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As Gas Prices Soar, Elderly Face Cuts in Aid

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:45:28 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie

Faced with soaring gasoline prices, agencies around the country that provide services to the elderly say they are having to cut back on programs like Meals on Wheels, transportation assistance and home care, especially in rural areas that depend on volunteers who provide their own gas. In a recent survey by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, more than half said they had already cut back on programs because of gas costs, and 90 percent said they expected to make cuts in the 2009 fiscal year.

“I’ve never seen the increase in need at this level,” said Robert McFalls, chief executive of the Area Agency on Aging in Palm Beach, Fla., whose office has a waiting list of 1,500 people.

Public agencies of all kinds are struggling with the new math of higher gas prices, lower property and sales tax revenues and increases in the minimum wage.

In the survey of agencies, more than 70 percent said it was more difficult to recruit and keep volunteers.

Tags: energy, oil, i-prices, i-increase, i-poverty, i-consequences

Oil Depletion Analysis Centre - Newsletter

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 18:20:54 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie

Clip Source: energybulletin.net

In the week of the World Petroleum Congress in Madrid the dominant story has been the content of the latest report by the International Energy Agency (IEA). Despite OPEC sticking to its assertion that the high oil price is mostly down to speculation, the IEA declared that the current prices are “justified by fundamentals”.

Another risk becoming increasingly apparent as a result of what IEA Executive Director Nobuo Tanaka this week described as “the third oil shock”, is that contrary to what some green campaigners may have hoped, constraints around oil and gas are likely to worsen environmental damage rather than assist in reducing it. In the UK this week John Hutton put his cards on the table saying that he will support the building of new coal plants without waiting for development of carbon capture technology. In the US a poll showed increased public support for off-shore and Arctic drilling and weakening support for conservation.

Tags: energy, i-policy, i-risks, i-increase, environment, i-climate change, i-acceleration, i-consequences

Biodiversity: Some species could be wiped out 100 times faster than feared, say researchers

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:55:18 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Endangered species could become extinct 100 times faster than previously thought, scientists warned yesterday in a bleak reassessment of the threats to global biodiversity. They say methods used to predict when species will die out are seriously flawed and dramatically underestimate the speed at which some will disappear.

conservation organisations should use updated extinction models to urgently re-evaluate the risks to wildlife. "Some species could have months instead of years left, while other species that haven't even been identified as under threat yet should be listed as endangered

The warning has particular implications for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which compiles an annual "red list" of endangered species.

More than 16,000 species worldwide are threatened with extinction, according to a 2007 report from the IUCN. One in four mammal species, one in eight bird species and one in three amphibian species

Tags: environment, i-extinction, i-increase, i-accelleration, i-record, i-forecast

Environment: Climate risk from flat-screen TVs

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:48:07 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie
clipper's remarks: !

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The rising demand for flat-screen televisions could have a greater impact on global warming than the world's largest coal-fired power stations, a leading environmental scientist warned yesterday.

Manufacturers use a greenhouse gas called nitrogen trifluoride to make the televisions, and as the sets have become more popular, annual production of the gas has risen to about 4,000 tonnes.

As a driver of global warming, nitrogen trifluoride is 17,000 times more potent than carbon dioxide, yet no one knows how much of it is being released into the atmosphere by the industry

Prather's research reveals that production of the gas, which remains in the atmosphere for 550 years, is "exploding" and is expected to double by next year. Unlike common greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs), emissions of the gas are not restricted by the Kyoto protocol or similar agreements.

Tags: environment, i-climate change, i-risks, i-increase

Airbus and Boeing: a Gloomy Market Outlook

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:54:10 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie

Clip Source: globalpublicmedia.com

Planes are a huge investment, with a long lifetime -- a bit like homes. Maybe you see what I am hinting at. Just as the housing crisis brought many people to bankruptcy, many airlines will lose their financial footing when the industry's obvious overcapacity and gloomy outlook pulls the market value of second-hand aircraft down. All this will contribute to reduce air traffic over the next decades, to the levels of the 1990s, then the 1980s, then the 1970s ...

The combined value of the orders for Airbus and Boeing planes exceeds $500 billion at list prices, so large-scale cancellations and deferrals could easily amount to tens of billions of dollars and affect suppliers of engines and other parts in addition to the jet makers. (from the Wall Street Journal)

Tags: energy, oil, i-demand, i-decrease, i-forecast, i-consequences

SUV Drivers Burned Twice: At the Pump, on the Car Lot

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:41:44 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie
clipper's remarks: At least the value of scrap metal is increasing fast.

