November 2011ISSUE 16NEWCOMER

H

www.handelsblattmachtschule.de/newcomer Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Handelsblatt Newcomer auf Englisch

GERMANY 2050Researchers see extreme economic changes on the horizon. PAGE 2

CHRISTMAS BUSINESSRetailers shift into high gear for Christmas.PAGE 5

ORIENTATIONStudents provide advice on fi nding the right career.PAGE 7

IN THEIR OWN WORDS ...

››We are sleep-walkers. [People refuse to recognize], for the most part, the reality of their situation.‹‹

Economist Jeremy Rifkin on climate change (see page 2)

Schüler und Lehrer kön­nen eine englische Über­setzung des Handelsblatt Newcomers auf unserer Internetseite kostenlos als PDF herunterladen.Mehr Infos unter: www.handelsblattmacht-schule.de/newcomer

Simone Malz Institute of Economic Education at Oldenburg

“The animals are the fi rst to die, then the people,” mourns a Somali woman who is attemp-ting to fl ee the drought-affl icted region with her four children. The famine in the region of East Africa known as the Horn of Af-rica continues to spread with no end in sight. The worst drought in 60 years is aff ecting major areas across Ethiopia, Djibou-ti, Eritrea, Somalia and Kenya. Children are suff ering the most from the crisis. Almost 30,000 children under the age of fi ve have died of hunger in Soma-lia alone between May and July. More than 12 million people in total are in desperate need of aid.

However, it would be too simple to blame the drought alone for this catastrophe. Soa-ring prices for basic foods such as cornfl our have worsened the situation. Prices have risen by a third within a year.

Regional problems play their part too. After twenty years of civil war, Somalia is without a functioning govern-ment. Rebels, who fi ght against politi-cians supported by Western nations, actively pre-vent deliveries of much needed aid. The governments in Ethio-pia and Kenya are selling huge areas of arable land to foreign companies. These companies then use the space to produce food and energy crops for ex-

For decades, Africa has been repeatedly affl icted with severe famines

Supporting local farmers

No end to drought and famine

port, providing almost no bene-fi t to the host country. Many lo-cal farmers with smallholdings have lost their land in this way.

A few Western nations have increased their aid during this time of crisis and aid organi-sations are working round the clock to help those aff ected. But short-term measures will not be enough to bring an end to this crisis and help those in need.

Africa is in desperate need of food. But it also needs educa-

tional and political structures to help get the continent back on its feet. Aid

projects that help strengthen local food production and sup-port local farmers are a good ex-ample of measures that provide a lasting benefi t. With such pro-grammes, farmers learn how to save rain water or cultivate crops that require less water.

Institut fürÖkonomische BildungIÖBNEU

Q&A WITH:

HANDELSBLATT FOCUS H

NEWCOMER 16 / S. 2 / 121 x 92 mm2

Future decades will bring dra-matic changes to our economy and to the way we work. What advances will make our lives easier and what kind of prob-lems will we be facing?

Thorsten GierschHandelsblatt Düsseldorf

Science fiction novels are exciting be-cause they provide us with a view of the fu-ture. But sci-fi authors are not the only ones imagining what our world could look like for coming generations: Scientists and eco-nomic experts also work daily to come up with possible scenarios for the future. They want to know how our lives will change and what we need to do in order to meet future challenges. This includes issues such as cli-mate change, energy supply, demographics –an ageing population- or the effects of glo-balisation (see page 8). Currently, many of these experts agree that our economy and the way we work will undergo fundamental changes in the coming years. And it is not

just the challenges we face as a society that are driving this change: Rapid technological advances are also having a major impact on how we live and work. The internet for ex-ample offers new possibilities for communi-cating and automating tasks – anytime and anywhere.

Jeremy Rifkin is one of those experts with an eye on the future. A respected scien-tist and political adviser he has recently pub-lished a book on what he believes the global economy will look like in the next thirty to forty years. In his view, the main reason for these changes is our extreme dependence on fossil fuels (see page 8) such as oil. The resources for these fuels are limited and ext-racting them is becoming increasingly costly. Petrol for cars, special metals for computer chips, oil for all of the millions of products made from plastic: All of these resources will be harder to come by in the future.

