I'm reading a fascinating book a the moment called Wikinomics written by Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams.

This really is a must read for anyone who is interested in learning how the internet will be creating new models for business and how proprietary thinking within the business community will become increasingly harmful to those that seek success.

For those of you not familiar with the terminology, Wikinomics is essentially the economics of mass collaboration, and the book explores all those working at the cutting edge of 21st century business. This technology could well see an end to the vast majority of intellectual property being harbored by businesses.

One of the bolder statements written by the authors claims that internet based mass collaboration has "the potential to improve human health rapidly, turn the tide on environmental damage, advance human culture, develop break through technologies, and explore outer space"

Wheat Straw gets major new role in North America

We've known for some time now that by-products of the agricultural wheat industry have been well suited to paper production. And certainly the idea of making a newspaper out of chaff does not seem to far fetched to me. But now it seems that the technology being used in North America is advanced enough to make a magazine.

This new report is very exciting for those in the recycling business. As a by-product wheat chaff in the UK is being landfilled.
What a massive opportunity this is for the publishing industries of the Western world to embrace.

I say in the West, because in China they have been doing this for years. Farmers from all over China have been able to supply their local paper mill with rice farming by-products and thereby creating a much needed income stream from their own waste; though this agreement is now under threat because of an influx of large European style paper mills from Finland that have no use for agricultural by-products.