OPEC - We will set oil price at $75 a barrel

And will take "any additional action on December 17th" to ensure we are in control of our market because "oil price too low for making massive margins" ...

 

Cold sobering words from OPEC - How dangerous is this?

Watch Anne Korin's youtube presentation to grasp an understanding:

Anne Korin's Oil Solution 1of7

part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4 - part 5 - part 6 - part 7 ...   more

 

 

Sources:

news.yahoo

Set oil at $75 a barrel

Did we say something to make you mad?

 

Now, animal power can light up your house

Forget horse power, it is over to cattle power! They can provide a solution to the energy crisis faced by rural masses. A
pair of them and a generator can light up a house.

 

The process called as "energy generation through animal power'' is simple - rotate the generator with a pair of cattle. This is a simple equipment with only a shaft, gear box and a permanent magnet alternator. As the animal rotates, like in a traditional gana (place where oil is extracted using animal traction), the central shaft moves in sync. By making the alternator run, electricity is generated.

 

This is, then, stored in battery and used, as and when required. KREDL managing director V P Hiremath said this does not depend on seasonal conditions, requires no maintenance and does not need any fuel.

 

The Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited (KREDL) has come out with the generator, which was originally conceived by retired electrical engineer L Nanjaiah. The animal-driven generator or the permanent magnetic generator, can produce up to 2 KW electricity per hour, which can meet the power requirement of a household with a tubelight slim - 20 W/ hour; ceiling fan - 75 W/ hour and TV - 100 W/ hour.

 

Response: Cost and fear of animal activists has hindered the promotion of this novel method.

 

However, even without the subsidy, the investment can be realized in five years.

 

The officials feel under the scheme of rural electrification, this project can be beneficial for zilla and taluk panchayats. Meanwhile, efforts are under way to develop an instrument, which can generate up to 10 KW/hour.

 

Read more from source link

Engineer designs a good life for $5,000 a year

Jim Merkel, a former military engineer living in Norwich, now uses his skills to help people live with less.

Back in 1989, the Long Island native was a weapons engineer who helped design a cutting-edge computer that could transmit military secrets, survive a nuclear blast and, a decade before the dawn of the BlackBerry, fit in the palm of his hand. Sitting at a hotel bar in Stockholm, Sweden, he was drinking in his accomplishment when a bulletin flashed on television.

An oil tanker had hit a reef half a world away in Alaska, spilling 11 million gallons of crude oil, contaminating 1,300 miles of coastline and killing more than 250,000 seabirds, otters, seals, bald eagles and whales. Video showed the culprit to be the Exxon Valdez. But peering into a mirror behind the bar, Merkel saw only himself.

He drove. He flew. He consumed goods produced with or propelled by fossil fuels.

"Of course, the entire industrialized world stood indicted beside me," he recalls. "Our 'need' for ever-more mobility, ever-more progress, ever-more growth had led us straight to this disaster. But in that moment, all I knew was that I, personally, needed to step forward and own up to the damage."

Returning home to the states, Merkel decided to simplify. He not only cleared away stuff (enough for 13 yard sales) but also tapped his engineering degree from New York's Stony Brook University to calculate the economic and environmental savings. By doing so, he figured out how to live comfortably — and income-tax-free — on $5,000 a year.

To share his findings, Merkel penned a 2003 book, "Radical Simplicity: Small Footprints on a Finite Earth." That begat his Web site, www.radicalsimplicity.org. And those begat his continuing string of more than 1,000 speeches, workshops and classes, including this fall's "Moving Toward Sustainability" course at the Wilder campus of Community College of Vermont.

Read more from source

Genesis of the Technocrats

Our ignorance is not so vast as our failure to use what we know. We are not starting from zero, we have an enormous amount of existing technical knowledge. It's just a matter of putting it all together. We still have great flexibility but our maneuverability will diminish with time. - M King Hubbert

 

Read more from the BigGav

EPA Reform Of SPCC Rule Benefits Small Business

"SBA has worked for years with EPA to get the SPCC rule right for small business," said Shawne McGibbon, acting Chief Counsel for Advocacy.

A complete chronology of Advocacy's SPCC activities can be found here and below:

Press Release dated 11/20/08 - The Environmental Protection Agency’s recent actions reforming the Oil Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) rule contains provisions that will benefit small business.

Letter dated 12/19/06 - Environmental Protection Agency [html], [text] or [PDF File] - Congratulatory letter regarding Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) program;  Fact Sheet Summarizing Advocacy's Letter.

Letter dated 02/10/06 - Environmental Protection Agency [PDF File] or [text] - Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) Rule; Proposed Amendments; Qualified Facility, Oil-Filled Equipment and Other Revisions; 70 Fed. Reg.75324, December 12, 2005; [PDF File] or [text]  Fact Sheet Summarizing Advocacy's Letter; SPCC Technical Memorandum by E.H. Pechan & Associates, Inc.

