text:
December 22, 2008
thanks John for the tip on the Beverly Hills doctor making biodiesel out of LipoSuction fat. I
Posted by Martin at 7:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 13, 2008
Boeing plowing ahead with biojet
They will test fly an Air New Zealand plan on UOP derived Jatropha biojet. Very cool to see this keep building in the light of the overall downturn in the biodiesel market. Remember, Imperium made the first biojet for Boeing under my direction….
Posted by Martin at 8:54 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 10, 2008
Maui Biodiesel continues to unwind
I said the MECO/BlueEarth was a a project that would never happen beginning. Now the lawyers are going to settle it. What a mess. Bummer for the health of the maui residents. They need to keep sucking in diesel fumes for a couple more years.
Posted by Martin at 12:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 25, 2008
Create islands of oil independence now!
Posted by Martin at 11:47 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 31, 2008
Another filed biodiesel plant for sale
The TG refinery in Ferndale. It was a hack job to begin with and never really worked. Too small for scale. Not economic.
Posted by Martin at 1:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 24, 2008
The whole story
Yesterday, Mark over at SNS published the whole special letter that I wrote about here. If I do say so myself, it is a good read. Four years in the biofuel business, how did we loose round 1 to the dinos? What should we do. Real the full letter here. And subscribe to SNS if you can.
Posted by Martin at 4:05 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 8, 2008
What I like and don't like about the "second generation" biofuel companies that were funded in Q2
Ok I am a big fan of biofuels. I spent the last four years and substantial personal resources building Imperium Renewables and the largest biodiesel processing plant currently operating in the US at over 100M gallons per year. Lots of people ask me what I think of the "next generation" crop of companies being sold to investors today. Here are a couple general comments then some specific company comments.
- the primary problem of biofuels today is oversupply relative to RFS mandates causing refined biofuel prices to significantly lag refined petroleum products. More biofuels actually makes the problem worse.
- Political will supporting biofuels has weakened measurably over the last year.
- Liquid fuel distribution infrastructure has remained largely stangnant for over 30 years. Most mid and downstream assets are owned by companies with capital structures optimized for cash dividends as opposed to investment for growth. High blends of ethanol requires new distribution infrastructure all the way up and down the chain.
- Debt markets remain closed and skeptical of new technologies.
Company specific:
Range Fuels: Triple the capital cost of first generation. While multiple feedstocks may be technically possible, actual availability of feedstock and transportation logistics will likely significantly change economics once plant is built. While Khosla likes to pay lip service to investing in technologies that are economic w/o government incentives, cellulosic ethanol generally through the 2.5x RFS credits, and Range Fuels specifically through large DOE grants have been showered with government money. If the plant eventually does get up and running
Sapphire Energy: Inventing an algae bug that will produce a crude oil substance compatable with today's light sweet crude refineries is not that hard. The Aquatic Species program of the DOE found thousands of them over a decade ago. The probelm is building the algae farm and cultivation system at a cost per acre that pays an acceptable ROI. I like the strategy to skip the big oil controled refined products channel and go direct to independent crude oil refiners, but the devil is in the details. What will be the actual yield? How will the refined products perform? Will customers accept the products? While the company announced significant funding, it has yet to enter pilot testing and hopes to one day produce "up to 10,000 barrels per day" of algae crude. Ok, that would be 0.011834 % of US daily crude requirements TODAY. Despite the many challenges and my reservations, Sapphire Energy is my favorite biofuel company funded last quarter.
EdeniQ: Actually the smoking dusty remains of the Altra train wreck "still in formation stage". While at Imperium I reviewed and dismissed as non-economic the Port of Morrow site they hope to develop. Maybe I missed something. On technology side they use all the right buzzwords about low capital costs, ellimination of catalyst and additives. All I can say is "show me".
Mascoma: Again, more non-specific "non-grain biomass" as feedstock. GM invested, that hasn't seemed to help their stock price. More government hand-outs (over $60M) and sky high capital costs. Show me the money.
Aurora BioFuels: $20M ain't nuthing when measured against their plans. Their mission statement lays out too much wood to chop in my opinion and not enough focus. It is not at all clear from public information what Aurora is planning to do new, different and proprietary from anyone else. See Sapphiire: Algae in the lab is easy. Making a million barrels a day (about 1% of US needs) is HARD.
Gevo: While the company is "working on an alternative jet fuel for Virgin Airways", Imperium actually supplied Virgin with such a fuel and flew Richard Branson around in the plane back in January. The company's "advanced" fuels like isobutanol and butanol face many distribution, field test, engine warranty and other implementation issues already overcome by first generation refined biofuels. This one is going to be a LONG burn.
Fulcrum Bioenergy: Waste seems like a good source of fuel. Unfortunately the energy balance has never worked for anything but sucking methane off garbage piles. Again the ethanol oversupply problem, the US is already long corn ethanol through at least 2012. From press releases the company seems more like a build own and operate project developer rather than a technology company. While this is a fine model, I am not sure it garners venture capital returns. Permitting of the first facility in collaboration with Casella Waste Systems is supposed to "start" in next 12 months. If the plant is running by 2010, I will give you $100.
Greenline Industries: No comment (too many NDA's).
GreenFuel Technologies: The long struggling Greenfuel may have finally found their stride. They arguably know more about the implementation details of growing algae for biofuels than any other company and have the scars to prove it. Their first pilot grew algae so fast they couldn't harvest it. Not much good. I like the strategy of co-locating algae farms with carbon emitters for multiple revenue streams. I like the folks at GreenFuel and wish them well. They still face the massive problem of getting the cost per acre of the algae farm down to an acceptable ROI. After 5 years, problem still not solved.
Amyris Biotechnologies: Originally founded with quite a different mission, these opportune scientists are marketing their lab skills to the fuel markets these days. More fancy bugs that look good under a microscope and are years away from any scale. If they suceed in making more than 100 gallons of anything by 2010 I will give you $100.
Posted by Martin at 9:16 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 20, 2008
Come to Propel open house
Station Open HouseFriday, June 27 11:30 3:00 pmTo celebrate the opening of our South Lake Union location, Propel invites you to lunch and a tour of the site on Friday, June 27. Stop by between 11:30 and 3:00 to meet the Propel team, learn about our fuels, and see Seattles most sustainable station. Join Propel in welcoming better energy choices to South Lake Union.
South Lake Union Open House (map)June 27, 11:30 - 3PMWestlake & Valley in South Lake UnionFare provided by Skillet
Posted by Martin at 12:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 21, 2008
Dubai group buys into biodiesel
Posted by Martin at 1:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 8, 2008
wow, dodged a bullet in Argentina
Last Fall, due to my increasing concerns about economic stability and sensibility of the Argentinia rulling duo (couple), I canceled Imperium's expansion to Argentina. None too soon. The socialist president raised taxes on soy bean exports AGAIN, now 44% and the middle class is rioting in the streets. Whew.
Posted by Martin at 9:25 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Washington State ferries back on Biodiesel
WSDOT is back four years after a failed biodiesel test. This time they are comparing Soy versus Canola biodiesel. Since the tanks are single lined and sit below the water, the fuel is very cold (the Puget Sound is 42 degrees). They also didn't use an anti-algae syde last time. They are this time. I am completely confident that the Imperium Renewables Canola will kick ass on the midwest soy (which is actually mostly animal fat now). Go Canola!
Posted by Martin at 9:14 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 31, 2008
Minnesota considers B20 mandate
This story is heartening. What do you do when soy prices are high and biodiesel prices are high? Back off from renewables and let the industry die? Let oil win? No, you double down and ensure the success of the industry.
Posted by Martin at 10:23 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 25, 2008
the hard numbers of biodiesel today
It takes 7.7 pounds of soy oil -- or $4.34 (at $.56/lb) -- to produce a gallon of biodiesel, according to the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute. Add overhead and other processing costs (about 70 cents per gallon), federal and state taxes (54 cents), and subtract the dollar tax credit, and a gallon of biodiesel could sell for $4.58 at the pump. Regular diesel sold for $4.15 a gallon today in Seattle. So biodiesel is more expensive than petro diesel. But not actually by much. I will dig up my historical graph and put this in persepctive later this week. The $.43/gallon difference is less than 10%. Would you pay a 10% premium to save the planet? I would.
Posted by Martin at 11:41 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
coproducts become more important
With veg oil prices sky high and the spread between veg oil and diesel negative, the importance of co-products is increasing. If a biodiesel producer can significantly increase revenue from glycerine or other co-products, they may be able to make up the negative spread. A group in Brazil is claiming they can make "green propane" out of glycerine. I have reviewed many of these so called technologies and most dont have good energy balance. But at these prices maybe. Unfortunately the Brazil team is saying 2013 until commercial production. Add 5 more years because it is Brazil. Not something t help biodiesel today. The best thing is to simply refine to technical grade glycerine. That takes your price from $.12/lb to over $.25/lb.
Posted by Martin at 10:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 18, 2008
more uglyness in biodiesel finance
REG pulls their IPO. It is amazing that in three short months soy oil has gone from $.38/lb to over $.60/lb. It has risen much faster than oil. Today's margin in biodiesel is negative over $2.00.
Posted by Martin at 10:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 7, 2008
More bad science re: biofuels
Remember the biginning of the the fight with big Tobacco about the harmfulness of cigarettes? Remember the flood of "science" that claimed cigarettes were not so bad for you, created lots of jobs, had global warming benefits, etc.? One of the first tools in an entrenched monopoly business that is selling a product that kills you is to use it's vast wealth to try and convince the public that their product really isn't that bad. Tool 1a is to spend some of that money to convince us that the alternatives are just as bad or worse. That is what we are starting to see around biofuels. Like this British report. Hey, sure biofuels aren't a silver bullet and yea sure we need to address the vehicle design, hybrids, etc. But come on, you are trying to tell me that a renewable carbon neutral source of fuel is worse that non-renewable dead dinosaurs? Get real.
