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The Go Green Culture: Answering Global Economic Recession

Is it possible for small businesses to go green without incurring huge expense? The answer lies not in your financial status but on your willingness and determination to initiate green practices. In the current scenario of economic depression, sustainable companies are sitting pretty with significant profits in their accounts.

At a time when businesses are surfing troubled waters, it might not be feasible for all to install solar panels or purchase hybrid fleet or construct eco-friendly offices. Nevertheless, these businesses can adopt simple practices that can go a long way to save energy and cut off extra expense. On the other hand, bigger companies can introduce comprehensive green measures into their overall work culture and infrastructure.

More often than not, printing companies come under direct scanner for issues related to environmental degradation. It’s a fact that printing releases harmful chemicals into the atmosphere, which pollutes air and water besides giving rise to cardiovascular disorders and even cancer. These harmful chemicals are actually volatile compounds that are released during the printing process. There have been reports that these harmful compounds (also known as VOCs) cause birth defects.

Thanks to the growing buzz about green printers, there has been an increasing realization on part of various companies about the necessity of going green. Bigger printing companies can do a complete revamp of their set up like:

1.    Changing to eco-friendly headquarters

2.    Use of soy or vegetable-based inks, use of solar panels for energy

3.    Use of recycled papers or duplex papers to enable printing on both sides

4.    Arrangement to dispose or recycle e-wastes.

However, it is not possible for all printing companies to do a turnaround and become green printers at one go. They can follow some easy and affordable steps to go green. For instance, switching to recycled paper and using soy ink will are affordable green options. Besides, some of the common green practices – use of energy-saving bulbs and recycled coffee mugs, putting your computer to sleep mode during long breaks – helps a great deal towards imbibing the green culture. 

Big or small company, expense should not come in the way of adopting a green culture. Every organization is individually responsible for making or breaking the ecological balance. Every single step towards going green will go a long way to save the environment from hazardous degradation.

Suzanne Macguire is an expert author promoting eco-friendly printing ethics. Her recent articles cover a lot of information on the sudden rise of eco friendly printers.

Posted on May 30, 2010 by , Reply

How does variation among members of a species enable that species evolve during environmental change?

This is my question on homework and I don’t really get what it means. This is for biology and about speciation/variation/whatever.

Posted on May 30, 2010 by , 1 comment

Environmental Risk Aversion for Waste Derived Biomass

1.0 Introduction

This 21st century has become an age of recycling where a lots of emphasize is placed on reuse of material to curb current environmental problems and maximize use of depleting natural resources and energy conservation. Modern day sustainable use and management of resource recommend need to incorporate recycling culture in our ways of life including technological process. Biomass is not left behind in this; the use of biomass energy resource derived from the carbonaceous waste of various natural and human activities to produce electricity is becoming popular. Biomass is considered as one of the clean, more- efficient and more-stable means of power generation. And it has become imperative for marine industry to tap this new evolving power generation mode especially the use of micro generation approach considering the mobile nature of ships.

 

Biofuels exist in solid, liquid or gas form thereby potentially affecting three of our core markets. Solid biofuels or biomass tend to be used in external combustion, however its use in the shipping industry has been limited to liquid biofuel due to lack of appropriate information economics forecasts, Sources of biomass include by-products from the timber industry, agricultural crops, raw material from the forest, major parts of household waste, and demolition wood, all things being equal using pure biomass that do not affect human and ecological chain make it suitable energy source. Biomass has low sulfur content means biomass combustion therefore considered much less acidifying than with coal, for example. Also, the ashes from biomass consumption, which are very low in heavy metals, can be recycled.

One advantage of biomass compared to other renewable-based systems that require costly advanced technology (such as solar photovoltaics) is that biomass can generate electricity with the same type of equipment and power plants that now burn fossil fuels. Many innovations in power generation with other fossil fuels may also be adaptable to the use of biomass fuels. Various factors have hindered the growth of the renewable energy resource, however. Most biomass power plants operating today are characterized by low boiler and thermal-plant efficiencies; both the fuel’s characteristics and the small size of most facilities contribute to these efficiencies. In addition, such plants are costly to build.

Biomass remains potential renewable energy contributor to net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by offsetting CO2 from fossil generation. The current method generating biomass power is biomass fired boilers and Rankine steam turbines. Recent research work in developing sustainable, and economic biomass focus on high-pressure supercritical steam cycles , use of feedstock supply system, and conversion of biomass to a low or medium gas that can be fired in combustion turbine cycles, resulting in efficiencies one-and-a-half times that of a simple steam turbine. biofuels has potential to influence marine industry, and it as become importance for designers and ship owners to accept their influence on the world fleet of the future especially the micro generation concept with co generation for cargo and fuel for  ships.

 

The paper discuss conceptual work, trend , sociopolitical driver, economic, development, and future of biomass with hope to bring awareness to local, national and multinational bodies making biofuels policies as well as maritime multidisciplinary expertise in regulation, economics, engineering, and vessel design and operation. The paper also discusses how the shipping industry can take advantage of growing tide to tap benefit promised by waste use power generation system.

 

 

2.0 Biomass developmental trend

 

The concept of use of Biofuels for energy generation has has been existing concept, and in the face of challenges posed by environmental need, its growth is likely to dominate renewable energy market. Following the advent of peanut oil diesel engines developed by Rudolf Diesel in 1911 the production and use of biofuels worldwide has grown significantly in recent years. The current world biofuels market is focused on: Bioethanol blended into fossil motor gasoline (petrol) or used directly and biodiesel or Fatty Acid Methyl Ester diesel blended into fossil diesel. However the use of The Fischer-Tropsch model that involve catalyzed chemical reaction to produce a synthetic petroleum substitute, typically from coal, natural gas or biomass, for use as synthetic lubrication oil or as a synthetic fuel seem promising and negate risk posed by food based biomass. This synthetic fuel runs only in diesel engines and some aircraft engines. Oil, product and chemical tankers being constructed now are likely to benefit much more from use of biomas. However use on gasoline engines ignites the vapors at much higher temperatures, which pose limitation to inland water craft.

 

Biomass generation and growing trend can be classified into 3 generation types:

first generation’ biofuels relate to biofuels made from sugar or starch, producing bioethanol, and vegetable oil or animal fats producing biodiesel. First generation biofuels provoke increasing criticism through their dependence on food crops and issues over biodiversity, land use and human rights. Hybrid technology for percentage blending is being employed to mitigate food production impact. Second generation biofuels mitigate problem posed by the first generation biofuels. They do not affect food crops because they are made from waste biomass from agricultural and forestry, fast-growing grasses and trees specially grown as so-called “energy crops”. With technology, sustainability and cost issues to overcome, second-generation biofuels are still several years away from commercial viability and many second generation mass produced biofuels are still under development including the biomass to liquid. Fischer-Tropsch production technique. third generation biofuels are green fuels like algae biofuel made from energy and biomass crops that have been designed in such a way that their structure or properties conform to the requirements of a particular bioconversion process. They are made from such as sewage, and grown on ponds.

 

Just like tanker revolution influence on ship type, demand for biomass will bring, will bring capacity, bio -material or completed product from source to production area and then to the point of use, will bring technological, environmental change will require ships of different configuration, size and tank coating type. As well as impact on the tonne mile demand will change accordingly.

 

Effect on shipping is likely to follow shipping large scale growth on exports and seaborne trade from key exporting regions, particularly South America. Brazil has a key role. Brazil has already been branded to be producing en-mass ethanol from sugar cane since the 1970s with a cost per unit reportedly the lowest in the world. And it is currently exploring ethanol

 

Table 1 – World ethanol consumption 2007

Consumption

 

World ethanol consumption –

51 million tones, 2007

Us and brazil

68%

EU and China –

17% – surplus of 0.1 million tones

US deficit –

1.7mt

EU deficit -

1.3 mt

World – deficit

1mt

 

Recent year is also witnessing  emerging trade on biofuel product between the US, EU, and Asia and whilst Brazil exports the most ethanol globally at about 2.9 million tonnes per year, the top importers of the US, EU,Japan and Korea have increasing demand that will have to be satisfied by increased shipping capacity. Seaborne vegetable oil supply is increasingly growing

 

 

Table 2 – Biofuel growth

 

 

 

Vegetable oil

33 mt in 2000 to 59 mt in 2008

 

Palm oil

13 mt in 2000 to 32 mt forecast in 2008.

 

a 7.5% p.a growth rate

Soya bean

7 mt to some 11.5 mt in 2008,

 

EU

imports – 5.7 mt in 2001 to an expected 10.3 mt for 2008

8.9%.

 

3.1 mt in 2001 to 5.2 mt forecast for 2008

39%

 

Production capacity- 1.9 mt in 2002 to 11 mt in 2007, with 2007.

 

50% of total capacity.

 

 

Recently biofuel is driving a new technology, Worldwide; the use of biofuels for cars and public vehicles has grown significantly. With excess capacity waiting for source material it seems inevitable that shipping demand will increase.

