10 tips to kickstart a greener lifestyle
1. Clean green
Scrubbing the kitchen and bathroom with synthetic cleansers is counterintuitive (why would you want to breathe in harsh chemicals or leave a toxic residue on your tub or tiles?). From counter sprays to toilet scrubs, there are green cleansers for every part of the house.
2. Invest in a new candle
Opt out of out regular scented candles (synthetically-fragranced candles often contain phthalates, compounds that are thought to disrupt hormone functioning) and go for a naturally-scented soy candles instead.
3. Flush efficiently
The EPA estimates that flushing makes up 30 percent of a household’s water use (about three to six gallons per flush). Placing a brick in your toilet tank will help to conserve the amount of water used during each flush.
4. Trade your bulbs
Switch from incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs, which use about 75 percent less energy.
5. Furnish wisely
Think about how those chairs or sofa or throw pillows were made. Whenever possible seek out furniture and home accessories that are constructed from certified sustainable wood — look for the FSC label (Forest Stewardship Counsel), reclaimed materials, bamboo, organic cotton and so on.
6. Eat right
Support regional farmers by seeking out fresh, locally grown food and whenever possible buy organic.
7. Become a biker
Biking is an excellent form of eco-friendly transportation — good for both you and the planet. If you have to drive, keep other cars off the road by carpooling.
8. Reuse your lunch box
Pack your sandwich in a reusable container and if you must use plastic bags, wash and reuse them for tomorrow’s lunch.
9. Print properly
At work, think twice about printing, but if you absolutely must hold that document in your hand, fill your printer with recycled paper and print on both sides of the sheet.
10. Hit the power button
Turn your computer, printer, fax and copy machine off when you’re finished for the day.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
ENERGY SAVERS 2
ENERGY SAVERS 2
Sustainability
We strive to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Stewardship
We view ourselves as caretakers, seeking to impact our environment in a harmonious and a mutually beneficial manner.
Conservation
We began promoting the conservation and wise use of water resources in 1995 in order to alleviate the strain on a depleted resource across the West.
Resources
Energy Matters by Topic
Biomass Energy
Clean Fuels
Cogeneration
Distributed Generation
Energy Efficiency
Energy Justice
Environmental Costs
Fuel Cells - Hydrogen
Global Warming
Green Power
Hydropower
Mercury Pollution
Nuclear Energy
Solar Energy
Sprawl
Transmission Lines
Wind Energy
Legislative Resources
Resources
Energy Matters by Topic
Biomass Energy
Clean Fuels
Cogeneration
Distributed Generation
Energy Efficiency
Energy Justice
Environmental Costs
Fuel Cells - Hydrogen
Global Warming
Green Power
Hydropower
Mercury Pollution
Nuclear Energy
Solar Energy
Sprawl
Transmission Lines
Wind Energy
Legislative Resources
Utility Bill Audits & Energy Accounting
Utility Bill Audits & Energy Accounting
Among its other offerings, Independent Energy Consultants of Aurora, Ohio, provides utility bill audits and energy accounting services. To assist you in finding energy savings, we will replicate your organization in its powerful accounting system. We will set up your facilities, organizational structure, cost centers, vendors, accounts, utility rates, etc. We believe in the concept that you cannot manage what you don't understand or do not measure. We will input your utility bills, and our systems will quickly pinpoint billing or meter errors and provide you with 24x7 online access to a wealth of quality information that will allow you to make better business decisions. To view an 18-minute overview demonstration of the powerful system we use to manage all your utilities (electric, water, natural gas, propane, fuel oil, sewer, etc.) please c
Utility Bill Auditing: Approximately 50 billing audit calculations are performed to spot possible errors and verify the accuracy of utility billing. Independent Energy Consultants monitors, trends and compares current bills to historical monthly bills to spot discrepancies in parameters such as total cost, total consumption, per unit cost, per unit consumption, peak demands, load factor, length of billing periods, estimated meter readings, overlapping bill periods, etc. User defined limits will flag bill discrepancies in need of further review or correction. Independent Energy Consultants will assist with collection and/or credits for overcharges.
Based on the client's wishes we will either audit your bills after they have been paid, or promptly review them and send your Accounts Payable (A/P) staff notice when bills are correct for payment. Our "smart" energy accounting system can also be linked to your A/P system if desired.
Rate Code Analysis: Your utility company assigns you a rate schedule based on an estimate of how they think you will use electricity or natural gas. Sometimes they guess wrong and often conditions change after a rate schedule is assigned. Your rate schedule determines how much you are billed. Often a facility qualifies to be billed under one of several rate schedules. Independent Energy Consultants will calculate your bill under each acceptable rate schedule and show you which is best for your situation. If electricity savings or natural gas savings are available, we will identify any switching costs and propose a plan that is best for you. Rates and riders change and the energy consumption of most facilities changes over time. We recommend an annual analysis to determine the most appropriate rate code for your unique business.
Tariff analysis: Once a Rate Code analysis is performed to ensure you are being billed under the most advantageous rate we go an extra step to let you know what can be done to minimize your costs under that rate schedule. This analysis looks for excessive demand charges, ratchet demands, power factor penalties, time-of-use pricing, etc.. Once these factors are known, automated or procedural changes can be implemented to avoid operating under high-cost conditions.
Cost Avoidance Verification: Cost avoidance is the name given to the money that was not spent because an Energy Cost Measure (ECM) was performed or installed. It is calculated by comparing a baseline energy consumption before the ECM, to the energy consumption after an ECM, and adjusting for independent variables that influence your usage. The energy not consumed is then multiplied by the current rate to determine the avoided cost. The independent variables that influence a utility bill can vary by season, region, occupancy, hours of operation, product produced, etc.
For clients that contract with 3rd party vendors to implement the ECM, Independent Energy Consultants can provide independent verification that the vendor-installed ECM is operating as specified. Performance Contracting and/or energy loans and grants require this verification. For more information please refer to our on this topic.
Benchmarking: Like many business processes in a competitive environment, it is helpful to compare your energy cost and consumption vs. similar facilities. Let us show you how your facilities stack up to others. Often this first step will let you know if any additional efforts are needed. If your building is a good performer and you would like to demonstrate your environmental stewardship, we can help you obtain the Energy Star Label.
Energy Budgeting and Forecasting: Easily create budgets and track actual expenditures at any level of your organization. Whether it’s your entire Midwest region or an individual facility meter, you will quickly know where things are going well and where your attention is needed. If something changes in your organization or you want to make sure you hold onto that year-to-date budget underrun, you can make mid-year adjustments with just a few clicks. It's time to take control of your utilities by accurately forecasting costs and incorporating them into your planning process.
Among its other offerings, Independent Energy Consultants of Aurora, Ohio, provides utility bill audits and energy accounting services. To assist you in finding energy savings, we will replicate your organization in its powerful accounting system. We will set up your facilities, organizational structure, cost centers, vendors, accounts, utility rates, etc. We believe in the concept that you cannot manage what you don't understand or do not measure. We will input your utility bills, and our systems will quickly pinpoint billing or meter errors and provide you with 24x7 online access to a wealth of quality information that will allow you to make better business decisions. To view an 18-minute overview demonstration of the powerful system we use to manage all your utilities (electric, water, natural gas, propane, fuel oil, sewer, etc.) please c
Utility Bill Auditing: Approximately 50 billing audit calculations are performed to spot possible errors and verify the accuracy of utility billing. Independent Energy Consultants monitors, trends and compares current bills to historical monthly bills to spot discrepancies in parameters such as total cost, total consumption, per unit cost, per unit consumption, peak demands, load factor, length of billing periods, estimated meter readings, overlapping bill periods, etc. User defined limits will flag bill discrepancies in need of further review or correction. Independent Energy Consultants will assist with collection and/or credits for overcharges.
Based on the client's wishes we will either audit your bills after they have been paid, or promptly review them and send your Accounts Payable (A/P) staff notice when bills are correct for payment. Our "smart" energy accounting system can also be linked to your A/P system if desired.
Rate Code Analysis: Your utility company assigns you a rate schedule based on an estimate of how they think you will use electricity or natural gas. Sometimes they guess wrong and often conditions change after a rate schedule is assigned. Your rate schedule determines how much you are billed. Often a facility qualifies to be billed under one of several rate schedules. Independent Energy Consultants will calculate your bill under each acceptable rate schedule and show you which is best for your situation. If electricity savings or natural gas savings are available, we will identify any switching costs and propose a plan that is best for you. Rates and riders change and the energy consumption of most facilities changes over time. We recommend an annual analysis to determine the most appropriate rate code for your unique business.
Tariff analysis: Once a Rate Code analysis is performed to ensure you are being billed under the most advantageous rate we go an extra step to let you know what can be done to minimize your costs under that rate schedule. This analysis looks for excessive demand charges, ratchet demands, power factor penalties, time-of-use pricing, etc.. Once these factors are known, automated or procedural changes can be implemented to avoid operating under high-cost conditions.
Cost Avoidance Verification: Cost avoidance is the name given to the money that was not spent because an Energy Cost Measure (ECM) was performed or installed. It is calculated by comparing a baseline energy consumption before the ECM, to the energy consumption after an ECM, and adjusting for independent variables that influence your usage. The energy not consumed is then multiplied by the current rate to determine the avoided cost. The independent variables that influence a utility bill can vary by season, region, occupancy, hours of operation, product produced, etc.
For clients that contract with 3rd party vendors to implement the ECM, Independent Energy Consultants can provide independent verification that the vendor-installed ECM is operating as specified. Performance Contracting and/or energy loans and grants require this verification. For more information please refer to our on this topic.
Benchmarking: Like many business processes in a competitive environment, it is helpful to compare your energy cost and consumption vs. similar facilities. Let us show you how your facilities stack up to others. Often this first step will let you know if any additional efforts are needed. If your building is a good performer and you would like to demonstrate your environmental stewardship, we can help you obtain the Energy Star Label.
Energy Budgeting and Forecasting: Easily create budgets and track actual expenditures at any level of your organization. Whether it’s your entire Midwest region or an individual facility meter, you will quickly know where things are going well and where your attention is needed. If something changes in your organization or you want to make sure you hold onto that year-to-date budget underrun, you can make mid-year adjustments with just a few clicks. It's time to take control of your utilities by accurately forecasting costs and incorporating them into your planning process.
