“We have always been about innovation, we have always been about discovery. That’s in our DNA. The truth is we also face more complex challenges than generations past,” said Mr. Obama to a packed room of MIT students, faculty and other Massachusetts dignitaries.

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A World in Crisis

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. . . Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

Environmental groups are criticized for their “doomsday” scenarios.  Rainforests are dwindling, corals are dying, population is exploding, and global warming is ominously threatening.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Beyond America, there is a nagging fear that the earth’s decline is inevitable.  Will fewer children have access to clean water?  Will they starve?  Will they know that polar bears and tigers once lived outside of zoos?

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In a chilling precedent for economics bloggers around the globe, a South Korean economics blogger was arrested, and charged with “Spreading false economic information on the internet.” If convicted, the Korean economics blogger, could serve 5 years in jail.

Apparently “Minerva”, the internet pseudonym for the arrested Mr. Park aka “economic president of the internet”, gained a large following by accurately predicting the financial collapse.  “Minerva” went too far and committed a crime, according to the judge and reported by the Associated Press, by claiming on an internet discussion board that the South Korean government ” had ordered major financial institutions and trade businesses not to purchase U.S. dollars.”  His posting “affected foreign exchange markets and the nation’s credibility,” said the judge.
At this time it is impossible to verify whether the accusations are accurate, in any case Mr. Park pleaded not guilty to all charges at his court hearing on Saturday, and is receiving wide spread support in the Korean Blogosphere.

You can show your support for Mr. Park, by sending a message to the Honorable Ambassador of the Republic of Korea Lee Tae-sik, and demand that his government immediately release Mr. Park and respect free speech on the internet.  You can also help to keep the internet free, by supporting the premier internet watchdog group, the “Electronic Frontier Foundation” with a much needed donation.

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In a clear reference to the Republican voting record on renewable energy tax credits, and McCain’s personal views on the issue, he said, “Even today, as oil companies post the biggest profits in history—a half trillion dollars in the last five years—he wants to give them another $4bn in tax breaks. But he voted time and again against incentives for renewable energy: solar, wind, bio-fuels. That’s not change; that’s more of the same.”

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Last night, at the company’s Year-Beginning Meeting in Kansas City, Scott gave another speech, titled “The Company of the Future,” that returned to the themes of corporate leadership, social responsibility, and sustainability. Like its predecessor, this speech combined vision with practical goals. I’d originally planned to write one post giving a broad overview of the speech, but given Wal-Mart’s position as the world’s largest retailer, and the breadth of the ideas presented, a series seemed more appropriate.

Energy savings have already played into the company’s attempts to transform itself (and, admittedly, its image). From a business perspective, this makes sense: energy’s an expense. Scott’s focus in this speech, though, wasn’t so much on the company using energy more efficiently itself, but on helping customers save energy:

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