The North American Institute

The North American Institute: NAMI was founded in 1988 to deepen understanding and to promote new approaches to North American issues. A unique trinational organization, NAMI’s spirit derives from the vision of founders Maurice Strong, Bruce Babbitt and Jesus Silva Herzog, and developed by Susan Herter, John Wirth and Senator Jack Austin of Canada.
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CANADA NEWS:

Good and Boring

The New York Times, February 1, 2010 - “In times of crisis, good news is no news. Iceland’s meltdown made headlines; the remarkable stability of Canada’s banks, not so much. Yet as the world’s attention shifts from financial rescue to financial reform, the quiet success stories deserve at least as much attention as the spectacular failures. We need to learn from those countries that evidently did it right. And leading that list is our neighbor to the north. Right now, Canada is a very important role model. Yes, I know, Canada is supposed to be dull. The New Republic famously pronounced “Worthwhile Canadian Initiative” (from a Times Op-Ed column in the ’80s) the world’s most boring headline. But I’ve always considered Canada fascinating, precisely because it’s similar to the United States in many but not all ways. The point is that when Canadian and U.S. experience diverge, it’s a very good bet that policy differences, rather than differences in culture or economic structure, are responsible for that divergence. And anyway, when it comes to banking, boring is good. Read More.

MEXICO NEWS:

Mexico - President Felipe Calderón Meets with Executives from Global Firms

Israia, January 31, 2010 - “Earlier today, during the Annual Meeting 2010 of the World Economic Forum, Mexican President Felipe Calderón met with the leaders of various global firms. During these meetings, President Calderón explained the competitive advantages that make Mexico an attractive destination for productive investment and job creation. He said that after many years, Mexico is once again one of investors’ ten favorite studies, according to a recent study by AT Kearney. He invited businessmen to invest in Mexico and take advantage of its geostrategic position, which links it to the world’s largest market and the economies of Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America, as well as Mexico’s increase in competitiveness, which has yielded lower manufacturing costs than those observed in countries such as Brazil, China and India. President Calderón talked to President and Director General of Siemens AG, Peter Löscher, whom he congratulated on his firm’s decision to transfer the production of switches to Mexico, which represents an initial investment of over million dollars in addition to the creation of a thousand new jobs.” Read More.

UNITED STATES NEWS:

Wind Power Grows 39% for the Year

The New York Times, January 26, 2010 - “Despite a crippling recession and tight credit markets, the American wind power industry grew at a blistering pace in 2009, adding 39 percent more capacity. The country is close to the point where 2 percent of its electricity will come from wind turbines. While that is still a small share, it is up from virtually nothing a few years ago. Continued growth at such a fast pace could help the nation lower its emissions of the gases that cause global warming. The American Wind Energy Association, in its annual report to be released on Tuesday, said the amount of capacity added last year, 9,900 megawatts, was the largest on record, and was 18 percent above the capacity added in 2008, also a banner year. The group said the growth of wind power was helped by the federal stimulus package that passed a year ago, which extended a tax credit and provided other investment incentives for the industry. But the group warned that the growth could slow. Much of the wind development in 2009 was caused by momentum from 2008, as huge turbines ordered then were delivered to wind farms. In 2009, the recession idled many manufacturers and new orders weakened, which could portend an installation slowdown this year.” Read More.