The Biochar Blog

Alternative Energy sources such as Biofuel, Biodiesel, and Green Oil are rapidly becoming big business as ethical investments become lucrative.

We are using more fossil fuel oil than we are finding. Though experts disagree about the time scale, most agree that the rate at which we are consuming traditional oil is now greater than the rate at which new reserves are being found, we have already entered the depletion phase and are on a downhill slope of terminal decline. In short, crude oil is running out.

What are our alternatives?

Biofuels.  Thanks to the Gulf of Mexico fiasco, many people are totally reconsidering the use of fossil fuels for energy and are opting for a cleaner, less harmfull alternative fuel like Jatropha or Millettia biofuels but what are they?

Jatropha and Millettia what?

Jatropha and Millettia are two hardy plants that can grow in harsh desert conditions, needing little water and care. Biofuels from Jatropha or Millettia are formed by crushing the seeds of the plant and extracting the oil.  The waste is biodegradable and can be used for farming.

What makes them so good?

Bio fuels are better for the planet and humanity for a variety of reasons:

Can be made in a matter of days as opposed to fossil fuels which take millions of years to build
Are safer compared to fossil fuels which produce pollution and harm emissions
Unlike fossil fuels, are a renewable source of energy which means that they can continually produce more energy

Both the Jatropha and the Millettia plant take about 3-4 years until they produce a significant amount of seeds to turn into “green oil”.  Once the plants are established however, it can live up to 20 years or more.
No machines are needed to take care of the plants or to harvest.
It is a renewable source of energy, producing year after year.
Nitrogen rich fetiliser, medicines and rubber can be made from the waste produce.

Why should we invest in this?

Fossil fuels will only go up in prices and are harmful to the environment so we need to take a stand and start investing in this new emerging technology.  World economy needs to start investing in the future of the planet and the human race.

For free information on how to make money and save the planet please visit

http://www.biofuelinvestments.net

According to the latest reports, Spain is one of the top five worst ozone polluters in the world, and one of the furthest away from meeting protocols on greenhouse gas emissions as set out by the Kyoto Agreement.

In the Environmental Ministry Report released earlier this month, fifty of Spains biggest cities are more than exceeding governments guidelines for limits on air pollution. The worst offenders are Madrid, Seville, Valencia and Barcelona.

In Barcelona, the biggest contribution to these alarming figures are a massive increase in CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions produced from an influx of personal vehicles on the roads.

CO2 levels have more than doubled since the 1990s, when Cataloni’s most rapid phase of growth and development occurred. The Catalonian Generalitat’s Environment Ministry reports that 98 % of CO2 pollution is directly caused by road transport activity.

In 2006, a report released by the Encuasta de Movilidad indicated that just over 40% of Catalonians use a private vehicle for an average of three trips per day. Three times the figure for those that use public transport. This is despite a high awareness of the damage cars cause the environment as well as the higher costs of using a household vehicle compared to public transport costs.

It wasn’t until 2005 that the Spanish government actually passed laws relating to greenhouse gas emissions but these early reports reveal that laws in themselves are not enough.

A spokesman for Pollution Prevention confirms that air pollution is ‘one of the biggest problems threatening Spains environment today. Almost all cities in Spain are failing to comply with air quality regulations’.

With the naked eye it’s easy enough to observe the thick, dark haze that sits just above Barcelona’s skyline. But there are other signs of the damage affecting not only the environment, but also threatening to affect one of the citys biggest growth industries: tourism.

A recent increase in the amount of jellyfish, locally known as medeusas in waters of the Catalan coast have for the last few years been responsible for beach closures in and around Barcelona, preventing visitors access to one of the area’s biggest summer attractions- the Mediterranean Sea.

A jellyfish plague was first noticed in Catalonia in 2005. The Oceana Environment Group reported that numbers had tripled and that an average of 10 jellyfish per square meter were counted close to beaches surrounding Barcelona.

In 2006, 30,000 people were treated over the summer for jellyfish stings and a number of beaches were closed to prevent further injuries. Whilst not usually fatal, a jellyfish sting can cause pain and discomfort and in severe cases of allergic reaction, a heart attack may be triggered.

Increasing numbers of jellyfish have been attributed to rising sea temperatures, which are now at least 2 degrees above average for this time of year. Rising sea temperatures are caused when a buildup of greenhouse emissions prevent the dissipation of the suns heat. The smog produced from pollution acts like a layer of insulation, trapping the heat close to the earths surface.

