Hmm, make sure the culture supports this before trying it out.

Martin Fox with the Center for Global Leadership – learn more about our work at www.leadglobally.org.

One Earth, One People, One Global Community

Being straight with your boss cuts stress: study

LONDON (AFP) – Telling your boss what you really think of them is good for your health — and helps managers improve, according to research published on Wednesday.

Firms should be even be encouraged to let employees regularly rate their line managers, to produce “happy, healthy, stress-free employees,” said the study presented at a conference of the British Psychological Society.

Researchers split a group of 150 bosses into two groups, one of which received feedback on their management skills from some 500 staff, and another group which did not.

A profile in courage for all of us.

Peace out – Martin Fox with the Center for Global Leadership – learn more about our work at www.leadglobally.org.

One Earth, One People, One Global Community

Miep Gies, who helped hide Anne Frank, dies at 100

AMSTERDAM – The Anne Frank Museum says Miep Gies, who helped the teenage diarist’s family hide from the Nazis, has died. She was 100. The Miep Gies Web site said the woman who rescued Anne Frank’s diary after the family was arrested in 1944, died after a short illness Monday.

Maatje Mostart, a spokeswoman for the museum, confirmed the death but gave no details.

Gies and several other employees of Anne Frank’s father provided food and other necessities to the Jewish family while they hid in a concealed apartment for 25 months. Anne Frank died of typhus in a concentration camp.

Feel good story to start the new year off appropriately. Go Luis!

Martin Fox with the Center for Global Leadership – learn more about our work at www.leadglobally.org.

One Earth, One People, One Global Community

Plano East graduate had to decide: stay and help family or go to Harvard
By KATHERINE LEAL UNMUTH / The Dallas Morning News

Luis Duarte left El Salvador for the United States when he was 7 years old, enrolling in school unable to speak English.

Great article for the holiday season.

Martin Fox with the Center for Global Leadership – learn more about our work at www.LeadGlobally.org.

One Earth, One People, One Global Community

Mich. Muslims join Jews for Christmas Day Mitzvah
By JEFF KAROUB, Associated Press Writer

DETROIT – Many Jews consider Christmas Day an opportunity to serve their community while Christian neighbors celebrate their holiday. This year, what’s also known as Mitzvah Day in southeast Michigan is getting an added boost from Muslims.

A little post-mortem on the conference.

Martin Fox with the Center for Global Leadership – learn more about our work at www.leadglobally.org.

One Earth, One People, One Global Community

UN climate chief urges avoiding blame over summit
By ARTHUR MAX, Associated Press Writer

AMSTERDAM – The top U.N. climate official said Wednesday that though the Copenhagen global warming summit went sour, countries should avoid blaming each other and get down to work on a better deal next year.

Yvo de Boer, head of the U.N. climate change secretariat, also said it could take months before poor countries begin receiving billions of dollars in emergency funds to adapt to climate change and begin controlling their emissions of greenhouse gases.

Happy Holidays

Gas could be the cavalry in global warming fight
By MARK WILLIAMS, AP Energy Writer

An unlikely source of energy has emerged to meet international demands that the United States do more to fight global warming: It’s cleaner than coal, cheaper than oil and a 90-year supply is under our feet.

It’s natural gas, the same fossil fuel that was in such short supply a decade ago that it was deemed unreliable. It’s now being uncovered at such a rapid pace that its price is near a seven-year low. Long used to heat half the nation’s homes, it’s becoming the fuel of choice when building new power plants. Someday, it may win wider acceptance as a replacement for gasoline in our cars and trucks.

Happy Holiday Week…

Martin Fox with the Center for Global Leadership – learn more about our work at www.leadglobally.org.

One Earth, One People, One Global Community

Europe feels left out in cold on climate deal
By SETH BORENSTEIN and RAPHAEL G. SATTER, Associated Press Writers

LONDON – It’s a climate deal that has Europe feeling left out in the cold.

The continent that used to take the lead in advocating climate action is now taking the lead in climate complaining. And it’s not just upset with the results, but the process itself.