As a result there will be considerably fe-wer jobs in the industrial sector in forty years time than there are today. Certain branches of industry will simply disappear because their resources have dried up or robots will have ta-ken over what is left of industrial production.

Jeremy Rifkin

The American academic Jeremy Rifkin is a futurologist as well as a political and econo­mic advisor. He recently published a book which analyses the future of our economy.

Many people think that our economy is not viable for the future. Is that not a bit of an exaggeration? No, because our economy, and Western ci­vilisation as a whole, are far too dependent on oil. Since the 1970s, the world’s popula­tion has been growing at a pace faster than we are able to discover new oil reserves to sustain it. As globalisation (see page 8) takes hold, nations such as China and India will continue to have an enormous demand for oil. This will drive up oil prices and burden the global economy. High oil consumption also threatens our climate. That does not sound like a viable prospect for the global economy to me.

But thanks to technological advancements, production processes are constantly im-proving. Does this not provide some relief?Yes, but only in a limited sort of way. We need to ensure that the economic system, by which I mean our oil economy, does not completely fall apart in the next 30 years. At the same time, we need to develop an infra­structure that is sustainable without relying on fossil fuels (see page 8).

You mean generating electricity by means of renewable energy sources (see page 8) such as solar power and wind parks for ex-ample. But what happens when it rains or the wind does not blow? Then we would be left without power and everything in Germany would come to a standstill.To ensure that this does not happen, the en­tire infrastructure needs to be completely overhauled in the next 30 years. Along with new electricity networks, we need energy storage facilities as well as electricity and hydrogen refilling stations. This will provide the economy with an enormous boost and create millions of new jobs around the world.

The interview was conducted by Benjamin Reu­ter, from the “Wirtschaftswoche”, Düsseldorf

Germany in 2050

www.handelsblattmachtschule.de/newcomerPhoto: Andrew Shurtleff/Corbis; Illustration: Jean-Philippe Ili

November 2011, ISSUE 16

Technicians mounting solar cells.

3HANDELSBLATT FOCUSH

Career opportunities for school leavers

ENERGY INDUSTRY

The energy generation in-

dustry will create many new jobs

Energy supply has become an incre-asingly important topic in the last few years. Scien-

tists and companies are seeking new ways and techniques for ge-nerating energy and using it more effi ciently. The area of renewable energies (see page 8) is growing especially rapidly.There is a wide variety of possibi-lities for skilled workers, such as engineers who qualify both in elec-trical and mechanical engineering or roofers, in the energy industry. Many are taking additional training that specialises on the know-how

needed for energy-related jobs. Roofers, for example, can take extra training to become certifi ed solar technicians which teaches them how to install solar panels on roofs. Engineers can be trained in the construction of wind power stations. Skilled workers in this in-dustry often work outdoors. Instal-lation projects and weekend work are also a normal part of the job. But the energy industry off ers more than just technical jobs: Energy-oriented business people and consultants are also in de-mand. These jobs require know-ledge about energy generation or construction materials as well as

good communication skills. There are numerous study paths that can lead to a job in this in-dustry. Many degree pro-grammes in the areas of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and the engineering sciences have already integrated the topic of renewable energies. Good grades in maths, che-mistry and physics as well as an interest in technology are always a plus.More information on ca-reers in the energy industry available at: http://www.gate2energy.de

Christina SchnellInstitute of Economic Education at Oldenburg

There can be no doubt that robots and new technologies will have a major impact on our lives in the future. Tomorrow’s ho-mes will generate their own environmen-tally-friendly energy and will no longer have to depend on their energy from pow-er plants. Refrigerators will automatically know what groceries need to be bought thanks to intelligent chips and scanners built into them. They will be able to send a grocery order to the local su-permarket which will then deliver the goods. Household chores like cleaning will be done by small robots that dart through the hall-ways and rooms vacuuming or polishing the fl oors. Nine million of these or similar robots have already been sold. This number will continue to grow rapidly.

Entertainment and communication will also look very diff erent in the future and make our lives easier. It is already hard to imagine life without the mobile phone and so many of its practical applications. New features are constantly being developed which are fast transforming the basic mobile phone into an indispensable gadget. Future generations of mobile phones will be able to anticipate what we want before we have even thought about it. Rifkin believes that the Wi-kipedia eff ect will develop into the common means of using and exchanging knowledge shared by millions of people on the internet.