Warmer waters boost the rate at which jellyfish grow and multiply, and their natural predators, larger fish such as tuna and swordfish have been migrating further away from the Mediterranean in favour of cooler currents found in the Atlantic ocean.

Small boats can be seen trawling for jellyfish and their larvae just off the coast in an effort to reduce the amount that make their way close to shore, but if a solution is not found to combat the problem on a long term basis, holiday makers will soon have to find alternative summer leisure activities other than a visit to the beach.

Aside from environmental problems, air pollution has been labeled responsible for an increase in the number of cases of illnesses including heart problems, cancer, asthma, allergies and other cardiovascular complications in patients. It appears that Catalonians are now choking on their own smoke.

On July 12th, the Catalonian Regional Government approved a plan to reduce the permitted traveling speed for cars on major roadways in Catalonia to less than 80 kms per hour in an effort to lower car emission levels.

These new limits will come into effect by this autumn and will affect Barcelona as well as 15 other municipalities in Catalonia, with a target reduction figure of 30%.

The affects of this plan remain to be seen. One can only hope that Catalonians will take action to reduce greenhouse gas emission, for the security of their health and the health of the Spanish coast.

What kind of environment is the right environment for your business success? Are you someone who likes to work in a relaxed, calm, quiet environment, or someone who likes a more interactive, invigorating, exciting environment?

There is probably a range of environments you can put up with and get by in. But, have you ever thought about what kind of environment is optimal if you want to create success? Most of us haven’t thought about how our environment affects our business success. Instead, we’ve learned to adapt to less-than-favorable conditions, blaming our sagging energy, increased body aches, and decreased productivity on other factors.

The Effects of a Negative Environment

Psychologists and industrial engineers have long reported that a negative work environment adversely affects our health, sleep habits, interactions with people, sex life, tolerance levels, ability to cope, and ability to process new information.

The longer we are exposed to a negative environment, the more our productivity and success decrease. It also takes its toll on our psychological, emotional, and physiological well-being.

The problem is that researchers have not been able to come up with a single work environment that is best for everyone. Human beings are such a complex, multifaceted group. It is impossible to take into account everyone’s changing needs to create a work environment that is ideal for every individual.

Whether you work from the comfort of your home as a solo preneur or go to work in an office building, it’s up to you to create the perfect environment for your business success. If not, you will find yourself gulping for air.

Are You Gulping For Air?

I have a small pond in my back yard. It’s a modest pond, home to five gold fish, two shubunkins, and two koi, Jack and Casper. It’s a peaceful little pond where birds and deer come to drink and neighborhood cats come with high hopes. There are benches nearby for quiet reflection, and the beauty of nature surrounds.

Not too long ago, the pond wasn’t so peaceful. We were in the middle of a heat wave when I went out to feed my fish. Much to my surprise and alarm, all the fish were at the surface of the pond bunched together and gulping for air. I could see they were in distress, though I didn’t know why. Until . . . I dipped my hand into the pond and felt the temperature of the water. It was very warm.

I immediately flew into action and began pumping warm water out of the top of the pond while simultaneously adding cold water to it. Within a couple of hours the water temperature had stabilized and my fish were back to swimming tranquilly around the pond.

When you are working in an environment that is detrimental to you, you soon end up like my fish on that hot day. You end up gulping for air. Gulping for air leaves us exhausted, depleted, and in desperate need of relief. We’ve all had times when we have felt as if we were just barely making it, scarcely holding it all together, and stressed beyond our limit.

Are you gulping for air? Here are some ways to know.

Top 10 Ways to Tell If You Are Gulping For Air

1. You’re too busy for your family and friends.

2. You do a lot of explaining about why you are so busy.

3. You find yourself just trying to keep your head above water.

4. You’re feeling unheard, misunderstood, and devalued.

5. You’re feeling overwhelmed.

6. You’re caught up in the drama of your business.

7. You’re still at work in your head after you’ve physically left your office.

8. You’re making do by making excuses.

9. You’re not sleeping, exercising, or eating to your benefit.

10. You’re emotionally maxed out.

What do you do if you find yourself gulping for air?

3 Steps to Creating Your Ideal Environment

1. The first thing to do is acknowledge where you are.

2. The second is to create some space to move around. Whether that be actual physical space (like taking a walk) or psychological and emotional space (such as meditating, journaling, or reading a book for pleasure), it’s important to create space.

