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Brown Urged To Cut Duty As Oil Prices Fall
Petrol retailers are calling for a freeze on fuel duty to help push down prices at the pump for motorists.
It costs an average of of £5.70 extra to refill a 50-litre vehicle compared to this time last year.
And that is after a fall of 9% in prices in the last three months as oil prices plummet in the global financial turmoil.
Ray Holloway, director of the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), said: "Gordon Brown always has the ability to reduce fuel prices through a fuel tax reduction, but avoids it.
"Prices for crude oil and forecourt fuel are obviously linked but they do not move in tandem.
"Therefore they do not automatically move up or down at the same time."
Fuel prices reached a record high of 119.7p per litre on July 17, this year.
Tesco supermarket lowered its prices for unleaded and diesel by 3p across its 430 UK forecourts this week, following a 1p cut by rivals Asda.
The latest fall in the price of oil came as stock markets plunged around the world on recession fears, which would weaken the demand for oil.
Crude oil was trading below 80 dollars a barrel for the first time in a year and energy-facings stocks are down with oil giant BP 8% lower and rival shell 9% down.
Changes in oil prices typically take between six and eight weeks to filter down to the forecourts and motorists, according to the PRA. Petrol retailers are calling for a freeze on fuel duty to help push down prices at the pump for motorists. ... more -
Fine Fueling - Carbon offset yacht fuel for the connoisseur
A bottle of the Crawford Ranch sounds ideal with seafood.
"A clean, fresh blend of benzene and avgas, with a simple nose of white kerosene. It has excellent low temperature flow properties." A bottle of the Crawford Ranch sounds ideal with seafood. ... more -
Global Crises Compound Refugees' Woes: UN
The global financial, food, and fuel crises and the negative impacts of climate change pose a severe threat to the world's 37 million uprooted people, and will likely increase their numbers, warned the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Monday.
"Competition for scarce resources has become an increasingly important factor in provoking and perpetuating violence," said Antonio Guterres, addressing delegates from the UNHCR's 76-nation governing committee. As a result, the number of people forced to flee their homes is on the rise.
At the end of 2007, 11.4 million people were living as refugees and 26 million were displaced within their own country -- known as internally displaced people, or IDPs.
These latest figures mark the second straight year of increases after a five-year decline in the number of uprooted people around the world.
The underlying causes for the alarming trend in displacement range "from multiple new conflict-related emergencies in world hotspots to bad governance, climate-induced environmental degradation that increases competition for scarce resources, and extreme price hikes that have hit the poor the hardest and are generating instability in many places," said Guterres.
A doubling of world prices of staple foods such as rice and wheat has had a particular impact on refugees and IDPs, who leave behind most of their material possessions but also farms, small businesses, or jobs when they flee conflict or environmental disasters.
This July, hundreds of refugees from Cote d'Ivoire living in Guinea's capital asked to relocate to a United Nations-run refugee camp "to escape their precarious situation in Conakry, where they found serious difficulties in feeding themselves and finding accommodation," according to the UNHCR's spokesperson in Guinea.
"We are confronted with a series of interlinked conflicts in an arc of crisis that stretches from Southwest Asia to the Middle East and the Horn of Africa. Some of them are deepening, with important implications for global security," said Guterres.
Indeed, this new and complex constellation of violence has directly affected the United Nations' work with refugees and displaced people.
UNHCR funds used to address emergencies more than doubled from 2006 to 2007, and this year's expected $150 million budget for emergencies marks another significant leap from last year's $87 million.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has one of the highest numbers of IDPs in the world and it is also the site of one of the worst and least recognized humanitarian crises.
A group of 83 aid agencies and human rights groups recently called for immediate action to improve security and humanitarian assistance for civilians in Congo after renewed fighting displaced an additional 100,000 people in the eastern part of the country.
An estimated 1.2 million Congolese have been uprooted by the conflict, which the nonprofit International Rescue Committee has classified "the world's deadliest documented conflict since World War II."
However, financial constraints and safety precautions preclude sometimes even the most basic of humanitarian aid from reaching many of those who've fled their homes.