 

3.0 Inter industry Best Practice

 

3.1 Land based use - 

 

UK pumps mandate at least 2.5% biofuels. This target will rise to 5% by 2010. Also in the UK, the first train to run on biodiesel went into service in June 2007 for a six month trial period. The train uses a blended fuel, which is 20% biodiesel and the operator, Virgin Trains, is confident the mix can be increased to at least a 50% mix with the further possibility to run trains on fuels entirely from non-carbon sources. On January 15, 2006- Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA lunch a program to test a 20% blend of biodiesel (B20) in its buses. In two months they used approximately 45,000 gallons of B20. As a result of the test, in April 2006 they began using biodiesel fleet-wide. In addition to using B20 in the winter months, COTA has committed to using 50-90% biodiesel blends (B50 – B90) during the summer months. This is projected to decrease regular diesel fuel consumption by over one million gallons per year. 26th of October 2007. buses in the UK running on B100 was launched on  In a pilot project. Argent Energy (UK) Limited is working together with Stagecoach to supply biodiesel made by recycling and processing animal fat and used cooking oil. For power stations, B&W have orders in the EU for 45 MW of two-stroke biofuel engines with a thermal efficiency of 51-52%. Specifically, these operate on palm oil of varying quality, and in the future, it is expected that more engines, whether stationary or marine, will be developed to run on biofuels.

·         US DOE has funded five new advanced biomass gasification research and development projects beginning in 2001(Vermont project)

·         2008 – Ford announced a £1 billion research project to convert more of its vehicles to new biofuel sources. The first trial oft, Last year. BP Australia has now sold over 100 million liters of 10% ethanol content fuel to Australian motorists, and Brazil sells both 22% ethanol petrol nationwide and 100% ethanol to over 4 million cars, It is a trend that is gathering momentum.

In a program initiated by the Swedish National Board for Industrial and Technical Development in Stockholm, several Swedish universities, companies, and utilities are collaborating to accelerate the demonstration of the advanced EVGT for natural-gas firing, especially in small-scale units. A natural-gas-fired EVGT pilot plant (0.6 megawatts of power output for a simple gas-turbine cycle) should start operation in Lund, Sweden, in 1998.

·         AES Corporation is a leading company in biomass conversion internationally. At AES Kilroot in Northern Ireland, the team recently completed a successful trial to convert the plant to burn a mixture of coal and biomass. With further investment in the technology, nearly half of Northern Ireland’s 2012 renewable target could be met from AES Kilroot alone.

3.2 Aero industry–

 

Virgin Atlantic – Air transport is receiving increasing attention because of environmental concerns linked to CO2 emissions, air quality and noise. Virgin Atlantic in collaboration with Boeing and General Electric aircraft alternative fuels project for aircraft. A successful test flight from London to Amsterdam flight took place on 24th February of this year, running one of the four jumbo jet engines on a mixture of 20% coconut oil and babassu nut oil, with 80% conventional jet fuel. This fuel was specifically chosen due to its performance at low operating temperatures. The test was successful, with no noticeable difference in performance. Except that; imitation that biofuel mix used was in no way sustainable in the quantities required by the demands of the aviation industry. In a way to mitigate this Virgin is looking to us use of Algae based fuels as it is predicted that they may be suitable for use at low temperature.

 

3.3  Maritime industry 

 

The use of land based transportation, is growing, however the use for sea based transportation need to be explored. Biofuels  for ship will be advantageous. In recent UK pilot project where Buses are run on B100 Argent Energy (UK) Limited is working together with Stagecoach to supply biodiesel made by recycling and processing animal fat and used cooking oil. Marine engines with their inherent lower speed and more tolerant to burning alternative fuels than smaller, higher speed engines tolerance will allow them to run on lower grade and cheaper biofuels. Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (RCCL) unveiled a palm oil-based biodiesel since 2005.Optimistic outcome of the trial made RCCL confident enough to sign a contract in August 2007 for delivery of a minimum 15 million gallons and for the four years after, a minimum of 18 millions gallons of biodiesel for its cruise ships fleet. The contract marked the single largest long-term biodiesel sales contract in the United States. In early 2007, United States Coast Guard indicated that their fleet will augment increase use of biofuels by 15% over the next four years. In the marine industry, beside energy substitute advantage, biolubricants and biodegradable oil  are particularly advantageous from an environmental and pollution perspective. Bio lubrication also offer higher viscosity, flash point and better technical properties such as increased sealing and lower machine operating temperature advantageous use in ship operation.

 

Time has gone when maritime industry could afford nitty gritty in adopting technology, other industry are already on a fast track preparing themselves technically for evitable changes driven by environmental problem, Global energy demands and political debate add further pressures to find alternative energy especially bio energy  because of hybridization of old and new system advantage it offer. The implication is that shipping could be caught ill prepared for any rapid change in demand or supply of biofuel. Thus this technology is in the early stages of development but the shipping industry need top be prepared for the impacts of its breakthrough because Shipping will eventually required be at the centre of this supply and demand logistics chain again. Table 3 shows the projection for the main present players.

 

Table3  – projection

 

Region

Growth (1990-1994)

Projection (2020)

United states

7%

15%

Europe

2%

15%

 

4.0 Sources of biomass

North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) region. Supply has classified biofuel into the following four type’s vizs: agricultural residues, energy crops, forestry residues, and urban wood waste/mill residues. A brief description of each type of biomass is provided below:

Agricultural residues from the remaining stalks and biomass material left on the ground can be collected and used for energy generation purposes this include residues of wheat straw and corn stover. Energy crops are produced solely or primarily for use as feedstocks in energy generation processes. Energy crops includes hybrid poplar, and switchgrass, grown on idled, or in pasture, and in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Forestry residues are composed of logging residues, rough rotten salvageable dead wood, and excess small pole trees. Urban wood waste/mill residues are waste woods from manufacturing operations that would otherwise be landfilled. The urban wood waste/mill residue category includes primary mill residues and urban wood such as pallets, construction waste, and demolition debris, which are not otherwise used.

The most important agricultural commodity crops being planted in the United States are listed in Table 4. Corn, wheat, and soybeans represent about 70 percent of total cropland harvested.

 

 

Table 6 shows representative characteristics for different subcategories of urban wood waste and mill residues.

 

5.0 Risk and Uncertainties

Although a significant amount of effort has gone into estimating the available quantities of biomass supply, the following risk and uncertainties that need to be incorporated into design and decision work on biodiesel use are:

Risk to land use – Our planet only have 295 land, for example Brazil has some 200 million acres of farmland available, more than the 46 million acres of land,  required to grow the sugarcane needed to satisfy the projected 2022 Evolving competing uses of biomass materials, the large market consumption, pricing and growing need. In agricultural waste, the impact of biomass removal on soil quality pose treat to agricultural residues that need to be left on the soil to maintain soil quality could result in significant losses of biomass for electric power generation purposes. Impact of changes in forest fire prevention policies on biomass availability could cause vegetation in forests to minimize the potential for forest fires could significantly increase the quantity of forestry residues available. Potential attempt to recycle more of the municipal solid waste stream might translate into less available biomass for electricity generation. \ Impact on the food production industry as witness in recent food scarcity crisis

5.1 Regulatory impact

 

The EU has stated that by 2020 a target of 20% of community wide energy will be renewable. Further to this, all member states are to achieve a mandatory 10% minimum target for the share of biofuels in transport petrol and diesel consumption by 2020.. The legislation provides a phase-in for biofuel blends, including availability of high percentage biofuel blends at filling stations.  The United States Congress passed the Renewable Fuels Standards (RFS) in February 2008, which will require 35 billion gallons of renewable and alternative fuels in 2022. In parallel to this, work is continuing to reduce emissions further in vehicles. Political drivers in Asia vary according to region. In Southeast Asia, the centre of world production for palm oil, coconut oil, and other tropical oils, political support for farming is the key driver.

 

The issue affecting shipping is whether to refine and use biodiesel locally, or export the unrefined oil for product production elsewhere. In the short term the economics have favored the exports of unrefined oil – which is good news for us. Over the next ten years, with the cost of oil rising, and strict emission reductions in place, the need for increased biofuel production is likely to increase. as well as creating a net positive balance fuel. According to the IEA, world biofuels demand for transport could increase to about 3% of overall world oil demand in 2015 and double by 2030 over the 2008 figure. This does not sound so significant but as we show later it has a significant impact on the specialist fleet capacity demand. As we said before, predicting the trade pattern of biofuels adds a layer of complexity to the overall  nergy supply picture and our oil distribution system.

 

We also believe that this forecast will be the minimum seen as the political pressures will cause the level to rise beyond 3%. To put the scale in context, the current oil tanker fleet of vessels 10,000 dwt or larger comprises of some 4,600 vessels amounting to 386 million dwt. These include about 2,560 Handysize tankers. Additionally, there are some 4,400 more small tankers from 1,000 to 10,000 dwt accounting for 16 million dwt. Our projections show a significant role for seaborne transport, even using conservative bases with high proportions of locally supplied biofuels. This is a significant fleet segment that poses technical and regulatory challenges. As we have discussed, the requirements cannot be fully defined because many market factors remain uncertain, but ship owners who are building new vessels or operating existing vessels should consider this future trade through flexible design options that we will introduce later.

