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The Mustard Seed Problem
Written by: Paul KedroskyArticle Overview: Just to unburden myself of something that has been bothering me, people promoting economic "mustard seeds" need to be a little more careful in their metaphors. Here in southern California mustard is an invasive species, one that was uncommon fifty years ago and is now everywhere, crowding out indigenous plants, like wild flowers.
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Free Download - Sorry, You Can’t Be My Online Friend By Paul Kedrosky |
The Mustard Seed Problem
Just to unburden myself of something that has been bothering me, people promoting economic "mustard seeds" need to be a little more careful in their metaphors. Here in southern California mustard is an invasive species, one that was uncommon fifty years ago and is now everywhere, crowding out indigenous plants, like wild flowers.
Even more worrisome? Invasive mustard plants here in SoCal add considerably to fuel load, making the annual fire cycle much worse than it would otherwise be. Whole hillsides of the stuff sprout up in the spring and then dry out in a flash, creating a ready-to-burn landscape when the Santa Ana winds come calling in the fall.
So, to the extent that people are arguing that we are seeing new non-native species take over markets, and those species are making markets more conflagration-prone, then keep right on with the whole "mustard seed" thing.
Article Tags: conflagration, extent, fifty years, fire cycle, hillsides, indigenous plants, invasive mustard, invasive species, landscape, metaphors, mustard plants, mustard seed, mustard seeds, native species, santa ana, southern california, wild flowers
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About the Author: Paul Kedrosky RSS for Paul's articles - Visit Paul's website Dr. Kedrosky is currently the Executive Director of the William J. von Liebig Center in San Diego, California. Using an innovative seed capital program, the Center catalyzes the commercialization of technologies from the internationally-ranked University of California, San Diego. Dr. Kedrosky is also a venture investor with Ventures West, Canada's largest institutional venture capital firm, where he is most active in consumer technologies and software. He is currently on the board of Marqui Corporation, a marketing automation software company. Click here to visit Paul's website Dear Richard Posner Love Richard Thaler Want to Start a Virtual World Be Sure to Play Hockey The Right Real Estate Offer Outlook Want to See Something Really Scary Chinas Boomtowns |
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