government subsidies

LDK Solar has long depended on demand driven by government subsidies from countries such as Germany, Spain and Italy, which makes it vulnerable in this period of European austerity. Trefis has revised its estimates for LDK Solar down -- but still meaningfully above the market price.

Fuel efficiency remains the top concern among new car buyers around the world, which is likely to boost demand for hybrid and electric vehicles, according to a report from KPMG. But the survey of senior auto-industry executives worldwide also showed that many have serious concerns about such vehicles' affordability.

The oil industry is subsidized beyond virtually any other business in America, enjoying tax breaks that average $4 billion a year. The massive tax breaks reaped in BP's disastrous Deepwater Horizon project, which caused the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history, are typical.