Energy Saving Tips
Energy Saving Tips
Energy savers wants you to be comfortable in your home. But we also want you to be efficient and pay the least amount for the energy required to keep you warm on cold winter days. Simple conservation measures and weatherization practices can amount to significant savings. Here are some simple tips for keeping the heat inside your home while helping to save money on your gas bill.
20 Tips to Save Energy During Winter
1. Dial it down - Turn your thermostat setting down to 65º F during the day, especially when you're not home. You may be able to set it even lower at night, but do not shut the furnace off if the temperature is expected to drop below 45 degrees that night. Under any conditions, keep thermostat adjustments to a minimum and do them gradually to give yourself time to adjust.
2. Check your furnace filter - A clean filter helps your furnace do its job more efficiently and effectively. So change the filter each time you pay your gas bill. (Never remove the filter without replacing it.)
3. Turn down your water heater thermostat - At 120º F your water heater will be more energy efficient than at higher temperatures and still produce enough hot water for daily needs.
4. Wrap your water heater - Wrap an insulating blanket around your water heater to keep the heat from escaping. You can also save on your water heating bill by insulating at least the first six feet of the hot water pipe and the first three feet of the cold water pipe that extends from your hot water tank.
5. Close the flue - Make sure the flue/damper on your fireplace is closed when not in use. Keeping your flue open is like keeping a window open and allowing warm air to shoot right up the chimney.
6. Caulk and weather strip - One of the quickest dollar-saving tasks you can do is to caulk, seal and weather strip where drafts are detected such as seams, cracks and openings to the outside. The materials you need to caulk and weather strip are inexpensive and available at your local hardware store.
7. Check insulation - Make sure you have insulation in your attic, ceilings, exterior and basement walls, floors and crawl spaces. Adding insulation where it doesn't exist will create a more uniform temperature all yearlong.
8. Be sure appliances are operating efficiently - Check to see that your natural gas appliances are in tip-top shape. Appliances that aren't working properly can run inefficiently and cost you money. To find a licensed technician in your area, visit the ACCA of Central Indiana Web Site.
9. Replace old furnaces - If your furnace is more than 10 years old, it's likely only about 60-70 percent efficient, meaning you lose about 45 cents of every heating dollar you spend. Most new furnaces are more than 80 percent efficient. To find a licensed technician in your area, visit the ACCA of Central Indiana Web Site.
10. Keep heat registers clear - Avoid blocking heat registers and air returns with furniture, draperies or rugs.
11. Let the sun help heat your home in cold weather - Keep your window shades up on sunny days. One part of your home may get direct sunlight in the morning, another in the afternoon. Also, close your draperies or blinds at night to help insulate the window.
12. Dress appropriately for cold weather - Keeping comfortable has a lot to do with how well you insulate or ventilate your own body. Try wearing layers of clothes.
13. Keep the air moist - Moist air feels warmer. Use a humidifier to keep the air in the 40 percent humidity range (substantially more moisture can lead to mold and mildew problems).
14. Use less hot water in the bathroom, kitchen and laundry - When you shower, keep it short. Showers can use less hot water than baths, but only if they're short. Don't let the hot water tap run unnecessarily while you wash or shave. For clothes and automatic dishwashing, try to wash only full loads.
15. Don't heat or partially heat unused rooms - Shut registers and close unused rooms. Registers in upstairs rooms can often be partially closed since hot air rises.
16. Don't use exhaust fans - Use kitchen, bath and other ventilating fans sparingly in cold weather. In just one hour, these fans can blow out a house full of warm air.
17. Reverse ceiling fans - By changing the direction of your ceiling fan to counter-clockwise in the winter, the fan will push rising warm air back into the living space.
18. Replace single-pane windows - If your home has single-pane windows, as almost half of U.S. homes do, consider replacing them. New double-pane windows with high-performance glass can reduce heat loss. Storm windows can reduce your heat loss through windows by 25% to 50%.
19. Repair leaky hot water faucets immediately - A hot water faucet leaking one drop per second wastes 160 gallons per month - or 16 hot baths!
20. Close closets and cabinets - Closets and cabinets on outside walls can leak a great deal of cold air, so make sure the doors fit snuggly and keep them closed.
Energy savers wants you to be comfortable in your home. But we also want you to be efficient and pay the least amount for the energy required to keep you warm on cold winter days. Simple conservation measures and weatherization practices can amount to significant savings. Here are some simple tips for keeping the heat inside your home while helping to save money on your gas bill.
20 Tips to Save Energy During Winter
1. Dial it down - Turn your thermostat setting down to 65º F during the day, especially when you're not home. You may be able to set it even lower at night, but do not shut the furnace off if the temperature is expected to drop below 45 degrees that night. Under any conditions, keep thermostat adjustments to a minimum and do them gradually to give yourself time to adjust.
2. Check your furnace filter - A clean filter helps your furnace do its job more efficiently and effectively. So change the filter each time you pay your gas bill. (Never remove the filter without replacing it.)
3. Turn down your water heater thermostat - At 120º F your water heater will be more energy efficient than at higher temperatures and still produce enough hot water for daily needs.
4. Wrap your water heater - Wrap an insulating blanket around your water heater to keep the heat from escaping. You can also save on your water heating bill by insulating at least the first six feet of the hot water pipe and the first three feet of the cold water pipe that extends from your hot water tank.
5. Close the flue - Make sure the flue/damper on your fireplace is closed when not in use. Keeping your flue open is like keeping a window open and allowing warm air to shoot right up the chimney.
6. Caulk and weather strip - One of the quickest dollar-saving tasks you can do is to caulk, seal and weather strip where drafts are detected such as seams, cracks and openings to the outside. The materials you need to caulk and weather strip are inexpensive and available at your local hardware store.
7. Check insulation - Make sure you have insulation in your attic, ceilings, exterior and basement walls, floors and crawl spaces. Adding insulation where it doesn't exist will create a more uniform temperature all yearlong.
8. Be sure appliances are operating efficiently - Check to see that your natural gas appliances are in tip-top shape. Appliances that aren't working properly can run inefficiently and cost you money. To find a licensed technician in your area, visit the ACCA of Central Indiana Web Site.
9. Replace old furnaces - If your furnace is more than 10 years old, it's likely only about 60-70 percent efficient, meaning you lose about 45 cents of every heating dollar you spend. Most new furnaces are more than 80 percent efficient. To find a licensed technician in your area, visit the ACCA of Central Indiana Web Site.
10. Keep heat registers clear - Avoid blocking heat registers and air returns with furniture, draperies or rugs.
11. Let the sun help heat your home in cold weather - Keep your window shades up on sunny days. One part of your home may get direct sunlight in the morning, another in the afternoon. Also, close your draperies or blinds at night to help insulate the window.
12. Dress appropriately for cold weather - Keeping comfortable has a lot to do with how well you insulate or ventilate your own body. Try wearing layers of clothes.
13. Keep the air moist - Moist air feels warmer. Use a humidifier to keep the air in the 40 percent humidity range (substantially more moisture can lead to mold and mildew problems).
14. Use less hot water in the bathroom, kitchen and laundry - When you shower, keep it short. Showers can use less hot water than baths, but only if they're short. Don't let the hot water tap run unnecessarily while you wash or shave. For clothes and automatic dishwashing, try to wash only full loads.
15. Don't heat or partially heat unused rooms - Shut registers and close unused rooms. Registers in upstairs rooms can often be partially closed since hot air rises.
16. Don't use exhaust fans - Use kitchen, bath and other ventilating fans sparingly in cold weather. In just one hour, these fans can blow out a house full of warm air.
17. Reverse ceiling fans - By changing the direction of your ceiling fan to counter-clockwise in the winter, the fan will push rising warm air back into the living space.
18. Replace single-pane windows - If your home has single-pane windows, as almost half of U.S. homes do, consider replacing them. New double-pane windows with high-performance glass can reduce heat loss. Storm windows can reduce your heat loss through windows by 25% to 50%.
19. Repair leaky hot water faucets immediately - A hot water faucet leaking one drop per second wastes 160 gallons per month - or 16 hot baths!
20. Close closets and cabinets - Closets and cabinets on outside walls can leak a great deal of cold air, so make sure the doors fit snuggly and keep them closed.
OUR NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION
OUR NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION
By YJ Draiman
Our concern for future generations (R3) (Renewable natural resources)
Rainwater harvesting and the utilization of grey-water is a must these days.
As the world population is increasing and modernizing. The utilization of our natural resources such as water is becoming scarcer and more in demand.
In order to conserve, we must utilize rainwater, and grey-water. This will also reduce water and sewer cost.
There are many techniques today which are not expensive and can be accomplished with little effort. All you need is to be concerned about the future and take action to minimize your impact on the depletion of natural resources.
We should also make it our utmost concern to make our home and or business energy efficient, and implement water conservation methods.
Builders should be required by building code to design and build structures that are energy efficient and conserve on water – utilize grey-water and other natural resources. Reduce waste and utilize recycled materials.
All citizens of the world should implement actionable conservation methods and living responsibly by contributing to the solution of sustainability.
WATER CRISES – POSSIBLE SOLUTION
Scientist are talking about the melting North Pole and the rising level of ocean water – That may cause flooding in some low laying area and eliminate some properties and beach front areas.
We should consider a major undertaking of global desalinization of ocean water and utilize this water to supplement our other natural water sources.
YJ Draiman, Energy Consultant
Northridge, CA. 91324 – 10/1/2007.
PS.
SAVE ON ENERGY COSTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT
A growing number of people are striving to make their homes more energy-efficient, and it’s no wonder: Conserving energy saves homeowners money on gas and electric bills and contributes to a healthy environment. It can also make a home more comfortable.
RADIANT BARRIER - Radiant barrier is installed in buildings to minimize heat gain or loss, reducing the amount of energy needed for cooling and heating.
Recent technological improvements in building elements and construction techniques, and heating, ventilation, and cooling systems, allow most modern energy saving ideas to be seamlessly integrated into any type of house design without sacrificing comfort, health, or aesthetics.
Runaway Energy Costs – causing inflation and panic
Runaway Energy Costs – causing inflation and panic
Spurred by soaring energy costs, food prices and other goods and services have risen nearly 20 percent or more in the past 20 months — more than double the usual increase.
Commodity prices for corn, wheat, soybeans and other staples have been skyrocketing over the past year to more than double their prices from 2006.
Economists have also pointed toward the growing demand for grains for ethanol and other biofuels, tying the price of corn to the price of oil and increasing the pressure and demand for land use.“It is important to note the contribution of runaway energy prices to the retail cost of food goods and services. “Transportation, processing and packaging all cost significantly more now than in prior years.”