This has also been the case in Somalia, where 1.1 million people are displaced and almost half the population requires urgent assistance due to ongoing conflict and resource shortages.
In July, the Germany-based charity Bread for the World cut back operations in Somalia and the United Nations Development Program withdrew staff from the country amid rising safety concerns for their employees.
Concluding that "a hungry man is an angry man," Guterres cautioned the international community can either meet the basic needs of the world's poor -- many of whom are refugees or IDPs -- or "expect more social and political turmoil in the years to come."
Climate Refugees a Growing Concern
******CONTINUES The global financial, food, and fuel crises and the negative impacts of climate change pose a severe threat to the world's 37 mil... more -
EERC creates first 100% renewable jet fuel
University of North Dakota's Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) has developed a "100% renewable domestic fuel that meets the JP-8 aviation fuel screening criteria." JP-8 is a jet fuel, or Jet Propellant, used by the U.S. military.
The EERC fuel was created from multiple renewable feedstocks. Some fuel samples were tested at a U.S. government facility, and all of the JP-8 specifications, such as freeze point, density, and flash point, were met by the EERC fuel samples.
"The technology takes advantage of feedstock chemistry to reduce capital and operating expenses. The feedstock-flexible process can use various crop oils and waste greases. The process can be tailored to produce combinations of propane, gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel that are identical to petroleum-derived fuels, enabling direct substitution with existing fuels and providing renewable options across the spectrum of fuel needs."
EERC Director Gerald Groenewold mentions that commercial aviation could benefit from this breakthrough as well.
"The EERC fuel was produced under a $4.7 million contract with the U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The Department of Defense is the largest consumer of petroleum in America, and securing a domestic fuel source is a key operational challenge for the military. Production is now under way to produce a large fuel sample for engine testing this fall."
Full story at link... University of North Dakota's Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) has developed a "100% renewable domestic fuel... more -
Cost-Efficient Process Expected To Turn Algae Into Fuel
BORCULO, Netherlands - Set amid cornfields and cow pastures in eastern Holland is a shallow pool that is rapidly turning green with algae, harvested for animal feed, skin treatments, biodegradable plastics -- and with increasing interest, biofuel.
In a warehouse 120 miles southwest, a bioreactor of clear plastic tubes is producing algae in pressure-cooker fashion that its manufacturer hopes will one day power jet aircraft.
Experts say it will be years, maybe a decade, before this simplest of all plants can be efficiently processed for fuel. But when that day comes, it could go a long way toward easing the world's energy needs and responding to global warming.
Algae is the slimy stuff that clouds your home aquarium and gets tangled in your feet in a lake or ocean. It can grow almost everywhere there is water and sunlight, and under the right conditions it can double its volume within hours. Scientists and industrialists agree that the potential is huge. BORCULO, Netherlands - Set amid cornfields and cow pastures in eastern Holland is a shallow pool that is rapidly turning green with al... more -
Powering Our Automotive Future with Pond Scum
Corn—or the cellulose in everything from wood chips to crop stalks—are often touted as the basis of the fuel of the future. But Microsoft founder and billionaire Bill Gates is betting that algae will provide the answer to our future fuel needs. He's so sure, in fact, that last week he joined the Rockefeller family and London-based Wellcome Trust to invest $100 million in a California start-up devoted to churning out biofuel from this tiny primitive plant.
San Diego-based Sapphire Energy, which launched in May, plans to use the money to produce more than 10,000 barrels of so-called green crude (oil from algae that is chemically identical to fossil oil) in as little as three years.
But company background materials (pdf) note that it uses "photosynthetic microorganisms, such as algae, sunlight, [carbon dioxide] and nonarable land."
Sapphire Energy is one of more than a dozen companies that have sprung up in recent years to harness algae's power to make and stockpile oil. "Algae stores oil because it's energy dense and [algae] want to use it for fuel" (similar to the way animals store energy reserves as fat), says Jonathan Wolfson, CEO of South San Francisco–based Solazyme, Inc., which produces its algal biofuel in the dark. "Algae is the best in the world at taking chemical energy and turning it into an actual chemical, but it's going to take a long time to make it best at harvesting photons."
