat? Take a risk – fortune favours the brave. Curiosity & publicly available information are enough to unmask new facts – about products, services, customers, suppliers. Or even to pounce on secret agents who poison former spies. No training needed Guessed the Word? Series 31…
Water Firms worldwide are exposed to water risk, though rarely mentioned. Demand & prices rising as climate change impacts. 4-yr drought affecting California’s almond exports. South Africa’s water-stressed areas include mining & tourism. Cape Town has halved water consumption per head Guessed the Word? Series 26 (4/7) [pic:…
Ignite Viewing business as a puzzle to be solved ignites wonder & effort. Curiosity is a better antidote to ‘we believe what we want to believe‘ than getting more facts Guessed the Word? Series 23 (7/8) [pic: nick fewings]
Insurance is ripe for disruption as tech is applied to manage risks. Buy specific cover for limited time – insure camera for a day? switch car insurance on only when driving? insure the person, not the item/ activity? Guessed the Word? Series 22 (4/8) [pic: werner22brigitte]
Sandbox trial Singapore’s sandbox framework creates ‘safe spaces’ to test new energy solutions in a live environment, without usual regulations, but with safeguards to minimise risks. The way to encourage innovation in other products/ services? Guessed the Word? Series 19 (1/7) [pic: RAMillu]