 

 

5.3  Potential Impacts to Shipping

 

The key political drivers for biofuels are environmental concerns, energy security and agricultural policy. The tonne mile demand for future tankers will be greatly affected by national, regional or global policy and political decision making in these areas. There is a greater flexibility in the sourcing of biofuels than there is in hydrocarbon energy sources and this may be attractive to particular governments. Once the regulatory framework is clear, economics will determine how the regulations will best be met and seaborne trade will be at the centre of the outcome. In many parts of the world, environmental concerns are the leading political driver for biofuels. Reflecting these concerns, the global Kyoto Protocol, was negotiated in 1997, and this further provides a driver for the use of biofuels.

 

 

 

 

5.4  Shipping Routes and Economics Impacts

 

The above trend analysis discussed indicate potential capacity requirement from shipping, so far  North America, Europe and South East  Asia are the key importing regions where this growth is concentrated. This includes the Latin American counties of Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay and Southeast Asia’s Indonesia and Malaysia will remain key suppliers for the palm oil, Philippines and Papua New Guinea have potentials for vegetable oil and agricultural while Thailand has potential for sugarcane. This trade potential will determine future trade route from Malacca Straits to Europe, ballast to Argentina, to load soybean oil to China, and then make a short ballast voyage to the Malacca Straits, where the pattern begins again, a typical complicated fronthaul / backhaul combinations that can initiate, economies of scale need top reduce freight costs and subsequent push for bigger ship production and short sea services like recent experience of today’s tankers.  According to plateau case study the following regional impact can be deduced for shipping.

 

 

 

Biofuel

Demand

North America

ethanol

33 million tons

Europe

ethanol and biodiesel.: 50:50

30 million tons

Asia

ethanol and biodiesel.: 50:50

18 million tons

 

North America demand – policy work support biofuel use in the us and 32 Handysize equivalent tankers will be needed to meet US demand in 2015. with technological breakthrough there will be need for 125 vessel 2030.

 

European demand – Due to environmental requirement and energy security believed to be politically acceptable in the EU but economics may drive a different outcome.80 Handysizes with some due to the growth in trade and longer voyage distance.  With technological breakthrough for 2nd and 3rd generation biofuel growth will need growing to 145 in 2030 Aframax vessels if the technical issues can be overcome.

 

Asia demand  - In plateau case  50 Handysize equivalents are required in 2015 and 2030 with forecast vessel sizes being Handysizes with some Panamax vessels 162 vessels total in the three regions.

 

By adding up all the regions, with biofuels as only 3% of world transport demand, we are looking at a fleet of about 400 Handysize vessels to accommodate the demand and supply drivers by 2030 and 162 by 2015. The total vessel forecast for 2030 could means 2,560 vessels of 81 million deadweight tons.

 

As regions identify these growth markets and recognize the economies of $/tonne scale that can be achieved, as shown here, with bigger tonnage, we are seeing natural investment occurring. New port developments in concerned trade rout will be required to accommodate large Panamax vessel and parcel size for palm oil exports. on the long haul routes.

 

5.5  Biomass  Ship Technologies Impacts

Generation

A variety of methods could turn an age-old natural resource into a new and efficient means of generating electricity. biomass in large amounts is available in many areas, and is being considered as a fuel source for future generation of electricity. Biomass is by its nature both bulky and widely distributed and electricity from conventional, centralized power plants requires an extensive distribution network. Traditionally power is generated through centralized, conventional power plant, where biomass is transported to the central plant, typically a steam or gas turbine power plant, and the electricity is then distributed through the grid to the end users. Costs include fuel and transportation, power plant construction, maintenance, and operation, and distribution of the electric power, including losses in transmission.

 

 

Electrical efficiency

capacity

 biomass

thermal efficiency -40 %

$2,000 per kilowat

 

coal

45 %

$1,500 per kilowatt,

 

However, micro-biomass power generators located at the site of end-use seem to offer a path for new solution for energy. Recent development in towards use of micro biomass will equally offer best practice adaptation for marine power. Biomass is used at or near the site of end-use, with heat from external combustion converted directly to electricity by a biomass fired free-piston genset . Costs include fuel and acquisition and maintenance of the genset and burner. Since the electricity is used on site, both transmission losses and distribution costs are minimal. Thus, in areas without existing infrastructure to transmit power, there are no additional costs. In this case it is also possible to cogenerate using the rejected heat for space or hot water heating, or absorption cooling. Previously, option two has not been feasible, since there have been no small (less than ~50 kW) devices for directly and efficiently converting biomass energy to electricity. Micro-biomass power generation is a more cost-effective means of providing power than central biomass power generation. In particular, areas where there is a need for both power and heat – domestic hot water and space heat and absorption chilling – are attractive for cogeneration configurations of this machine. Biomass can be generated using single or ganged free-piston Stirling engines gensets. These micro-biomass generators offer a number of advantages over centralized biomass fueled power plants. They can be placed at the end-user location taking advantage of local fuel prices and do not require a distribution grid. They can directly provide electrical output with integral linear alternators, or where power requirements are larger they can be ganged and drive a conventional rotary turbine. They are hermetically sealed and offer long lives through their non-contact operation.

Biomass for electricity generation is treated in four ways in NEMS: (1) new dedicated biomass or biomass gasification, (2) existing and new plants that co-fire biomass with coal, (3) existing plants that combust biomass directly in an open-loop process,18 and (4) biomass use in industrial cogeneration applications. Existing biomass plants are accounted for using information such as on-line years, efficiencies, heat rates, and retirement dates, obtained through EIA surveys of the electricity generation sector.

Emissions offsets and waste reduction could help enhance the appeal of biomass to utilities  An important consideration for the future use of biomass-fired power plants is the treatment of biomass flue gases. Biomass-combustion flue gases have high moisture content. When the flue gas is cooled to a temperature below the dew point, water vapor starts to condense. By using flue-gas condensation, sensible and latent heat can be recovered for district heating or other heat-consuming processes; this increases the heat generation from a cogeneration plant by more than 30 percent.  Flue-gas condensation not only recovers heat but also captures dust and hazardous pollutants from flue gases at the same time. Most dioxins, chlorine, mercury, and dust are removed, and sulfur oxides are separated out to some extent. Another feature of flue gas condensation is water recovery, which helps solve the problem of water consumption in evaporative gas turbines.

 

Biomass open door for another way rather than competing with fossil fuel plants a substantial opportunity exists to generate micro-biomass electric power, at power levels from fractions of a kilowatts through to tens or hundreds of kilowatts, at the point of en d use. At these power levels neither small internal combustion engines, which cannot use biomass directly, nor reciprocating steam engines, with low efficiency and limited life, can offer the end user economic electric power. Free-piston Stirling micro biomass engine engines are an economic alternative. Stirling offers the following advantages over significantly larger systems:

Stirling machines have reasonable overall efficiencies at moderate heater head temperatures (~600ƒC) cogeneration is simple large amounts of capital do not have to be raised to build a single evaluation plant with its associated technical and economic risks A large fraction of the value of the engine alternator can be reused at the end of its life Stirling systems can be ganged with multiple units operating in parallel.

 

United States: 1996, P1-R96-STAB-00-NTH (Washington, DC, November 1996). l.

marine TECHNOLOGIST

Posted on May 30, 2010 by , Reply

App Modernization and the Cost of Doing Nothing

App Modernization and the Cost of Doing Nothing
IT leaders now face a set of complex choices, knowing that discretionary and capital IT spending remain tight, even as demand on their systems increases. Economists are now seeing the recession giving a way to growth, at least in several important sectors and regions. Chances are that demands on IT systems to meet this growing economic activity will occur before IT budgets appreciably go up.

Read more on E-Commerce Times

Posted on May 30, 2010 by , Reply

Environmental Change in the Western Amazon – Dr. Kenneth Young 3 of 6


Presentation by Kenneth Young, Department of Geography & the Environment: Environmental Change in the Western Amazon: Examples of Policy-Relevant Research

Posted on May 30, 2010 by , Reply

Transforming The Economy Begins At Home

I no longer live in a world with a collapsing economy. I am creating a new one.

This Christmas our family decided to give non-material gifts to the adults in our family.

The week before the big day, I sat down at my computer and wrote letters to everyone in my family.

I have a big family and by the time I was done, I had worked fourteen hours crafting the words that would truly express why I love the people I love, who they are for me and why I find them special.

When I was done, I found a new and unexpected peace. This struck me as strange at first because I am a man who acknowledges those he loves. After some thought, I realized I had never spent that much time thinking about the people I care about in my entire life. I saw my newfound peace had always been available to me. My obsession with my “agenda” in life had merely obscured it.