3. Next, go within and ask, “What environment is in my highest good and greatest well-being right now?” This one question will open up even more space for you to begin creating the perfect environment for your personality, needs and goals.

You will know what that right environment is because in it you will feel expansive, open, allowing, and inviting. You will feel as if you have plenty of room to explore, maneuver, and swim around. You will have time for family, friends, and for yourself. You will thrive, flourish, and prosper.

Why merely put up with or get by in your environment? Instead, stop gulping air and focus on creating just the right environment for your business success.

IT CHALLENGES FACED BY BUSINESSES IN AFRICA

One is often perplexed when an organisation talks about business processes & change. Company executives begin to squirm in their seats, as they know that this will be the long haul to the promised land, probably leading to nowhere and sacrificing some along the way. Executives immediately believe that new IT systems are required to lead the way forward, i.e. – Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), etc. Many companies from first world countries with years of experience have failed miserably to enhance the power of IT. This is due to lack of understanding/covering the basics, before implementing an “IT system” to improve/resolve organisations business processes. Faced with myriad challenges, African business leaders are therefore not absolved of perplexed problems that first world countries face. African business leaders therefore, need to cover the basics prior to embarking on huge projects that produce undesired or no results to improve their businesses.

Several key IT challenges are pertinent to businesses in Africa. These are –

1) The strategic business challenge

Management of African businesses do not realise the impact of IT on business processes and how IT should integrate into the business to effectively gain competitive advantage. Just because the latest hardware technologies are acquired does not mean one would be competitive. Competitiveness would only be appropriate when IT is fully exploited for all its capabilities and opportunities. If business processes are not working effectively, IT will only speed up problems and not solve them. IT just like any other resource needs to be managed efficiently and effectively.

2) The globalisation challenge

African companies like Sasol, MTN, and many others have realised that in order for them to expand their operations they have to compete with the rest of the world. As a result, IT plays an important part in uniting local and international operations into one cohesive business unit. The South African government has been slow in embracing new opportunities that IT expansion and development could bring to companies and the ordinary citizen. This can be seen by government not granting more telecommunications business licences, and non-deregulation of internet broadband spectrum to service providers to expand IT infrastructure in Africa. This can be attributed to government not understanding the implication of IT and the lack of laws and policies governing the technology.

3) The information architecture and infrastructure challenge –

Many businesses in Africa have not identified their core competencies and how these drive the business; neither do they have sound back office business processes in place. African businesses have the view that, as long as we are connected to the outside world we can do business. Business competencies and goals should drive the business and not the technology. IT should only be a supporting backbone facilitating process. The non existence of IT and communications infrastructure and the exorbitant cost of installing such infrastructure also contribute to the challenge.

4) The Information Systems Investment Challenge

Businesses in Africa like the rest of the world see IT investment in terms of the monetary value of their hardware and software (physical assets). Costs associated with non-physical assets of IT are overlooked. Also, businesses are unaware of:

-          What productivity levels are due to IT or non IT influences;

-          The cost of lost sales opportunities from poorly managed e-commerce or e-business websites;

-          The determination of the return on IT investment.

5) The Responsibility and Control Challenges

As with all technologies, it has to be driven and controlled by human intervention. Most of the IT challenges emanate from the “Persware”, i.e. – people. As long as there is no smooth integration of IT into the people’s environment then challenges will not be resolved. With the high illiteracy levels and poor education on the African continent, it remains a challenge to train and develop people fast enough to catch up with technological innovations and ultimately control and maintain an IT infrastructure. In Africa this is quite pertinent as most people are used to doing things their way and are not fast enough in adapting to new ways of doing things.  On the other hand, people in remote areas of the African continent are fast becoming cellular phone users and this, I think, is one step closer to bridging the IT challenge in the communications divide.

Basic steps that can be used to address the challenges -

1) Agree on common user requirements

Ensure that business processes work efficiently and effectively. Business processes should be short and definitive. All users of IT in the organisation should agree and participate on common requirements which would work in all functional business areas and is acceptable to all parties.

2) Introduce changes in business procedures

Users or “Persware” support is important in anything that needs to be achieved in an organisation. Managers and employees should be able to exchange ideas and share a common vision and goal in achieving and implementing changes in business procedures. Through user participation, people will feel that they are part of the process and have contributed to changing procedures and as a result the organisation will succeed in its endeavours.

3) Coordinate applications development

People need to be informed in whatever the organisation plans to do. IT can disseminate information through: e-mail, intranet and internet, so that everyone is kept abreast of changes. All applications development will be coordinated between various departments so that everyone knows what the status quo is at any given time and no functional area is left far behind in implementing new processes.