The snowball effect of soaring energy prices is causing increased prices for all goods and services, from food, medical, construction and other material.
Speculation is often criticized as the cause of surging grain prices. But the current abnormal price increases could not have occurred without firm demand. Indeed, farmers are cultivating cash plants while buyers are seeking cheaper alternatives, forming a chain of price surges.
World food production must rise by 50 percent by 2030 to meet increasing demand.
Biofuels to blame?
The increasing diversion of food and animal feed to produce biofuel, and sharply higher fuel costs have also helped to shoot prices upward, experts say.
The senate and the House should call for expanded funding for weatherization and tax credits for other energy-saving programs, $100 billion for expansion of mass transit systems, $100 billion for renewable energy development and renewable energy projects and $50 billion in bonds for roads, bridges and other transportation projects. The increasing diversion of food and animal feed to produce biofuel, and sharply higher fuel costs have also helped to shoot prices upward, experts say.
Traders are also at fault
A boom in speculation and trading by investment banks and hedge funds has put our energy markets on steroids. Contract volume in the futures markets has risen by a third in just the last year. Oil closed at a record high of $125.96 a barrel (USO: , , ) on the New York
This isn't complicated finance. The way traders push up prices is surprisingly simple. They buy in European futures markets, which don't have the limits that U.S. U.S.
None of it would matter except that these markets are supposed to be driven by supply and demand. China
Hedge Funds and Banks driving oil prices
In the most recent sustained run-up in energy prices, large financial institutions, hedge funds, pension funds, and other investors have been pouring billions of dollars into the energy commodities markets to try to take advantage of price changes or hedge against them. Most of this additional investment has not come from producers or consumers of these commodities, but from speculators seeking to take advantage of these price changes. The CFTC defines a speculator as a person who “does not produce or use the commodity, but risks his or her own capital trading futures in that commodity in hopes of making a profit on price changes.”
The large purchases of crude oil futures contracts by speculators have, in effect, created an additional demand for oil, driving up the price of oil for future delivery in the same manner that additional demand for contracts for the delivery of a physical barrel today drives up the price for oil on the spot market. As far as the market is concerned, the demand for a barrel of oil that results from the purchase of a futures contract by a speculator is just as real as the demand for a barrel that results from the purchase of a futures contract by a refiner or other user of petroleum.
In the most recent sustained run-up in energy prices, large financial institutions, hedge funds, pension funds, and other investors have been pouring billions of dollars into the energy commodities markets to try to take advantage of price changes or hedge against them. Most of this additional investment has not come from producers or consumers of these commodities, but from speculators seeking to take advantage of these price changes. The CFTC defines a speculator as a person who “does not produce or use the commodity, but risks his or her own capital trading futures in that commodity in hopes of making a profit on price changes.”
The large purchases of crude oil futures contracts by speculators have, in effect, created an additional demand for oil, driving up the price of oil for future delivery in the same manner that additional demand for contracts for the delivery of a physical barrel today drives up the price for oil on the spot market. As far as the market is concerned, the demand for a barrel of oil that results from the purchase of a futures contract by a speculator is just as real as the demand for a barrel that results from the purchase of a futures contract by a refiner or other user of petroleum.
Perhaps 60% of oil prices today pure speculation
Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley today are the two leading energy trading firms in theUnited States
In June 2006, oil traded in futures markets at some $60 a barrel and the Senate investigation estimated that some $25 of that was due to pure financial speculation. One analyst estimated in August 2005 that US oil inventory levels suggested WTI crude prices should be around $25 a barrel, and not $60.
That would mean today that at least $50 to $60 or more of today’s $115 a barrel price is due to pure hedge fund and financial institution speculation. However, given the unchanged equilibrium in global oil supply and demand over recent months amid the explosive rise in oil futures prices traded on Nymex and ICE exchanges inNew York and London New York and London
By purchasing large numbers of futures contracts, and thereby pushing up futures prices to even higher levels than current prices, speculators have provided a financial incentive for oil companies to buy even more oil and place it in storage. A refiner will purchase extra oil today, even if it costs $135 per barrel, if the futures price is even higher.
As a result, over the past two years crude oil inventories have been steadily growing,
resulting in US crude oil inventories that are now higher than at any time in the previous eight years. The large influx of speculative investment into oil futures has led to a situation where we have both high supplies of crude oil and high crude oil prices.
Compelling evidence also suggests that the oft-cited geopolitical, economic, and natural factors do not explain the recent rise in energy prices can be seen in the actual data on crude oil supply and demand. Although demand has significantly increased over the past few years, so have supplies.
Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley today are the two leading energy trading firms in the
In June 2006, oil traded in futures markets at some $60 a barrel and the Senate investigation estimated that some $25 of that was due to pure financial speculation. One analyst estimated in August 2005 that US oil inventory levels suggested WTI crude prices should be around $25 a barrel, and not $60.
That would mean today that at least $50 to $60 or more of today’s $115 a barrel price is due to pure hedge fund and financial institution speculation. However, given the unchanged equilibrium in global oil supply and demand over recent months amid the explosive rise in oil futures prices traded on Nymex and ICE exchanges in
By purchasing large numbers of futures contracts, and thereby pushing up futures prices to even higher levels than current prices, speculators have provided a financial incentive for oil companies to buy even more oil and place it in storage. A refiner will purchase extra oil today, even if it costs $135 per barrel, if the futures price is even higher.
As a result, over the past two years crude oil inventories have been steadily growing,
resulting in US crude oil inventories that are now higher than at any time in the previous eight years. The large influx of speculative investment into oil futures has led to a situation where we have both high supplies of crude oil and high crude oil prices.
Compelling evidence also suggests that the oft-cited geopolitical, economic, and natural factors do not explain the recent rise in energy prices can be seen in the actual data on crude oil supply and demand. Although demand has significantly increased over the past few years, so have supplies.
Over the past couple of years global crude oil production has increased along with the increases in demand; in fact, during this period global supplies have exceeded demand, according to the US Department of Energy. The US Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) recently forecast that in the next few years global surplus production capacity will continue to grow to between 3 and 5 million barrels per day by 2010, thereby “substantially thickening the surplus capacity cushion.”
Compiled by: YJ Draiman
Rising Energy Costs - impact on economy
Rising Energy Costs - impact on economy
Energy is the backbone of our civilization and the clear enabler of globalization of business and our great agricultural and manufacturing productivity. Cheap energy has allowed us to be comfortable and prolific, increasing the world population rapidly during the past century, and making my enjoyment of the apple on my desk, which came from several thousand miles away, possible. This is just one of the myriad benefits of globalization that would never have occurred without cheap energy, and I admit to enjoying it. Unfortunately, the era of cheap energy must come to an end, but how might that come about?
Many indications of the future are visible and reported on today. While globalization has shifted huge numbers of jobs to “low cost countries” and enabled mass movement of products and raw materials over long distances, at costs low enough to make the moves profitable, fossil fuels will inevitably become increasingly scarce and prices will be driven higher, taking the profit back out of the global movements of goods. This will redistribute jobs to both new markets and the older and more developed areas where globalization previously took them away. Thus, the rust belt of the United States, for example, will likely see some (but not all) of its lost manufacturing jobs returning over time. Steel for sale in U.S. markets is reported to already have become more profitable to make in the U.S. than China).
Sustainability combined with increasing scarcity of fossil fuels will localize the products we use. Unfortunately, the steady (and sometimes rapid) run-up of energy prices will result in the eventual moth-balling of many ocean freighters, but their steel will help feed the once again less-centralized mills of the world, and the oil they consume will find ready customers. I expect before long I will no longer be eating New Zealand apples one week and South African oranges the next, but will instead be eating high quality U.S. fruit, and my local orchard may see a profitability it hasn’t known for decades.
The developed countries will be driven to serious efforts to develop alternative energy sources. As fossil fuels run out, the developed countries (including China and probably India) will marshal their resources to make a big push for fusion power, among other sources, and might actually achieve it within the next 20-50 years. This will maintain most of the economic differences between the developed and undeveloped countries, which will scramble for fossil fuel and less costly alternatives for decades more. Energy shortages will plague the developed countries in the interim, and cause significant economic fluctuations, but politicians will scramble to fund alternative energy research when it becomes especially evident that falling standards of living in North America will endanger their jobs, and that may accelerate the realization of alternative energy sources.
In the near term, globalization will slow and adjust downward, and the move towards a “level playing field”, economically speaking, will be slowed with it. In the long term, globalization will slow until much larger and sustainable alternative energy sources are in place, and may not return to its current level again for decades, and possibly more than a century.
ENERGY Escalating costs
It is an issue for citizens of the world. We are facing an energy crisis, which is being felt by every single business, household, school, church and organization in our society, because they all consume energy.
As well as that, we are in the grip of a credit crunch, so households are being hit in every direction. The cost of gas has risen by 35% and the average bill is now close to $1500, which means an extra $400 or $600 being squeezed out of people’s already tight budgets. The cost of electricity has risen by 24% and we are told that, before the winter, it will increase again by a further 20%. Diesel and petrol are at record high prices at the pumps, and the price of home heating oil is scary — it is now 75% to 90% more expensive than it was a year ago. On top of all that, people are facing a credit crisis, rising rate BILLS, and the potential for additional water charges.
It is against that backdrop that I warmly welcome the motion. The governments at all levels, businesses and citizens of the world must take every possible action to address the energy crisis, because all people are dealing with the same problems. I meet people in my business every day — in my office and on the streets — who can no longer afford to fill their oil tanks. Some people, particularly the elderly, are concerned, because usually they have a cushion — for example, a half a tank of oil left over — but that will not happen next year. Instead, many people let their tanks go empty in May and will try to leave them empty for as long as possible so that they do not have to fork out $1500 or $2000 to fill them. If we have a bad winter, the consequences will be horrific: people will die because they will not be able to afford to heat their homes. Fuel poverty, which is a nice cliché, will rise, and we will be faced with misery on all fronts.
Although the current problems are happening when oil is $140 and $150 a barrel, we must be prepared for the price of oil to hit $250 a barrel. It is unacceptable that major oil companies are making massive profits at a time when people are being forced into misery and have to make a choice between buying food and heating their homes. The oil market must be regulated.
