Early this year, the volcanic eruption in Iceland rudely reminded each one that the world is interconnected, when it grounded air travel in Europe. The wildfires in Russia have triggered a rise in wheat prices and unprecedented increase in investor speculation on agricultural activities. Russia’s wheat yield is expected to plummet by 20% due to drought and wild fires; Canada’s wheat yield faces a similar scenario due to adverse weather (New York Times; accessed August 14, 2010)