4) Coordinate software releases

Everyone involved in the process from various functional areas need to be working on the same thing at the same time. Therefore, software releases should occur throughout the organisation at the same time, to ensure that everyone is working on the same page.

5) Encourage local users to support global systems

Local users need to be encouraged and given the feeling that they have ownership over the system. However, at the same time all users should adapt to new ideas and ways of doing things. African businesses now have to compete with the world and people who are slow to adapt and are inflexible will not survive in the age of IT. This can only be done through user participation in massive IT processes put in place; linking all operations throughout the world in sharing common ideas and knowledge through enterprise resource planning systems such as SAP.

6) Invest in people

African governments, organisations, etc, should invest in educating and developing African people with regards to the development and use of IT on the continent to develop its own in-house pool of IT specialists.

IT can be a panacea for businesses. This is even more so in the African context, where a number of challenges & opportunities exist. African business leaders have a chance to learn from the rest of the world, by avoiding mistakes that have plagued other multinationals.  In order to do this, business leaders on the African continent need to understand the challenges and implications once a decision is made in order to realise solutions.

In the business of directional surveying, accuracy of data and ease of obtaining it are very important factors. Innovative tools have been developed and are now being used to survey borehole possibilities. Vaughn Energy Services is a leader in the industry offering directional survey services and various tools as rentals for companies involved in the business of oil and gas drilling. Now more than ever it is crucial to use gyroscopic technologies and gyro tools that are reliable and accurate. Vaughn Energy Services has developed the smallest gyro available for use in oil and gas industry. The outside diameter is just 1.5 and this tool outperforms other many times its size. These tools are available for purchase and on a rental basis to drilling companies.

One of the main tools used in directional surveying is the Flexi-shot EDI device. This is a high accuracy electronic drift indicator is useful in near vertical drilling. Flexi shot tools Measure actual borehole temperature as well as probe temperature. Drift information can be obtained either from the Flexi-shot LCD readout itself or it can be uploaded for use with other applications when connected to any Windows PC. Users have the option of operating the tool by using the keypad buttons on the unit itself, or via network connection on the user’s PC. Data can be hard copy printed on the spot or in office to determine viability of borehole drilling.

Relevant in survey and orientation, another useful tool is the Electronic Multi-shot. It is important to note that this Electronic Multi-shot is reliable and sturdy and is compatible with most hand-held devices. New technology has replaced traditional EMS, which required chemicals and film making the process more time consuming and less cost effective.

Electronic Multi-shot tools, such as those from Vaughn Energy Services, produce digital files for download and operate in any direction or orientation. With the digital advances, the data retrieved is stored in non-volatile memory and can be used immediately or stored for later application. Each Electronic Multi-shot tool operates single shot, multi-shot, or as wire line operation.

Transact recently caught up with Kenneth Ivanic, Vice President of Environmental Markets at World Energy Solutions, to discuss insights from Carbon Expo and analyze today’s carbon market.

The market is desperate to know what is going to happen post-2012. On the commercial side, buyers are struggling with long-term concerns in the absence of any binding rule sets from either the EU or U.S. This lack of clarity makes it extremely difficult for buyers, who are used to hedging years out and whose daily job is to mitigate their company’s exposure. Not knowing if post-2012 will be a cricket match or a hockey game makes it awfully difficult to suit up appropriately. While buyers are doing their best to read the tea leaves, project developers and other suppliers are simply trying to get their projects funded and adjust to the new normal.

That said, I could still sense optimism among show participants in terms of the market and how they are moving forward in it. But overall, the takeaways from Cologne are that everyone is looking to figure out how to make this market work and awaiting that rule set – with a keen eye on the U.S. – that will provide near- and long-term market clarity and direction.

I think the key for buyers and sellers alike is to be realistic and to better understand the drivers of the deal from the other side of the transaction. For sellers, we advise being realistic in terms of post-2012 expectations. Sellers have been used to, and typically looking for, a fixed price or maybe even a higher floor price because they’ve been dealing in pre-2012 commodities. But in the post-2012 world, they have to accept that from a buyer’s point of view a floor price is very unattractive. Buyers want the safety of index-based pricing.

