Phi Beta Iota: As it becomes possible to connect all minds with all information in all languages, one of the most important “memes” is that of “true cost.” Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is being made vastly easier as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) becomes a standard in the supply chain, and as more and more individuals study and post the specifics of each element of a supply chain. Below are just a few of the headlines from this week that caught our attention.
The True Cost of Bottled Water (Includes Superb Graphic)
The price of bottled water is up to 10,000 times the cost of tap water.
Report Finds Livermore Disguised Fusion Lab's True Cost (USA)
In a seeming effort to disguise the real cost of its National Ignition Facility, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California used inappropriate accounting methods to understate expenses at the nuclear fusion program by $80 million in this fiscal year, according to a recently divulged federal report.
True cost of desal plant concealed (Australia)
MILLIONS of dollars worth of land has been excluded from the official price tag on Victoria's desalination plant, with a series of peppercorn rents hiding the full cost of the project.
Pre-Budget report: the Treasury won't tell us the true cost of this debt disaster (United Kingdom)
If you thought Alistair Darling's figures were bad, wait until you see the final bill, says Jeff Randall.
Credit card companies said to be exploiting loopholes in federal law
According to the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL), consumers are finding it very difficult to gauge the true cost of their credit card debt due to a variety of tricks aimed at replacing the more straightforward penalty interest rates and late fees that have become increasingly common in recent years.
For example, the center says that some emerging tactics by credit card companies include inactivity fees, minimum finance charges, extra fees for international transactions and higher fees on balance transfers and cash advances.
Related:
http://true-cost.re-configure.org