Congressional Testimony dated 12/14/05 - Thomas M. Sullivan, Chief Counsel for Advocacy, testified before the Committee on Environment & Public Works, U.S. Senate on “Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Regulations.” [PDF File]

Comment dated 06/10/04 - Environmental Protection Agency - Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Regulation; Recommendations for Regulatory Revisions; 67 Fed. Reg. 47041 (July 17, 2002).  Fact Sheet Summarizing Advocacy's Letter; SPCC Report by Jack Faucett Associates.

World view of Bush's environmental and foreign policy

Good luck with fixing that whole "foreign policy thing Obama" - Even understanding how a new leader could fix this is implausible to me.

The NEW New Deal: Dead on Arrival (not green, just red)

From George Washington-  Like all Americans, I was raised to believe that the "New Deal" got us out of the Great Depression.

But a team of UCLA economists have determined that some of FDR's policies prolonged the depression by 7 years. Proponents of the Austrian school of economics have been saying this for decades.

The smart money is calling the New New Deal dead on arrival.

For example, Bloomberg writes:

President-elect Barack Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi may throw as much as half a trillion dollars worth of stimulus at the economy -- and have little or no growth to show for it.

One of the leading authorities on monetary policy says that the Fed and Treasury are "fighting the last war", and using an approach that they think would have worked in the Great Depression, even though the cause of the 2 financial crises are entirely different.

Now, Congress and Obama are set to duplicate the fiscal stimulus approach of FDR.

Instead of being smart and taking actions which will work, all branches of the government appear to be spending sums we can never repay to take actions which will likely be ineffective.

 

---

Haase comments: Inarguable facts on COAL and "Cap N Trade"

No one will argue these points with me because they are as grave as the cold hard facts below...

Obama: "I will bankrupt the coal industry"   92 percent of the coal used in the United States, is for generating electricity.

He may want to read his own energy outlook from the DOE  where we PLAN to use coal for 90% of our needs... for the next two decades 

It is also a MASSIVE cash cow for the U.S. trade... at over  $ 5,441,811,760 a year

EIA (DOE) reported last month that:"Report No.: DOE/EIA-012" 

The U.S. Coal Exports (Short Tons)      
North America Total  7,492,728      
South America Total  2,185,343
Europe Total  10,501,463    
Asia Total  1,761,093      
Africa Total  1,127,503   
Exports 38,870,084

The U.S. total us is 1,026,636,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OECD countries will buy up our cheap coal and produce three fold the emissions of what the U.S. would do with the same coal.  

 

Who do we want to hurt and how?  Commodity Trading CO2 (cap n' trade) is not regulations or conservation that can actually reduce coal use or pollution (it does the opposite) it is energy tax on the poor. It will only make it cheaper for export and then how are we helping the world or people?

More FACTS:

Carbon sequestration WILL increase overall pollutants

Cap and trade will backfire

Insane - US Unveils Plan to Bury Carbon

Carbon capture of CO2 worse than ethanol

Will U.S. Carbon tax $0.09 or $0.40 a gallon?

Problems with CO2 trading and storage...

Carbon Trading is like, "Trading sand on a beach"

Carbon trade market just crashed

Cap-and-Trade schemes mean Billion$ in Windfall $$ for Utilities

Bloomberg calls for a carbon tax - Dahhh!

Hundreds of Billions in Carbon Credits and Subsidies to Polluters

We all lose in the "The global warming cap-and-trade bill (S. 2191)"

Please read more about "crap and trade" at: CarbCrap

Asking for Help - Your doing it wrong!

From motivatedphotos.com

While Detroit fails as VW Wins "Green Car of the Year"

REUTERS - A clean-burning diesel 5 passenger sedan, Volkswagen AG's Jetta TDI, won the "Green Car of the Year" award at the Los Angeles auto show on Thursday, the first time a diesel-powered car has taken the industry's top environmental honor.

 

"This signals that clean diesel has arrived," said Ron Cogan, editor of Green Car Journal, the trade magazine that awards the prize.

 

Volkswagen's US chief, Stefan Jacoby, said diesels have emerged as an alternative to hybrids such as Toyota Motor Corp's popular Prius.

 

"It's a breakthrough in this country," Jacoby said. "it's a real alternative to hybrids. It brings fuel consumption down, it's environmentally friendly, and -- this is a difference with a Prius -- this is really fun to drive."

 

They simply require less maintenance, cost less us less raw materials to manufacture than nearly all other "eco" technology...

 

Volkswagen's five-passenger Jetta TDI, which boasts a fuel efficiency of 41 miles per gallon at $21,990.

 

The Jetta TDI beat out finalists including BMW's 335d diesel sport sedan, Ford Motor Co's Fusion Hybrid passenger sedan, General Motors Corp's crossover Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid, and the smart fortwo mini car.

 

"This is the vehicle that stood out among all of the five finalists as the one that really exhibited the greatest environmental achievement," Cogan said. "You get 30 percent better fuel efficiency, on average, with a diesel, and a commensurate reduction in greenhouse gases."

