In focus: The attractions of gold and oil

It is now generally accepted that the world consumes ever-increasing quantities of commodities. This is not surprising as the global population has grown from 800 million in 1800 to seven billion today and is on its way to over eight billion. In addition, the world’s rapidly growing population is demanding a much higher standard of living. With the collapse of communism 15 years ago and the internet revolution, billions of previously suppressed people began thinking about private enterprise and were incentivised to work hard to enjoy economic wealth. The internet conveyed inform...