That's why Solazyme uses industrial fermenters, such as those used by the pharmaceutical industry to produce insulin, to grow batches of algae in the dark. Instead of feeding on sunlight and carbon dioxide (CO2), Solazyme's genetically engineered algae produce oil from sugar water inside these large tanks.
Costs for algae-based fuel currently range from $10 to $100 per gallon, according to systems engineer Ron Pate at Sandia National Laboratories. "The idea [is] bringing algal oil down to $1 or $2 per gallon at a scale of 50 million gallons [190 million liters] per year."
High cost is a problem throughout the algal biofuels industry. "It's energy cost to pump the water," says Craig Harting, chief operating officer for Vancouver-based Global Green Solutions, which is building 100 bioreactors (large plastic devices used to grow algae) at a pilot plant in El Paso, Tex. "It's capital cost to build bioreactors. It's the harvesting and extraction process."
As a result, most companies say they have yet to determine the consumer price tag for algae-derived oil—or to produce much of the stuff—though Wolfson says Solazyme's goal is $40 to $80 a barrel—competitive with fossil oil. Corn—or the cellulose in everything from wood chips to crop stalks—are often touted as the basis of the fuel of the future. But Micros... more -
The Queen buys world's biggest wind turbine
The Queen has just ordered the biggest wind turbine in the world. Standing 574 feet tall, the turbine is taller than Big Ben and has the wingspan of two football pitches. The 10-megawatt giant will generate almost 5 times more than typical giant wind turbines and will, when operational, generate enough juice to power up to 3,700 UK homes.
The article didn't say what her majesty hopes to use it for... The Queen has just ordered the biggest wind turbine in the world. Standing 574 feet tall, the turbine is taller than Big Ben and has ... more -
Scrap Your Car for a Bike at the Tour de Fat
Forget about trading in your SUV for a Prius, how about scrapping it altogether in place of a bike?
Gas, as we know, is virtually a luxury item these days, and even still the reality of ditching ones car is more achievable for some than for others. But excuses won’t be stopping the Tour de Fat. The Tour de Fat is a rambling carnival of two-wheel toting cyclers advocating bike-for-car swap outs accross the country this Fall.
What you’re likely to find at one of these peaceful demonstrations are bicycles of all shapes, colors, and configurations, live local bands, and hordes of cyclers who fearlessly gather by the thousands in the name of pedal power.
You can burn at least 300 calories an hour or about 25 per mile which requires a good amount of fuel in the form of food, or in this case, beer. The New Belgium Brewing Company is the primary sponsor of the Tour de Fat pumping a steady stream of fermented hops and good spirits throughout this multi-city tour.
For some essential commuter cycling tips and more on the Tour de Fat, read on.
Photo by fastboy.
Read the rest of this entry » Forget about trading in your SUV for a Prius, how about scrapping it altogether in place of a bike? ... more -
65 MPG Ford the U.S. can't have
If ever there was a car made for the times, this would seem to be it: a sporty subcompact that seats five, offers a navigation system, and gets a whopping 65 miles to the gallon. Oh yes, and the car is made by Ford Motor, known widely for lumbering gas hogs.
The ECOnetic will go on sale in Europe in November.
Ford's 2009 Fiesta ECOnetic goes on sale in November. But here's the catch: Despite the car's potential to transform Ford's image and help it compete with Toyota Motor and Honda Motor in its home market, the company will sell the little fuel sipper only in Europe. "We know it's an awesome vehicle," says Ford America President Mark Fields. "But there are business reasons why we can't sell it in the U.S." The main one: The Fiesta ECOnetic runs on diesel.
Automakers such as Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz have predicted for years that a technology called "clean diesel" would overcome many Americans' antipathy to a fuel still often thought of as the smelly stuff that powers tractor trailers. Diesel vehicles now hitting the market with pollution-fighting technology are as clean or cleaner than gasoline and at least 30% more fuel-efficient.
Yet while half of all cars sold in Europe last year ran on diesel, the U.S. market remains relatively unfriendly to the fuel. Taxes aimed at commercial trucks mean diesel costs anywhere from 40 cents to $1 more per gallon than gasoline. Add to this the success of the Toyota Prius, and you can see why only 3% of cars in the U.S. use diesel. "Americans see hybrids as the darling," says Global Insight auto analyst Philip Gott, "and diesel as old-tech."
