Going Green to Make Green

By LAURA COVERSON
On a sunny winter's day in Southern California, a group of students sits in windowless classroom at Los Angeles Trade and Technical College, eyeing the contents of small bottles of alternative fuels.

Blue collar workers get help finding and training for green jobs.

"This is actually biodiesel, but this is not derived from the soy bean, this one is actually a plant," explains associate professor Jess Guerra to the group.

Guerra teaches a "Diesel Technology" class to those hoping to become part of the green work force, where she instructs the fine points of biofuels. It's a technology that could be just one of the businesses with the potential to drive the U.S. economy right out of the ditch.

Labor experts predict renewable energy and energy efficiency industries could create as many as 37 million jobs -- and students at technical colleges like this one are counting on it.

With President Barack Obama's pledge this week to renew the U.S. economy and jump-start the nation's clean energy future, it's a job outlook that's pretty bright.

New Obama strategy could lower mortgage costs

By Amy Hoak, MarketWatch

CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- The Obama administration will soon announce a new economic strategy that would lower mortgage costs and extend credit to small businesses, the President said in his weekly radio and Internet address on Saturday.

"Soon my Treasury Secretary, Tim Geithner, will announce a new strategy for reviving our financial system that gets credit flowing to businesses and families," President Obama said.

"We'll help lower mortgage costs and extend loans to small businesses so they can create jobs. We'll ensure that CEOs are not draining funds that should be advancing our recovery.
"And we will insist on unprecedented transparency, rigorous oversight, and clear accountability -- so taxpayers know how their money is being spent and whether it is achieving results." Read the full address.

While the financial rescue plan passed by Congress last year helped avoid a financial collapse, Obama said that "too often taxpayer dollars have been spent without transparency or accountability." He also charged that while banks have received help, others who need loans -- homeowners, students and small businesses -- have had to fend on their own.

This week, the House of Representatives passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan, a stimulus that includes a combination of tax cuts for families and investments in energy dependence and infrastructure. Obama said the stimulus will save or create more than 3 million jobs over the next few years, and urged the Senate to also pass the plan.

Obama noted that the economic slowdown has already cost the country tens of thousands of jobs in January. "And the picture is likely to get worse before it gets better," he said.
In his address, Obama said that no one bill can cure the economy's problems. As jobs are created, it is also necessary to make sure the markets are stable, credit is flowing and families can keep their homes, he said.

UAE ranks No 7 in world list of toy importers

by Andy Sambidge
The UAE has moved up to seventh in a world list of toy importers as the number of companies doing business in the country has surged.

Latest figures reveal that within the last year, the number of UAE toy importers has increased by almost 4,000 to 18,017 - importing nearly 100 categories of toys.

And one of the world's largest toy stores, Hamleys, has recently opened in The Dubai Mall is the latest recognition of a growing market in the emirate.
The statistics come as international toy manufacturers seek a slice of the booming regional toy industry at the Middle East Toy Fair.

Elisabeth Brehl, managing director of organisers, Epoc Messe Frankfurt, said: "This time last year, UAE was the eighth largest nation with toy import activities, but the latest market developments have boosted it to rank seventh among the top 10 toy importing countries in the world."

Figures for Jan. 1, 2004 to the present date show the US at the top of the list, followed by the UK, China, Iran, India, Hong Kong, UAE, Canada, Thailand and Australia.

Brehl added that the positive trend for the toy industry is not just limited to the UAE, but the entire Middle East is characterised by a high population of children.

Iran at number four in the list imports nine percent of toys in 388 categories, using a total of 15,849 importers.

The Middle East Toy Fair is scheduled to take place at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre from March 23-25, 2009.

Source : ArabianBusiness.com