I had enrolled my family in a “new kind of gift giving” in advance. When we gathered to celebrate it was like no Christmas in our past. My family is a large, intimate and loving group. We have had many wonderful times together in the past, but by removing ourselves from commercial culture and expressing our love directly instead of by purchasing (let’s be honest) unwanted gifts, we discovered a new and profound intimacy.

The experience changed me and helped me create a new conversation I had been crafting, a conversation designed to be shared.

The Myth of the Collapsing Global Economy:

Falling down is not always a bad thing. Waterfalls do it with abandon and are one of the most beautiful phenomena on earth.

Like almost everyone on the planet, I wasted a lot of energy in the Fall of 2008 locked in fear about the financial markets and how their collapse would impact me, my family, my businesses and my life. Every day the news reports seemed to add to my internal experience of failure and helplessness.

But I found a way out of that morass. I realized in early December that the “collapsing global economy” is just a story; a repetitive, debilitating conversation that lives in fear and insufficiency. It is a “created reality” like all other realities.

I am not saying it is a myth without power. That disturbing drama has its impact on the real world. Self-destructive conversations have consequences not only for individuals, but also for nations and economic systems. People are hurting and afraid.

But though it effects are real, the sad and pitiable tale we are telling about the global economy is also a self-fulfilling prophesy. At its core is a commonly held bad attitude, an anxiety-addicted belief in scarcity.

At our house, our finances are stretched. We have had to give up things we care about…but really, we are just fine. We are healthy. Our children and grandchildren are well and happy. We are not starving. The sun rises every morning. Most of us in this country have what I often refer to as “rich people’s problems.”

Billions of people in the world – and some here in the U. S. – really live on the edge of survival. They would laugh at our self-pity. They face much worse every day and have dealt with it their entire lives.

So I am no longer going to play that game. On Christmas day I made my stand. I will no longer meekly engage in that economic melodrama like a sheep being led to slaughter. I choose not to live like I am powerless. Living in fear, buying the spin so eagerly promoted by Fox and CNN is not putting money in my pocket, supporting my family, making me more effective or enhancing my life in any way.

To the contrary, it has exactly the opposite effect.

A New Conversation:

In 2009 I am creating a conversation that is more powerful, more fulfilling and more workable. I am creating hope and abundance. I am creating a world in which anything is possible, a world in which people all over this planet make the impossible possible every day. I am creating a life for me and my family in the new paradigm I see building all around me.

You may think I am a pie in the sky idealist, but I argue I am a pragmatist. Think about it. How is that negative story working for you? How do you feel when you wake up in the morning? How do you feel after you finish watching the news? Is something good happening in your life because you are sure things are bad? I doubt it. Why don’t you give a new story a try?

The tale I am telling is that the changes going on in our world are the collapse of a tired old way of being and the genesis of a new one that will transform our lives for the better. I am creating a conversation about a new “bottom up” economy in which all are included, one already being built all over the planet by the young and the visionary.

I am creating a system of exchange and value that recognizes our interdependence and endlessly innovative. I am building an economy of infinite possibility, of sufficiency and abundance…an economy that works for everyone.

The conversation I am having is that the old is falling away and the new is born. Winter must come before the flowers of Spring can bloom. I am telling the story of a butterfly emerging from it chrysalis, its wings unfolding…a story of the glory of flight.

The tale I am creating is not one of soft-hearted idealism. It lives in the material, in the brains and words of human beings. It is a story of hard science, corporate and political realities, a pragmatic evolution forged in technology and human cultural evolution that has been growing for many years. It is a new interpretation of reality that is available to everyone all the time. Real people can act on it in their lives at any moment. It is a conversation that makes things work where they do not, like all new technologies that have value.

We are going home, home to our better selves, home to new relationships, new systems of behavior, new technologies and new societal and economic structures. Given the state of the world we have had in the past, that is a good thing.

But before we can move forward, we have to see the debilitating conversation that prevails around us for what it is. We must turn negativity into possibility. We must make our stands for a world that works and act upon them. We must quiet the cruel wind of fear that fills the tattered sails of the sinking ship of excess, failure, scarcity, corruption, partisanship, self-interest and greed that has plagued our country and our world.

Sounds too big and too hard? It’s not. All we have to do is change the subject. All we have to do is notice the “glass half full” rather than the “glass half empty” and share what we see with those we meet. After all, positive interpretations are no less real than negative ones. There is ample evidence for both and I would assert that positivism is more practical and effective.

You Create Your Own Reality

Perhaps you are convinced the world really is going to Hell in a handbasket and there is nothing you can do about it. Well think about this.

Throughout you life, neurons and other nerve tissues in your brain grow in response to your environment. The process is called neurogenesis. New synapses and whole new neurons are actually being added into the circuitry of your brain in response to the world around you. Metaphorically, they grow a lot like muscle tissue. If you use your muscles, they grow and get stronger. If you sit on the couch all day and watch TV, they atrophy.

Something (roughly) similar happens in your brain. Everything you think, feel and experience is a result how your brain responds to your experience and grows new neural tissues and connections to other neurons.

The more often a particular neural pathway is reinforced by environmental cues, the stronger it gets and the more embedded in your memory. So the behavior, attitudes and values with which you approach life – and the nature of your relationships with others – are built into your nervous system. They are not just ideas or attitudes. They are aspects of your physiology.

How you see the world and how the world sees you is built into your brain. But because your brain is constantly changing and growing, over time you can change that hard wiring simply by altering your thoughts, actions or your environment. Attitudes and values are not casual things. They are physical and the source of your everyday experience of life.

That means your words have power. Speaking is an act of creation. Over time, the way you describe the world creates your world. If you want a “better world,” all you have to do is “cast your vote” each day for the world that is already working.

Ever notice who is always around when your life doesn’t work? You are. You can blame it on your circumstances if you want to, but all that does is make it persist. You can blame others, but all that does is make you suffer. Maybe you should consider an alternative.

I invite you to join me in a new conversation. We can create it together in the days and months to come…and before you know it, a new and vibrant economy will emerge.

Transformation Begins at Home

To transform the global economy we must begin by transforming our personal economies. After all, most things that are important begin at home.

That includes the current economic crisis, which began in a cascade of foreclosures and falling real estate values.

In the body of our built environment, the home is like a single cell. If you think of all the buildings, power grids, public works and transportation systems on our planet, all the things we have built in order to maintain our complex societies, our homes are the most basic unit in the “body” of human society.

Like a cell membrane, a home allows nutrients into our vulnerable inner worlds and keeps toxins – like nosy neighbors – out. Like a cell, our homes contain thermostats and other features that maintain homeostasis, protecting us from the slings and arrows of outrageous weather.
Our homes store our financial energy like the fat on our bodies. For most of us, our homes are our largest investments. Recently we have been forced to “go on a diet” and some of us lost our assets.

Homes are where we most often reproduce and subsequently nurture our young. They are powerful expressions of our identities – as Claire Cooper Marcus pointed out in House as a Mirror of the Self. A well appointed home is an extension of our bodies. It is, as physiologist J. Scott Turner suggests in The Extended Organism, an “external organ of physiology.”

Imagine for a moment if the built infrastructure that supports our societies suddenly disappeared. The result would be the same for us as it would be for a colony of termites or a nest of bees…a sudden and devastating die off.

Theorists have long argued about the traits that have made Homo Sapiens so successful. The use of tools, opposable thumbs, the evolution of language and the highly complex social structures we create have all had their day as the seminal first cause…but the most visible evidence of mankind’s assent to dominance is our built environment.
From caves to mud huts to castles and skyscrapers, the homes we have built and the public works we have erected to sustain them, are the proof of the efficacy of this survival mechanism.

We and our homes are engaged in an ancient and profoundly interdependent relationship. Like any other animal we evolve in response to our environment, and increasingly our environment is of our own making.

Natural selection and epigenetic gene expression occur primarily in response to our most highly frequented environments and the home is the most intimate environment of man. We build them and they build us back. We are enmeshed in and altered by our relationships with them.

Your own personal definition of home – whether your current habitation meets your ideal or not – likely includes emotional ingredients like comfort, safety, rejuvenation, peace, relaxation and the privacy to escape from the perceived expectations of others.
Despite all the mischief perpetrated by stock traders, hedge funds managers, sub-prime lenders and incompetent government regulators – the stars of the story of manipulation and greed that currently batters us daily – the truth is that those bad actors are mere symptoms of the greed and self indulgence within all of us.

In truth, you and I are the building blocks of the global economy.

The Economy is an “Emergent” Phenomenon

Like our societies, the global economy is a complex system that adapts to its environment. All such systems of relationship are made up of what systems scientists call “agents.”

Just as water molecules are the main ingredient of oceans – and homes are the most basic form in our built environment – individuals and families are the most basic ingredients of our economic and political systems.

Corporations, countries and financial markets are all made of people. What we have just seen in the global economy is an emotional and psychological “tidal wave” of anxiety.