None of this is stopping European and Japanese automakers, which are betting they can jump-start the U.S. market with new diesel models. Mercedes-Benz by next year will have three cars it markets as "BlueTec." Even Nissan and Honda, which long opposed building diesel cars in Europe, plan to introduce them in the U.S. in 2010. But Ford, whose Fiesta ECOnetic compares favorably with European diesels, can't make a business case for bringing the car to the U.S.
Too Pricey to Import
First of all, the engines are built in Britain, so labor costs are high. Plus the pound remains stronger than the greenback. At prevailing exchange rates, the Fiesta ECOnetic would sell for about $25,700 in the U.S. By contrast, the Prius typically goes for about $24,000. A $1,300 tax deduction available to buyers of new diesel cars could bring the price of the Fiesta to around $24,400. But Ford doesn't believe it could charge enough to make money on an imported ECOnetic.
Ford plans to make a gas-powered version of the Fiesta in Mexico for the U.S. So why not manufacture diesel engines there, too? Building a plant would cost at least $350 million at a time when Ford has been burning through more than $1 billion a month in cash reserves. Besides, the automaker would have to produce at least 350,000 engines a year to make such a venture profitable. "We just don't think North and South America would buy that many diesel cars," says Fields.
The question, of course, is whether the U.S. ever will embrace diesel fuel and allow automakers to achieve sufficient scale to make money on such vehicles. California certified VW and Mercedes diesel cars earlier this year, after a four-year ban. James N. Hall, of auto researcher 293 Analysts, says that bellwether state and the Northeast remain "hostile to diesel." But the risk to Ford is that the fuel takes off, and the carmaker finds itself playing catch-up—despite having a serious diesel contender in its arsenal. If ever there was a car made for the times, this would seem to be it: a sporty subcompact that seats five, offers a navigation system,... more -
World Bank draws criticism for Chad/Cameroon pipeline withdrawal
The World Bank has been attacked for withdrawing from the Chad, Cameroon pipeline project. A coalition of human rights and environmental Non-Governmental Organisations have accused it of bad faith by its recent withdrawal from the 4 billion dollars oil pipeline project that runs from Chad to Cameroon.
The coalition is made up of U.S.-based Environmental Defense Fund, the Chadian Association for Human Rights (ATPDH) and two Cameroon civil society groups, the Centre for Environment and Development (CED) and Network to Fight against Hunger (RELUFA).
"The project's outcome is disastrous. In the name of fighting poverty, it has rather contributed to impoverishing Chad's people and adding a new member to the petro-dictators' club,” a statement issued by the coalition said.
The World Bank last week announced its withdrawal from the pipeline project, one of its biggest investments in Africa. It accused the Chadian president of failing to comply with agreed commitments to set aside a chunk of its oil revenues for local communities, health and education.
However, Chad played down the bank’s pullout, saying its oil output was unaffected and that non-oil cooperation would continue. "The bank withdraws from this project without too much loss," the rights coalition said in its criticism, noting that Chad this month prepaid to the lender the outstanding balance of $65.7 million under the $140 million loan deal.
The coalition noted that the quality of life of the people of Chad and Cameroon, living along the length of the 1,000 km (620-mile) pipeline on its route to the Atlantic coast, had worsened. “Only the quality of life of Chadian president, Idriss Deby, and of the consortium led by Exxon Mobil has improved,” it said.
It should be noted that the pipeline started pumping crude oil from landlocked Chad in 2003, carries 170,000 barrels per day and continues to operate despite the World Bank pullout.
Source:
Solomon Tembang Mforgham,
AfricaNews
Limbe, Cameroon The World Bank has been attacked for withdrawing from the Chad, Cameroon pipeline project. A coalition of human rights and environment... more -
Pickens Natural Gas Cars Reality Check - Standard Taxi CNG -
Tell us why this is interestingSelf-made billionaire and self-proclaimed energy guru T. Boone Pickens has been all over the media and the Web this summer, with his energy evangelism gaining added traction as we count down the last 50 days to the election. Pickens wants to reduce our dependence on foreign energy as rapidly as possible, and he's willing to put his money where his mouth is.