Energy is the backbone of our civilization and the clear enabler of globalization of business and our great agricultural and manufacturing productivity. Cheap energy has allowed us to be comfortable and prolific, increasing the world population rapidly during the past century, and making my enjoyment of the apple on my desk, which came from several thousand miles away, possible. This is just one of the myriad benefits of globalization that would never have occurred without cheap energy, and I admit to enjoying it. Unfortunately, the era of cheap energy must come to an end, but how might that come about?
Many indications of the future are visible and reported on today. While globalization has shifted huge numbers of jobs to “low cost countries” and enabled mass movement of products and raw materials over long distances, at costs low enough to make the moves profitable, fossil fuels will inevitably become increasingly scarce and prices will be driven higher, taking the profit back out of the global movements of goods. This will redistribute jobs to both new markets and the older and more developed areas where globalization previously took them away. Thus, the rust belt of the United States, for example, will likely see some (but not all) of its lost manufacturing jobs returning over time. Steel for sale in U.S. markets is reported to already have become more profitable to make in the U.S. than China).
Sustainability combined with increasing scarcity of fossil fuels will localize the products we use. Unfortunately, the steady (and sometimes rapid) run-up of energy prices will result in the eventual moth-balling of many ocean freighters, but their steel will help feed the once again less-centralized mills of the world, and the oil they consume will find ready customers. I expect before long I will no longer be eating New Zealand apples one week and South African oranges the next, but will instead be eating high quality U.S. fruit, and my local orchard may see a profitability it hasn’t known for decades.
The developed countries will be driven to serious efforts to develop alternative energy sources. As fossil fuels run out, the developed countries (including China and probably India) will marshal their resources to make a big push for fusion power, among other sources, and might actually achieve it within the next 20-50 years. This will maintain most of the economic differences between the developed and undeveloped countries, which will scramble for fossil fuel and less costly alternatives for decades more. Energy shortages will plague the developed countries in the interim, and cause significant economic fluctuations, but politicians will scramble to fund alternative energy research when it becomes especially evident that falling standards of living in North America will endanger their jobs, and that may accelerate the realization of alternative energy sources.
In the near term, globalization will slow and adjust downward, and the move towards a “level playing field”, economically speaking, will be slowed with it. In the long term, globalization will slow until much larger and sustainable alternative energy sources are in place, and may not return to its current level again for decades, and possibly more than a century.
ENERGY Escalating costs
It is an issue for citizens of the world. We are facing an energy crisis, which is being felt by every single business, household, school, church and organization in our society, because they all consume energy.
As well as that, we are in the grip of a credit crunch, so households are being hit in every direction. The cost of gas has risen by 35% and the average bill is now close to $1500, which means an extra $400 or $600 being squeezed out of people’s already tight budgets. The cost of electricity has risen by 24% and we are told that, before the winter, it will increase again by a further 20%. Diesel and petrol are at record high prices at the pumps, and the price of home heating oil is scary — it is now 75% to 90% more expensive than it was a year ago. On top of all that, people are facing a credit crisis, rising rate BILLS, and the potential for additional water charges.
It is against that backdrop that I warmly welcome the motion. The governments at all levels, businesses and citizens of the world must take every possible action to address the energy crisis, because all people are dealing with the same problems. I meet people in my business every day — in my office and on the streets — who can no longer afford to fill their oil tanks. Some people, particularly the elderly, are concerned, because usually they have a cushion — for example, a half a tank of oil left over — but that will not happen next year. Instead, many people let their tanks go empty in May and will try to leave them empty for as long as possible so that they do not have to fork out $1500 or $2000 to fill them. If we have a bad winter, the consequences will be horrific: people will die because they will not be able to afford to heat their homes. Fuel poverty, which is a nice cliché, will rise, and we will be faced with misery on all fronts.
Although the current problems are happening when oil is $140 and $150 a barrel, we must be prepared for the price of oil to hit $250 a barrel. It is unacceptable that major oil companies are making massive profits at a time when people are being forced into misery and have to make a choice between buying food and heating their homes. The oil market must be regulated.
Unique Roof Coating Technology is Fire Proof and Sound Proof
Unique Roof Coating Technology is Fire Proof and Sound Proof
Date: 21/07/2008
ATC Specialist Coatings Limited offer substantial savings with their Artcote roof coating system.
ATC Specialist Coatings Limited has developed a unique, all in one roof coating system known as Artcote™. Artcote™ is specifically designed for the refurbishment of suspended ceiling and its innovative technology ensures that tiles maintain their Category 0 fire classification and sound proofing properties after application. As well as offering substantial cost benefits, Artcote™ applications are quick, clean and non-disruptive, as the majority of contracts undertaken are completed out of hours to allow daily business activity to continue as normal.
ATC also offers a variety of roof coatings that are suitable for weatherproofing and waterproofing, for both flat and pitched roofs. Once applied, the materials offer long-term protection, are solar reflective and are elastomeric, as well as being liquid cold when applied so as to eliminate the need for hot works on the roof area. Protection can be provided for life spans of up to 25 years, whilst the elastomeric properties of the coatings ensure seamless protection to allow for thermal and structural movement of the substrate. Coatings are UV stable and also have excellent resistance to ponding water.
There are literally hundreds of floor coatings and floor screeds on the market but ACT Specialist Coatings are careful to identify and meet the exact requirements of their clients prior to recommending a particular system. Material prices can vary depending on the type of coating required, from a simple dust coating to a high specification anti-static coating. Therefore, ATC will not only aim to select the right coating for their customers but remaining within the agreed budget as well.
Key features and benefits of floor coatings include:
Long term protection
High performance and high build
Slip resistance
Chemical resistance
Quick drying times
Wide colour range
ATC offer a range of both external and internal coatings, providing long term protection for interior walls and ceilings, showers, toilets, swimming pools and cellars, as well as exterior steel, concrete, UVPC, plastisol sheeting and rendered surfaces. The company has taken into account several important factors when applying external coatings to various substrates so as to provide their clients with a long term protective and decorative finish that will be resistant to UV degradation, anti carbonation and chemical attack, as well as thermal and structural movement.
Internal coatings also offer long term protection, as well as having anti-fungal properties that deter mould growth. Coatings are available in a wide variety of shades, are easy and safe to apply and can be cleaned without damage to the surface. Both internal and external coatings which are applied by ATC are also non-hazardous and can be applied by brush, roller or airless spray, whilst external coatings offer a life expectancy of at least ten years.
Date: 21/07/2008
ATC Specialist Coatings Limited offer substantial savings with their Artcote roof coating system.
ATC Specialist Coatings Limited has developed a unique, all in one roof coating system known as Artcote™. Artcote™ is specifically designed for the refurbishment of suspended ceiling and its innovative technology ensures that tiles maintain their Category 0 fire classification and sound proofing properties after application. As well as offering substantial cost benefits, Artcote™ applications are quick, clean and non-disruptive, as the majority of contracts undertaken are completed out of hours to allow daily business activity to continue as normal.
ATC also offers a variety of roof coatings that are suitable for weatherproofing and waterproofing, for both flat and pitched roofs. Once applied, the materials offer long-term protection, are solar reflective and are elastomeric, as well as being liquid cold when applied so as to eliminate the need for hot works on the roof area. Protection can be provided for life spans of up to 25 years, whilst the elastomeric properties of the coatings ensure seamless protection to allow for thermal and structural movement of the substrate. Coatings are UV stable and also have excellent resistance to ponding water.
There are literally hundreds of floor coatings and floor screeds on the market but ACT Specialist Coatings are careful to identify and meet the exact requirements of their clients prior to recommending a particular system. Material prices can vary depending on the type of coating required, from a simple dust coating to a high specification anti-static coating. Therefore, ATC will not only aim to select the right coating for their customers but remaining within the agreed budget as well.
Key features and benefits of floor coatings include:
Long term protection
High performance and high build
Slip resistance
Chemical resistance
Quick drying times
Wide colour range
ATC offer a range of both external and internal coatings, providing long term protection for interior walls and ceilings, showers, toilets, swimming pools and cellars, as well as exterior steel, concrete, UVPC, plastisol sheeting and rendered surfaces. The company has taken into account several important factors when applying external coatings to various substrates so as to provide their clients with a long term protective and decorative finish that will be resistant to UV degradation, anti carbonation and chemical attack, as well as thermal and structural movement.
Internal coatings also offer long term protection, as well as having anti-fungal properties that deter mould growth. Coatings are available in a wide variety of shades, are easy and safe to apply and can be cleaned without damage to the surface. Both internal and external coatings which are applied by ATC are also non-hazardous and can be applied by brush, roller or airless spray, whilst external coatings offer a life expectancy of at least ten years.
New California law allows cities to give loans for energy-saving improvements
New California law allows cities to give loans for energy-saving improvements
Berkeley and Palm Desert are pioneering the effort to let homeowners and businesses borrow at low interest rates to pay for solar panels, high-efficiency air conditioners and other upgrades.
Berkeley and Palm Desert may be poles apart when it comes to politics. But the two cities are pioneering a new path to solar energy.
Pushed by these unlikely municipal bedfellows, California on Monday enacted a law that allows cities and counties to make low-interest loans to homeowners and businesses to install solar panels, high-efficiency air conditioners and other energy-saving improvements.
Participants can pay back the loans over decades through property taxes. And if a property owner sells his home or business, the loan balance is transferred to the next owner, along with the improvements.Pushed by these unlikely municipal bedfellows, California on Monday enacted a law that allows cities and counties to make low-interest loans to homeowners and businesses to install solar panels, high-efficiency air conditioners and other energy-saving improvements.
The innovative financing scheme, if widely adopted by local governments, could give a hefty jolt to the installation of solar panels to generate electricity. Solar systems can cost $15,000 to $30,000 -- more than many homeowners can afford to pay upfront, although state rebates cover part of the cost.
The financing strategy was originally hatched in the office of Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates as part of the city's plan to reduce its carbon footprint. It attracted inquiries from across the country after it was described at a national global warming summit for mayors in Seattle last year.
Berkeley's City Council last fall proposed incorporating the financing plan into its ongoing climate initiative and is now working on a pilot project. Meanwhile, Palm Desert, a city with an aging population and high air-conditioning costs, jumped on the bandwagon, vowing to reduce its energy consumption by 30% and to become the first city to fully implement a solar loan program.
But the two cities found they had no statutory authority for the strategy and approached Assemblyman Lloyd Levine (D-Van Nuys), who sponsored AB 811, the new law. "Homeowners and businesses can have solar energy, install dual-pane windows and insulation, and they'll save more on energy bills than they'll pay on the interest on their loans," Levine said.