The age of the encyclopaedia is coming to an end.

What sorts of careers will there be in forty years time? No one knows exactly what

the world will look like then, but there are some pointers: Most likely, there will be far fewer people working on fac-tory assembly lines. Instead jobs and careers will involve activities which cannot be re-

placed by robots. We will see further shifts away from the production line towards jobs based wholly on human interaction in areas such as education, care for the elderly, health and services and in the public service sector (the police, the fi re services, administration). Another important area where we will see many more new jobs created is the renewab-le energy sector. Getting to grips with clima-te change means that there is no alternati-ve, in the long-term, to producing energy in an eco-friendly way. This is one of the biggest challen-ges facing future generations, while off ering great op-portunities in terms of new employment alternatives.

These new types

of jobs will require new skills. Languages too are becoming increasingly important. This applies not only to English but to more exotic languages like Chinese. According to Rifkin companies and schools will enter into far closer cooperation with each other, in particular in the energy sector. He also expects future generations of young people to develop a greater awareness for the envi-ronment and nature than their parents and grandparents. Their lifestyles will be more eco-friendly too. More and more young peo-ple are taking up voluntary work. Theirs will be a less selfi sh approach to life.

How we will live in future depends in no small measure on our politicians. Their decisions will have an enormous impact on whether the lives of today’s young generati-on will be a good one in the year 2050. Rif-kin believes so.

There are of course those who do not share Rifkin’s opti-mism. When we talk about combating cli-mate change little has been achieved. But perhaps we should side with Rifkin. After all, an optimistic view of the future will no doubt provide a hap-pier outlook for the present.

www.handelsblattmachtschule.de/newcomer Photo: moodboard/Corbis; Caricature: Lea Zuch

November 2011, ISSUE 16

4 H

www.handelsblattmachtschule.de/newcomerPhotos: Chris Pizzello/Corbis, PR; Illustration: Carlsen

Oliver Rohrbeck alias Justus Jonas

Author Joanne K. Rowling

Pottermore.com is available in English, German, French, Italian and Spanish. The content centres on stories from the seven books, but the coolest part is that users can help design the site by uploading pictures and posting comments. Rowling herself also added to the excitement before the launch, announcing that she will reveal de-tails that she has kept secret for years.

Of course there will also be an online store off ering audio books and e-books of the series. Currently the store is set to launch during the fi rst half of 2012. This is all the more extraordinary as the author had always taken a strong stand against electronic versions of her stories. “Perso-nally, I prefer printed books,” said Rowling, “but you can’t stand in the way of progress.”

The internet platform will add to the success story surroun-ding the young magician. The Harry Potter series has al-ready made its creator a billio-naire with more than 450 million books sold worldwide in 69 languages.

Beate FaulbornInstitute of Economic Education at Oldenburg

Joanne K. Rowling shed a few tears when she completed her seventh and fi nal Harry Potter sequel. That at least is what has been reported. Since then, the showdown bet-ween good and evil has also come to theatres around the globe and the fi nal DVD will be released in mid-November: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. Is this really the end? Of course not. Fans can breathe easy; Potter-mania continues – online.

The author and her team are using an imaginative marketing strategy to promote the site: Their website, Pottermore.com, has been online for a few months now, but the team has just recently announced the offi cial launch. Since July 31, interested parties could register and compete in a virtual adventure game with those completing the challenge gaining access before the offi cial launch. Over one million people are said to have completed the game.

Maren KienaßInstitute of Economic Education at Oldenburg

Fans of “The Three Investiga-tors” are impatient for 11 No-vember 2011 to arrive. That is the date when “Ghost Bay”, the 150th episode of the audio dra-ma series is going on sale. The three junior detectives Justus Jonas, Peter Shaw and Bob An-drews have been entertaining audiences both young and old for over forty years now.Back in those days the series

was launched using the name of famous thriller fi lm director Alfred Hitchcock in order to attract attention. Today indivi-dual episodes can reach sa-les of 600,000 with out the help of Hitch-cock. The success of the series has not been limited to books and audio plays,

though: A few instalments have even been made into fi lms. Additionally, the actors lending their voices to the cha-

racters in the audio dramas toured Ger-many in 2002 giving live performances to large au-diences — at-tracting up to 15,000 fans. These events

have brought fame to the Ger-man voice actors, in particular to Oliver Rohrbeck, the voice of Justus Jonas. The 46-year-old also dubs the American actor Ben Stiller. He started his tele-vision career as a child with ap-pearances in Sesame Street. He runs his own company “Lau-scherlounge” which produces audio plays to great acclaim.Adventure-stories with the Three Investigators Justus, Peter and Bob in English you can fi nd at: www.pons.de