A tidal wave is an “emergent property” of a group of water molecules. It occurs when a “society” of such molecules responds to a disruption in its environment. The same is true for a hurricane or a tornado. There is nothing in a tidal wave except sea water. It has no distinct material ingredients of its own and could not exist unless every single salt water molecule within it contained the properties that allow a massive wave to form.

The same is true about the relationship between human beings and the global economy

In a world such as I describe, the successes and failures of an economy, a country or a culture emerge from the characteristics of the individuals within it. Particularly in a democratic society, leaders arise from the shared realities of the people.

Working Together Responsibly

So only you and I have the power to transform our economy. Barack Obama cannot fix the problem. All of us – consumers, bankers, stockholders, the wealthy, the middle class, the poor, our international partners, academics and economists, hedge fund managers, members of Congress, the teen working at the fast food franchise and the guy on the automobile assembly line approaching retirement – will all have to work together.

It is up to us. Every individual, each family, each small business, each multi-national corporation and each government is an economy unto itself. If we are going to learn anything from this troubling experience, it is that each of us must take responsibility for our own relationship with money. We must face this reality because it is the only truly workable long term solution to our troubles. It is also moral and upright.

The media parrot and stoke our anxiety because that is what makes financial sense in a world where information is tied to profit. So we have to change the conversation ourselves. These facts mean we must give up the “one size fits all” stereotypes we use to fix blame without ignoring the realities of human nature.

We are profoundly social and collaborate with one another instinctively. Human beings are also deeply emotional. We look to those around us to assess how we should react to the world. If our neighbors are afraid, fear spreads like a virus. The same is true of optimism and courage.

People must first see the possibility of a positive change before they can strive towards it. To accomplish that in government, we must learn to distinguish the good public servant from the bad. If we want responsible corporate behavior we must reward those corporations who are responsible and give back and distinguish them in our conversations from those who are exploitative and predatory. If we want our President to be successful, we must be balance our demands for change with some sense of our own responsibility in the matter.

We must face the realities of a global economic system and understand the interdependence inherent in our global economy. “Foreigners” are not stealing our wealth. The Chinese, Indians, Mexicans, Taiwanese and Brazilians aren’t stealing our jobs. The global economy is the result of our efforts in the developed world, often imposed against the wishes of the citizens or even the leaders of those nations.

We in the West are hoist on our own petard. The impersonal realities of the marketplace are redistributing our wealth to those who compete most effectively. This occurs in the capitalistic system of value we in the West created.

We – the rich and powerful – fuel that redistribution with our endless desire for more toys, more experiences, more consumption and more status. The desperate cry of the old order – “spend, spend and spend” – is the pusher trying to entice the addict. We need to go “cold turkey” and re-examine our personal and cultural values.

And there is no turning back. This trial we face is not temporary. It is the new reality. Turning our southern border into an Iron Curtain won’t save us. Isolation and protectionism are just ways to hide under our beds and ultimately impossible to achieve in an age of open borders, international trade and monetary systems and the Internet.

Tamping down rampant consumerism does not mean our economy cannot be vibrant and diverse. It only means that we must balance our needs for profit with a vision for an economy that works for all classes, all peoples and our planet as a whole.

Changing the Conversation

Again, all we have to do is change the conversation….and the rest will follow. The only real difference we can make is in our own lives and is expressed one person at a time, one family at a time. Cooperation enables us to collectively transform our systems of value. We must work together because such actions are the only solutions that will protect our descendants and the only true road to peace. We live on a planet with fixed resources but unlimited possibilities and the only workable path forward is to begin creating a world that works for everyone.

You may not care whether the “poor people” in the developing world eat or not, but you do care about the survival of your own children.

You may not like it that human society has reached the point that your survival is dependent on the survival of the impoverished masses of Africa, Asia and South America, but it is. You may pine for the good old days when we could prop up our lifestyles on the back of the “third world” but now the “third world” holds our bank notes.

That time is gone. You may not care about the state of the global environment; or that terrorism, extremist ideologies, pollution, global warming and the cascading extinction of species in stressed ecosystems around the planet are inextricably linked to economic inequalities.

But you will care when the first nuclear weapon goes off in a major western city, or the first deadly virus is released in your neighborhood by a disaffected extremist.

This is not just an economic downturn. It is a global economy in the process of transformation. We stand on the threshold of a new world order. This change will either be the beginning of a new and fairer global economic and political order; or we will see more violence, privation, destruction of the environment, all ultimately leading to the slow death of Western culture as we know it.

An analysis of user patterns on the Internet makes it clear what is to come. In developed countries, over 70% of the population is currently connected to the Internet, yet they account for only about 18% of all people online. In the rest of the world, less than 17% of the population is connected and that is changing at a rate in excess of 300% per year.

You do the numbers. We in the West cannot live in our “own little worlds” any longer. Oceans and massive weapons systems cannot protect us. Small bands of extremists have fought the most powerful military on earth to a draw. The long feared day has arrived and we only have two choices. The first and best is to take the lead in creating a world that works for all. The darker path is to withdraw into fortresses of isolationism and self interest, a choice that means our children and grandchildren will inherit a world much less hopeful than the one we knew as children.

I choose the former. My family too has been hurt by this economic downturn. We have had to give up many things we care about in the face of it. But those are just things. We are all still eating, laughing and loving one another. Many on this planet do not have that opportunity. I choose to take this experience as an profound opportunity, a necessary and beneficial adjustment to a changing world that offers new found hope and opportunity for everyone.

What will you do? Will you let fear guide you? Will you make a stand for what is right according to every moral and religious tradition on earth? Will you choose what is workable, pragmatic and honest – or will you choose to hide your head in the sand?

Will you stand with the dying husk of a world built on illusion, hollow consumption and self-interest or will you stand for our children?

One way or another, what happens in your life and our world is up to you.

It may seem impossible to make any real difference. It may seem too overwhelming to even contemplate, but truthfully you do not have to know what to do or how to do it to make a powerful commitment.

All you have to do is pick yourself up, realize you have the power to control your words…and change the conversation.

Christopher K. Travis wears many hats. He’s the Managing Partner of Sentient Architecture, LLC., a full service architecture firm. He was a restoration, remodeling and new home builder for almost 30 years. He’s the CEO of Nidiant Corporation, an Internet start-up that recently launched the revolutionary new Truehome.net internet startup.   That project and Travis have been extensive covered by the press including a major article in the New York Times. Christopher K. Travis is a writer and the publisher of the humor and commentary regional quarterly, the Round Top Register, which was called the “Prairie Home Companion of the Lone Star State” by the New York Times.

Posted on May 30, 2010 by , Reply

The Critical Role Of Consciousness In Living A Spiritual Life To Deal With The Challenges Ahead

It’s inconceivable to me that the universe of which the Earth is a tiny part all happened by chance. It makes more sense to accept there is a mystery which we probably won’t uncover, but that the universe‘s evolutionary thrust is driven by a sacred intelligent energy that is inherent in the way the universe functions. The role of human beings in this cosmic drama is to evolve in order that the universe will know itself. We are the universe becoming aware of itself.

As it is there is reliable scientific theory that the universe has evolved to its present state and continues to evolve. The course of evolution is towards more and more complexity. Human consciousness also evolves being able to handle more and more complexity and to also increase its span of care and concern.

However, it is also clear that even though human consciousness has evolved towards greater complexity and care and concern there is something problematic about human consciousness.

In the western developed world we have created a civilization that confers many benefits but at the same time the Earth’s ecology is under serious threat, so much so that our civilization might not survive this century, there is major social division within societies and within the wider global community and there is widespread psychological alienation. Moreover the economic model that emerged out of the 1930’s depression and after the Second World War has collapsed.

All of these issues pose major challenges which the current dominant consciousness will not be able to solve.

What then do we make of the sacred intelligent energy that drives evolution of the universe?

Evolution will continue no matter what and the Earth will continue (at least for the next few billion years) but our current human civilization may not unless we evolve beyond and transcend the current dominant consciousness. This means that human beings mightn’t be able to fulfill their mission of helping the universe know itself to be replaced by some other form of consciousness.

The stakes are extremely high and they have probably never been higher for human civilization. One of the critical issues is the creation of a new economy, but the danger is that we will create an economy that continues to defy the laws of nature and that will not repair the damage caused to the ecology.

It’s around this issue of economic reconstruction that questions of consciousness arises. How do we understand the consciousness that has given rise to the modern world and a consciousness that will take us beyond our current challenges? Along with many others I call the current dominant consciousness modernist consciousness.

Modernist consciousness is a term used by many to describe a whole range of cultural values, norms and practices. People whose consciousness is at this stage experience the self as a separate isolated individual. Modernism values wealth, status and the good life through material wealth and consumption. People are valued in terms of what they own and their income. Progress is achieved through science and technology and seeking the best solution is equated with what advances wealth and status. It values winning and striving for excellence and appreciates individual autonomy and independence, all organized within a meritocracy.