Posted by Martin at 3:34 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 3, 2008
Go see Fields of Fuel
This guy has been working on the movie for three plus years. Just got it into Sundance for 2008. Yours truly is in the movie (a little). Go see it when it comes to your town.
Posted by Martin at 6:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 27, 2008
Excellend WGA report on Transportation fuels
Many government funded reports are so watered down by the committees that write them that they are of no use in the end. Fortunately the Western Governors Association has a different view. Their new report on Transportaion Fuels of the future is a good read and spot on. The first paragraph is:
"Among the most critical issues facing our nation is our dependence on petroleum for nearly
all of our transportation fuel. This dependence and global competition for the resource present
enormous risks to our future energy supply, the environment and to our nations economy."
wow, a governement admitting a problem and proposing actual actions through elected officials that actually can get them done. Wow. A new day in America.
Posted by Martin at 9:02 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 26, 2008
Virgin flys on Imperium Renewables BioJet
Posted by Martin at 11:43 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 25, 2008
Virgin flys on Imperium FuelFinally it is public. Did this deal last year.
Posted by Martin at 11:10 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 13, 2008
new biodiesel health benefits study
Biodiesels value to human health receives international attention in the new special issue of Inhalation Toxicology, the key forum for international exchange of the latest advances in pulmonary toxicology. "The use of biodiesel is an important medical, public health, social and economic issue, one that health and medical scientists, epidemiologists, toxicologists, and policymakers cannot afford to ignore," states Dr. Bailus Walker, Jr. PhD, MPH who served as the guest editor of the special issue. The publication features contributions by Dr. Jonathan M. Samet of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, U.S. Department of Agriculture Senior Economist James A. Duffield, National Renewable Energy Laboratory Principal Engineer Robert McCormickand Medford New Jersey Township Director of Operations and Technology Joe Biluck, Jr.
Have you ever wondered how much youre helping clean the air through your use of biodiesel? Theres a tool available on the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) website that can calculate emissions reductions based on the amount of biodiesel and the blend level youre using. Just visit the site to see what a difference youre making by using cleaner burning biodiesel.
Posted by Martin at 9:10 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Inventure Chemical on the move
in Q4 they tested over 20 next generation feedstocks.
Posted by Martin at 1:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 26, 2008
Peakniks make the front page of the WSJ
Today's WSJ has a cover story on a middle school teacher in Michigan who is preparing his family for the end of easy oil. Unlike many of the previous end of the world zealots who are forecasting world doom from some cataclysmic (usually religious inspired) event, people concerned about oil depletion come from all backgrounds and base their fears on facing the facts of life today. Oil is running out. The question is when. The other question is will our companies and governments tell us the truth or wait till it is too late? My guess is they wait. They have already done largely nothing as the price of oil went up 75% last year. Where is that money being spent? Oh yea the sovereign wealth funds are buying up American banks and companies with the oil dollars we just shipped them. If American's don't wake up and start innovating our way to real alternatives, in a few short years it will all be over.
Posted by Martin at 11:07 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 25, 2008
Dole harvesting equipment to B20
Good to see industry coming along. Imperium has been working with Dole on a number of initiatives related to biodiesel. Seems like someone is listening. Way to go Dole!
Posted by Martin at 8:23 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 17, 2008
Remember the energy bill
With ethanol companies tanking (again). I have to pinch myself and remember to read the biodiesel carve-out in the energy bill which was signed into law before christmas. This WILL lead to a viable biodiesel business in this country.
Biodiesel schedule
2012 (and thereafter) – 1BG
Posted by Martin at 11:42 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 15, 2008
Donating to National Biodiesel Foundation
they are promoting biodiesel education across the country. This country needs it.
Posted by Martin at 11:16 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 18, 2007
House passes energy bill
House passes energy bill by a margin of 314-100.
Ill get you the breakdown but its likely all the WA delegation voted for it but Hastings.
The language has not changed from the Senate passed version.
President Bush will sign the bill tomorrow.
Posted by Martin at 3:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 14, 2007
Farm bill clears Senate
So the Senate punted the tax extension for biodiesel credit from the energy bill to the farm bill yesterday. I think this is chickenshit, but then they passed the farm bill. I guess that is progress Washington DC style.
Farm Bill Clears Senate; January Conference Next
The Senate today overwhelmingly passed the 2007 farm bill, capping a prolonged debate that saw hundreds of proposed amendments whittled down to a few dozen.
By a 79-14 vote, Senators approved the $288 billion measure, which authorizes federal farm programs for five years.
"We have a good farm bill," said Senate Agriculture, Nutrition
and Forestry Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) following the vote.
Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), the ranking Republican on the committee, acknowledged regional differences that emerged during the debate but noted broad bipartisan support for the measure.
Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) said today's tally represented the most votes for a farm bill since 1973.
The bill contains billions for conservation, energy, specialty crops and rural investment. "We have met our obligations not just to farmers and ranchers but to rural communities," Harkin said.
Harkin said he would meet with House Agriculture Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) next week to begin preparations for a January conference committee.
Harkin has said the conference should be completed by the end of January. The White House has repeatedly criticized the bill, but a presidential veto of the popular bill is considered unlikely.
Today's vote followed a two-week procedural standoff over the decision Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to limit the scope of debate, which culminated with a failed cloture vote before Thanksgiving. The bill was revived last week after the two parties settled the dispute by agreeing to 20 amendments each.
In an effort to complete the bill today, several amendments were agreed to and adopted in a manager's amendment.
Not included was a Harkin amendment to limit junk food in schools. He vowed to revisit the issue.
"We're not giving up," he told reporters.
The bill includes a package of agriculture tax measures attached by
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.).
These provisions include the creation of a $5.1 billion trust fund to help ranchers
and farmers hurt by crop and livestock losses, the conversion of a number of
conservation payment programs into fully offset tax credit programs, and
additional incentives for rural economic development and energy-related tax
relief to aid agricultural producers.
"Our hardworking agricultural producers deserve a strong safety net and more
money in their pockets through this much-needed tax relief," Baucus said. "The
agriculture tax provisions the Senate approved today will recognize the
sacrifices of farming families, reward their efforts to conserve American land,
and revitalize the rural communities where they live."
Posted by Martin at 4:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Look mom, I am in Time Mag next week.
Should be in print next week. Will get a few copies for you. Picture wasn't online, but it will be in print
Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2007
Gambling on Green
By BRYAN WALSH
Harbor, a foggy bay 90 minutes outside
of this would have happened, however, without a spark of venture capital. That
came from Martin Tobias of Seattle-based firm Ignition Partners. A restless
ex-Microsoft executive, Tobias thought software had maxed out, and by 2004 he
was looking for the next big thing. He found it in the emerging clean-tech
sector — which encompasses renewable energy, environmental efficiency and water
— and discovered the struggling start-up Seattle Biodiesel, which had just been
launched by a former airline pilot. Tobias injected badly needed capital,
eventually buying 20% of the company and becoming CEO of the renamed Imperium
Renewables. ("Less local," he explains.) More funding came from angel
investors and successful rounds of venture financing, and today Imperium is set
to break ground on new plants in
the province of those with long hair and short credit lines, today clean tech
is a prime target for the smartest — and richest — investors in the world.
Green investment by American venture-capital firms reached $2.6 billion in the
first three quarters of 2007, the highest level ever recorded and nearly 50%
more than the total for the whole of 2006. The European clean-energy sector is
already producing winning companies in countries like Germany and Spain, and in
rapidly growing China nearly 20% of all venture capital was channeled into
clean companies in 2006 — double the percentage in the U.S. Green start-ups
searching for cash "have gone from a desert to drinking from a fire
hose," says Nancy Floyd, head of the alternative energy–focused venture-capital
firm Nth Power, which also has invested in Imperium Renewables. Like Tobias,
Silicon Valley stalwarts who helped power the IT revolution see clean tech as
an investment opportunity that could have no ceiling — and that comes with the
side benefit of potentially saving the world. Vinod Khosla, famous for being a
co-founder of Sun Microsystems, has put massive bets on biofuels, while his
former partners at leading venture capital firm Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield
& Byers (Kleiner Perkins) have belatedly followed in a big way, investing
more than $270 million in the green-tech sector and hiring Nobel prizewinner Al
Gore as an active partner. As Kleiner Perkins' Bill Joy told a recent gathering
of clean-tech CEOs in
capital is already paying off. Revenues for companies in solar energy, wind,
biofuels and fuel cells surged from $40 billion in 2005 to $55 billion in 2006,
according to the research group Clean Edge. Clean energy–related companies
raised over $10.3 billion in ipos in 2006, up from $4.3 billion in 2005, and
hot new companies such as First Solar, whose stock jumped from $25 to $215 in
the past year, are angling to become green Googles. In turn, green venture
capital in the
new new thing
For CEOs who founded clean-tech companies before this explosion of interest, the sudden materialization of capital can seem too good to be true. When Tom Todaro launched Seattle-based Targeted Growth, which uses genetic engineering to greatly enhance the yields of crops, he thought the company's ability to multiply the amount of feedstock available for biodiesel or ethanol would make it a star of the emerging biofuels sector. But it was the late 1990s, when clean tech made up less than 1% of total venture-capital spending, and investors weren't interested. "I went begging to friends and families and small investment firms," Todaro recalls. "At one point we were 90 days away from having to cut back operations."
