World bank database is a treasure trove for ecological entrepreneurs
The New York Times reports that the World Bank has released huge amounts of its previously proprietary data to the general public. The Bank talks about it in a news release here and on its data page here.
The key data are in the form of indicators of development and economic activity. For a list of the most popular indicators, go here. You’ll find data on GDP, finance, business activities, population, infrastructure, environmental insults, energy use, and much more.
For people I call “ecological entrepreneurs” (i.e. those who want to make the environment better while making a profit in the bargain) the World Bank database is truly a treasure trove. If you are considering a venture of this type (particularly one that involves commerce in countries outside the US), I heartily recommend digging into these data.
Of course, as with all data, you’ll need to check it for both internal consistency and accuracy, but having more data is always better, and having good data is better still.