As part of his viral video-powered campaign, then, Pickens wants to put $160 million behind his case for natural gas-powered vehicles. Central to that plan is the development of the so-called Standard Taxi (pictured above), which looks sort of like a London taxi made from Lego blocks. I can only speculate as to why it's so unconscionably ugly.
That being said, I happen to agree 100-percent with Pickens' assertion that converting a healthy proportion of the U.S. fleet to run on compressed natural gas (CNG) would provide tremendous medium-range solutions to our energy issues—no question about it. We have plenty of NG reserves, especially right offshore and in the Arctic. The infrastructure to carry it around the country is mature. There are many advantages to running a car or truck on CNG, especially for fleets that always return to a central location for refueling during the day or overnight. It's a clean-burning fuel, and a dedicated CNG vehicle can have almost the same range as a gas or diesel-powered one. Tell us why this is interestingSelf-made billionaire and self-proclaimed energy guru T. Boone Pickens has been all over the media and ... more -
Gas prices up 38% from last year
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Gas prices edged higher, rising for the eighth straight day, according to a nationwide survey of credit card swipes at gasoline stations.
The average price of unleaded regular rose 0.1 cent to $3.855 a gallon, according to the survey released Wednesday by motorist group AAA.
That followed increases of 1 cent on Tuesday, 4.7 cents on Monday, 5.8 cents Saturday and 6.2 cents Sunday. Sunday's jump marked the biggest one-day spike for gas prices since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005.
Hurricane Ike slammed into Texas early Saturday, shutting down the heart of the nation's refinery operations. Crude prices have been trending lower amid weakening demand and in response to the recent slew of storms and hurricanes.
On Tuesday, oil prices tumbled to a seven-month low as the crisis on Wall Street spooked a market already skittish about a globals slowdown. Oil prices have plunged more than $10 a barrel over the past two days.
Meanwhile, drivers had just started breathing a sigh of relief as gas prices appeared to be moving further and further away from the record high price of $4.114 a gallon set July 17.
But gas prices have now gained for eight days in a row. While prices remain 6.3% down from the July high, they are still up $1.06, or 38%, from a year earlier.
Eleven states reported gas prices above $4 a gallon in the AAA survey: Alaska, Alabama, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee. NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Gas prices edged higher, rising for the eighth straight day, according to a nationwide survey of credit car... more -
Water powered car is here!!!
You laughed at me, you called me crazy, well eat me y'all nay sayers!
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First city to run on human waste
The San Antonio authorities have unveiled a deal that will make it the first US city to use methane gas extracted from human waste and turn it into a clean-burning fuel. The city's residents produce about 140,000 tons of 'biosolids' a year, which can be reprocessed into natural gas that can be burnt in power plants. It is thought the plan could generate about 1.5 million cubic feet of gas per day.
Other moves include an agreement that more than 90% of materials flushed down the city's toilets and sinks will be recycled, with liquids used for irrigation and some of the solids for compost.
A move for the future? I wonder, however, if the burning of the natural gas would be entirely clean environmentally? Seems like a great idea otherwise. The San Antonio authorities have unveiled a deal that will make it the first US city to use methane gas extracted from human waste and... more -
What's the Most Polluting Car?
Forbes.com has published a list of the ten dirtiest cars. Or more accurately—vehicles, since all but a few are SUVs and trucks. (And surprise! The Hummer isn't number one).
The list order is mostly based on the EPA's air pollution rankings, but to break ties, Forbes.com also took into account vehicles' carbon footprints. The nadir of the coverage is in their "Tips for Polluting Less":
Experts say that realizing even minor improvements in fuel economy among the worst polluters on the road is the most efficient way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions overall. For example, choosing a base GMC Yukon with a 5.3-liter V8, which gets 16 mpg overall, instead of the high-end Denali version and its 14-mpg 6.2-liter V8 would save more than 130 gallons of gasoline per year for the typical driver, and eliminate 1.7 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, says Therese Langer, transportation program director for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.