California requires investor-owned utilities to get 20% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2010 and 33% by 2020. Public utilities are also setting green goals: L.A.'s Department of Water and Power has pledged to achieve 20% renewable energy by 2017.
A massive investment in renewable sources will be needed if California is to meet its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30% over projected levels, as required by the state's 1996 Global Warming Solutions Act.
Utilities are seeking to build huge solar electric plants and wind farms to meet those goals. But the plants, many of which would be in fragile deserts and require high-voltage transmission lines, are attracting opposition. Subsidizing individual solar systems may be more palatable, politically and environmentally.
So far, however, private utilities are resisting reforms that consumer groups advocate, such as allowing ratepayers to oversize their rooftop solar systems and sell the extra power back to utilities at favorable rates.
Sustainability advocacy
Sustainability advocacy
A few Tried and True Strategies for Inspiring Environmental changeMany business leaders find it challenging to lead others on the path to sustainability - and not necessarily because they’re working with a tough audience (although that happens too). Rather the trouble lies in their inability to communicate in way that generates real-world action and measurable results. But certain individuals seem to have cracked the code - they’ve figured out how to turn environmental conversations into sustainable changes for their companies, and for the environment. What exactly are these leaders doing differently, and how can we learn from them?
Principle I: Emphasize the business necessity.
Aspiring change leaders must have their heads wrapped firmly around the financial implications of their pet environmental initiatives. Environmental strategy consultant believes that creating a compelling business need is by far the most critical factor for getting decision makers on board with green initiatives. The good news for aspiring sustainability leaders is that the case for business necessity is getting easier to make with every passing day.
“Customers are asking questions about environmental performance,” and “Companies like Wal-Mart will give more shelf space to those companies that can reduce their footprint. Employees demanding more from companies they work for is another clear force that creates a compelling business need - it’s tough enough to compete for the best talent without turning them off on values-driven and environmental issues.”
The take-home? When seeking to serve the sometimes elusive triple bottom line, make sure you start with the bottom-line that decision makers value most- cold, hard cash. This topic is sure to get them listening.
Principle II: Frame environmental goals in terms of the other’s self interest.
With work demands and obligations bombarding them at every possible moment, how can we get organizational leaders to make our green initiative a priority? Here’s the secret of all motivational conversationalists: Take the perspective of the person you are speaking to and frame your agenda so that it occurs to other person as highly relevant to their own personal goals.
Of course, to accomplish this requires that we do a minimal amount of homework to learn more about our audience. What are their goals? How do these goals relate to our proposal? What do they have to gain by our success? This may seem like a lot to think through up front, but if we are willing to make a habit of this sort of analysis our persuasive abilities will skyrocket.
A good example comes from environmental initiatives for one company. Which has a distinguished track record of leading change in the organization and attributes much of the success to this simple habit? “There are multiple benefits to all environmental initiatives, so the language we use to impart the message has to mirror that diversity,” “For example, if I’m promoting an energy conservation initiative such as a lighting retrofit for the facilities, I will need to alter my message based upon my audience. I need to address the financial savings on our utility bill to the finance folks, the labor and maintenance benefits to the technicians in the field, and the quality of light with clients or tenants of the facility.”
Principle III: Appeal to enlightened self-interest.
Once you’ve framed your proposal in terms of ever-pressing financial imperatives and the other person’s self-interest, feel free invoke the “better angels” of your audience’s nature. Invite them to see how jumping on board with your initiative will also serve the more high-minded planetary and humanistic bottom-lines. Sometimes the best way to do this is directly, by discussing the positive global impact that your green proposal will create in terms of waste and greenhouse gas reduction. Other times it may be preferable to first be discreet, seeking topics that evoke in your audience a feeling of selflessness and a desire to contribute.
Creating rapport through meaningful conversations. “A great tactic is to look around and find something that the person you’re talking to really cares about. I’ve found that a universally powerful topic is children. If you can get people take a second to think about their children, and the effect that their choices might have on them, they seem to open up and be much more willing to consider higher causes like the environment.” Whatever your angle, remember that - beneath the cynicism and chaos - people want to do the right thing. You are, in fact, giving them a fresh opportunity to do just this.
Principle IV: Use humor to melt defensiveness.
Unfortunately, for most people there is still a huge gap between environmental awareness and environmental action. This gap often causes them to feel slightly guilty and defensive when the topic of saving the environment is even raised. If we don’t overcome it, this subtle mental block can make our audience unreceptive and make our words more likely to fall upon deaf ears. What are we to do? How can we get past this mental filter and raise our audiences to consider new possibilities? One strong approach is with humor.
One company has turned the tactic of using humor to overcome environmental guilt into an art by designing a stylish faux legal contract called an “Environmental Guilt Waiver.” This contract bestows clients and friends with a “24-hour exemption from all existential torment in connection with the environmental crisis” for making simple positive environmental choices in their daily life. The result? After receiving the waiver, clients who might normally be resistant to discussing the environment open up more easily and take a more active interest in the topic. “Making people feel guilty doesn’t help the environment,” “People want to have fun and be part of the solution. We’re doing what we can to make saving the planet a more pleasant experience!”
Principle V: Paint an inspiring vision.
John F. Kennedy gave us the image of a man on the moon. These world leaders knew that all great accomplishments start out as little more than compelling images that capture our imagination. Granted, few people will ever reach the heights of power and influence that these historical figures attained, but each of us can nonetheless draw from that same well of wisdom when we seek to cause changes in our own work-life sphere.
Want to be a true visionary? Simply do this: envision the end result that you are seeking to cause for your organization and help others see it too. Make it vivid, make it compelling, make it believable and make it personal. What are the implications for your audience of this goal coming to fruition? How will their life - and the life of their organization - be changed as a result of small efforts made today? If you can get others in your organization to use their imagination to experience your environmental proposal in this way, you will generate astounding levels of motivation for your cause.
Principle VI: Stick with it.
Someone once remarked that breaking up with someone is a lot like trying to tip over a refrigerator…you have to rock it a few times before it actually topples over. Getting people to change their environmental thinking and behaviors is the same way. So stick with it. Be persistent. After all, how much does environmental change really matter to you? Are you in it to win a popular contest or to do the right thing? Are you willing to continually raise the issues that matter to you most, even when those around you don’t seem interested? If so, you are a true leader, and success is only a matter of time.
Web and Video Conferencing Software Improves Productivity and Efficiency While Saving Business Operating Costs for Manufacturers
Web and Video Conferencing Software Improves Productivity and Efficiency While Saving Business Operating Costs for Manufacturers
The following commentary is provided by WiredRed Software regarding the general topic of business-to-business video conferencing in the manufacturing vertical market. Additional research links appear on the left, and media contacts are listed below.
A WiredRed Commentary
Today’s business climate is more competitive than ever. So how do manufacturers both protect the bottom line and succeed without making deep cuts in their workforce? Is this an oxymoron? No. Manufacturers can look for cost savings no further than the latest software that brings management, employees, customers and partners together virtually. Web and video conferencing can save manufacturers, or any organization that is dispersed geographically, both time and money. Time spent out of the office traveling for general business meetings or even standard customer visits is usually time not well spent. This is especially true where visits are routine, back-and-forth between the same locations. Companies spend a great deal of capital on business travel that could be put to better use, such as hiring new sales personnel, updating manufacturing systems and other worthy capital investments.
The increase in the availability and affordability of T1 or better Internet connections [corporate Internet access] combined with the speed of the latest Pentium processors makes it easy for any operation to reap the benefits of online meetings, virtual training, and sales and support presentations via the web.
Videoconference services and software have experienced a dramatic surge of popularity recently. Organizations of all sizes have found that web and videoconferencing can be used in all departments, in all lines of business, for interactive training, off-shore manufacturing and out-sourced operations support, sales presentations, standing and ad-hoc meetings, just to mention some of the most popular applications of the technology. Manufacturers can also leverage this technology to make sure personnel are trained and up-to-speed on new ERP, control systems, as well as front office operations, supply chain and CRM software. Management can use a video conference to meet, virtually, with co-workers around the globe anytime and any place with just a standard web browser and high-speed Internet connection.
According to leading industry analyst groups, such as Wainhouse Research and Frost & Sullivan, much of the increasing market demand for web conferencing software and services can be attributed to worldwide economic growth, which will trigger increased IT spending, better system and software interoperability and increased acceptance of the technology itself. From a September 2004 report, Frost estimates that by 2009, web conferencing software and services, including video, voice and data will be a $9 billion industry. Wainhouse Research noted in its 2005 report, “Rich Media Conferencing”, that web conferencing software sales continue to soar with double-digit growth rates and a notable movement away from managed services to self-hosted applications.
Large successful companies such as D.H. Pace, a Kansas City, Missouri-based manufacturer and marketer of garage doors, had to adopt the latest web and video conferencing technology in order to keep up with training demands. Because employees are spread throughout six offices, in as many states, there wasn’t a practical way for the training staff to keep up with new employee training and ongoing employee education.
D.H. Pace is utilizing WiredRed Software’s e/pop Web Conferencing, which offers a comprehensive set of features for real-time interaction and communication. End users can share their desktops, any application or web browser. PowerPoint presentations can be dynamically uploaded and shared during the conference. Ten participants or more can use video at the same time in order to bring a more interactive environment to the conference. In conjunction with video, voice conferencing decreases the need to use expensive teleconferencing services for company-wide or lengthy meetings. In addition, the remote control feature allows the host to take control of desktops or applications in order to conduct training sessions. [D.H. Pace Case Study]
WiredRed’s e/pop Web Conferencing is in a class of what is called “on-premise software” versus leading web conferencing services, such as those from Microsoft, WebEx and Raindance. There are a variety of web conferencing software applications available today, such as Macromedia Breeze and IBM Lotus Sametime, to name a couple. WiredRed’s e/pop, along with Sametime and Breeze, offer many of the same features such as those listed above, along with whiteboarding, desktop and document sharing and annotation, the ability to mark up documents during presentations.
Tindall is a family-owned company headquartered in Spartanburg, South Carolina that designs, manufactures and erects pre-cast and pre-stressed concrete systems for various types of construction projects in Southern and Mid-Atlantic states. Like D.H. Pace, Tindall has offices in several states, including Virginia, Georgia and Mississippi. Like most sales and service-oriented businesses, Tindall has a significant travel budget. Tindall spent nearly $500,000 on business travel alone last year.
