- Written by Dr Robert McCaffrey, Editor, Global Cement Magazine
There's a well-known publication from The Economist magazine, which this year is called 'The World in 2011' and which is always an interesting read. In it, various experts prognosticate on what is coming up in the following year. I have a copy of 'The World in 2008,' which was probably written some time in the middle of 2007, while we were still in a boom but when the economic storm clouds were already gathering. The cover image shows a (Chinese) dragon, and the magazine went on at some length about the Beijing Olympics. Strangely enough, the greatest recession for sixty years (2008-20??) was not foreseen in the magazine, even though the world's great and good (and a few Nobel Laureates) contributed to the publication. Each year the publication takes a hard look at its forecasts from the year before and, although it gets a few of the basic predictions right (the Olympics will take place, there will be an election in countries X, Y and Z), it seldom manages to predict the unlikely events (the Black Swans) that end up making the news and shaping our destinies.
- Written by Dr Robert McCaffrey, Editor, Global Cement Magazine
To me it feels like a time of change. The last two years have been pretty awful for everyone in the cement and lime industry. and it's been pretty awful for people involved in the construction industry around the world as well. Every company has had to make changes that they could have avoided if the good times had continued on, but perhaps that is no bad thing. Sometimes in a boom period the efficiences that ought to be made to optimise the bottom line are forgotten about in the rush to riches. In the lean times those efficiences become an absolute priority and the companies that don't make them simply cease to exist.
- Written by Dr Robert McCaffrey, Editor, Global Cement Magazine
Just hours after the last Last Word went to press, reminding readers that revolutions tend to come in waves, the current revolution in Libya started. As I write, the country is split, with rebels in control in the east of the country. In a month's time, everything could be very different, but no-one would be rash enough to try to fortell the outcome. What is notable, however, is that the Libyans seem to be very keen to determine their own outcomes. Even the beleaguered rebels have voiced calls for 'no foreign intervention.' I hope that - after the botched trillion dollar wars in Iraq and Afghanistan - the international community will heed local wishes.
- Written by Dr Robert McCaffrey, Editor, Global Cement Magazine
My dear old Mum, bless her, was clearing out her attic the other day and found a number of suitcases that she claims belong to me. Among them was one bag of photographs that she brought along with her on a recent visit to my house. I usually can't stand looking at old photographs (it reminds me that I used to have hair, but no longer, boo-hoo). I opened the first packet of photos (we used to send our 'films' away to a 'laboratory' to have them 'printed' onto 'paper' and then put them into 'packets' - can you imagine that? How quaint and pre-digital.) The first photo I saw was one taken on my first visit to a cement plant, in March 1990, at the Pretoria Portland Cement Company's plant at Slurry, South Africa. The photo is seen at the right, with me standing under the rather impressive and relatively new-looking satellite coolers. It made me think that I've been in the cement industry for a lot longer than I had thought - 21 years now. Gosh, I must be old.
- Written by Dr Robert McCaffrey, Editor, Global Cement Magazine
I'm writing this on my laptop in the departure lounge of Kuala Lumpur International Airport, on the way home from the enjoyable and successful Global Fuels Conference, since I have an hour to spare (even though it is nearly midnight). One of the unusual topics that came up at the conference (or should I say, 'at the bar' afterwards) was 'What would you do with a million pounds?' For international readers, that's probably Euro1.2m or US$1.5m.