Four decades of success -“The Three Investigators”

More of Harry Potter’s magicThe launch of a new internet platform recently attracted the attention of muggles. Pottermore.com is a website which takes the Harry Potter success story to a whole new level.

November 2011, ISSUE 16PROFILE

5COMPANIES AND MARKETSH

32

28

24

20

16

%

2007 2008 2009 2010

18.8 18.6 18.8 19.0

2010 2010 2005 ’06 ’09 ’08 ’07 2010

200

175

150

125

100

75

%

23.8

30.1

Sales in November & Decemberas a percentage of annual sales

Retail industry

Books

Toys

Annual avg. for two months = 16.7 %

Sales channels in the book industryComparative development (2005 = 100%)

%

Onlinesales

In-storesales

Sources: Fed. O�ce of Statistics, HDE calculation, German Publishers and Booksellers AssociationHandelsblatt

The Christmas e�ect on Retail

Christmas is boom time for the retail trade. More and more com-panies are selling online to boost sales.

Rebecca StabbertInstitute of Economic Education at Oldenburg

Retailers love the end of the year. Compared to the rest of the year, the season of good will provides them with the highest revenues of the year. Accor-ding to a recent study by the Consumer Research Association GfK, Germans buy their loved ones more presents at Christ-mas than on any other occasion except birthdays. The Federal Office of Statis-tics also found that the last two months of the year account for nearly a third of annual sales for products such as toys. For items such as watches, jewellery, books and consumer electronics this pe-riod accounts for about one-quarter of annual sales (see graph). Popular items like these are often found gift-wrapped under the Christmas tree throughout Germany at this time of year.

It should come as no surprise then, that manufacturers of these goods int-roduce their new products at the begin-ning of the Christmas season. The Japa-nese electronics company Sony is one of many following this pattern. It will be launching its latest games console “Play-

Glad tidings for retailersStation Vita” which replaces “PlayStation Portable” just in time for the Christmas rush. Quite a number of popular music bands release special Xmas cover albums during advent to grab a slice of this big business.

Statistics show that the yuletide busi-ness has recovered from the last eco-nomic crisis. While sales were less than impressive during the 2009 Christmas season because the German consumer was not in spending mood, Germany’s re-tail association (see page 8) is predicting pre-crisis sales levels for this year. This

will benefit both local shops and online stores.

Online purchases are becoming incre-asingly popular. German online retailers netted about eight billion euros in last year’s Christmas sales. The undisputed ad-vantages of shopping online are the easy searches for discounts, avoiding the long queues and crowds as well as the freedom to shop at any time of the day. This trend is already aff ecting the sales of conventional retail shops. High street book shops have been reporting a slight decline in sales for every year since 2005 (see graph).

COMMENT Christmas in September

Christoph Schlautmann Handelsblatt Düsseldorf

This year, the fi rst alarm soun­ded on Facebook “Netto has started selling Christmas goods! Cinnamon stars, marzipan pota­toes ... has winter truly arrived?!”

a friend of mine posted. This was on 10th September. German retailers’ fears of mis­sing the annual Christmas bo­nanza have resulted in some absurd sales tactics. While the early Christmas retail onslaught irritates customers, it makes plenty of sense (or should I say cents?) for retailers. The run­up to Christmas is the time for big revenues. Retail chains like

Kaufhof, Douglas and Christ make little if any profi t during the fi rst nine months of the year. This makes them heavily reliant on the last quarter for turning their business into pro­fi t. In December retail revenues are usually 20% up on the ave­rage monthly fi gure. Toy shops, perfume shops, jewellers and watchmakers regularly genera­te up to a third of their annual

revenues in the last two months of the year. When it comes to buying gifts for their loved ones consumers are generous spen­ders. The average German con­sumer spent 232 euros last year on Christmas gifts.With this in mind you can hardly blame the retailers for bringing the season of good will forward to September!