These are the things that people with this level of consciousness identify with. In the current financial meltdown all of these ideas and values are under threat and stand at the heart of the fears and anxieties that have arisen as people have seen their dreams and hope shattered. The danger is that those with shattered dreams will try to recreate the economic conditions that they have lost. The real solution involves building a new consciousness based around what I call a spiritual life of everyday experience.

Modernist consciousness is based on values of wealth, status and the good life based around conspicuous consumption which it is assumed are the core of human nature. Those with this consciousness fashion their lives around these values.

Developmental psychology has taught us, however, that there is no such thing as a universal human nature. Our nature as a human being evolves through different stages and there is no such thing as a permanent human nature common to all people. This has to be a source of hope for the future. There is far more to being human than as an economic optimizer as the economists would have us believe.

This consciousness created the modern world, but it cannot take us to a world that will work in harmony with and value the Earth and allow the Earth to heal, as well as valuing all living forms. It will not be possible to retain this form of consciousness and create a post financial crash economy and a mode of consumption aimed at reversing global warming and repairing the ecosystem services.

Einstein said that you cannot solve the problems created by one type of consciousness with the level of consciousness that created the problem in the first place.

What type of consciousness will be required to replace modernist consciousness? I call this ecological consciousness associated with a spiritual life based around the experience of everyday life.

This new form of consciousness will need to have the potential to solve a series of big questions. It will be needed to create a new economy that obeys the ecological boundaries of the Earth, protects the positive features of our civilization, addresses the social divisions that exist and heals widespread psychological alienation. How would we describe such a consciousness?

Ecological consciousness like all stages of consciousness has six themes:
• Ecological consciousness perceives our reality as human beings participating in universal life which is a conscious intelligent energy field, life has us we don’t have a life, we are the dance, life is the dancer.
• Ecological consciousness recognizes that we have needs in order to serve universal life. In the modern world needs extend to education, health care, safe communities, opportunities to develop our competencies and consciousness and so on. Ecological consciousness sees these things as needs that it requires in order to serve universal life but does not covet them, identify with them or become attached to them.
• Ecological consciousness embraces a relationship between ourselves as human beings and the way we make a living in a way that promotes living in harmony with and valuing the Earth and all living forms, and that is an expression of the purpose we fulfill on behalf of life, where service is the prime concern.
• Ecological consciousness adopts a life style that makes as few demands on the Earth’s resources as possible and weighs up how all activities impact upon the Earth, other people and other living forms. Above all ecological consciousness abandons the pursuit of wealth and status except as a means of supplying our needs in accordance with the Earth’s ecology. This is a revolutionary and radical idea.
• Ecological consciousness adopts an attitude of abiding in all and everyone abiding in it as a basis for its relationships with others.
• Ecological consciousness engages in political, social and economic events. It does so aware that people are at different stages of consciousness so as to manage the spiral of development for the benefit of all, and in a way that facilitates the growth and development of all. It tries where possible to promote amplified ecologically conscious people into positions of leadership. Ecological consciousness looks to the possibility of converting itself into a world wide movement pledged to influence the course of events.
There are clearly huge gaps between modernist consciousness and ecological consciousness. Is the gap so great that it’s unbridgeable?

The answer to this profoundly important question needs to be considered in relation to the severity of the challenges we face, the likely outcome if we don’t face them and the fact that as human beings we are programmed to evolve and develop. It’s important for as many people as possible to face up to the nature of the challenges and to accept that modernist consciousness will hinder our chances of preserving our civilization. Recognizing that we must face this challenge and lead a spiritual life based in everyday experience is one of the critical challenges that we face.

We know enough about consciousness, about how it develops and how people can make real and lasting change. There are also enough people whose consciousness is bordering on ecological consciousness, even though the present numbers who have reached this stage is relatively small.

This suggests that it will be possible for enough people to take on board the evolutionary challenge of developing ecological consciousness to lead the way to a new economy that obeys the laws of the Earth’s ecology, that is able to respond to the grievous social division and to healing psychological alienation to be hopeful that we just might have a chance.

In later articles I’ll deal with how you can ecological consciousness can be developed. In the meantime to learn more visit my website http://www.bobcalkin.co.nz.

Dr Bob Calkin has launched a new website to assist people live a spiritual life through the engagement with everyday life. If you feel that you would like to experience in a heightened way the wonder of the sunrise, the awesome beauty of the outdoors, the wonder of this beautiful Earth, to be at one with others and the Earth and all living forms, to feel gratitude and to feel blessed by an energy or power greater than yourself then you might like to join this program. To do so visit the website http://www.bobcalkin.co.nz.

Posted on May 30, 2010 by , 1 comment

Should Tax Payer Money Fund Abortion?

Headline: Officials: Obama to reverse abortion policy

“The policy bans U.S. taxpayer money, usually in the form of U.S. Agency for International Development funds, from going to international family planning groups that either offer abortions or provide information, counseling or referrals about abortion. It is also known as the “global gag rule,” because it prohibits taxpayer funding for groups that lobby to legalize abortion or promote it as a family planning method.”

I don’t think my tax dollars in any way, shape or form should be allocated for an abortion. What do you think?

Posted on May 30, 2010 by , 11 comments

Pigs for the Ancestors : Ritual in the Ecology of a New Guinea People

Product Description
This influential work is the most important and widely cited book ever published in ecological anthropology. It is a classic case study of human ecology in a tribal society, the role of culture (especially ritual) in local and regional resource management, negative feedback, and the application of systems theory to an anthropological population. It is considered a major work of theory, yet it is also empirically grounded in Rappaport’s meticulous collection of quantitative and qualitative data on such “material” matters as diet and energy expenditure, as well as such mental-cognitive-ideational domains as myth and folk taxonomies. Rappaport’s tour de force is a recognized classic because it contributes in so m… More >>

Pigs for the Ancestors : Ritual in the Ecology of a New Guinea People

Posted on May 30, 2010 by , 1 comment

China’s Wood-Based Panel Industry

Under normal circumstances, a performance of the industrial development in external markets is more prone to domestic and foreign competitors in the same industry attention, as our country’s wood-based panel industry, improve its competitive position despite the dominant, but recessive level is still a lot of implicit??. Therefore, it is necessary to combine the impact the competitiveness of wood-based panel industry, many of the elements from the analysis of the root causes of the situation of the industry’s competitiveness.

(A) With regard to natural resources,

China is the world’s wood-based panel producer. While the wood-based panel industry, which really belong to resource-dependent industries. Lack of domestic natural resource endowment, international environmental voice of the grim situation caused by imports of raw materials and the upsurge in tension between social needs, determine the limitations of China’s wood-based panel industry and enterprise to survive the difficult nature. Wood-based panel highlight the lack of wood raw material reflected in the following aspects: 1. As the natural forest protection project in the implementation of major ecological engineering, China’s timber production is gradually reduced; 2. Resources of structural deficiency: Plywood with large diameter class material, hardwood timber, especially valuable hardwood, are alarmingly scarce. For a long time mainly depend on import. Large-diameter grade hardwood, mainly from Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia and other regions, but in these areas in recent years, a sharp decline of tropical timber resources.

3. Raw material base construction: Although China’s fast growing forest base construction in the 20th century and the mid-80s has been rapid development. But they are concentrated in a number of ecologically sensitive areas not suitable to provide timber. Another. As the paper raw material swallowed by the rapid development of the wood shortage of raw materials needed for the conflict intensified. Lack of resources led to our logs, plywood and other timber prices above world market average. For wood-based panels in a low-profit status of the whole industry is concerned, the narrow room for downward movement with the high cost of making the development of wood-based panel industry are severely constrained, in the competition in a very unfavorable position. Raw material shortage is affecting the international competitiveness of China’s wood-based panel industry, the most important disadvantage factor.

(B) With regard to labor costs

Although wages in recent years, China’s labor situation analysis, labor costs increase year by year, but our wood-based panel industry’s employment, total wages and average annual wage Jun Cheng a decreasing trend. In 2005, for example, China’s wood processing and bamboo and rattan palm grass products industry practitioners and workers in the post than that in 2004 a decrease of 0.1%, compared to 2003 decreased by 0.16% and 0.14%: the average annual wage of workers employed is only 8739 yuan , while in 2003 an increase of more than 0.16%, but still at a very low level. In general, the labor costs in developed countries 1 / 10.

Plywood with a labor-intensive features such as primary processing of products and low-end products have obvious advantages. However, with India, Pakistan, Indonesia and other countries compared to recent years, China’s wage cost advantage is gradually lost. Moreover, with today’s demanding noise to improve the labor remuneration, labor costs, labor force growth rate has made the prospect of advantage is not optimistic.

(C) With regard to the quality of labor

While the world’s wood-based panel industries are capital-and technology-intensive industries, but China’s wood-based panel industry demands for the quality of labor is not low, which is the status of wood-based panel industries are inseparable. China’s wood-based panel industry in order to really gain international competitive advantage, must be formed through the integration of labor resources, human capital, depend on the labor force, labor skills, diligence, organizational discipline, capacity for cooperation and innovation, etc. to enhance the overall quality, enhance enterprise management and R & D efforts. At present, China and the world a big gap between labor productivity between the developed countries. As a whole belongs to inefficient structure.