Though they couldn't be more different from former dotcom darlings like Pets.com, clean-tech start-ups were hit hard by the vaporization of venture capital in the wake of the tech and Internet bust of 2000. Funding for green venture capital plunged over the next three years. But it wasn't just flashbacks to that meltdown that initially kept venture capitalists cool on clean tech. Starting up an Internet company required relatively low levels of capital — at least before you started buying your employees massage chairs — and dangled the possibility of a quick and lucrative payoff. Cracking the energy sector, with its powerful incumbent companies and forbiddingly high capital costs, requires a more patient investor. "There may be some VCs willing to finance a $100 million project plant, but most can't," says Howard Berke, a veteran tech entrepreneur and co-founder of the solar company Konarka. "It could mean a longer [wait] for returns than what early-stage venture capitalists are accustomed to."
tide began to turn in 2004, thanks partly to rapidly climbing oil prices that
instantly made alternative energy more competitive, and partly to government
action in the
2006, the clean-tech sector was absorbing 11% of all venture capital in North
America and
No single venture capitalist may be more responsible for that shift than Khosla, who formed Khosla Ventures in 2004 in part because his Kleiner Perkins partners were still hesitant to dive into clean tech. Khosla had no such fears, and he has emerged as a clean-tech evangelist. "By 2000, I felt that software and other businesses were reaching a dead end," he says. "But energy was an area where there were large markets that could benefit from innovation." Khosla hasn't held back — in the first nine months of 2007, Khosla Ventures participated in 14 deals worth nearly $70 million. He has spread his bets along a range of clean-tech sectors, with a particular focus on biofuel start-ups such as Range Fuels, which is close to commercializing biofuel out of agricultural residue like wood chips, rather than food crops. Nothing has paid off big for him yet — in fact, prices for corn-based ethanol, which Khosla has also invested in, crashed in 2007, largely due to overproduction. But Khosla, who sees corn as a stepping stone to superior cellulosic ethanol, is undaunted. "This is a great market with great fundamentals," he says.
the dotcom bust casts a shadow, with fears that once again too much money is
chasing too few good ideas. The drive to go green, so strong today, could
rapidly lose momentum if oil prices were to drop significantly, and it hasn't
escaped notice that clean tech has yet to produce a bank-breaking success like
Netscape, which made Kleiner Perkins a fortune. "Everybody with a dollar
thinks they're a clean-tech investor now," says Foundation Capital's Grosser.
"A ton of people could lose a lot of money on solar or biofuels." But
defenders point out that the burgeoning energy needs of
Big names from the mainstream business world are migrating into the clean-tech sector — because they want to help the planet and their bankbook. Lois Quam, a pioneering health-care executive, who was last year named one of Fortune's 50 Most Powerful Women in Business, joined the Minneapolis-based investment bank Piper Jaffray to guide its rapidly growing alternative-energy portfolio. "You see so many good companies and entrepreneurs entering this space," says Quam. "This is the biggest business opportunity for this country."
of profits
That's a message much of the rest of the world has already absorbed. Though the
both Europe and the
That pressing need for innovation is the ultimate challenge for everyone involved in the green sector, including the venture capitalists funding it. Some environmentalists like to say that we already have the technology we need to defeat global warming. This is not true. Creating the advances needed to rapidly decarbonize our energy supply — at a price the developing world can afford — will require the investment of countless billions of dollars for research and development. At the moment, we're not even close to victory, but many of the best, smartest and richest investors around have now joined the battle. At the end of a presentation on Kleiner Perkins' green-tech initiative at this year's TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference, an invitation-only gathering of global thinkers, legendary venture capitalist John Doerr silenced his audience when he briefly broke down, pondering the future his 15-year-old daughter would face if nothing were done to stop climate change. "We face irreversible and catastrophic consequences," Doerr said. "We must act and we must act decisively." Investors like Doerr have financed revolutions before. Let's hope they spark another.
With reporting by Alex Altman/London and Kathleen Kingsbury/Hong Kong
Posted by Martin at 3:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Propel opening more stations
Propel had a good announcement with vulcan yesterday. A new flagship biodiesel station fully automated. They use Imperium fuel. This is starting a real revolution in the retail fuel business.
Posted by Martin at 9:19 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 11, 2007
Thanks Fed for higher oil (oh and thanks EIA for raising price estimates and demand estimates too)...
When the dollar gets cheaper (as it did today with .25bp drop by fed), Oil gets higher. It is physics. Look for oil to go even higher. Oh, and then there is demand and tightness in supply. Most wall street investment banks have oil at a $60-$65 price in 2008. Only Goldman has it up at $80. Well the leading independent analyst of this, the EIA today went up to $80. That now puts the big banks on the low end of government estimates. Do not expect this to last.
From Lehman today:
· Market Settle: The front month NYMEX WTI futures contract closed up $2.16 to $90.02. The 48-month NYMEX WTI futures contract closed up $0.71 to $85.24. The front month ICE Brent futures contract closed up $1.95 to $89.99. The 48-month ICE Brent futures contract closed up $0.56 to $84.99. The front month DME Oman futures contract closed up $1.65 to $85.45.
· DOE Stats Preview – Crude to draw, gasoline to build, distillate to stay flat
· EIA revises monthly estimate for global oil demand by 1.4m b/d; U.S. and China by 30k b/d each
· Oklahoma oil pipelines resume operations after power failure
· Darfur rebels halt 35k b/d of Chinese production
Houston Ship Channel
reopens to tanker traffic, ending two-day closure
Posted by Martin at 6:54 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 9, 2007
CARB enacts new port measures to reduce diesel particulate
Times are a changing on the water. I have written before on how ports are a big source of pollution and how converting the trucks and equipment to biodiesel could significantly reduce pollution. In Seattle, SSA has done this. Royal Carribean, one of Imperium Renewables customers has also converted a significant number of ships to biodiesel in part for economics in part to get a jump on regulations. Now CARB has made a number of things mandatory by 2014 which I believe will significantly drive the demand for biodiesel in ports. Go CARB.
Posted by Martin at 9:00 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 7, 2007
Chevron says it may stop further investments in Galveston biodiesel plant
More evidence that Chevron is only paying lip service to biodiesel and not following through on real investments.
FO Licht's World Ethanol & Biofuels ReportFriday December 07 2007
Chevron Corp. has signalled it may stop investing in a biodiesel fuel plant in Galveston, clouding the future of an operation that had been counting on the oil company's backing to expand, according to people familiar with the situation.
The oil giant's hesitation has created uncertainty for the plant's Houston-based owner, Standard Renewable Energy, which runs the plant through an affiliate called BioSelect Fuels.
The companies are still negotiating, the sources said, and San-Ramon, California-based Chevron still may decide to increase its investment in the project, the Houston Chronicle reports.
Chevron would say only that it remains a partner in the venture, without speculating on its future role. Officials at Standard Renewable Energy declined comment.
With Chevron's role in question, Standard Renewable Energy has begun rethinking initial expansion plans that would have made its Galveston Bay
Rather thancharging ahead with plans to increase the plant's production capacity from about 20 mln gallons per year today to more than 100 mln gallons per year, the focus has turned to upgrading storage and transportation infrastructure at the site, sources said.
That more cautious approach, however, may be driven by factors beyond Chevron's potentially reduced involvement.
Kent Robertson, a Chevron spokesman, stressed that Chevron, through its Chevron Technology Ventures subsidiary, remains a minority investor in the Galveston plant. The unit holds a 22% stake.
But he declined to say whether Chevron will inject more money into the project. "We haven't announced plans for future investment," he said.
Chevron is one of the only US oil companies to invest in the actual production of biofuels. Some competitors only blend biofuels with conventional petroleum fuels or invest in biofuels research.
Yet Chevron, the second-largest US oil company, remains focused on oil and natural gas exploration, as it made clear today with the release of its 2008 capital expenditure budget. Capital spending will increase 15% percent to $22.9 bln, with more than $17 bln going to oil and gas production. The balance will go to oil refinery upgrades and other activities that include research in renewable fuels, the company said.
Chevron has said it expects to spend more than $2.5 billion between 2007 and 2009 on alternative and renewable energy technologies, including biofuels.
In May, Chevron officials were in Galveston for the plant's grand opening and held up the facility as an example of the company's commitment to renewable energy technologies.
"Our involvement with BioSelect Galveston will allow us to apply our world-class capabilities in transportation fuel manufacturing and distribution while expanding our knowledge and experience in large-scale biofuels production," said Donald Paul, Chevron's vice president and chief technology officer.
At the same event, Standard Renewable Energy CEO John Berger said Chevron was "setting an example for the energy industry."
But after investing money in the project five separate times over two years, Chevron balked at the latest request to invest more in the plant, sources said.
The Galveston Bay Biodiesel plant has been touted as one of the nation's first large-scale production plants. The initial goal was to boost production to 60 mln gallons a year by fall 2007 and 110 mln gallons by 2008.
Beyond the Galveston facility, BioSelect had plans to open more US biofuel plants, hitting 470 mln gallons of capacity by 2010.
It's not clear how those plans might change in a sluggish biodiesel market and without additional investment from Chevron in the Galveston Bay plant.
Eric Melvin, CEO of Mobius Risk Group, a Houston-based commodity risk advisory firm that owns asmall stake in the Galveston plant, said he hadn't heard of plans by Chevron to stop investing in the facility. But he said he has his own doubts about the durability of the plant in the face of clear market challenges for biodiesel.
Posted by Martin at 9:30 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 28, 2007
EPA announces 2008 RFS targets
thanks GCC. The goal is already below the current demand of ethanol and biodiesel. That is why it needs to be raised. WE have already exceeded it.
Posted by Martin at 1:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 27, 2007
Be careful who your biodiesel supplier is
The Portland Water Bureau did a good thing this year. It switched eight of their trucks to run B99, nearly pure biodiesel. Unfortunately they chose biodiesel from Sequential Biofuels which was most likely made from waste vegetable oil using the traditional batch process with a water wash. The result? A high cold flow plug point. That meant that at first frost the trucks fuel turned solid. I have run B100, PURE BIODIESEL, for the last three years and have never had a tank turn solid. Why? Because I use only biodiesel made from virgin veg oils, specifically canola, from Imperium Renewables. And yes that is my company so I have a dog in this fight. This morning there was a frost on the ground and a temp in the 30s. The Touareg started right up on problem. In the tank, B100 from Canola with a CFPP of around -14C. Go ahead, run B100 all winter. Just buy from a company that makes the highest quality biodiesel you can find. It is not all the same.
Posted by Martin at 11:03 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Check out the BioCaddy burning rubber!
