Brazil needs to diversify its national energy matrix because by 2035 hydro plants are likely to generate nearly 30% less power due to the effects of climate change, Roberto Schaeffer, an energy expert at Rio de Janeiro Federal University’s (UFRJ) Institute for Studies in Engineering (COPPE), told BNamericas.
“Many studies indicate that the rainy season will be less intensive in different parts of the country, and that will affect hydros, especially the run-of-the-river plants,” he said.
Currently, around 80% of Brazil’s power is generated by hydro plants, according to figures from the mines and energy ministry.
Do you wish you could offer your employees a raise this year? Wouldn’t it be nice to give them a 401(k) plan? Well, even if you can’t afford to offer either of those options, you can still help your employees financially with HelloWallet.
HelloWallet is an entrepreneurial company whose goal is to help workers create wealth by giving everyone access to unbiased, high-quality financial advice. Founder Matt Fellowes developed the idea knowing that currently, just 20 percent of Americans have access to financial planning services, which are expensive and often perceived as intimidating. To
NEW YORK (AP) — Online broker E-Trade Financial Corp. shares fell 3.5 percent during the trading day and plunged another 5 percent in after-market trading following its announcement that it had concluded a strategic review and has no plans for a sale.
Shares fell 34 cents to close at $9.48. A
Central Marketing Group (CMG), a business unit of the Central Group, has signed a franchise agreement with Kansas-based Payless ShoeSource that will see outlets next year in Bangkok, making Thailand its 15th franchise country.
“The franchise model has proven to be an effective way to quickly reach more international markets with the Payless brand and all it has to offer,” said LuAnn Via, the chief executive and president of Payless.
Payless will provide CMG with seasonal product assortments along with expertise in retail operations, merchandising, marketing and brand strategy.
In return, CMG will provide location planning, construction, logistics, store training, staffing and local marketing execution.
It will also adopt Payless’s new Hot Zone format and purchase products directly from the seasonal assortments, with slight adjustments for local needs.
Like the Payless branches in the US, the international franchise stores all feature a wide assortment of shoes and accessories for the family.
Payless launched its franchise operation in Kuwait in 2009.
This past August, it opened its 100th international franchise outlet.
Payless envisions having 700 franchises worldwide by 2014 on top of the nearly 4,500 outlets under its own management and joint ventures.
The unemployment rate, which has refused to budge from the 9 percent neighborhood for two and a half frustrating years, fell sharply in November, driven in part by small businesses that finally see reason to hope and hire.
Economists say there is a long way to go, but they liked what they saw.
The rate fell to 8.6 percent, the lowest since March 2009, two months after President Barack Obama took office. Unemployment passed 9 percent that spring and had stayed there or higher for all but two months since then.
The country added 120,000 jobs in November, the Labor Department said Friday.
Theories abound on how to most effectively manage your time, set priorities and eliminate distractions, but there’s no single recipe for efficiency. Productivity is one of the principal factors in being competitive at anything you do. Experts from Open Forum and beyond have shared their insights on how to maximize your time and get more done each day. Here is some of their best advice.
Refine your to-do list
Tracking and managing tasks is central to productivity, and to-do lists are the most common way of organizing responsibilities. All lists are not created equal, however. W
CARACAS, Venezuela Chinese officials signed 6 billion in new loans to Venezuela on Thursday aiming to boost the South American countrys oil industry.
After the loans were signed, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez defended his countrys growing ties with China as vital to his countrys development. He also dismissed criticisms by opponents who question the mounting loans, which are to be paid back in oil shipments.
China has swiftly become Venezuelas biggest foreign lender in recent years, and had previously agreed to more than 32 billion in loans.