Clip Source: www.washingtonpost.com

With $4-a-gallon gas coming between drivers and their very large vehicles, consumers are dropping their once-beloved rides, fast. But not fast enough, it seems. As the price of gas has gone up, the value of sport-utility vehicles has gone down.

In the past six months, the price of a used Chevrolet Suburban has dropped as much as $8,000

declining SUV values leave owners owing more money to the bank than their vehicle is worth.

Clip Source: www.washingtonpost.com

Yesterday, the big automakers were announcing dismal June sales -- GM was down 18.5 percent -- and blaming its troubles on poor sales of heavy and fuel-gulping vehicles.

May saw the steepest drop yet in the price of full-size SUVs, which are now down 24 percent compared with last year,

Tags: energy, oil, i-demand, i-decrease

Oil soars to new high above $146

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:11:18 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie

Clip Source: www.ft.com

Crude oil prices jumped above $146 a barrel on Thursday boosted by a drop in US stockpiles and concerns about the medium-term supply and demand balance. The rise brings the oil price surge since January to 55 per cent.

Henry Paulson, the US Treasury secretary, said on Thursday that the “predominant factor” behind the rise in oil prices was supply and demand.

“[It] is the fact that global production and capacity has not increased appreciably over the last 10 years and the demand has continued to grow and inventories are at low levels,” Mr Paulson said in London.

The concerns about supply and demand imbalances were exacerbated earlier this week when the International Energy Agency, the western countries’ oil watchdog, said that non-Opec supply will barely growth to 2013.

The weakness of the US dollar, at its lowest level in two months against the euro, also contributed to the price rise

Tags: energy, oil, i-price, i-increase, i-record

Oil Demand Will Grow, Despite Prices, Report Says

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 12:24:04 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

World demand for oil should continue to climb, despite the doubling of oil prices and weakening economic growth, according to a report released Tuesday by the International Energy Agency.

the small decline in oil demand in the industrialized countries will be more than offset by an estimated increase in demand of 3.7 percent a year from 2008 to 2013

“The report is only further confirmation of the inability of global supply to catch up with rising demands,” said Chris Ruppel, an energy analyst at Execution, an institutional brokerage firm. “After five years of record increases in oil prices, producers are still unable to sufficiently expand output. It means we are in for rough times.”

“Blaming speculation is an easy solution which avoids taking the necessary steps to improve supply-side access and investment or to implement measures to improve energy efficiency,” the report said.

Tags: energy, oil, i-demand, i-supply, i-increase, i-forecast

Deepening Cycle of Job Loss Seen Lasting Into ’09

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:49:26 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

As automakers dropped their latest batch of awful sales numbers on the market on Tuesday, reinforcing the gloom spreading across the economy, the troubles confronting American workers seemed to intensify.

Plummeting home prices have in recent months eliminated jobs for hundreds of thousands of people, from bankers and real estate agents to construction workers and furniture manufacturers.

Joblessness has accelerated, and employers have slashed working hours even for those on their payrolls,

Now, add to that unsavory mix the word from automakers that sales plunged in June — by 28 percent for Ford, 21 percent for Toyota and 18 percent for General Motors — a sharp sign that consumers are pulling back, making manufacturers more likely to cut production and impose more layoffs.

Until recently, the weak labor market has been marked more by the reluctance of employers to create new jobs than by mass layoffs.

Tags: economy, consumers, i-unemployment, i-increase

Is a Big Hunk of Steak Worth Almost 2,000 Gallons of Water?

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:22:08 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie
clipper's remarks: It takes a lot of oil and electricity to pump that water around and that is becoming much more expensive, while clean water is becoming scarce.

Clip Source: www.alternet.org

Quite similar in concept to the carbon footprint, our water footprints are defined as "the total volume of freshwater that is used to produce the goods and services consumed by the individual, business or nation," by Waterfootprint.org. People use lots of water for drinking, cooking and washing, but even more for producing things such as food, paper, cotton clothes, etc. The numbers are staggering.

In the US, our water footprint is

660,430 U.S. gallons per person per year. Compare that to 700 cubic meters per year per capita (184,920 gallons) in China and 1150 cubic meters per year per capita (303,798 gallons) in Japan.

it takes about 1,916 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef,

Tags: environment, water, i-demand, i-record, food, i-cost

Birds Migrate Earlier, But Some May Be Left Behind As The Climate Warms Rapidly

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:09:21 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie

Clip Source: www.terradaily.com

Many birds are arriving earlier each spring as temperatures warm along the East Coast of the United States. However, the farther those birds journey, the less likely they are to keep pace with the rapidly changing climate.