More from CNN. Check out the Imperium Renewables, Inc. fuel and BioCaddy burning rubber!
Posted by Martin at 10:42 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Neil Young talks about converting his 59 Lincoln to biodiesel hybrid
check out the CNN story on the LincVolt.
Posted by Martin at 10:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 26, 2007
Some Diesel history
prices are today at record levels. Check the blow from OPIS. Oil companies have learned that the demand for diesel is relatively inelastic. But Gas demand is pretty elastic above $3.50. So what do they do with $97 oil? raise diesel prices faster to keep revenue equal without destroying gas demand.
In other news, while most of America is fixated on the price of gasoline, the price of diesel fuel has quietly moved to numbers that are up more than 80cts gal from last year, and by well over twice what was paid in December 2003. According to data compiled by OPIS for AAA this morning, 24 U.S. states now have average prices above $3.50 gal.
The cheapest diesel in the country shows up in South Carolina, where the average price is "just" $3.30 gal. The most expensive diesel is in Hawaii, where recent refinery woes have combined with high global prices to send the average price to $3.845 gal. The most expensive mainland state is Montana, where the average price is $3.732 gal.
Wholesale costs that vary anywhere from about $2.75 gal to $2.85 gal for ultra low sulfur diesel U.S. bulk markets are the primary culprit behind the surge. But wholesale prices for low sulfur diesel in Europe have advanced to over $3.00 gal recently, leading to a vibrant export market from Gulf Coast and even Middle Atlantic ports.
In contrast, the average price for retail diesel one year ago today was
$2.642 gal. The end of November 2005 saw an average price of $2.629 gal; while this day in 2004 saw a $2.1654 gal average. If one goes back four years, the average price for diesel on November 26, 2003 was just $1.5477 gal. Hence, today's prices are up by about 125% from the numbers witnessed just four years ago.
Posted by Martin at 4:48 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 15, 2007
more coverage of Philly students' biodiesel/hybrid
CBS news finally found this project. I first started talking about this car way back in Sept 2005. Nice to see CBS is finally reading Deep Green Crystals.
Posted by Martin at 4:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Join Clean Drive
Propel Fuels just had a soft launch of their new CleanDrive program. Enter your vehicles and buy biodiesel from Propel stations, get a report saying how much carbon you are saving ongoing. You can actually track the difference you are making. Very cool. I just joined.
Posted by Martin at 10:18 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 9, 2007
check out the hot trucks at SEMA
including my new Escalade biodiesel/ethanol!
Posted by Martin at 10:04 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 2, 2007
here is the picture that says 1000 words
The USDA graph referenced in previous post. Soy oil use in biodiesel falling off a cliff....
Posted by Martin at 7:12 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
The bloom is off soy as a biodiesel feedstock
I have been saying for some time that the speculative premium baked into soy oil on the expectation of massive consumption by biodiesel is WAY overblown. Soy oil has been trading in line with crude oil as if it were a direct substitute. It is not. It requires lots of processing. The refinery capacity for that is not at scale yet (with the exception of Imperium). Yet the USDA report showing US soy consumption by biodiesel producers has been up and to the right for the past 6 months. Graphing that out showed a huge percentage of the soy crop going to biodiesel. I have been saying this grossly underestimates the effect of today's negative margins, the pullback on plant financings and the negative economics of midwest biodiesel in general. Finally this month, the USDA report reflects the facts. Notice a HUGE drop off in Sept of soy oil going to biodiesel.
* Overall US vegetable oil usage to methyl esters down 20% from August's number.
* Soy usage in methyl esters down about 25% versus August.
* Given what I've seen about how the Census number affects the USDA number, I'd expect next week's USDA report to be flat or down slightly on the soy usage in methyl esters.
* Composition changing: Soy's share of feedstock usage down considerably versus tallow and other sources relatively flat.
Another "i told you so"
Posted by Martin at 10:24 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 1, 2007
Chevron continues the delaying tactics
Does anyone really believe the oil companies want to solve our oil addiction? Monopolists never have an interest in true change. Their only interest is in delaying true change. Witness the Cigarette companies "researching" health effects of smoking. And bringing "low tar" and "filtered" cigarettes to the market. Witness Microsoft saying "all bugs will be solved in the next release". Every time, every release. Witness the blatant greenwashing BP is engaged in. Do you really believe "it is a start"? Now Chevron joins the put off party with a huge bunch of guilt money going to NREL to "Collaborate on research to produce transportation fuels using algae". Wait a minute, isn't this the same NREL that was already paid by the Federal Government for OVER A DECADE to study the VERY SAME PROBLEM? Yessiree it is.
Posted by Martin at 8:09 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 22, 2007
BioBike gets 100MPG
Well I bought one that already does that from EcoRider, but some students in Aus have rigged one together as well. Unfortunately they chose a 10HP engine and i bet the thing can't make it over 30mph. Go Neander!
Posted by Martin at 8:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 19, 2007
Carbon credits coming to biodiesel
I have been talking for some time about the extra values that are available from burning biodiesel versus petro diesel. One of these is the value of carbon reductions (since biodiesel produces 78% less carbon than diesel). There are a number of organizations trying to get a protocol approved from an exchange to value the credits. The current leading market which should approve biodesel carbon credits first is the Chicago Carbon Exchange (CCX). Biodiesel Mag has an article on this. I expect this to happen by Q1 08. This will be a very interesting development for the overall biodiesel industry.
Posted by Martin at 10:22 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 18, 2007
Researchers predict 12 fold increase in lipid yields around the world
I have been talking for some time about the fact that current oilseed industry has been developed and optimized for food production. That if you were to manage and optimize the crops for fuel production you could get a radical increase in oil production. These researchers affirm that.
Posted by Martin at 7:59 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 9, 2007
The dual fuel renewable monster lives!
The good folks at HLine conversions have put in the Duramax engine, Allison transmition, ethanol injection, air bags and a bunch of other tricks. Check it out!
Posted by Martin at 2:56 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 2, 2007
Propel yourself with Biodiesel in Northwest!
Propel Biodiesel is starting to put their stations in the ground! We know the Propel guys well (in fact they are hanging in our office). These stations will carry the best fuel on the planet, Imperium's! and are the most convenient way to hook up with biodiesel. They are rolling out 20 in the next couple months.
Posted by Martin at 9:22 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 1, 2007
now here is someone having fun: BioBling.
Get a biodiesel car, bling it out. Have fun.
Posted by Martin at 11:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 18, 2007
Australian bioidiesel company buys development of palm oil plantations
Saw this on the tape today.
I expect more of this vertical integration, although I have no idea if this deal will work or not. I see this as just an option buy (the cost of that option is not mentioned). As an option buy, it is not clear how it could affect EBITDA in the near term. I expect there is little to no effect other than losses as the plantations are developed.
Australia's Sterling Biofuels (ASX: SBI) has acquired a 70% stake in UTE Power, a Malaysian company that has development rights for oil palm plantation.
UTE Power has the right to develop 10,600 acres of land owned by a Malaysian state government body into an oil palm plantation. The development rights are for a period of 60 years with an option to renew for another 30 years.
This acquisition will ensure a regular supply of feedstock to Sterling's biofuel plants and also protect the company from future spikes in the price of its palm-based feedstock.
Under the acquisition terms, Sterling will be responsible for funding the development of the proposed oil palm plantation. As such, it will pay only a nominal upfront payment for the acquisition of its interest in UTE.
Sterling will have control of UTE management and a first right of refusal over any future plantation development rights that the initial promoters may source.
The cost of developing the oil palm plantation is estimated to be AUD 15m (USD 12.6m) over 5 years. Sterling does not expect to raise equity capital to fund this initiative.
Since Malaysian rules on foreign equity ownership restrict Sterling's ownership of UTE to 70%, Sterling will have to apply for Malaysian regulatory approval to acquire a further 15% of UTE from the initial promoters. This option to purchase additional equity in the plantation development is exercisable over the next four years at an agreed price.
Posted by Martin at 7:40 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 6, 2007
the whole WorldWatch Food vs Fuel report
buy a printed copy here: or download the pdf.
Posted by Martin at 2:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 5, 2007
Worldwatch report food Vs Fuel; the winner Fuel and the small farmer
Worldwatch report sees many benefits from biofuels
FO Licht's World Ethanol & Biofuels Report
Tuesday August 07 2007
The increase in world agriculture prices caused by the global boom in biofuels could bring major benefits to the world's rural poor who have been suffering under low prices for decades, according to the Worldwatch Institute.
This is a conclusion of a major study entitled Biofuels for Transport: Global Potential and Implications for Energy and Agriculture, co-ordinated by the German Agency for Technical Cooperation and just published by Earthscan.
If implemented in smart ways on the basis of strong policies, hundreds of millions of the world's poorest people, the majority of whom live in rural areas, stand to benefit massively from the global biofuel transition, which will result in reduced food insecurity and increased incomes.
The report confirms many previous scientific assessments on the poverty alleviating potential of bio-based energy and products.
"Decades of declining agricultural prices have been reversed thanks to the growing use of biofuels. Rural farmers in some of the poorest nations have been decimated by US and European subsidies to crops such as corn, cotton, and sugar. But today's higher prices may allow them to sell their crops at a decent price. However, major agriculture reforms and infrastructure development will be needed to ensure that the increased benefits go to the world's 800 million undernourished people, most of whom live in rural areas", said Christopher Flavin, president of the Worldwatch Institute.
Biofuels for Transport, undertaken with support from the German Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Consumer Protection, assesses the range of 'sustainability' issues the biofuels industry will present in the years ahead, ranging from implications for the global climate and water resources to biological diversity and the world's poor. The report finds that rising food prices are a hardship for some urban poor, who will need increased assistance from the UN World Food Programme and other relief efforts.
But, as many experts have stressed, a far larger group of poor people stands to benefit from biofuels, namely those who live in rural areas. The researchers stress that the central cause of food scarcity is poverty, and seeking food security by driving agricultural prices ever lower will hurt more people than it helps.