www.handelsblattmachtschule.de/newcomer Photo: Frank Beer

November 2011, ISSUE 16

6 HANDELSBLATT EXPLAINED H

Desirée BackhausHandelsblatt, 8.9.2011

The US is losing competitiveness. When looking at international comparisons, the largest economy in the world is no longer the only game in town. […] That was the conclusion of the current edition of the “Global Competitiveness Report”. […]

According to the study, the US dropped one place and now ranks fifth out of 142 na-tions. The list was topped for the third year in a row by Switzerland, while Germany fell from fifth to sixth place with the same point total as last year.

The big winners though were the emer-ging markets, especially China and Brazil. China has climbed in the rankings every

year since the first edition of the index in 2004. Its stable economic position, impro-ved health system and advancement in innovative ability have helped the most populous nation on earth climb up to 26th place. […]

“China has invested a great deal of mo-ney into education in addition to research and development over the past few years in an effort to enhance its competitive ability. That investment is paying off,” says Hauke Hartmann, who observes developments in the emerging markets for the Bertelsmann Foundation. China is no longer just compe-ting with the other emerging markets in the area of industrial mass production – it is also targeting industrialised nations with its fo-cus on cutting-edge technologies.

The Emerging Markets are catching up

Competitiveness: Competition oc­curs when two or more providers (companies) of similar goods or ser­vices work to attract the same po­tential buyers. Economies engage in another type of competition – a com­petition to attract businesses. Here, the competitors attempt to create the most favourable conditions for prosperity within their own nation. Accomplishing this means compe­ting with all other countries in attrac­ting companies that create jobs and money that can be used to further enhance the economy.

Emerging markets: are those nations that are in the midst of transitioning from developing country to industri­alised nation due to their rapid eco­nomic growth. Currently this term usually includes Brazil, Russia, India and China. In emerging markets, the average income of the population is rising and they have improved access to education and healthcare.

A Handelsblatt article explained

Countries are engaged in a world­wide competition for attracting businesses. Countries that suc­ceed in attracting companies (and therefore the jobs and mo­ney they generate) by offering fa­vourable economic, political and legal conditions help secure an important component for econo­mic prosperity for their land. Af­ter all, businesses and employees pay taxes and other fees that the state can use for improving other areas, such as its educational sys­tem.

What is the Global Competitive­ness Index (GCI)?The GCI measures the competitive­ness of countries around the world. Over 100 factors are exa­mined that (can) impact economic growth. A country with a good competitive position generally has functioning institutions, a good infrastructure (see page 8), a sta­ble economic environment and solid healthcare and educational systems in addition to functio­nal commodity, job and financial markets. Finally, they regularly

develop innovative products and production processes.

How do the global competitive­ness rankings change?It is clear that developed industrial nations such as Switzerland, Swe­den, the US, Germany and Japan rank near the top of the GCI while developing countries such as the Republic of Chad, Haiti or Burundi are listed at the end. For the past few years though, the emerging markets, and China in particular, have become increasingly compe­

titive. Qualified professionals and large investments in research and development enable the compa­nies located in these countries to constantly improve the quality of the goods they produce. This is put­ting the traditional economic pow­ers under pressure. Even the Euro­pean Union needs to make some adjustments if it wants to keep its competitive edge.

Katrin Eggert Institute of Economic Education at Oldenburg

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

www.handelsblattmachtschule.de/newcomerPhoto: Qilai Shen/Corbis

November 2011, ISSUE 16

MINT-mentee Marieke Prilop

STUDENT JOURNALISTSH 7

www.handelsblattmachtschule.de/newcomer Photo: private; Illustration: Jean­Philippe Ili

The search for the right profession isn’t easy. Thankfully, there are many helpful tools that provide orientation along the way.

Inga Stapel (Year 13)Helene-Lange-Schule Oldenburg

“Do you know what you want to be when you grow up?” How often have we all heard that question? At the very latest, we ask our-selves this question during the fi nal year of school where the thoughts about which pro-fession to choose get put into overdrive. Lots of factors play a role in this diffi cult decision. Family and friends often have a big infl uence on our fi nal choice, as they know us best and many have experience in the working world.