Other researchers have already noted that some long-distance migrant birds returning from African wintering areas to breed in Europe are now mistimed with their insect food supply. The inability of some birds to adapt to rapid climate change may be an important factor in some of the declines among songbird populations that have been documented in recent years.

Tags: environment, birds, i-extinction, i-risks, i-increase

House of Cards

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:53:07 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie
clipper's remarks: It's always worse than you think.

Clip Source: www.informationclearinghouse.info

Financial analysts say that in the U.S. alone more than $850 billion in unpaid credit card balances is at stake and fast approaching $1 trillion, roughly the same amount as in the subprime market.

The unpaid debt portion of this is continuing to pile up, with U.S. consumers last year adding $68 billion against their credit lines, boosting credit card debt by 7.8 percent, the largest increase in seven years, just when the last recession was beginning.

While many eyes are focusing on the housing meltdown and its hugely negative effect on an economy clearly moving into recession, few are paying attention to the next bubble expected to burst: credit cards. Combined with the subprime losses, such a credit card nightmare has the potential, experts say, of bringing down the entire financial system and global economy. You and your credit card have become key players in the highly unstable financial crunch.

Tags: economy, financial markets, i-credit, i-crisis, i-risks, consumers, i-debt, i-insolvancy

Humanity’s Meltdown

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:02:23 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie
clipper's remarks: Note Obama's position. What would Al Gore think?

Clip Source: www.informationclearinghouse.info

there are disturbing signs that energy companies and utilities are reneging on their public commitments to the development of carbon-capture and alternative energy technologies. The Bush administration’s “marquee demonstration project,” FutureGen, was scrapped this year after the coal industry refused to pay its share of the public-private “partnership”; similarly, most U.S. private-sector carbon-sequestration initiatives have recently been cancelled. In the United Kingdom, meanwhile, Shell has just pulled out of the world’s largest wind-energy project, the London Array.

“clean coal,” despite a vigorous endorsement from Senator Barack Obama (who also champions ethanol), is, at present, simply a huge deception: a $40 million advertising and lobbying campaign for a hypothetical technology that BusinessWeek has characterized as “being decades away from commercial viability.”

Tags: environment, i-climate change, i-risks, energy, coal, oil, i-demand, i-increase

Wall St shares slide almost to March lows

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 11:06:13 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie
clipper's remarks: Good summary of what happened while I was cut off the Internet seven weeks ago.

Clip Source: www.ft.com

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Energy stocks bail out FTSE - Jun-27

Banks and retailers knock European stocks - Jun-27

Asia markets follow Wall Street plunge - Jun-27

Oil and equities weigh on dollar - Jun-27

Fed comments put dollar under strain - Jun-27

Q&A: US slowdown goes global - Jun-25

New data on sentiment suggested that consumers had largely discounted the rebates as well. The University of Michigan index showed consumer confidence fell to its lowest level in 28 years in June.

Surging oil prices, poor earnings reports from the technology sector and a slump in financials pushed the Dow Jones Industrial Index briefly into bear market territory

The index is on course for its worst June since the Great Depression, down 10.2 per cent.

Markets had to contend with rising inflation expectations. On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve kept interest rates on hold, noting the risk of rising inflation due to surging oil prices.

Tags: economy, financial markets, i-losses, i-increase, i-depression, i-recession, consumers, i-confidence, i-decrease

Sweden turning sewage into a gasoline substitute

Wed, 28 May 2008 16:32:33 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie
clipper's remarks: Sounds like municipalities could at least run bus networks working with their sewage works. Solves two problems at once ... as well as helping to keep the water clean.

Clip Source: www.iht.com

GOTEBORG, Sweden:

This city is among dozens of municipalities in Sweden with facilities that transform sewage waste into enough biogas to run thousands of cars and buses.

The tailpipe emissions are virtually odorless, the fuel is cheaper than gasoline and diesel, and the idea of recovering energy from toilet waste appealed to green-minded Swedes.

Chemically, biogas is the same as natural gas from fossil fuels, but its manufacture relies on a process where bacteria feed on fecal waste for about three weeks in an oxygen-free chamber. The result is two-thirds methane and one-third carbon dioxide, as well as a nutrient-rich residue that can be used as soil or construction material.

Biogas as a vehicle fuel is also available in Switzerland, France, Germany and Austria, but Sweden is the leading user in Europe,

Clip Source: www.iht.com

an engineer at Gryaab, the sewage facility in Goteborg, said that what an average person flushed down the toilet each year created enough biogas to drive 120 kilometers, or 75 miles.