And, like many manufacturers, Tindall has a small IT department that is responsible for keeping the network and all software and applications, including its Baan ERP system running smoothly and efficiently. But Tindall found that web conferencing could meet the need for its engineering team to not only share AutoCAD drawings with conference attendees that don’t have the actual application, it has allowed the team to evaluate a new 3D CAD application in parallel without traveling to one central location to accomplish the evaluation. According to Tindall, the use of web conferencing for this one particular project saved the company approximately $24,000. Translate this savings to the numerous other projects that require group input and travel and that in itself pays for the web conferencing software many times over. [Tindall Case Study]
The management and maintenance of the web conferencing application is minimal, as is the end-user training that is required. Services generally charge per-minute and sometimes per-host. Web conferencing software package pricing is generally based on the number of users, or license seats.
There is no time like the present to adopt new software and technologies that can make your company more efficient and enable communication and interaction in real-time. The future of video and web conferencing is promising. In the near future, global workforces will hold high-quality video conferences, complete with voice and file sharing, from a mobile phone or PDA. This will unleash workers from their desks and empower them to reach new productivity goals regardless of physical location.
Innovative collaborative software and technology solutions can actually save a great deal of money spent on business travel, training and increase productivity by keeping key personnel in the office rather than waiting in airports to get to destinations that are really just a mouse-click away.
The following commentary is provided by WiredRed Software regarding the general topic of business-to-business video conferencing in the manufacturing vertical market. Additional research links appear on the left, and media contacts are listed below.
A WiredRed Commentary
Today’s business climate is more competitive than ever. So how do manufacturers both protect the bottom line and succeed without making deep cuts in their workforce? Is this an oxymoron? No. Manufacturers can look for cost savings no further than the latest software that brings management, employees, customers and partners together virtually. Web and video conferencing can save manufacturers, or any organization that is dispersed geographically, both time and money. Time spent out of the office traveling for general business meetings or even standard customer visits is usually time not well spent. This is especially true where visits are routine, back-and-forth between the same locations. Companies spend a great deal of capital on business travel that could be put to better use, such as hiring new sales personnel, updating manufacturing systems and other worthy capital investments.
The increase in the availability and affordability of T1 or better Internet connections [corporate Internet access] combined with the speed of the latest Pentium processors makes it easy for any operation to reap the benefits of online meetings, virtual training, and sales and support presentations via the web.
Videoconference services and software have experienced a dramatic surge of popularity recently. Organizations of all sizes have found that web and videoconferencing can be used in all departments, in all lines of business, for interactive training, off-shore manufacturing and out-sourced operations support, sales presentations, standing and ad-hoc meetings, just to mention some of the most popular applications of the technology. Manufacturers can also leverage this technology to make sure personnel are trained and up-to-speed on new ERP, control systems, as well as front office operations, supply chain and CRM software. Management can use a video conference to meet, virtually, with co-workers around the globe anytime and any place with just a standard web browser and high-speed Internet connection.
According to leading industry analyst groups, such as Wainhouse Research and Frost & Sullivan, much of the increasing market demand for web conferencing software and services can be attributed to worldwide economic growth, which will trigger increased IT spending, better system and software interoperability and increased acceptance of the technology itself. From a September 2004 report, Frost estimates that by 2009, web conferencing software and services, including video, voice and data will be a $9 billion industry. Wainhouse Research noted in its 2005 report, “Rich Media Conferencing”, that web conferencing software sales continue to soar with double-digit growth rates and a notable movement away from managed services to self-hosted applications.
Large successful companies such as D.H. Pace, a Kansas City, Missouri-based manufacturer and marketer of garage doors, had to adopt the latest web and video conferencing technology in order to keep up with training demands. Because employees are spread throughout six offices, in as many states, there wasn’t a practical way for the training staff to keep up with new employee training and ongoing employee education.
D.H. Pace is utilizing WiredRed Software’s e/pop Web Conferencing, which offers a comprehensive set of features for real-time interaction and communication. End users can share their desktops, any application or web browser. PowerPoint presentations can be dynamically uploaded and shared during the conference. Ten participants or more can use video at the same time in order to bring a more interactive environment to the conference. In conjunction with video, voice conferencing decreases the need to use expensive teleconferencing services for company-wide or lengthy meetings. In addition, the remote control feature allows the host to take control of desktops or applications in order to conduct training sessions. [D.H. Pace Case Study]
WiredRed’s e/pop Web Conferencing is in a class of what is called “on-premise software” versus leading web conferencing services, such as those from Microsoft, WebEx and Raindance. There are a variety of web conferencing software applications available today, such as Macromedia Breeze and IBM Lotus Sametime, to name a couple. WiredRed’s e/pop, along with Sametime and Breeze, offer many of the same features such as those listed above, along with whiteboarding, desktop and document sharing and annotation, the ability to mark up documents during presentations.
Tindall is a family-owned company headquartered in Spartanburg, South Carolina that designs, manufactures and erects pre-cast and pre-stressed concrete systems for various types of construction projects in Southern and Mid-Atlantic states. Like D.H. Pace, Tindall has offices in several states, including Virginia, Georgia and Mississippi. Like most sales and service-oriented businesses, Tindall has a significant travel budget. Tindall spent nearly $500,000 on business travel alone last year.
And, like many manufacturers, Tindall has a small IT department that is responsible for keeping the network and all software and applications, including its Baan ERP system running smoothly and efficiently. But Tindall found that web conferencing could meet the need for its engineering team to not only share AutoCAD drawings with conference attendees that don’t have the actual application, it has allowed the team to evaluate a new 3D CAD application in parallel without traveling to one central location to accomplish the evaluation. According to Tindall, the use of web conferencing for this one particular project saved the company approximately $24,000. Translate this savings to the numerous other projects that require group input and travel and that in itself pays for the web conferencing software many times over. [Tindall Case Study]
The management and maintenance of the web conferencing application is minimal, as is the end-user training that is required. Services generally charge per-minute and sometimes per-host. Web conferencing software package pricing is generally based on the number of users, or license seats.
There is no time like the present to adopt new software and technologies that can make your company more efficient and enable communication and interaction in real-time. The future of video and web conferencing is promising. In the near future, global workforces will hold high-quality video conferences, complete with voice and file sharing, from a mobile phone or PDA. This will unleash workers from their desks and empower them to reach new productivity goals regardless of physical location.
Innovative collaborative software and technology solutions can actually save a great deal of money spent on business travel, training and increase productivity by keeping key personnel in the office rather than waiting in airports to get to destinations that are really just a mouse-click away.
Monday, July 25, 2011
13 tips to go green
13 tips to go green
Today, we are helping our customers reduce their carbon-footprint and utility costs at the same time. Our slogan “Go Green & Save Money” says it all.
Our goal is to provide cost-effective energy solutions that make as much sense financially as they do environmentally. Energy Savers is proud to be at the forefront ofAmerica
Our goal is to provide cost-effective energy solutions that make as much sense financially as they do environmentally. Energy Savers is proud to be at the forefront of
2) Use ceiling fans in the summer AND winter. By reversing the direction of the blades, warm air is pushed down, helping to keep rooms warm in winter.
3) Conserve energy by purchasing major appliances with an Energy Star rating. Compared to a 1990 model, an Energy Star-qualified refrigerator would save enough electricity to light a home for more than four and a half months.
4) Repair leaky fixtures: one drop per second from a leaky faucet can waste as mush as 10 gallons of water each week.
5) Install low-flow showerheads, faucets, and toilets. Low-flow faucets reduce water consumption and the cost of heating water by as much as 50 percent; using a low-flow toilet can save Americans 2.1 trillion gallons of water and $11.3 million nationwide every day.
6) Choose carpeting, rugs, window treatments and other textiles made from natural fibers, such as cotton or wool, which are untreated and free of toxins, such as pesticides or chemical cleaners.
7) Ask for flooring products made from rapidly renewable resources, such as bamboo. Bamboo is one of the fasted growing plants in the world, requiring no replanting and little fertilization or pesticides.
8) Select solid woods harvested from sustainably-managed forests, when possible, for furniture or cabinetry, rather than pressed woods or composites that may contain formaldehyde or other chemicals that may be toxic and hazardous to your health.
9) Eliminate waste by choosing products that are biodegradable or recyclable. Consider the “lifecycle” of furnishings and accessories before purchasing: Are they made of materials that can be reused or recycled when the item eventually wears out or is no longer needed?
10) Recycle packing and shipping materials from any newly purchased items, and safely dispose of paint cans and other containers with contents that could potentially contaminate the ground or water supply.
11) Install exterior window shades on Southern and Western exposure windows.
12. Install insulation in attic and crawl space and install attic fans.
13) Speak with a friendly Energy Consultant from Energy Savers and start going green today!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Benefits of Green Roofs
Benefits of Green Roofs
Green roofs are booming in popularity because they bring multiple benefits to buildings and to communities.
These benefits include:
Reducing roof replacement costs. In Minnesota, a typical gravel-ballasted flat roof is expected to perform for 15-20 years before replacement is necessary. Roof membranes deteriorate when exposed to the hot and cold temperature extremes we experience in Minnesota, and also when exposed to UV radiation from sunlight. The components of a green rooftop protect a roof membrane from these aging factors. The membrane under a green rooftop can be expected to perform for 35 – 50 years before replacement is necessary. This means that a building can avoid 1 – 2 roof replacements over a 50-year lifespan. This reduces life cycle costs as well as significantly reducing the volume of roofing materials deposited in our landfills.
Reducing energy costs. Green roofs can reduce heating and cooling demands. During a Minnesota winter, the insulation layer and growing medium of a green roof can add r-value to a building’s roof. In the summer, the impact is more significant. Living plant material evaporating moisture from leaf surfaces will cool the rooftop surface, reducing cooling demand up to 25 percent.
Reducing stormwater management costs. An extensive green roof with four inches of growing medium can be expected to hold a one-inch rainfall event before any water runs off the roof surface. Nearly all the rainfall events we receive in Minnesota are less than one inch. This four-inch green roof can be expected to capture two-thirds of the rain that falls on its surface. With a deeper layer of growing medium or with rainwater or greywater harvesting systems, a green roof can be used to manage a significantly larger volume of water. As a part of a building’s stormwater management infrastructure, a green roof can reduce the cost of other stormwater management systems, and in some cities can reduce monthly stormwater management fees. The City of Minneapolis uses a stormwater utility fee structure that provides incentives for using green roofs to manage stormwater on-site.