 

Read full story by Nichola Groom and Kevin Krolicki

 

Wowoo... drops the sugar bomb.

THE world's largest food manufacturer has reduced sugar levels of some of its top-selling kids' foods - and will stop advertising non-nutritious products under a plan to improve its image worldwide.

 

Nestle will unveil the global marketing initiative in Switzerland later today in response to growing concerns about the role of food manufacturers and their marketing practices in rising obesity rates.

 

The new "global marketing to children principles" will be underpinned by a nutritional profile system that will define which foods will be allowed to be marketed and which will need to be reformulated to meet marketing guidelines.

 

The global shift in marketing practices by the company, which has annual global sales of $US120billion, has been largely driven by Nestle's Australian operations in response to rising community concerns about food marketing.

 

"Nestle believes this system is the most comprehensive of any company globally as it spans all 27 food and beverage categories in which it has products and covers all consumer groups from children to adults," the company will announce.

 

"The system is based on scientific research and public health recommendations of the World Health Organisation and US Medical Institute. It is a dynamic approach which will be reviewed and updated based on the latest developments in research and consumer concerns.

 

May I say WOW!

 

Read more from theaustralian

DOE send U.S. auto makers $25 Billion offer to clean up their act

Forget bailing them out... all they need to do is clean up their act.

DOE issued an Interim Final Rule last week for the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program, which will distribute up to $25 billion in direct loans to automakers and component manufacturers. The loans will help those manufacturers establish new U.S. manufacturing facilities or reequip or expand existing ones within the United States for the production of advanced technology vehicles and the components for such vehicles. To expedite the loans, the rule will become effective as soon as it is published in the Federal Register. To qualify for the loan, the vehicles being manufactured must meet tough emissions standards while achieving a 25% greater fuel economy than similar vehicles sold in Model Year 2005. Applications for the first round of funding are due on December 31. See the DOE press release and fact sheet on the loan program, the loan program Web site, and the full text of DOE's interim final rule (PDF 1.5 MB). Download Adobe Reader.

EPA offers economic development benefits for many generations to come.

This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits applications from eligible entities to compete for financial assistance through the Sustainable Skylines Initiative (SSI). The SSI provides a framework to integrate transportation, energy, land use and air quality planning programs into projects that yield measurable air quality benefits in a relatively short period of time. SSI works with eligible entities to aid their communities to develop locally-led activities to help reduce emissions and promote sustainability with the goal of cleaner and healthier air. This is performed by participants working with EPA and other partners to increase community participation and leverage resources. The long-term goal of SSI is to help communities build self-sustaining, community-based partnerships that will continue to achieve positive environmental impacts, livability, and economic development benefits for many generations to come.

 

Eligible Applicants:
- State & County governments
- City or township governments
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- Private institutions of higher education
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

 

Please note that the closing date is December 17, 2008

 

For information about EPA's Brownfields Program,  please visit http://www.epa.gov/brownfields

 

Virtually limitless prolific renewable fuel source...

It is because google has a lot of smart people working for them.

 

And you can fool most people most of the time, but not all people all of the time...

 

"This country is in an energy crisis," she said. "We need energy now, and this is a proven way to get it."

 

Geothermal energy may be the most prolific renewable fuel source that most people have never heard of. Although the supply is virtually limitless, the massive upfront costs required to extract it have long rendered geothermal a novelty. But that's changing fast as this old-line industry buzzes with activity after decades of stagnation.

 

Billionaire Warren E. Buffett has invested big. Internet giant Google Inc. is bankrolling advanced research. Entrepreneurs are paying record prices for drilling leases in places such as Nevada, where they're prospecting for heat instead of metals.

 

Tucked into a few dusty acres across from a shopping mall, it uses steam heat from deep within the Earth's crust to generate electricity. Known as geothermal, the energy is clean, reliable and so abundant that this facility produces more than enough electricity to power every home in Reno, population 221,000.

 

"There's no smoke. Very little noise," said Paul Thomsen, director of policy and business management for Ormat Technologies Inc., which owns the operation. "People don't even know it's here."

 

"This is the new gold rush," said Mark Taylor, a geothermal analyst with the consulting firm New Energy Finance in Washington. He credits high fossil fuel prices and concerns about global warming with jump-starting the U.S. industry, along with federal tax credits and state laws mandating the wider use of renewable energy.

 

Read more via LAtimes

 

 

Be careful what you wish for...

When one party owns a house it is the definition of a dictatorship not a democracy.

 

Congratulations Obama.

Now that Obama is our president, it is our democratic duty to hold him accountable for his many alluring promises that got him elected.

Please vote today...

A response to the 100 emails I received this week telling me I must vote....

 

"Please vote today as we need to test the machines that will be used to dispense food stamps in January." 

Now I will be quite... quote of the week.

The "two-party dictatorship" of Democrat Barack Obama "one of the biggest political con jobs," and equating the choice between him and Republican John McCain as choosing between "tuberculosis and cancer."

 

Crazy Nader? RE: auto bailout and choices