Drumroll please… Would have loved to see the fireworks when the following happened –  “The deal came after a dramatic moment in which Mr. Obama burst into a meeting of the Chinese, Indian and Brazilian leaders, according to senior administration officials. Chinese protocol officers protested, and Mr. Obama said he did not want them negotiating in secret.”

While not the ideal, long-term solution, it’s a great start.

Martin Fox with the Center for Global Leadership – learn more about our work at www.LeadGlobally.org.

One Earth, One People, One Global Community

Climate Deal Announced, but Falls Short of Expectations

By HELENE COOPER and JOHN M. BRODER
COPENHAGEN — Leaders here concluded a climate change deal on Friday that the Obama administration called “meaningful” but that falls short of even the modest expectations for the summit meeting here.

A much less discussed topic on the glolbal warming front – data for your mind…

Martin Fox with the Center for Global Leadership

One Earth, One People, One Global Community

Acid oceans: the ‘evil twin’ of climate change
By JOHN HEILPRIN, Associated Press Writer

MONTEREY BAY NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY, Calif. – Far from Copenhagen’s turbulent climate talks, the sea lions, harbor seals and sea otters reposing along the shoreline and kelp forests of this protected marine area stand to gain from any global deal to cut greenhouse gases.

The conference is winding down – let’s see what the last-minute negotiations deliver.

Martin Fox with the Center for Global Leadership.

One Earth, One People, One Global Community

Official: Obama, Chinese move forward on climate
By JENNIFER LOVEN, AP White House Correspondent

COPENHAGEN – A clearly frustrated President Barack Obama displayed impatience Friday with world leaders’ failure to reach a new climate accord, urging them to accept a less-than-perfect pact while offering no new U.S. concessions.

While I think it a bit premature to conduct a post-mortem of the Copenhagen Climate Conference before it even ends, the following article does provide some context for what is going on at the conference.

Martin Fox with the Center for Global Leadership – learn more about our work at www.leadglobally.org.

One Earth, One People, One Global Community

Analysis: Climate talks a halting step toward goal
By CHARLES J. HANLEY, AP Special Correspondent

COPENHAGEN – The Copenhagen climate conference “failed” long before it even opened. It may not “succeed” until long after it ends. For the moment, then, negotiators must satisfy themselves with something in between, an “outcome,” one whose shape Thursday was in the hands of the United States and China.

The last days are going to be interesting.

Martin Fox with the Center for Global Leadership – learn more about our work at www.leadglobally.org.

One Earth, One People, One Global Community

Climate talks deadlocked as clashes erupt outside
By CHARLES J. HANLEY, AP Special Correspondent

COPENHAGEN – The 10-day-old climate talks ran into disputes and paralysis as they entered a critical stage Wednesday, just two days before President Barack Obama and more than 100 other national leaders hope to sign a historic agreement to fight global warming.

Discussing taboo, uncomfortable topics is the first step in the resolution process.

Martin Fox with the Center for Global Leadership – learn more about our work at www.leadglobally.org.

One Earth, One People, One Global Community

Harassment across Arab world drives women inside
By SARAH EL DEEB, Associated Press Writer

CAIRO – The sexual harassment of women in the streets, schools and work places of the Arab world is driving them to cover up and confine themselves to their homes, said activists at the first-ever regional conference addressing the once taboo topic.

The fireworks are about to begin as the Copenhagen climate conference enters the crucial phase, with world leaders begin arriving for the main event.

Martin Fox with the Center for Global Leadership – learn more about our work at www.leadglobally.org.

One Earth, One People, One Global Community

Very cool article. Putting actions and results into the old saying “think global, act local.”

Martin Fox with the Center for Global Leadership – learn more about our work at www.leadglobally.org

One Earth, One People, One Global Community

World’s mayors tackle climate change on their own
By CHARLES J. HANLEY and JAN M. OLSEN, Associated Press Writers

COPENHAGEN – It isn’t easy getting Italy’s city dwellers out of their Fiats, off their Vespa scooters and onto bicycles to ride to work, “like here in Copenhagen,” says an Italian environmental official.