Improving urban air quality.. Green space is good for air quality. Green rooftops provide opportunities to increase the amount of green space in densely developed urban areas where green space can be hard to find. A 1998 study by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities developed a model showing that, if six percent of the rooftop surfaces in the City of Toronto were replaced with green rooftops, the additional green space would remove 30 tons of airborne particulate pollution each year.
Mitigating Climate Change and the Urban Heat Island Effect. Urban areas like Minneapolis-Saint Paul are generally 2 – 5 degrees (f) warmer than surrounding rural areas. This is known as the Urban Heat Island effect. On top of that, the USEPA projects a 2 – 7 degree (f) increase in aggregate temperature for our region over the course of the 21st Century. It is projected that a three-degree aggregate temperature increase in Minneapolis would triple annual heat-related deaths from 60 to nearly 200. By cooling rooftop surfaces and improving air quality, a critical mass of green rooftops can mitigate all of these impacts.
Providing urban green space. Green roofs can provide opportunities for significant green space amenities in urban areas. East Village Apartments in the Elliot Park neighborhood of Minnepaolis features an at-grade green rooftop installed over underground parking. The green space includes picnic tables and provides an amenity to this affordable housing development. The green rooftop at Brit’s Pub on Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis can be used for lawn bowling and private parties. And pedestrians using the Loring Greenway in Minneapolis may not even realize that they are walking on green roof surfaces above occupied spaces. Hospital administrators know that patients who can see green space outside their windows can recover more quickly. Nursing home and elder care facilities can use green roofs as part of horticultural therapy programs.
These benefits include:
Reducing roof replacement costs. In Minnesota, a typical gravel-ballasted flat roof is expected to perform for 15-20 years before replacement is necessary. Roof membranes deteriorate when exposed to the hot and cold temperature extremes we experience in Minnesota, and also when exposed to UV radiation from sunlight. The components of a green rooftop protect a roof membrane from these aging factors. The membrane under a green rooftop can be expected to perform for 35 – 50 years before replacement is necessary. This means that a building can avoid 1 – 2 roof replacements over a 50-year lifespan. This reduces life cycle costs as well as significantly reducing the volume of roofing materials deposited in our landfills.
Reducing energy costs. Green roofs can reduce heating and cooling demands. During a Minnesota winter, the insulation layer and growing medium of a green roof can add r-value to a building’s roof. In the summer, the impact is more significant. Living plant material evaporating moisture from leaf surfaces will cool the rooftop surface, reducing cooling demand up to 25 percent.
Reducing stormwater management costs. An extensive green roof with four inches of growing medium can be expected to hold a one-inch rainfall event before any water runs off the roof surface. Nearly all the rainfall events we receive in Minnesota are less than one inch. This four-inch green roof can be expected to capture two-thirds of the rain that falls on its surface. With a deeper layer of growing medium or with rainwater or greywater harvesting systems, a green roof can be used to manage a significantly larger volume of water. As a part of a building’s stormwater management infrastructure, a green roof can reduce the cost of other stormwater management systems, and in some cities can reduce monthly stormwater management fees. The City of Minneapolis uses a stormwater utility fee structure that provides incentives for using green roofs to manage stormwater on-site.
Improving urban air quality.. Green space is good for air quality. Green rooftops provide opportunities to increase the amount of green space in densely developed urban areas where green space can be hard to find. A 1998 study by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities developed a model showing that, if six percent of the rooftop surfaces in the City of Toronto were replaced with green rooftops, the additional green space would remove 30 tons of airborne particulate pollution each year.
Mitigating Climate Change and the Urban Heat Island Effect. Urban areas like Minneapolis-Saint Paul are generally 2 – 5 degrees (f) warmer than surrounding rural areas. This is known as the Urban Heat Island effect. On top of that, the USEPA projects a 2 – 7 degree (f) increase in aggregate temperature for our region over the course of the 21st Century. It is projected that a three-degree aggregate temperature increase in Minneapolis would triple annual heat-related deaths from 60 to nearly 200. By cooling rooftop surfaces and improving air quality, a critical mass of green rooftops can mitigate all of these impacts.
Providing urban green space. Green roofs can provide opportunities for significant green space amenities in urban areas. East Village Apartments in the Elliot Park neighborhood of Minnepaolis features an at-grade green rooftop installed over underground parking. The green space includes picnic tables and provides an amenity to this affordable housing development. The green rooftop at Brit’s Pub on Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis can be used for lawn bowling and private parties. And pedestrians using the Loring Greenway in Minneapolis may not even realize that they are walking on green roof surfaces above occupied spaces. Hospital administrators know that patients who can see green space outside their windows can recover more quickly. Nursing home and elder care facilities can use green roofs as part of horticultural therapy programs.
Energy conservation plan
Energy conservation plan
Within the “Business As Usual” scenario, YJay has listed seven substantive challenges:
1. Electricity supply is not keeping up with demand.
2. Energy prices have risen substantially in recent years and this trend is expected to continue.
3. Global Warming and the emission of greenhouse gases are expected to increase.
4. Today, government has much less authority over the supply and price of electricity than it did before the Electric Discount and Energy Competition Act (EDECA) of 1999.
1. Electricity supply is not keeping up with demand.
2. Energy prices have risen substantially in recent years and this trend is expected to continue.
3. Global Warming and the emission of greenhouse gases are expected to increase.
4. Today, government has much less authority over the supply and price of electricity than it did before the Electric Discount and Energy Competition Act (EDECA) of 1999.
5. Renewable energy development and implementation progress is slow.
6. Electric grid upgrading is imperative
7. Energy storage development must advance and utilized
States will have to be overcome the challenges identified above between 2008 and the year 2021. The “Business As Usual” scenario includes no State action in those intervening years.
The consequence of inaction is an estimated 61% increase in the total cost of energy consumed in 2021, as compared to 2004, totaling in excess of $26 billion. Greenhouse gas emissions in 2021 are predicted to be 14.6% higher than they were in 2006, thus negating many of the benchmarks established by the recently enacted “Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Act”.
The “Alternative Scenario” however, outlines goals to change the way the States conducts its energy affairs. The “Alternative Scenario” lists six objectives, all involving States action:
1. Maximize energy conservation and efficiency.
2.Reduce State
3. Stimulate growth in renewable and alternative energy technologies.
4. Develop low-carbon emitting and more efficient power plants in order to close the gap between electricity supply and demand.
5. Invest in clean energy technologies and businesses to stimulate the industry’s growth within the State.
6. Develop and institute tax breaks for efficiency upgrade.
States will have to be overcome the challenges identified above between 2008 and the year 2021. The “Business As Usual” scenario includes no State action in those intervening years.
The consequence of inaction is an estimated 61% increase in the total cost of energy consumed in 2021, as compared to 2004, totaling in excess of $26 billion. Greenhouse gas emissions in 2021 are predicted to be 14.6% higher than they were in 2006, thus negating many of the benchmarks established by the recently enacted “Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Act”.
The “Alternative Scenario” however, outlines goals to change the way the States conducts its energy affairs. The “Alternative Scenario” lists six objectives, all involving States action:
1. Maximize energy conservation and efficiency.
2.
3. Stimulate growth in renewable and alternative energy technologies.
4. Develop low-carbon emitting and more efficient power plants in order to close the gap between electricity supply and demand.
5. Invest in clean energy technologies and businesses to stimulate the industry’s growth within the State.
Develop alternative energy is imperative
| Develop alternative energy is imperative |
| Fearing that today's high oil and gas prices will turn into tomorrow's severe shortages, some people are taking to the hills where they are growing their own food and learning to live without the modern conveniences that resulted from the age of relatively cheap energy. Some are also stocking up on guns and ammo, concerned that anarchy will result when the oil begins to run out. How often have we heard this kind of scenario in modern history? In the 1950s and early 1960s well-stocked bomb shelters were a popular addition to suburban homes. When the Soviet Union, the bitter ideological enemy of the United States, obtained the atomic bomb, many became convinced that a nuclear exchange would follow. This hysteria was repeated when the Cold War heated up in the 1980s. Both superpowers had their massive nuclear arsenals on hair-trigger response, prepared to launch within minutes at the first sign the enemy had begun an attack. Accidental nuclear annihilation became a distinct possibility. So some folks took to the hills in remote areas of the country that were least likely to see the fallout from a nuclear war. As the year 2000 approached, Y2K fear gripped the country. This time the fear centered on concerns that our computer-dependent society would crumble when computers were unable to handle a year date that did not begin with 19. Again some stocked up on supplies and ammunition. After the spectacularly violent terrorist attacks on the United States in 2001, some survivalists became convinced that Armageddon was around the corner. Fears of more attacks, of plagues being unleashed and water supplies poisoned, gripped the country. And again, some headed for higher ground. The common theme of all these episodes is that the impulse to flee for survival, though over-reactive, was based in some reality. Fortunately the United States, as a society and a nation, reacted more rationally to the threats. Successive disarmament treaties were approved to try and reduce the chance of nuclear war. And ultimately, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the two nations moved away from their hair-trigger policies. In the wake of 2001, security was stepped up across the nation and efforts made to repair the holes in the intelligence net that made the 9/11 attacks possible. While certainly the threat remains, the rash of attacks that some feared has not materialized. Fear that an energy crisis looms are not irrational. It does appear that oil production has reached a plateau, even as worldwide demand continues to increase. If the current situation goes unaddressed, it is possible, even likely, that shortages will result. But rather than flee for safety, society must again deal with a problem. Every effort must be made to promote and develop alternative forms of energy. Lifestyles need to change to significantly reduce energy use - including development of mass transit, encouraging housing development that allows people to live near their places of work and the use of energy-efficient products and vehicles. This is not a problem that the world can drill its way out of. Putting new oil fields on line will take years and at most will simply offset fields that are in depletion. As a society we need to agree on changing how we live. Stocking up on supplies and guns does not solve problems, and could potentially exacerbate them by causing panic. But ignoring the threat we face is also not the answer. It is time to come to grips with the energy problem, not flee from it. |
Runaway Energy Costs – causing inflation and panic
Runaway Energy Costs – causing inflation and panic
Spurred by soaring energy costs, food prices and other goods and services have risen nearly 20 percent or more in the past 20 months — more than double the usual increase.
Commodity prices for corn, wheat, soybeans and other staples have been skyrocketing over the past year to more than double their prices from 2006.
