This week in interesting industry headlines:
Economy in U.S. Expanded Modestly Since Mid-August, Fed Says [Bloomberg Business]
"The U.S. economy grew modestly with little inflation pressure from mid-August to early October as a strong dollar weighed on manufacturing and tourism, a Federal Reserve report showed." Read more
Oil fall means 'almost everything' for sale as deals accelerate [Sydney Morning Herald]
"More than $US200 billion ($277 billion) worth of oil and natural gas assets are for sale globally as companies come under renewed financial pressure from the prolonged commodity price rout, according to IHS Inc." Read more
Bats are worth $3.7bn to US agriculture [The Guardian]
"University of California, Davis researcher Katherine Ingram has been running a study for the past two years in an attempt to put a monetary number on what she calls the “ecosystem services” provided by bats. That includes not only pest control for a wide variety of crops, including corn, cotton, various nuts, and rice, but also pollination for some 300 fruit varieties." See more
Energy, Mining Companies Begin to Back Climate Talks [Wall Street Journal]
"Many of the companies, based in highly developed economies, are eager to see poorer countries and the loosely regulated national champions in those nations operate under a similar set of rules as those the richer nations have already embraced domestically. Large companies are looking for predictability and global standards to help shape their long-term strategies, including plans for natural gas and other lower-carbon fuels." See more
Building a future for women in construction industry [Tampa Tribune]
"When Kayla Gorman moved to Florida last year, she took a retail job for minimum wage. With no real training for a particular profession, the 25-year-old realized quickly she needed something more. A new program that highlights skilled construction trades is turning her struggle around. At a time when the construction industry in Florida is growing again and struggling mightily to find skilled tradespeople, the Helen Gordon Davis Centre for Women is working to fill that gap and at the same time open new career opportunities for women like Gorman." See more
