Japan's Aggressive Regulatory Practices Makes Green Sense

Today's NPR California Report looks at how Japan's energy regulatory practices have spurred greater competition and innovation amongst its companies. At first, manufacuturers resisted the aggressive standards, including a 1% increase in efficiency annually. However, now manufacturers embrace the regulations, seizing it as an opportunity to compete.

Banana, Blood and Fungus Describe Unregulated Corporatism's Weakness for Greed

Huffington Post contributor Johann Hari offers a metaphor for unsustainable corporate practices in a telling of the history of the world's most popular fruit: the banana.

Is there a parable for our times in this odd milkshake of banana, blood and fungus? For a hundred years, a handful of corporations were given a gorgeous fruit, set free from regulation, and allowed to do what they wanted with it. What happened? They had one good entrepreneurial idea - and to squeeze every tiny drop of profit from it, they destroyed democracies, burned down rainforests, and ended up killing the fruit itself.

Read more of Why Bananas are a Parable For Our Times.