Langer then goes on to say that "achieving the same savings through improvements to a 42-mpg Honda Civic Hybrid would require a 25-mpg boost, to 67 mpg."
So let's get this straight: Consumers should feel good about choosing a Yukon SUV over a hybrid, since the Yukon is way more efficient than the Denali? That's kind of like trying to lose weight by eating a ho-ho instead of a ding-dong.
10. BMW M5
BMW M6
Mercedes-Benz CL600/CL65 AMG
Mercedes-Benz S600/S63 AMG/S65 AMG
Saab 9-7X Aero
9. Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8
Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG
Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG
8. Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 RWD
Chevrolet Suburban 1500 RWD
Chevrolet Tahoe 1500 RWD
MC Yukon 1500 RWD
GMC Yukon XL 1500 RWD
7. Chrysler Aspen Flex Fuel
Dodge Dakota Flex Fuel
Dodge Durango Flex Fuel
Dodge Ram 1500 Flex-Fuel
Jeep Grand Cherokee Flex Fuel
6. Jeep Commander Flex Fuel
Ford F-150
Lincoln Mark LT
5. Chevrolet Suburban 2500
GMC Yukon XL 2500
Hummer H2
4. Mercedes-Benz ML320 CDI
Mercedes-Benz R320 CDI
3. Mercedes GL320 CDI
2. Jeep Grand Cherokee CRD
1. Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI Forbes.com has published a list of the ten dirtiest cars. Or more accurately—vehicles, since all but a few are SUVs and trucks. (And s... more -
The 65 mpg Ford the US can't have
If ever there was a car made for the times, this would seem to be it: a sporty subcompact that seats five, offers a navigation system, and gets a whopping 65 miles to the gallon. Oh yes, and the car is made by Ford Motor (F), known widely for lumbering gas hogs.
Ford's 2009 Fiesta ECOnetic goes on sale in November. But here's the catch: despite the car's potential to transform Ford's image and help it compete with Toyota Motor (TM) and Honda Motor (HMC) in its home market, the company will sell the little fuel sipper only in Europe. "We know it's an awesome vehicle," says Ford America President Mark Fields. "But there are business reasons why we can't sell it in the US." The main one: The Fiesta ECOnetic runs on diesel.
Automakers such as Volkswagen (VLKAY) and Mercedes-Benz (DAI) have predicted for years that a technology called "clean diesel" would overcome many Americans' antipathy to a fuel still often thought of as the smelly stuff that powers tractor trailers. Diesel vehicles now hitting the market with pollution-fighting technology are as clean or cleaner than gasoline and at least 30% more fuel-efficient.
Yet while half of all cars sold in Europe last year ran on diesel, the US market remains relatively unfriendly to the fuel. Taxes aimed at commercial trucks mean diesel costs anywhere from 40 cents to $1 more per gallon than gasoline. Add to this the success of the Toyota Prius, and you can see why only 3% of cars in the US use diesel. "Americans see hybrids as the darling," says Global Insight auto analyst Philip Gott, "and diesel as old-tech. If ever there was a car made for the times, this would seem to be it: a sporty subcompact that seats five, offers a navigation system,... more -
Airlines may ask us to go on diet
With airlines cutting security and safety measures from onboard and inflight safety, I have to admit that perhaps we will be required to fly with risks for our own safety in the name of saving fuel costs.
This article states the reality of fear that perhaps not just having security screening which allow TSA officials to look at our naked bodies, but now, we'll have to disclose our weight to ticket and gate agents. Is nude flying next ?
I think I'll stop eating those outlandishly generous peanuts inflight to lose some kilos.
Danielmklopp With airlines cutting security and safety measures from onboard and inflight safety, I have to admit that perhaps we will be required ... more -
Cops in NY Town Run Out of Gas Money
Police officers in New Rochelle are being told to walk, bike or ride Segways to conserve fuel.
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Cowboys are tough but fuel prices are tougher
Rodeo cowboys are a tough lot, yet some are having to call it quits. Not because of a bucking bronco, but the high cost of fuel.
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The future of fuel bleak
As the high price of oil pushes up the price of a host of consumer items including food, the future of fuel also affects Oklahoma.
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