I’m struck by the difference a couple of years makes. I remember doing trades pre-recession, when folks were bullish on the voluntary market, and having sellers turn down US$6.00/tonne. Now sellers have to try to get comfortable with the notion that $3 or $4 per tonne can be quite a generous offer. It’s a lot like today’s housing market, where the power has moved from sellers to buyers, and buyers have plenty of inventory to choose from.

We are adapting to this by helping our customers adapt. Sellers today need to understand that buyers are more discerning, looking for – and demanding – exactly the kind of project they want, particularly given the uncertainties in the market. This puts transparency at a premium. Sellers should be prepared to negotiate on price, but, more importantly, they really need to sharpen their focus on providing project documentation and other items that promote clarity and make their projects stand out. Earlier this year, World Energy shared tips for transacting in this uncertain market called “Getting Buyers to Yes”

Sustainable energy has been one of the main preoccupations worldwide. Leaders of industrialized nations, environmentalists as well as leaders of developing nations have seen in biofuel production a way out to several problems and a horizon of hope, as biofuel has also opened up a number of possibilities to help poor people in the developing countries of Asia, Latin America and Africa who are mostly based on rural settings.

            Firstly this production can promote an investment in agriculture creating a large number of jobs, raising the level of life quality in those poor areas. Secondly, it will also bring to rural areas some technological devices that will improve many lives. A good example is ethanol in Brazil which has a promise to create 12 millions of jobs by 2030. Furthermore, the production of ethanol is a hope of recovery after economic crises which have taken millions of workers to lose their jobs.

            On the other side are those skeptical who criticizes ethanol defending that poor people from developing countries need to grow food, not another cash crop to be exported to industrialized countries. For those ones, the biofuel would worsen poor people’s lives.

            Thus, in Africa some excitement about ethanol production as a new path to development has led African leaders to embrace this idea and biofuel/ethanol has been already largely produced in the continent. Considering this sustainable energy revolution, the main goal of this essay is to examine the constraints for African women farmers of ethanol production in Africa because any proposal of development that does not include women is already a failed attempt.

(Read more ….)

Eco Towns have been a controversial issue ever since their introduction in 2007. The need to provide sustainable homes, coupled with a gross housing shortage has since amplified calls for their introduction. However, these are prone to adverse social effects, not least with resultant feelings of isolation and disheartenment.

These adverse social effects may be compared to that seen by Jim Carrey in the film “The Truman Show”. This ‘Truman effect’ is thus a cocoon feeling of remoteness, attributed to living a sheltered existence, cut off from the wider national community, similar to that witnessed within the film which was enveloped in a literal bubble.

These towns main attraction are their environmental credentials in achieving a sustainable lifestyle through use of renewable technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines. These green characteristics are very much debateable, as the article Eco Towns- A green myth demonstrates.

A key aspect of such settlements is in creating independent communities, which are to an extent, self-sufficient, attained through localised resources. Although this may help to achieve greater unity and friendships between neighbours, it is likely that without adequate design and planning, greater social ramifications may result. It is incredibly difficult to create a settlement without adequate links to neighbouring towns and cities, for we live in a globalized era of networks and connections. For without such links to adjacent towns and cities occupants may experience negative and disheartening feelings of isolation.

Eco Town planners need to carefully identify these issues if they are to avert a social catastrophe, and accept our continued nomadic nature and need to travel. A key aspect to achieving a Carbon Zero lifestyle, something these settlements aspire for, is in avoiding the use of standard oil based, polluting vehicles.  This will put significant pressure on planners and designers alike, resulting in the possibility for limitations or even exclusion of private vehicular use altogether. Consequently, occupants will find it hard to reach friends and family located elsewhere, and may well find themselves in a socially isolated bubble or cocoon, which is hard to break.

Eco Towns share a similar artificial feel to that identified within the “Truman Show”, a result of a general inadequate mix of new modern buildings lacking distinct and unique architectural features combined with a mass of concrete, paving and strategically located trees and vegetation, to give the impression of a highly maintained yet characterless townscape in which to live. As we are highly attuned to our surroundings and environment, repetitive aesthetics will worsen attitudes and perceptions leading to social rejection and overriding dissatisfaction. The advent of travel and with it Globalisation, has heightened our appetite for experiencing new and different surroundings to such an extent, that it is unlikely we will ever be satisfied with remaining confined and restricted to one place for any length of time.

Without appropriate planning and design detailing, Eco Towns may well suffer from the ‘Truman effect’, due to a combination of poor infrastructure connections to existing settlements, and due to localised design criteria, which attempts to limit individuals movements to a small area, thus minimising their carbon footprint.