In fact, rising agricultural prices may have major economic benefits, especially to the vast mass of the rural poor. Biofuels can, for the first time, bring increased incomes and boost the food security of these people.
In Sub-Saharan Africa more than 60% of people make a living off the land and low agricultural prices as well as trade barriers and subsidies in the wealthy west have kept them in dire poverty. Biofuels offer a unique opportunity to break this lethal status quo, according to the report.
Moreover, the tripling in oil prices since 2002 has been an economic disaster for poor nations which in the future may be able to purchase fuel from their own farmers rather than spending scarce foreign exchange on imported oil. Of the 47 poorest countries, 38 are net importers of oil and 25 import all of their oil. The result of this disastrously costly dependence is a potential collapse of poverty alleviation, health, education, hunger and development efforts that are felt by all the weakest segments of society.
The UN recently found that some of the poorest countries are already forced to spend twice as much on oil imports, than on health care.
Since the Biofuels for Transport study was researched, biofuels growth has skyrocketed. According to the latest estimates, world biofuels production rose by 28% in 2006 to 44 bln litres, with fuel ethanol increasing by 22% and biodiesel rising by 80%. Although biofuels comprise less than 1% of the global liquid fuel supply, the surge in production of biofuels in 2006 met 17% of the increase in supply of all liquid fuels worldwide last year.
rapid growth is having unintended impacts. Large-scale biofuels production can
threaten biodiversity, as seen recently with palm oil plantations in
book concludes that the long-term potential of biofuels is in the use of
non-food feedstocks, including agricultural and forestry wastes, as well as
fast-growing, cellulose-rich energy crops such as perennial grasses and trees.
Following the model of
The book recommends policies that protect natural resources, support a speedy transition to cellulosic technologies, and facilitate a sustainable international biofuels trade. Freer trade in biofuels should be coupled with
social and environmental standards and a credible system to certify compliance.
"Biofuels alone will not solve the world's transportation-related energy problems," concludes the report. "Development of these fuels must occur within the context of a transition to a more efficient, less polluting and more diversified global transport sector. They must be part of a portfolio of options that includes dramatic improvements in vehicle fuel economy, investment in public transportation, and better urban planning."
for Transportation: Global Potential and Implications for Sustainable
Agriculture and Energy in the 21st Century. Published in the
Posted by Martin at 10:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Europe Dieselization continues, breaks threshold
via Platts
Diesel demand in Germany, France and the UK is expected to rise 2.2% in 2007 to 20,676,000 mt, according to International Energy Agency data analysed by Platts, as Europe trends towards diesel powered transportation.
The agency estimates that France, the largest consumer of diesel in Europe, will have 7,834,000 mt of demand in 2007 averaging 652.8kt per month which is a 1.1% increase from the previous year.
Germany, the second largest consumer will have 7,521,000 mt of demand in 2007 averaging 626.7kt a month, a 3.4% build from 2006 and the UK will have 5,321,000 mt of demand in 2007, up 2.38% from 2006.
Europe has been moving towards a majority diesel fleet since the European Commission encouraged lower taxes on diesel fuel to encourage its spread at the pump.
This is because diesel engines are more fuel efficient and therefore more
economical burning less CO2.
The lighter tax burden has kept diesel prices below gasoline across much of Europe for a number of years, except in the UK, making diesel cars more economical with cheaper running costs proving popular amongst consumers.
As a result, diesel demand into France, Germany and the UK has risen 23.9% from 16,684,000 mt per year in 2000 to 20,676,000 mt this year which equates to approximately 1000 cargoes of diesel.
At the same time, gasoline demand has declined as a higher percentage of new
cars being sold are diesel cars.
Diesel cars are cheaper to run and as a result of advances in diesel engine technology amongst manufacturers, they are cleaner and quieter than they used to be.
Data provided by PSA, the collective Peugeot and Citroën brand, shows that the percentage of the European fleet [18 EU countries including France, Germany and the UK] of new car registrations has risen from 22.3% in 1997 to 50.8% in 2006.
It is the first time that more diesel powered cars were sold than gasoline
powered cars.
The country with the highest percentage of diesel cars is France with 71.4% of new cars registered in 2006 diesel totaling 1,427,698 units.
Posted by Martin at 8:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
EPA finally implements the national RFS (two years late)
on Sept. 1, the EPA finally started enforcing the national Renewable Fuel Standard that was passed into law way back in 2005. The goals are today under the actual production and there is no carve out for Biodiesel, but that is changing. Lets hope that now that the administrative enforcement is in place, the policy makers can pass some actual stretch goals.
Posted by Martin at 10:05 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 4, 2007
Signing HECO contract
Imperium signed a fuel supply contract with Hawaii Electric Company two weeks ago. It is disclosed in our S1. What is missing is the photo. How bout those shirts eh? (I am the one in the middle)
Posted by Martin at 10:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Jay Leno's EcoJet powered by Imperium Renewables gets more play
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns (photo, R) and thousands of attendees at the Farm Progress Show last week got to see what millions have heard about on late night television. Tonight Show host and auto enthusiast Jay Leno has worked with GM in developing the EcoJet concept car that is propelled by a jet engine powered by B100 biodiesel. To build on this positive recognition of biodiesels benefits, New Holland displayed Lenos EcoJet in its exhibit at the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Ill. on Aug. 28 and 29. The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) CEO Joe Jobe appeared with Leno in a webisode of Jay Lenos Garage earlier this year. Leno uses biodiesel in the New Holland tractor that moves his cars in the garage. Leno also did a three-part series on the EcoJet. The EcoJet is one more example of how biodiesel enhances future vehicle technology, said Jobe. We appreciate the support of Jay Leno and New Holland for bringing the EcoJet to the Farm Progress Show. It helps us raise awareness for the important role that biodiesel plays in our nations energy security. Click here for sound clips, photos and more. Don Scott, NBB technical and regulatory engineer, has also traveled across the nation with the EcoJet on a promotional tour.
Posted by Martin at 4:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 28, 2007
some pictures from IRI Grays Harbor opening two weeks ago
The dignitaries. John Plaza, Martin Tobias, Rep. Norm Dicks, Sen. Patty Murray, Sen. Maria Cantwell.
Adrienne Barnes from Hawaii and Martin.
Lisa Marthe from IGH and Martin.
Bob from Royal Carribean, our largest customer
Sid Watts, plant general Manager and Martin
Martin and John Plaza's biodiesel mercedes.
Posted by Martin at 11:43 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Malaysian palm trader buys into US biodiesel production
Felda Holdings Bhd, a Malaysian company said to be the world's largest palm oil producer, announced yesterday that it agreed to buy a U.S. oleochemical and biodiesel producer with big plans for expanding its biofuel output.
With an eye to expanding its biofuel presence around the world, Felda inked a memorandum of understanding with Quincy, Mass.-based Twin Rivers Technology that would give it a controlling interest in the company. Terms of the deal, which is still subject to due diligence and approval of both company boards, were face down, but sources said Felda had sought a 70%-80% stake infamily- owned Twin Rivers. The deal should be completed over the next three months.
Annual revenues at Twin Rivers were said to top $200 million. Some of its biggest customers include biodiesel producers Peter Cremer and Stepan Co.
Twin Rivers has a long history in biodiesel, though not extensive. The company was formed in the mid-1990s with the idea of retrofitting a former Procter & Gamble plant in Quincy to make its "EnviroDiesel" biodiesel. The company instead ended up focusing on fatty acids, glycerin and other products used in soap and cosmetics industries -- only producing small volumes of biodiesel at Quincy.
However, Twin Rivers aggregated additional facilities and other assets over the last several years that it planned to, in part, devote to biodiesel. Along with its Quincyoperation, the company has facilities in Cincinnati and Painesville, Ohio, as well as the Fore River Transportation Co. short line railroad that services Quincy with access to the national rail system.
In essence,it has been back to the future as far as its latest biodiesel plans. Twin Rivers recently set out a phased expansion into commercial biodiesel production that would eventually push its output to 70 million gal/yr. Next year, the company expected to beginretrofitting its Cincinnatiplant to make biodiesel at the rate of about 35 million gal/yr. Following that, expansion work to around 35 million gal/yr was pegged for Quincy. The Painesville plant has also been tapped as a future biodiesel production site.
Twin Rivers also offers ship access, as well as bulk liquid terminals and warehouse facilities scattered through several Midwest and East Coast states.
The Felda deal provides strong financial backing for Twin Rivers growth projects, commented one industry player, as well as a very special connection to the palm oil markets. By some accounts, Felda provides up to 8% of world palm oil demand. Felda officials said they expect to grow Twin Rivers operations, but provided little specific details.
Spencer Kelly, firstname.lastname@example.com
Copyright, Oil Price Information Service
Posted by Martin at 9:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 24, 2007
Be warry of your biofuel supplier
Look what could happen if you choose the wrong one who is not a credit worthy co-party.
Shares plunge in Renewable Power and Light
FO Licht's World Ethanol & Biofuels ReportTuesday July 17 2007
Shares in Renewable Power and Light Plc have lost more than half their value because it expects to make a loss in 2007 instead of a $25 mln pre-tax profit predicted by the house broker, the firm said on July 13. The company blamed the turnaround on the loss of its supply of palm oil which it planned to use to generate electricity in two power plants it is converting to run on biodiesel.
Renewable Power is suing its supplier, Safari Group Inc, in the United States for breach of contract for failing to deliver the palm oil for an earlier agreed price. Its oil palms are grown in West Africa. Palm oil prices doubled since the start of 2006, before recently falling back. They are still up over 70% for the period, driven by demand for biofuel. Renewable Power now faces difficulty buying palm oil at a price to make its operations profitable unless it can secure the supply from Safari at the agreed tariff.
It has obtained a temporary restraining order preventing Safari from transferring the palm oil to anyone else. Renewable Power is considering its strategy, including using other feedstock crops, buying feedstock firms, or growing its own palm oil, while it sues Safari, a spokesman said on Friday.