Economists have also pointed toward the growing demand for grains for ethanol and other biofuels, tying the price of corn to the price of oil and increasing the pressure and demand for land use.“It is important to note the contribution of runaway energy prices to the retail cost of food goods and services. “Transportation, processing and packaging all cost significantly more now than in prior years.”
The snowball effect of soaring energy prices is causing increased prices for all goods and services, from food, medical, construction and other material.
Speculation is often criticized as the cause of surging grain prices. But the current abnormal price increases could not have occurred without firm demand. Indeed, farmers are cultivating cash plants while buyers are seeking cheaper alternatives, forming a chain of price surges.
World food production must rise by 50 percent by 2030 to meet increasing demand.
Biofuels to blame?
The increasing diversion of food and animal feed to produce biofuel, and sharply higher fuel costs have also helped to shoot prices upward, experts say.
The senate and the House should call for expanded funding for weatherization and tax credits for other energy-saving programs, $100 billion for expansion of mass transit systems, $100 billion for renewable energy development and renewable energy projects and $50 billion in bonds for roads, bridges and other transportation projects. The increasing diversion of food and animal feed to produce biofuel, and sharply higher fuel costs have also helped to shoot prices upward, experts say.
Traders are also at fault
A boom in speculation and trading by investment banks and hedge funds has put our energy markets on steroids. Contract volume in the futures markets has risen by a third in just the last year. Oil closed at a record high of $125.96 a barrel (USO: , , ) on the New York
This isn't complicated finance. The way traders push up prices is surprisingly simple. They buy in European futures markets, which don't have the limits that U.S. U.S.
None of it would matter except that these markets are supposed to be driven by supply and demand. China
Hedge Funds and Banks driving oil prices
In the most recent sustained run-up in energy prices, large financial institutions, hedge funds, pension funds, and other investors have been pouring billions of dollars into the energy commodities markets to try to take advantage of price changes or hedge against them. Most of this additional investment has not come from producers or consumers of these commodities, but from speculators seeking to take advantage of these price changes. The CFTC defines a speculator as a person who “does not produce or use the commodity, but risks his or her own capital trading futures in that commodity in hopes of making a profit on price changes.”
The large purchases of crude oil futures contracts by speculators have, in effect, created an additional demand for oil, driving up the price of oil for future delivery in the same manner that additional demand for contracts for the delivery of a physical barrel today drives up the price for oil on the spot market. As far as the market is concerned, the demand for a barrel of oil that results from the purchase of a futures contract by a speculator is just as real as the demand for a barrel that results from the purchase of a futures contract by a refiner or other user of petroleum.
In the most recent sustained run-up in energy prices, large financial institutions, hedge funds, pension funds, and other investors have been pouring billions of dollars into the energy commodities markets to try to take advantage of price changes or hedge against them. Most of this additional investment has not come from producers or consumers of these commodities, but from speculators seeking to take advantage of these price changes. The CFTC defines a speculator as a person who “does not produce or use the commodity, but risks his or her own capital trading futures in that commodity in hopes of making a profit on price changes.”
The large purchases of crude oil futures contracts by speculators have, in effect, created an additional demand for oil, driving up the price of oil for future delivery in the same manner that additional demand for contracts for the delivery of a physical barrel today drives up the price for oil on the spot market. As far as the market is concerned, the demand for a barrel of oil that results from the purchase of a futures contract by a speculator is just as real as the demand for a barrel that results from the purchase of a futures contract by a refiner or other user of petroleum.
Perhaps 60% of oil prices today pure speculation
Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley today are the two leading energy trading firms in theUnited States
In June 2006, oil traded in futures markets at some $60 a barrel and the Senate investigation estimated that some $25 of that was due to pure financial speculation. One analyst estimated in August 2005 that US oil inventory levels suggested WTI crude prices should be around $25 a barrel, and not $60.
That would mean today that at least $50 to $60 or more of today’s $115 a barrel price is due to pure hedge fund and financial institution speculation. However, given the unchanged equilibrium in global oil supply and demand over recent months amid the explosive rise in oil futures prices traded on Nymex and ICE exchanges inNew York and London New York and London
By purchasing large numbers of futures contracts, and thereby pushing up futures prices to even higher levels than current prices, speculators have provided a financial incentive for oil companies to buy even more oil and place it in storage. A refiner will purchase extra oil today, even if it costs $135 per barrel, if the futures price is even higher.
As a result, over the past two years crude oil inventories have been steadily growing,
resulting in US crude oil inventories that are now higher than at any time in the previous eight years. The large influx of speculative investment into oil futures has led to a situation where we have both high supplies of crude oil and high crude oil prices.
Compelling evidence also suggests that the oft-cited geopolitical, economic, and natural factors do not explain the recent rise in energy prices can be seen in the actual data on crude oil supply and demand. Although demand has significantly increased over the past few years, so have supplies.
Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley today are the two leading energy trading firms in the
In June 2006, oil traded in futures markets at some $60 a barrel and the Senate investigation estimated that some $25 of that was due to pure financial speculation. One analyst estimated in August 2005 that US oil inventory levels suggested WTI crude prices should be around $25 a barrel, and not $60.
That would mean today that at least $50 to $60 or more of today’s $115 a barrel price is due to pure hedge fund and financial institution speculation. However, given the unchanged equilibrium in global oil supply and demand over recent months amid the explosive rise in oil futures prices traded on Nymex and ICE exchanges in
By purchasing large numbers of futures contracts, and thereby pushing up futures prices to even higher levels than current prices, speculators have provided a financial incentive for oil companies to buy even more oil and place it in storage. A refiner will purchase extra oil today, even if it costs $135 per barrel, if the futures price is even higher.
As a result, over the past two years crude oil inventories have been steadily growing,
resulting in US crude oil inventories that are now higher than at any time in the previous eight years. The large influx of speculative investment into oil futures has led to a situation where we have both high supplies of crude oil and high crude oil prices.
Compelling evidence also suggests that the oft-cited geopolitical, economic, and natural factors do not explain the recent rise in energy prices can be seen in the actual data on crude oil supply and demand. Although demand has significantly increased over the past few years, so have supplies.
Over the past couple of years global crude oil production has increased along with the increases in demand; in fact, during this period global supplies have exceeded demand, according to the US Department of Energy. The US Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) recently forecast that in the next few years global surplus production capacity will continue to grow to between 3 and 5 million barrels per day by 2010, thereby “substantially thickening the surplus capacity cushion.”
Compiled by: YJay Draiman
The Energy Crisis
The Energy Crisis
A bank is a legally instituted body for money transactions and savings and loans, or at least that is one way to interpret what a bank does. The fudging of the lines began when building societies and cooperatives began their acts. Then just a few years ago the cash back on cards started in supermarkets and then the lines got even more hazy when insurances, loans and other types of financial services started to be offered at the shopping point, where transactions are processed.
Not to be outdone the power companies that used to favour pre payment cards, have in their words ‘in trying to crack down on fraud we are now introducing a key card system’, that old scapegoat, heard a lot about it but seen little evidence to back up the claims, do we really believe the trumped up charges in the falling crime rate in Britain. The evidence shows us that banks have been using unscrupulous methods against their own customers. Three days to commit instant electronic transfers where the credit is able to cover the transactions immediately. High risk investors loosing billions, and being allowed to chase bad debts, using clients money to earn interest on unsecured loans and high risk mortgages, selling them off to unsuspecting brokers after they have been re packaged. Throwing good money after bad and still making sure that their shareholders get their profits first and foremost and then robbing the public kitty, in a time when local authorities cannot afford to meat their commitments to public services and are cutting back because they cant afford them. The government in its wisdom will sacrifice refuse collection in favour of lending to the private sector mismanagers that couldn’t handle the money properly when they had it and before they threw it away in speculation, that’s gambling to anyone that need it explained.
Now into the market in a sneaky bid to directly bill us as they like when they like. The power companies are changing the meters to make remote readings a possibility, even with their previous bad record at guess readings and bad billing practices they think there is nothing wrong with that. With the new key card they can take our money at the source and completely clear any outstanding bill before your payment swill allow you to put credit into the meter. In real terms the defaulter at the moment can arrange to pay five pounds a week to any outstanding bill and still put ten pounds worth in to get power to live off. When the new arrangement is in place that will not be possible.
Having watched my power consumption in the summer and the winter, the electric cost more in the summer when we use less power and after another reading in the autumn the electric last longer and costs less in the winter when we all use more. As far as we are led to believe the costs of generating electricity does not fluctuate so is it a cash flow problem and now it takes a meter reading to be done, but when the new key cards are introduced across the board under the guise of fraud prevention they really will be able to extract cash at source and penalise the unfortunate defaulters.
The new meters will be able to be remotely switched off without having to gain access to the premises. So the judge the jury and the executioner will have total autonomy and can do as they please without having to apply to the eroding legal base for the rights to take some ones life giving energy away from them. They no longer need to seek permission to enter properties, they no longer need to pay meter readers and they can extract the full bill before you are allowed to have any power to live off. They have all proved by their actions that they cannot be trusted with this sort of power and the worst offence is to make it an automatic process by a ‘provider’ now there is a contradiction in terms.
David Davis stood up as one man but I think he will find that fate and public opinion will make him the man of the moment the lynch pin that turned a tide from the impersonal erosion of the law as arbitrator between the corporate machine and the human suffering it will cause as it churns along and forces people to take out litigation to bring them into check. We live in the land of ‘Big Brother’ and that isn’t the TV program and this isn’t entertainment. The voiceless men and women of this society will find that they will only have one course of action left and that will be when the ballot box comes out to solicit our proxy from the potential representatives of our rights at court. The only option left will be a no vote a massive abstention from the poles a country wide vote of no confidence in a system that we fund and pay for that does not serve our needs but is just an enforcement arm for the corporate entity.
After all they have a voting system that incorporated the No vote and the Yes votes and even the abstainers are counted. Yet we have an inclusive only system that ignores the majority of non voters in a so called democratic society that is under the impression that it is electing the majority into power. The silent majority still have the biggest majority and yet they have been ignored for centuries in this one set of rules for the elite and a reduced set for the inferiors. A two tier society and yet they vetoed a two tier vote on the EU. Double those standards and place your bets.
The circumnavigation of civil rights and civil liberties is further compounded by the growing autonomy of the corporate entity and its direct imposition of rules over laws and rights.
Careful who you give your power away to it may just come back to haunt you.
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