But outside of family and friends, there are many places where students can gather valuable general information on career

paths, fi elds of study and vocational training. Whether the internet, seminars, trade fairs, personal conversations with emplo-yees at the Federal Employment Agency, books or magazines – there are numerous ways to collect ideas and inspiration for the future. Just keeping your eyes open during your day-to-day routine will also provide plenty of ideas and generate inte-rest in new occupations.

Of course, having an idea isn’t the same as actually having a job. Because people ge-nerally want to work at a job for multiple years, there are a few

basic points to consider when choosing an occupation. Do I want to take the safe route and choose a job that currently is in need of

additional workers? Or do I put my own interests and talents fi rst, re-gardless of the prospects, and look for a job in a speci-fi c area? It is also important

to know how much a person can earn at a specifi c job and what working

hours it entails.It’s defi nitely a complicated step

into the future after graduation, but eff ort, preparation and some natural

curiosity will help you fi nd the right career.

Other sources of inspiration and information can be found at: www.abi.de, www.bibb.de,www.planet-beruf.de orwww.was-studiere-ich.de

Looking Ahead

Getting to Know MINT JobsMarieke Prilop (Year 11)Christian-Gymnasium Hermannsburg

Cybermentor is a programme for fe-male students interested in MINT (Maths, IT, Natural Sciences and Technology) subjects. Every girl in the programme is assigned a female mentor that either stu-dies a MINT subject or works at a MINT-related job. The pair can then exchange e-mails on MINT topics or discuss the finer points of choosing a career or study path. Personally, I am in my third year of participa-ting in the programme.

I am mainly inte-rested in biological and biochemical processes in various organisms. My current mentor is a life sciences student writing her doctoral thesis, which makes her a perfect fit for me. Researchers in her field study the processes and structures of living orga-nisms. My mentor is specialising in the

area of biological oceanography. Among other things, she is researching orga-nisms that can influence the climate due to their metabolites. In our e-mails, we usually write about our interests, her work, and school.

My first mentor even invited me to do an internship at her workplace, the Fraunhofer-Institute, during school ho-lidays. It was exciting to get an up-close

and personal view into the work of a scientific institute.

Through Cyber-mentor I have learned a great deal about oc-cupations that I pre-viously didn’t even know existed. The exchange provided by the program-me gives us “MINT

girls” an extra boost of courage to pur-sue our interests and not be scared away from MINT occupations due to the low amount of women working in them.

MINT-MENTORING

Send us your articles! At www.facebook.com/handelsblattmachtschule you can post your own articles, share ideas with fellow students, and discuss the Handelsblatt Newcomer or student competition.

FACEBOOK

Find the Programme That’s Right for You! Many colleges and organisations have developed mentoring programmes that cater to female students interes-ted in MINT study paths or careers. The website for the National Pact for Women in MINT Occupations provides a great overview of these programmes at: www.komm-mach-mint.deAdditional information about Cybermen-tor is available at: www.cybermentor.deIn Rhineland-Palatinate, there is also the Ada-Lovelace project, which is a network that off ers mentor partner-ships and workshops for female stu-dents from year 5 and up: www.ada-lovelace.com

November 2011, ISSUE 16

8 FUN & FACTS H

Vocabularydrought­afflicted von Dürre

geplagtarable land Ackerflächesmallholdings Kleinbetriebeto get back on one's feet sich aufraffenviable zukunftsfähigto sustain tragenconsumption Verbrauchsustainable nachhaltigoverhauled umgebautboost hier Auf­

schwungto undergo durchmachenhard to come by schwer zu fin­

den/bekommendried up ausgeschöpftchores Haushalt Arbeit

indispensable unverzichtbarto get to grips with sth. mit etw. klarkommenmechanical engineering Maschinenbau roofers Dachdecker to breathe easy entspannenacclaim Anerkennung to account for sth. etw. ausmachento grab a slice of sth. Anteil haben an etw.yuletide Weihnachtszeitbonanza Glücksfallonslaught Ansturm run­up to sth. im Vorfeld von etw.to be the only game in town hier das Maß aller

Dinge seinto enhance verbesserncutting­edge topaktuellcommodity Rohstoff

www.handelsblattmachtschule.de/newcomerPhotos: Judith Wagner/Handelsblatt; Institute of Economic Education at Oldenburg

Renewable energy and fossil fuels, P. 2, 3Energy is stored in energy sources and the­re are two types of energy sources: rene­wable and not renewable (also called finite). Wind, water, solar, geothermal and biomass (such as plants) power use renewable ener­gy sources to generate electricity. These resources are practically unlimited, since nature provides each of these on its own. The other category is non­renewable or finite energy sources. This includes fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and oil. The amounts of these resources are limited and one day won’t be available any longer.