Posted by Martin at 10:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
European biodiesel consumption up 78%
Green Car Congress: European Transportation Biofuel Consumption Up 78% from 2005 to 2006. That about says it all. They are way ahead. Interestingly enough I bet more than 20% of that production came from the US as US producers chased higher margins in Europe where the demand is growing faster than the US.
Posted by Martin at 9:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 13, 2007
The party keeps rock'n for big oil
Oil rises to 11-month high as production drops
. Crude oil rose to an 11-month high in New York and London after a pipeline shutdown and maintenance work reduced North Sea Brent oil production. Chevron Corp. and ConocoPhillips said they lost output from North Sea fields that produce oil and gas after BP Plc closed the pipeline. BG Group Plc said its Armada oil field in the North Sea has been shut for maintenance since June. The International Energy Agency said in a report today that global oil demand will rise 2.5% next year. Crude oil for August delivery rose $1.37 to $73.87 a barrel at 2:24 p.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Futures reached $73.89, the highest intraday price since Aug. 15. Oil is up 1.3% this week.
Posted by Martin at 2:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 11, 2007
Fox news to use B20 to cover the All-Star Game


text:
Combine the speed and platforming precision of Super Meat Boy, add to it some competitive racing mechanics, and infuse the mashup with Dubstep and you have Rush Bros. The premise of the game is simple, race through the 30 levels as fast as you can. In singleplayer, the game tracks your time and will populate the level with a ghost image to give players an incentive to try to speed through the level faster than before. The game however seem to be geared more towards competitive play. It's called Rush Bros after all, not Rush Single Child. The multiplayer aspect of the game is similar to singleplayer, but now instead of racing your own ghost you're competing with another player. Adding some chaos into the mix, your opponent can grab powerups that will hinder your progress like reversing gravity, switching your controls, and turning out all the lights on your level. Conversely, you also can grab the same powerups to harass them as well as picking up temporary benefits to help you such as speed boosts and a temporary double jump ability. Being a musically themed game, the music manipulates different variables in the environment. The effect is usually subtle and will make platforms or objects move faster or slower, depending on the music's tempo. I noticed a bass speaker in a level that was pulsing sound waves from it. At first I thought it was just an level decoration, but playing the level again with music that had deeper bass I noticed the sound waves emanating from it were larger and actually had force that pushed my character.
On the topic of music the game comes with three dubsteb tracks, I enjoyed them but I have a certain affinity to the genre. If you absolutely hate dubsteb all is not lost, as you can import your own music. The prospect sounds wonderful, but I had some difficulties doing this. The UI to import your music is pretty bare bones and reminded me of browsing through windows explorer. I thought it best to just move music into the default starting directory which was the Rush Bros folder. Once I could locate my music it's importation was dodgy. Sometimes songs would import and sometimes they would not. The game never gave me any feedback or input on if it accepted music. Several times I purposely clicked import on a song multiple times just to be sure it worked to still not have it import. On the flipside, if you do manage to get a track to import, it's remembered and you don't have to deal with the process again.
Another disappointment I had with the game is the online integration The game is currently on Steam Greenlight, but has not been approved. Despite this the play online menu button displays a Steam logo. After clicking it to find a game, you'll find none. I tried several time throughout my play time with the game and never once found a game. I don't know if this is a feature that will be implemented using Steam Friend's List or if no one has the game and is playing online. Players can host games, but without a friend that owns a copy and no apparent people online, I didn't bother. The ability to not play online strips this competitive platform to split screen local only, which is extremely limiting to say the least.
Rush Bros can be fun, but in it's current state seems like an unfinished product. It could be enjoyable if you like to push and compete against yourself, but seems to have little little lasting value or replayability due to it's stripped online component, unless of course you have a buddy around to play it with you.
Race to the Dubsteb here
Support Rush Bros on Steam Greenlight

subset: commoncrawl


text:
View all pre-approved preferred generic or brand name prescription drugs that are covered under the CarePlus Florida Medicare Advantage plan in your service area.
At the beginning of a new plan year, you may not be able to receive your current drug therapy if the drug is not on CarePlus' drug list (or formulary) or if it requires prior authorization because of quantity limits, step therapy requirements, or confirmation of your clinical history. CarePlus wants to be sure that you, as a new or existing member, safely transition into the new plan year. To learn more about the transition process, please review our 2012 Transition Policy.
H1019_CPHPEDUMKTG2015 Approved
Last Updated: 10/01/2014


text:
Remember the old MASN commercials that would glorify the times when the then Washington Nationals defacto ace, John Lannan, would pitch himself into and out of jams? A Nats fan would appear on the screen describing a situation where Lannan got a fortuitous double-play, and for some reason, that was supposed to make us want to watch Nationals baseball.
Questionable marketing strategies aside, John Lannan is currently in the midst of his best season as a professional, and a large part of it actually has to do with his increased ground ball percentage. In fact, very quietly, Lannan has gone from being a good ground ball pitcher, to having the fifth best ground ball percentage in the National League this season.
Hidden behind his 8-11 record and a career best 3.54 ERA, Lannan has posted a 55.2 ground ball percentage which puts him behind only Jake Westbrook (60.4%), Derek Lowe (59.2%), Charlie Morton (59.1%), and Tim Hudson (56.9%) for the National League lead. Among those starters his batting average on balls in play, .286, ranks only behind Tim Hudson's .262., meaning that not only is he forcing among the most ground balls in the league, hitters are hitting those ground balls weaker than against most pitchers.
This year could finally serve as vindication for Lannan, a pitcher who has throughout his career been an afterthought to scouts who believe he constantly outproduces his actual abilities. In nearly each year of his career the crafty lefty has posted an FIP (Fielder Independent Pitching) below his season's ERA total, an indication to some that even though he has played for the Nationals the past five seasons, he has been the benefactor of good defense. Analysts also look at his low strikeout rate (4.71 per nine innings in his career), and his high walk rate and write him off, saying that eventually his luck will run out and his production will match his true abilities.
Five years into his career now, and Lannan is still ticking. His strikeout rate still remains too low, and his walk rate remains too high, but his production still manages to be better than any scout would have guessed. He is certainly no ace, not even for a team like Washington, but one thing that he is is a viable Major League starting pitcher who could earn a spot on even a playoff team's rotation.


text:
Statement by H.E. Miyegombo Enkhbold,
Prime Minister of Mongolia,
in the general debate of the sixty-first session
of the United Nations General Assembly
21 September 2006 New York
Madame President,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Considerable progress has been registered in implementing the specific set of actions to ensure peace, development and human rights agreed upon by over 150 heads of state and government at the last year's world Summit. The Peacebuilding Commission, Human Righst Council, Central Emergency Revolving Fund, UN Democracy Fund, Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and other achievements speak for themselves.
However, we cannot afford to be complacent with what we have achieved so far. As redoubled efforts ought to be made so that to ensure that people in every corner of the world feel benefits of development in their everyday life. Secretary-General Kofi Annan in his annual report on the work of the Organization observed that "the words of 2005 have yet to have a direct impact on the lives of the poor people they are meant to help. Nor have they produced the implementation breakthroughs required to achieve the Millennium Development Goals". A sad, but true conclusion.
My delegation therefore welcomes, Madame President, your most timely initiative to focus our attention at this session of the General Assembly on the implementation of the global partnership for development.
The global partnership for development was coined as the MDG-8 and thus cannot be divorced from the rest of development goals and objectives. The global partnership for development means, in our view, a global compact between developed and developing states. It is a responsibility of developing coutries to formulate and implement sound policies to ensure their sustainable economic and social development and to that end mobilize domestic resources. For the developed countries it entails their obligation to support such efforts through provision of development financing, including ODA in a timely and sufficient manner and ensure an increased market access for developing countries. Mongolia, for one, takes her responsiblity seriously and stands committed to its development objectives.
Madame President,
Allow me to share with you the policies and specific actions taken by my country to implement the MDGs as well as my views on the need to build partnership to achieve them.
First, Mongolia attaches particular importance to its implementation of the MDGs. The first progress report was taken up both at the cabinet and parliamentary levels resulting in the adoption by the Parliament in April last year of a specific resolution institutionalizing Mongolia's MDGs. Thus they have been mainstreamed into the guidelines for the country's economic and social development and the necessary funds to meet the individual goals are reflected in the annual state budget.
Second, to honour its commitment made in the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document Mongolia is developing its MDGs-based comprehensive development strategy and plans to submit its first draft to the Parliament during this fall session. Active participation of political parties, civil society and private sector in this undertaking will ensure sustainable implementaion of the National Development Strategy over the years.
Third, the adoption of an additional Millennium Development Goal-9 on promoting human rights, fostering democratic governance and fight against corruption was an innovative step reflecting the inseparable link between development, good governance, human rights and democracy in the national policy. Within the framework of working towards meeting this goal the Parliament has recently passed a new law against corruption, thus creating a legal environment to remove the shackles that this phenomenon imposes on development. In accordance with the new law, a new Anti-corruption body is to be set up that will deal with public awareness raising, prevention and detection of corruption, investigation of corruption cases and auditing of financial and income declarations of public officials.
Fourth, the Government of National Unity, formed early this year, is undertaking a host of quick impact measures on poverty reduction and income generation in implementation of its MDGs so that the benefits of this social security policy could reach various strata of the population. To cite but a few examples, salaries in the public sector have been raised by 33 per cent, the minimum wage by 30 percent; a monthly allowance is being provided to each and every child in Mongolia, which accounts for 1 million, i.e. almost half of the entire population, as well as one-time monetary support is offered to newly married couples and new born children; mothers with five or more children and the elderly have seen considerable increase in their monthly allowances and pension. Starting from this academic year my Government has also introduced a free school meals program for elementary school children in collaboration with the private sector. Launching of all these quick-impact initiatives shall help our efforts to reduce poverty and achieve the MDGs.