Although our human capital, low price, but because of human capital in these projects, the proportion of total product cost is generally about 15%. Therefore, low efficiency offset some or all of the advantages of human capital, and efficiency are often the contribution to employment costs. Thus, a shift to the efficiency of the industrial structure means that remodeling lumber industry.

(D) With regard to capital

China’s wood-based panel industry has been insufficient capital investment, capital intensity is low, and capital strength weaker. For example, enterprises in developed countries in R & D capital investment is generally 5% to about 10% higher high-tech enterprises R & D investment, China’s overall R & D investment of less than 1%, and wood processing enterprises with fewer R & D capital investment. You want by controlling the resources required to reduce product costs, ensuring the product research and development, quality improvement, technological innovation, scale, marketing, etc. have a greater investment, so as to effectively enhance the international competitiveness of wood-based panels is very difficult.

(5) With regard to science and technology

For a long time, China’s wood-based panel of science and technology innovation focused on universities and research institutes, enterprises have been marginalized, especially the enterprise’s own human resources, and research and development capacities are weak, innovation environment and conditions affected by a number of factors. China’s wood-based panel equipment manufacturers in the production scale, automatic monitoring, testing and automation and control, with the substantial gap between the international level, particularly in the host device and key technology innovation and lack of capacity, long-term follow-up and imitation at the level of, the lack of its own core technology. At present, the new large-scale continuous press production lines to rely on imports.

China’s and Asia’s largest continuous press production line in 2006 was put into operation in Sanming City in Fujian Province, the largest sub-Wood (Fujian) Co., Ltd. introduced particleboard production line of annual capacity of 450,000 cubic meters, compared to the world’s most advanced particle board production line 70 million cubic meters of annual production capacity for the gap is huge.

(Vi) With regard to product mix

At present, China’s wood-based panel product structure is not entirely reasonable, it is difficult to adapt to changing market demands: high quality large-diameter class proportion of wood as raw material of plywood too large. Accounted for 40% of total wood-based panel. While the world average is only about 30% : The harvesting and processing residues, urban waste wood as raw material, the proportion of smaller particle board. only 9% of the total world average of about 35%: OSB, high-performance composite panels, no glue wood-based panels, non-timber resources and crop straw board products such as the ratio is low; special purpose board, special size board, sheet molding board and environment-friendly production of small, wood-based panel industry in China is not conducive to a comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development.

This situation not only impede the use of the product areas to expand and prolong service life, but also a direct impact on the improvement of economic efficiency of enterprises. It should be clear that, with the relevant policies of adjustment and market demand, China’s wood-based panel will produce a significant change in product mix, new products, new resources will be one after another. To promote a variety of functional, structural use panels kinds of further development, plywood, fibreboard, particleboard and other wood-based panels in the proportion of wood-based panel production will gradually tend to rationalize.

(Vii) With regard to the scale of production

China’s current plywood is about more than 6,000 enterprises, of which 90% of the size of the annual output of 10,000 cubic meters below, only a few to reach an annual output of 20,000 cubic meters or more. Cottage factories spring up all over, companies with low productivity, small scale, with China’s wood-based panel industry, lack of funds, technical level and backward are mutually reinforcing. Small Business Sales income is low. Underfunded. Are able to introduce advanced technology and equipment, while the backward technology and equipment can not be achieved naturally large-scale operation, extremely low cost. Therefore, the enterprises do not possess the necessary economies of scale. Industry, the lack of a super-competitive industry giant, can not be achieved double internal and external economies of scale, restricting the international competitiveness of China’s wood-based panel industry, upgrade a key factor.

(Viii) With regard to product brands

For a long time, due to production and operation management of non-standard and market disorder, China’s wood-based panel of counterfeit products flooding. Violation of the norms manufacturers and consumers. Industry-wide quality assurance system is not perfect, products, reputation and market share of lower corporate image poor, less-known brands such as a serious problem. However, steady progress in recent years, as wood-based panel industry, enterprises are gradually strengthening brand awareness: as in the production of medium / high density fiberboard as the representative of the Zhejiang Beauty, Luyuan and other enterprises in the whole industry in order to form a certain scale and impact of the industry. has entered a positive phase of development.

In plywood production. Rise of the Zhejiang Province in order to Naruhito Group, Germany and China Bunny or Huayun Feng, Hangzhou Huahai, Zhong-Lin (Southern Star) Wood, Shigetomo timber, Nagata wood, and a group has a leading role in the peer’s enterprises in a container floor with plywood, decorative plywood, Blockboard, the structure of the strong connection with the plywood. “Famous brand strategy” as an effective means of achieving high value-added, is gradually becoming China’s wood-based panel enterprises for the international market, a useful weapon to gain a competitive edge.

(Ix) With regard to the domestic market demand

The long-term stable growth of China’s national economy, GDP continued to increase the total, the state continued to expand domestic demand and adopt a proactive fiscal policy, the quality of life has improved steadily, the domestic demand for wood-based panel continued to rise. The development of the west, the rise of Central China city group, the coastal provinces to promote the construction of small cities and towns, the Three Gorges project and the implementation of water diversion, institutions of higher education enrollment. A large number of agricultural population stationed in cities and towns, making the development of a fast track construction, furniture, flooring and other wood products consumption is skyrocketing. In addition, China’s rising affluence of farmers also makes furniture consumption has skyrocketed. Wood-based panel market prospects for China’s wood-based panel enterprises to provide a good market environment. A more vigorous domestic market demand is the development of China’s wood-based panel industry an advantage.

(10) With regard to environmental issues

From the mid-80s since the last century, China’s wood-based panel industry, expanded the size of at least 25 times (in yield terms). However, greeted not only thriving industry picture, as well as wood-based panel production on the surrounding environment caused by pollution, mainly noise, odor, dust, and sewage and other four major problems. With its continued growth and exports increase every year, people’s attention is no longer confined to production, quality, and direct economic benefit, and not only focus on the discussion of resource and energy issues, the “green plywood” The problem is affecting their The crux of the competitiveness of the new.

Third, the international competitiveness of China’s wood-based panel industry, the upgrading strategy

With the global trend of economic integration deepens, the international mobility of forest resources increased significantly. These examples show that the global resource integration environment, raising the industry’s competitive edge is to enhance the international competitiveness of China’s wood-based panel industry, the foundation: China’s wood-based panel will determine the competitiveness of industrial products in international market share. Of China’s wood-based panel industry in order to achieve international competitiveness-oriented strategic shift, there are seven strategies to choose from.

(A) large-scale business strategy

At present, the tide of global economic integration to make a “strategic cooperative competition,” gradually replaced the “exclusive competition” become the main mode of competition.??. Development model of China’s wood-based panel industry is in a state of internal friction: The internal business interests-driven scattered strong tendency to maximize individual interests, it is difficult for the industrial upgrading and to providing a comprehensive power, would lead to unsustainable industrial development. Therefore, we must take advantage of market mechanisms, between the upstream and downstream businesses, the same level between enterprises, leading enterprises and other enterprises and between enterprises of China’s wood-based panel with similar foreign companies or even between the wood-based panel business enterprises and other industries The strategic collaboration between the competition to build strategic alliances with each other to learn advanced technologies and management methods. co-ordination, co-ordination, to make up their own inadequacies and strengthen their own advantages, and ultimately improve the overall strength of industry to jointly guide the promotion of wood-based panel industry the overall development. Should be implemented industry cluster strategy, to develop characteristics of wood-based panel industry town.

Wood-based panel industry, when they should take the group conditions of the road. At present, China Wood-based panel of private enterprises mainly through reorganization, merger, joint, bankruptcy, debt to equity, as well as the development of a diversified economy ingredients absorbed by means of the formation of large enterprise groups, economies of scale, to economic and technical as a link, complementary advantages, promote enterprise reform and vigorously promote the fundamental shift of economic growth, rapidly expanding industry, strength, enhance their competitiveness.

(B) the export market selection strategy

Wood-based panel exports from the overall layout of view, China’s plywood exports of space to Asia, North America and Europe, mainly in which plywood and fibreboard Asia and North America, mainly in Asia and Europe-based particleboard: Asia region with countries in Southeast Asia , district-based. mainly the United States, North America, Europe, the Russian-based. In general, the export destinations of China’s wood-based panel single, export concentration, a higher risk in international trade.

Therefore, the formulation of wood-based panel trade policy on the one hand, the depth of space to expand existing markets, improve product share of existing markets: Male on the one hand to consolidate and strengthen the existing international market, the efforts to open up new markets. to change the export destination and export a single centralized features, optimize the export space layout, reducing the risk of international trade. Import and export of wood-based panel products in the market, the choice should be based on the geographical advantage in China’s eastern and coastal areas will be divided into several sub-markets, partition attack.