Infrastructure, P. 2, 6Infrastructure is the basic framework that supports an economy and society. It is the network of physical and organisational structures that makes economic and social processes possible. Schools, hospitals and leisure activities are all part of a country’s infrastructure as are such things as roads, water supply, telecommunications net­works and power grids.

Globalisation, P. 2Globalisation is a term used to describe the in­creasing worldwide networking of every part of life, such as politics, law, technology and the environment. In terms of the economy, globalisation describes the expansion of in­ternational markets and an increasing division of labour beyond national borders. This deve­lopment is facilitated by both technological advances as well as political agreements.

Retail association, P. 5People with similar interests can create a club or association to exchange information and work together towards a common goal. One example of this is a retail association, where numerous retail companies organize a group to represent the interests of retailers in politics for example. Because it represents such a large number of companies, its opini­ons or demands have greater influence.

Cheat sheetAn overview of the most impor-tant words and phrases from this issue

ImpressumHerausgeber: Dieter Fockenbrock, V.i.S.d.P. (Handelsblatt) und Hans Kaminski (Institut für Ökonomische Bildung, Uni Oldenburg)Redaktion: Melanie RübartschKonzept: Katrin Eggert, Hans Kaminski, Michael Koch, Dieter FockenbrockArt Director: Nils WernerKoordination: Maren Kienaß, Melanie RübartschLayout und Fotos: Jörg Fiedler, Anna Hönscheid, Jean­Philippe Ili, Corinna ThielHandelsblatt Newcomer Online: Eva Erb­SchulzeMarketing und Vertrieb: Julia ReibelEnglische Übersetzung: John Dalbey für die PONS GmbHVerlag: Handelsblatt GmbH Geschäftsführung: Marianne Dölz, Dr. Michael StollarzKasernenstr. 67, 40213 DüsseldorfTel.: +49 (0) 211­887­0Druck: kuncke druck GmbH,Kornkamp 24, 22926 AhrensburgMitarbeiter dieser Ausgabe: Marieke Prilop, Lehrer und Schüler am Alten Gymnasium Olden­burg sowie der Helene­Lange­Schule Oldenburg (Ortrud Reuter­Kaminski, Eileen Bokelmann, Tanja Bohle, Annkathrin Eckmeyer, Martha Heeke, Lena Matthes, Julia Reichel, Lea Schönborn, Inga Stapel, Lea Zuch)Fragen und Feedback: hb.schule@vhb.de oder über Facebook (www.facebook.com/handels­blattmachtschule). Für Unternehmen mit Interes­se an einer Partnerschaft: hb.schule@vhb.deHandelsblatt Newcomer erscheint alle zwei Monate.Sie als Lehrkraft können Handelsblatt Newcomer für Ihre Schüler kostenlos bestellen: www.handelsblattmachtschule.de/newcomer

Dieter Fockenbrock (Chief Correspondent at the Handelsblatt) and Hans Kaminski (Scientific Director of the IÖB)

Dear readers,

It’s that time of year again – Christmastime is just around the corner. This provides us with a great opportunity to take a closer look at the economic importance of this holiday for retail in our Companies and Markets section on page 5.Traditionally we are confronted with nu-merous requests for donations during the run-up to Christmas. Many organisations are currently trying to help the people suffering in Africa. The catastrophic famine there shows just how important sustainable aid is for the future of these affected regions (page 1).The Handelsblatt topic for this edition focused on what’s ahead: We take a look at what deve-lopments will impact the future of our world (pages 2 and 3).We wish you all a very merry Christmas season and hope you enjoy this edition of the Han-delsblatt Newcomer.

Bildmaterial mitfreundlicher Unterstützung von:

Programme mitfreundlicher Unterstützung von:

November 2011, ISSUE 16