Fifth, on the policy level, my Government is also paying particular emphasis to the human development dimension of the MDGs, such as education and health. For example, a program on "A Healthy Mongolian", to be implemented in 2006-2008, will provide for medical check-ups, diagnosis, surveys on prevalent illnesses among the population over 15 years of age and preventive measures and cure. Furthermore, the execution of the Master Plan of Educational Sector for 2006-2015 shall improve the access, quality and competitiveness of the national education system, and ultimately advance the level of human development. It also shall serve the goal of increasing employment by means of building human resource pool that corresponds to the economic structure of the country and meets labor market demands.
In addition to that, amendments have been made to the tax legislation at the initiative of my Government with a view to easing the overall tax burden, thus creating a favourable business environment, attaining higher economic growth and generating new jobs.
Madame President,
Even though Mongolia is poised to achieve most of its MDGs on education, gender, child and maternal health, and combating various diseases by 2015, the goals of halving the poverty and ensuring environmental sustainability continue to be a source of concern. It goes without saying that like many other developing countries Mongolia will not be able to achieve them on its own.
Therefore, a genuine partnership and effective cooperation between all stakeholders, including bilateral and multilateral donors, international financial organizations and private sector is required to substantially reduce poverty and uplift development in the developing world. Quality of aid should also be improved through tailoring foreign grants and loans to the implementation needs of the MDGs and MDGs-based national development strategies, as well as by providing more predictable and multi-year aid flows, addressing institutional capacity weaknesses and increasing alignment of aid with recipient countries' priorities in line with the principles set out in the Paris Declarations on Aid Effectiveness.
Mongolia is a landlocked developing country dependent on a few export commodities and hence highly susceptible to world commodity and energy market fluctuations. I believe that establishment of commodity price stabilization tools and shocks facility could make a tangible contribution to the poverty reduction measures in low-income commodity dependent countries. At the same time, trade and investment are among the driving forces of development. The Doha Development Round of WTO negotiations should therefore be revived with a view to creating a more favorable and just trade regime that involves market access and trade and industry capacity-building assistance for developing countries, particularly economically vulnerable ones. Mongolia, on its part, is preparing to host a conference of trade ministers of Landlocked Developing Countries in 2007.
May I call on the international community to turn its attention to the Declaration of the Heads of State or Government of LLDCs adopted at their first ever summit meeting last week in Havana reflecting their common stance. Full implementation of this declaration will be instrumental in assisting LLDCs, including Mongolia in their development and poverty reduction efforts.
Madame President,
Democracy plays an important role in ensuring peace and development. Though democracy takes root on the soil of individual societies it has to be supported through international cooperation. In her capacity as Chair of the Fifth International Conference of New or Restored Democracies Mongolia has endeavored to promote democratic values at the international level. We have undertaken a set of concrete measures as a follow-up to the fifth conference, including the development of nationally-owned Democratic Governance Indicators, a Country Information Note and national Plan of Action to consolidate democracy. We have introduced the tri-partite structure in ICNRD to include governments, parliaments and civil society and have set up a "Friends of the Chair" group in addition to fully utilizing the Follow-up Mechanism in New York.
It is gratifying to note that the international follow-up conference to ICNRD5 held in Ulaanbaatar last June highly commended the work done over the last three years. My country stands ready to report on its activities and to share its accomplishments and lessons learnt with the greater membership of the movement during the Sixth International Conference of New or Restored Democracies to be held next month in Doha, Qatar.
Madame President,
This year marks the 800th Anniversary of the establishment of the Great Mongol State – remarkable date for my country. The General Assembly in its resolution 60/16 adopted last year invited Member States, international organizations and academia to take an active part in the commemorative events. I wish to express our high appreciation to all the people, including people of Mongol ethnicity, academics and guests from various countries and organizations for their active participation in many international conferences organized in the spirit of that resolution, such as International Conference on Traditions of Statehood, IX International Forum of Mongolists, The Convention of World Mongolians and international workshop on Tradition of Nomads. I am also happy to acknowledge that more than 300 state and government high-level guests representing over 30 countries attended the ceremony on the National Day – Naadam, the main commemorative event of the year.
The year-round celebration activities and events are of particular importance as they help us, the contemporary Mongols – heirs to the statehood, preserve and develop the nomadic culture and traditions, and reintroduce to the world our rich history and culture along with the progress and challenges facing us today.
The current 61st session has a special meaning for us as it coincides with the 45th anniversary of Mongolia's membership in the world Organization. Our admission to the United Nations as its fully-fledged member on 27 October 1961 was a historically important event for the people of Mongolia. Our cooperation with the United Nations has expanded both in terms of its content and scope over the past years. The Organization's support and assistance have been instrumental in helping Mongolia meet her development goals, build capacity and consolidate democracy. Mongolia on its part has throughout supported the United Nations and strived to actively participate in its activities and make its contribution to the efforts of international community to find solutions to the pressing issues facing the world.
This fall we are about to select the next Secretary-General of the United Nations. Starting from 2007 that person shall represent the international community on the world stage. As such the next Secretary-General must be someone who will effectively follow through the bold initiatives and reform actions carried out by the current Secretary-General Kofi Annan in the areas of peace, development and human rights and who is committed to make the world a better place, who posesses strong managerial skills, vision and experience. In short, he or she must be a genuine leader. I am convinced that such a person can and should be found from Asia – home to half of the world's population.
Mongolia stands resolved to actively participate in the work of the United Nations and other multilateral organizations and processes and reaffirms her commitment to the world Organization as a central coordinating instrument of common efforts of the world nations to maintain peace and promote development.


text:
I have started reading Ron Paul's new book on the School Revolution and am really enjoying it. Anyone who is not in a position to homeschool children should not be put off buying and reading this book. You will love it no matter your age or interest in homeschooling. It is clear, concise, and full of interesting anecdotes about Dr. Paul's own experiences growing up in the educational system of the day.
What I like so much thus far is what is missing in many libertarian and pro-liberty arguments: a solid treatment of the importance of personal responsibility as a key component of the struggle for personal liberty. Any self-ordering society must in fact be a moral society, where passions and preferences are tempered by a keen eye on consequence and the non-aggression principle.
The state seeks to program children to be obedient drones and it resents and outlaws challenges. But, as Dr. Paul points out early in the book, "there can be no revolution without a revolution in education." It is the fundamental issue of our time.
I cannot put this book down!8:26 pm on September 26, 2013 Email Daniel McAdams


text:
Using Variables to parameterise tests
by, 04-27-2012 at 08:29 PM (1918 Views)
Variables don't have to vary - they can be defined once, and if left alone, will not change value. So you can use them as short-hand for expressions that appear frequently in a test plan. Or for items which are constant during a run, but which may vary between runs. For example, the name of a host, or the number of threads in a thread group.
When deciding how to structure a Test Plan, make a note of which items are constant for the run, but which may change between runs. Decide on some variable names for these - perhaps use a naming convention such as prefixing them with C_ or K_ or using uppercase only to distinguish them from variables that need to change during the test. Also consider which items need to be local to a thread - for example counters or values extracted with the Regular Expression Post-Processor. You may wish to use a different naming convention for these.


text:
To start off this weeks blog I want to bring attention to Utah's largest native flower, the Sacred Datura or Angels-Trumpet Datura wrightii.
Other beautiful flowers you might find in the garden include:
To start off this weeks blog I want to bring attention to Utah's largest native flower, the Sacred Datura or Angels-Trumpet Datura wrightii.
Other beautiful flowers you might find in the garden include:
The time has finally come to view our new Penstemon Walk. It is located along the walkway between the Childrens Garden and the Medicinal Garden along both sides of the path.
If you're a fan of the Wisteria now is the prime time to see it. They are in full bloom. So don't waste any more time and come visit the garden.
One of our native roses is beginning to flower and will continue for most of the summer. It's pink flowers will then turn to tasty rose hips that are very high in vitamin C.
It's time! The lilacs are finally in full bloom and they smell wonderful! Come take a look at our numerous varieties. Most of them are located along the lower portion of the Floral Walk, but you can find other amazing varieties in the Fragrance Garden and Children's Garden.
Wow! Since last week the garden has really exploded with blossoms. From short groundcovers to massive trees, many plants have chosen now to begin flowering. You can't go anywhere in the garden without seeing a great amount of color everywhere you look.
Inconspicuous flowers are often easy to overlook and not much attention is given to them, so I thought I'd put them in the spotlight today.
It's Finally Here!! After many hours of research and a few edits, its ready....and it's perfect!! Red Butte finally has its own Pocket Naturalist to accompany you through the garden.
It's conveniently sized to fit in your back pocket and packed with information about the various plants in the garden. There is even a map on the back so you don't get lost. They are available for purchase at the Visitor Center Gift Shop.
The daffodils are as beautiful as ever! There are so many different types, sizes and colors it's hard to imagine without actually seeing them. My favorite is the kind with the orange throat.
As soon as I set foot on the floral walk today I saw the most amazing display of daffodils!
Jan 2-Mar 31: 9 am-5 pm
April 1-30: 9 am-7:30pm
May 1-Aug 31: 9 am-9 pm*
Sept 1-30: 9 am-7:30 pm*
Oct 1-Dec 23: 9 am-5 pm
Closed Thanksgiving Day
and Dec 24-Jan 1
*Days when outdoor concerts are scheduled, hours are 9 am-5 pm.
Only Service Animals are allowed in the Garden
Members: Free
Adults (ages 18-64): $10
Seniors (ages 65+): $8
Military w/ID: $8
Children (ages 3-17): $6
Children (under 3): Free
U of U Faculty/Staff: $8
U of U Students: Free with valid ID
Groups (12 or more) $1 off ea. person
Enjoy half-price admission December, January, and February
300 Wakara Way
Salt Lake City, UT 84108
How to Get Here


text:
The journey to Industry 4.0: industrial automation in the German SME segment
Industrial automation in the SME segment
Hagen Rickmann, Director at T-Systems, talks about industrial automation and the future of industry in Germany.Go to article
When analyzing Big Data, the law for data protection and IT plays an important role
IT lawyer Dr. Jürgen Hartung explains what organizations are legally allowed to do with data and why it's sometimes wiser to err on the side of caution.To article
Making IT security a top priority – security needs strategy | T-Systems
Making IT security a top priority – security needs strategy.Go to special
A strong cloud is dynamic – end-to-end cloud computing | T-Systems
Special Cloud Computing
A strong cloud is dynamic – end-to-end cloud computingGo to special
T-Systems at Facebook
Digital Transformation Self-Organization Paradox | Forbes
Simply telling a team to self-organize does not mean they have the ability to do so, given the goals and constraints that form the reality of the...