1. In the Northeast (Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, etc.) is an important forest industrial base for the Russian and Eastern European countries can make full use of the target market of industrial structure malformations. A shortage of light industrial products, forest resource-rich features to import logs and primary processed products mainly. At the same time can be used in the Northeast edge of raw materials, proximity to the establishment of wood-based panel production base and increase wood-based panel products to the above objectives the country’s exports: 2. The east coast of funds, transport, information and human resources, etc. and strength of wood-based panel strong demand for the product, such a high level of demand in the region can promote the rapid development of wood-based panel production will help further strengthen cooperation with North America (including the United States and Canada, etc.) of the trade, while the main force should be resources invested in developing Oceania import market and Western European export market for finished products; 3. should focus on strengthening the linkages with the Southeast Asian region.

(C) the industrial core of the selection strategy

Chinese wood-based panel industry is composed of a number of distinctive sub-industry. These sub-industry in the international competitive edge of the contribution made by the entire industry is different. Determine the leading industry is one of the most important industrial policy: First, fiber as a new focus. Fibreboard industry is not present, China’s international competitiveness in Asia the most wood-based panel industry. Market share in the “three board” in the location in the middle. However, since 2000 began to adjust their international competitive advantage of increased international competitive advantage has become pronounced, completed from import-oriented type of mutation to the trade balance, and export-led development.

Second, the development of plywood for wood-based panel industry, the anchor. Plywood is now China’s major wood-based panel industry’s most competitive industries, has maintained a relatively high share of international markets, compared to other wood-based panel products are concerned for our country. Plywood export revealed comparative advantages are obvious, vast room for growth. Has close to export-oriented industries. Output and export volume increased year by year in the international market, an extremely important position. With plywood as the anchor of China’s wood-based panel industry. Is determined by its profound historical roots, highlighting the performance of industrial competition and excellent industrial competitiveness by decision.

3 is a particle board for the development of a new entry point for wood-based panel industry. Particleboard as a family, one of the main wood-based panel board species, compared with the other wood-based panels, has produced a relatively small investment, energy consumption and low cost, less demanding on the quality of wood raw material and other advantages. In recent years around the world, especially in North America and Europe to become the fastest growing new board kinds of wood-based panels. At present, China has entered a period of rapid development of particleboard production. In the near future, particleboard wood-based panel industry in China will be a place and have made significant development.

(D) raw material supply expansion strategies

China’s wood-based panel industry, the market plenty of room for great demand. To increase the effective supply the biggest problem is resources. To solve the problem: First, we must attach importance to nurturing the development of reserve resources and accelerating the “Lin board integration” process, to encourage enterprises to raw material forest base Wood-based panel to synchronize the planning and construction simultaneously. Take the “forest board integration” path. That The wood-based panels to create a large scale enterprises belonging to the enterprise since the industrial raw material forest, and to ensure high input, high survival and high returns, to make a scientific upbringing, fine work, careful management. Can take the following pattern: 1. Business model of self-built base of raw materials.

2. Joint venture joint-stock business model. 3. Business and foresters contract-style model. The second is to increase efforts to develop overseas resources: to persist in implementing the “going out” strategy to increase overseas development of forestry resources, in order to alleviate the situation of China’s raw material shortage and to ensure the rapid development of China’s wood-based panel industry, provides a new way of thinking. Third, strengthening the conservation and utilization of forest resources, efficient use: through the development of non-veneer-based wood-based panels, improve product life, indirectly, reduce resource consumption, development of bamboo and wood waste products and waste of resources re-use wood-based panel technology. Development of the cycle economy and achieve sustainable development, a necessary requirement, but also to enhance the competitiveness of enterprises an effective way.

At the same time, actively support the non-wood materials, wood-based panel production as raw materials, mainly including bamboo, agricultural residues, straw and sand shrubs, and other inorganic or organic materials. Government initiatives to encourage waste processing and utilization of resources, on the one hand policy tilt. Through economic levers to a certain amount of subsidies to farmers so that farmers take the initiative to provide agricultural residues to the factory: the other hand, through tax policies to encourage in different crops producing areas, the establishment of the proper size, and reasonable layout of various types of wood-based panel business. Enhanced waste processing and utilization of resources.

(E) technological advances Strategy

For a long time, China’s middle and low wood-based panel industries are relying on low-cost products in the market competitive advantage. However, accession to the WTO, the middle and low head increasingly fierce competition in wood-based panel products, conventional products, profit margins have been compressed to the limit. At the same time, trade protectionism as a very inconsistent with the WTO’s long-standing phenomenon in world trade. This will require the number of wood-based panel industry in the past will be transferred to the expansion of the development model to improve the quality of the development track. While technological innovation is the only way to achieve this shift.

First of all. Establish and improve the wood-based panel industry science and technology investment system and improve the technological changes in the proportion of investment in fixed assets, broadening financing channels, to increase capital investment and technological progress: Secondly, backward equipment to be regularly modified or eliminated, and continuously improve the equipment The level of automation to ensure that products of low-input, low-cost, high-yield. Third, timely adjustments to production processes. To promote the comprehensive utilization of timber increased: four plywood in the construction market is the increasing application of efforts to develop and broaden application areas. Great efforts to develop alternative natural large-diameter timber board-level kinds, various functional and structure of the species with the board to promote industrial upgrading; 5 is to enhance independent innovation capability as the central link in readjusting the industrial structure. upgrading of industrial technology, establish a business-oriented, market-oriented, combining the technology of production and research

    Innovation system and greatly enhance the original innovation, integrated innovation capability and the introduction of digestion and absorption ability to innovate. Enhance the industry as a whole technology.

Specific strategies include: small business model – due to technical weakness, can be used, “the introduction, digestion, absorption, re-innovation” model to avoid the passive situation. Medium-sized models – because of technical strength, capital strength Deng Jun stronger than small businesses, with universities, research institutes and scientific research base to achieve a common form of independent innovation. Large-scale business model – set up an innovation center. Abundant capital companies introduce international advanced experimental equipment and high-level scientific and technological personnel to provide the conditions for experimental conditions with the enterprise’s own R & D team, mature and self-growth, enterprises can independently conduct original scientific research, developing the world’s leading new products, new processes, by applying for patents to form national or international companies a unique intellectual property. and thus the formation of corporate non-tradable and non-imitation of the unique competitive advantage.

(6) Green Development Strategy

At present, many of our low-quality wood-based panel products, cheap, waste resources, pollute the environment. Has seriously hampered the growth of export trade. It raises concerns for environmental protection. In the international market in order to maintain market share. In addition to the State continue to improve the environmental mechanism, give appropriate preferential treatment. The strategy of the enterprise itself but also to make corresponding adjustments. For example, the promotion of green production, develop green products, to green design. In the production process saving and efficient use of resources and energy. Great efforts to develop environmentally friendly, low cost, excellent quality, in line with international environmental standards for green wood-based panel products.

(Vii) security system and improve the strategy

In order to protect the international competitiveness of China’s wood-based panel industry, the effective promotion, the Government should promptly adjust and improve the industrial policy system. Try to sync with the market changes, in order to achieve wood-based panel of regional distribution companies and product structure more reasonable, from the macro to guide enterprises with the development of the market the development.

    First, wood-based panel of leading enterprises through supportive policies, actively promote the company with a base, the base mode of operation with farmers to promote industrial-scale wood-based panels and specialized, intensive development; the establishment of forestry industry development fund to encourage and support the man-made plate leading enterprises to expand production scale and famous quality products production: through interest payments on loans to support enterprises to improve technology and equipment standards, and expand business scale and raw material forest base construction to give full play to leading enterprises and stimulating effects of radiation.

The second is to accelerate the pace of adoption of international standards, improve the standard system of wood-based panel. China’s wood-based panel of national standards with European standards or internationally accepted standards, such as the British standard, American standard, Germany standard, Japanese standard there is a gap. Adoption of international standards is the Chinese enterprises to participate in international competition in the market needs, but also to break down foreign technical barriers to trade an effective tool. Third, give full play to the role of trade associations. Enterprises as market entities directly involved in the domestic and international free trade. A lot of problems can not be solved a single enterprise, and therefore must rely on industry associations.

In short, to enhance the international competitiveness of China’s wood-based panel industry, it is necessary to consolidate existing strengths: Through industry collaboration, industrial concentration and the consolidation of the Group strategy of cost-price advantage: diversification through trade patterns and export market selection strategy for the consolidation of the demand advantage: to Fibreboard of wood-based panel industry through the development of a new focus to the development of plywood for wood-based panel industry, the anchor, to particleboard for wood-based panel industry, the new entry point for the development of strategies for the Industry Choice for outstanding core competitive advantages; The second is to reverse the current weakness : Based on the raw material supply strategy, enterprise promotion strategy, the green strategy and industrial policies to adjust the system to improve or reverse the industry to achieve a competitive disadvantage purposes.

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Posted on May 30, 2010 by , Reply
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