The Internet of Things and the Connected Person | WIRED
One of the interesting things about the Internet of Things (IoT): It's not really about the things. The IoT is a developing technological marvel.
Henrik Trepka (CIO ISS World Services A/S)
Thanks to the cloud and a global data warehouse model, ISS is able to offer its customers transparent services.
Ten Ways Big Data Is Revolutionizing Manufacturing | Enterprise Irregulars
McKinsey & Company recently published How Big Data Can Improve Manufacturing which provides insightful analysis of how big data and advanced...
T-Systems at Twitter
tsystemscom: Internet of Things: @Gartner_Inc definitions and recommendations behind door 21 of T-Systems' advent calendar: http://t.co/CWqM3Yu2an
tsystemscom: It's getting cloudy - today in T-Systems' advent calendar: A @crisp_research report about #SAP in the #cloud: http://t.co/CWqM3Yu2an
tsystemscom: Only the customer decides: @carstenbange on the status of #Mobile Location Analytics: http://t.co/SBHEUeeWnK #bestpractice
tsystemscom: The digital transformation paradox: What has a manager to do, when digital teams are self-organizing? @Forbes: http://t.co/hd5gIoyYEv
tsystemscom: The daily oracle: Read what @PAC_de says about predicitve analytics solutions behind door 19 of our advent calendar: http://t.co/CWqM3Yu2an
tsystemscom: The Internet of Things is not really about the things - in the center is the "connected person" @Wired: http://t.co/XYmehobQrq
tsystemscom: Thanks to the #cloud ISS is able to offer its customers transparent services: http://t.co/eF6h0jMq0T #CIOmove
tsystemscom: Today in T-Systems' advent calendar: An @OvumICT trend report about IT Service Management: http://t.co/CWqM3Yu2an
tsystemscom: Ten ways Big Data is revolutionizing manufacturing @Irregulars: http://t.co/4i4YOXjoZb #bigdata
tsystemscom: World Cup winner thanks to #bigdata: The @DFB_Team analyzed their opponents with #SAP match Insights: http://t.co/SBHEUeeWnK #bestpractice


text:
When I first started playing polo a whopping year and a few months ago, Lancaster United was still Lancaster City Bike Polo and we played in a caged tennis court. We now play on a roller hockey rink – and while it's hard to remember, it took some time getting used to the difference between the two.
Now I need to make the obvious point before getting into this post: Polo players generally don't have much of a choice where they play. We're a young sport, and being such we have to beg for or steal court space (until the inevitable Officer Friendly tells us that we can't have fun in his parking garage anymore).
So let's say you actually have to make the decision between playing at a tennis court or at a roller hockey rink. What are the overall benefits (and risks) of the choice you make?
The space you play in is sort of the forgotten piece of equipment – and the most important. I don't think there are many bike polo players out there today who would think playing in a space that was, let's say, half the size of a tennis court, would think that was legitimate polo. Fun? Sure. Good practice? Maybe – but it's not going to give you the full experience of polo play.Getting a place that is a good size and readily available is probably the second most important piece of polo equipment (right after the bike).
Tennis Courts
Tennis courts are kind of the start for any club anywhere (and often stay the main base of operation for plenty of great polo clubs out there). They often provide an even playing surface, good lighting, and availability – who the hell plays tennis anymore?
But they are more risky for polo players, too. For instance – if there were anyone who played tennis anymore – it would take a single phone call to the right person to get your little pedalling ass thrown out.
On top of that, the people who generally use tennis courts don't find the value in our goofy sport (especially when it scuffs up the surface).
Secondly, there are these things called corners. Corners – or bastards as I have been known to call them – are great at stopping plays. Of course a clever little polo player can just take a length of 2×4 and block of the corner, but then you're rolling through town with four pieces of 2×4 in your backpack looking like lumberjack as a young man:
Tennis courts do, however, demand that your short game develops. Unlike little Johnny Polo who grew up playing in roller hockey rinks, for instance, Sammy Smallcourt doesn't have the space to take his time in getting the ball to where he needs it to be for shooting. No, no he does not. Instead, Sammy learns how to take quick shots in tight spaces – something that Johnny Polo doesn't necessarily have to learn.
Roller Hockey Rinks
Ah yes, the roller hockey rink. An existence unrealized until a few brave polo players re-purposed it for the most noble of sports. Notice the beautiful goals – the wonderful curves at the corners. My God look at the space!
Not that I'm drawing a biased comparison between tennis courts and these fine pinnacles of human achievement. No sir. Not me.
Rinks, much like tennis courts, are pretty much level – but that's pretty much where the similarity ends. Rinks are much, much bigger – they are made for contact sports (that is, there are boards along the sides instead of finger breaking chain link fence), and they are not prone to costing thousands of dollars to repaint.
And, on a strictly subjective level, roller hockey players are generally more understanding of a polo player's need for space than tennis players.Point in fact we here at Lancaster United have a relationship with the local roller hockey players and are "part of the gang" when it comes to court time. It's pretty swell if you ask me.
You'll also need to develop endurance to play on a rink. Unlike a tennis court for play, going from end to end on a rink is quite a workout after times. This is a great thing to have in your pocket for tourneys, as you won't poop out halfway through the day.
A danger, I think, is that you get used to having more room between your goal and the other team – or even just yourself and the other team. I'm hoping that Lumberjack, Horse, Gene, Kyle, Troy, or Zack can leave a comment or two talking about what they encountered moving from our rink to the play area in Philly last year.
Chances are, you either have one or the other – and you know what kids? That's just fine. But I get the feeling that as we progress as a sport, there will be more and more drive to have each club get at least 1 regulation size court in their area. Much like the difference between playing backyard football or football in a stadium, the dimensions of your play surface can often dictate the skills your able to build.
I know there are many other types of areas we polokins play in (parking garages, parking lots, etc.), so I do want to hear from you about your own situations and opinions. Just so long as they agree with mine completely.


text:
Eyebrows are the frames of your face. When they're too thin, too thick, unshaped or over-plucked, they can undermine your entire look. Perfectly coiffed brows, however, act like a mini-facelift, making you look years younger. Here are a few ideas for creating beautiful brows:
Create the perfect shape.
Getting the shape of your brows right is the first step. You may want to go to a professional to have them done initially and then maintain them at home. Or if you want to shape them yourself, try using the three-point pencil technique for creating the perfect arch:
1. Line up a pencil or pen vertically from the side of your nostril up to your eyebrow. This is ideally where you want your eyebrow to begin.
2. Now angle the pencil from the side of your nostril to the outside of your iris. This is where the highest part of your arch should be.
3. Lastly, angle the pencil from the side of your nostril to the outer part of the eye. The spot where it intersects with your brow is where your eyebrow should naturally end.
Don't over-tweeze.
Many women get overly enthusiastic with the tweezer and end up with thin, sparse-looking brows. If you have an eyebrow hair that's growing in gray or growing too long and you're tempted to tweeze, try trimming it with a pair of scissors instead. If you want to thicken your brows, consider trying an eyebrow growth product. For a temporary fix, try filling it in with Joan Rivers Great Brow Day or Touchback Browmarker, a soft-tip marker that enhances the fullness of eyebrows.
Pay attention to color.
Don't forget the color of your brows when changing the color of your hair. You may need to lighten or darken them to keep them looking more natural.
Use the right tools.
The right tools are key to creating and maintaining picture-perfect brows. Try a kit that has everything you need to maintain your brows at home or in between visits to your esthetician.
And finally…
Remember that your eyebrows are sisters, not identical twins. The natural shape may vary slightly from brow to brow, and that's okay!
We'd love to hear from you! Leave a comment. 4 comments to "Picture-Perfect Brows"
4 August, 9:38 am
Dear Gerdina,
For the "Perfect Brow" we recommend Wunderbrow in blonde.
Soft Surroundings
Soft Surroundings
3 August, 2:47 pm
It is not a comment but question. Is there a "Perfect Brow" for a blonde?
14 September, 10:07 am
Hi Barbara,
Thank you for your post – we appreciate your business!
Soft Surroundings
11 September, 3:45 pm


text:
Myrtle Moore, 76, of Cleveland, passed away, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013, at her home.
She was a member of White Oak Baptist Church.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Edgar and Addie Lou Pope Powell; children: Patsy Kay Murrell Baily and Anita Jane Moore Sample; stepson, Oliver A. Moore Jr.; and grandchildren: John Edgar Moore and Olivia Sample.
She is survived by her husband, Oliver Moore, of Cleveland; children: Bonnie Sue Murrell Moore of LaFayette, Ga., Billy Edgar Murrell of Brunswick, Ga., and Curtis James Murrell of Lakeland, Fla.; stepchildren: Justin Lee Moore and Shani L. Selman, both of Hueytown, Ala.; and grandchildren: Elizabeth Jane Sample, Cary Michael Baily, Sarah Ann Baily, Curtis James Murrell Jr., Brandi Murrell, Helen Marie Moore and Jason James Moore.
The funeral was held at 11 a.m. today, Nov. 8, 2013, in the chapel of Grissom Funeral Home with Pastor Todd Collins and the Rev. Gene Smith officiating.
The family requests that memorials be made to the Down Syndrome Foundation, 17186 Daniel Lane, Eden Prairie MN 55346 or www.downsyndromefoundation.org.
We invite you to send a message of condolence and view the Moore family guest book at www.grissomfh.net.