Category: Energy

Erin Kutz wrote:

A123Systems president and CEO David Vieau says some investors have questioned whether the company’s aggressive pursuit of federal funding for lithium-ion battery production is a sign that the company doesn’t have a sustainble business without government support.

But for A123 (NASDAQ: AONE), “it really is about jobs,” Vieu said yesterday at a fireside chat-style discussion at the IdeaStream Symposium, put on by MIT’s Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation. “We do feel a sense of social responsibility to create jobs to the extent that we can do it and give our shareholders a good return.”

A123, whose nanoscale electrode technology comes out of MIT, was initially funded in 2001 with a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, but grew over the last decade to pull off a $380 million IPO in September 2009.

A123’s first product, a battery for handheld electric tools, was used by Black & Decker, but the company has since evolved to focus on batteries for electric vehicles. It put its first production facilities in Asia because the region possesses all the materials, equipment, manufacturing, and development knowledge surrounding lithium-ion battery production, says Vieau. “If we had been able to do it in the US from the beginning, we would have,” he says.

Last year, A123 won a $249 million grant as part of the DOE’s push for electric vehicles, and used the funding to begin construction on its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Livonia, MI. The federal backing is enabling A123 to maximize the value of its technology for shareholders, Vieau says. The company will outfit electric cars from automakers such as Chrysler, Navistar, and Fisker Automotive with batteries produced at the Michigan plant.

At its first Livonia site A123 has worked on “duplicating the Korean factory as exactly as we possibly can” in order to get its products out most efficiently, Vieau says. But with future Michigan factory installations, the company hopes to innovate in its manufacturing facilities to become more efficient and survive without government backing.

Though state and federal funding, including $100 million in tax breaks, were what convinced A123 to put its first U.S. manufacturing plants in Michigan, it’s also realized other benefits from working on the ground alongside the auto industry.

“It’s been much much better than I ever expected in terms of the innovation ability,” Vieau says. For one, automotive engineers have a keen ability to adhere to a tight production schedule—a feat those in the IT world, which Vieau comes from, have a harder time matching, he says.

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UNDERWRITERS AND PARTNERS

Hello there my friend.

In my last two posts, How to Destress Yourself; The First Step and The First Step Continued,  I discussed, in detail, how we must begin the process of destressing yourself.  Basically, these posts are about awareness of yourself and your stressful habits.

In this post, I would love to discuss The Second Step to Destress Yourself and that is THE DESIRE TO CREATE HAPPINESS, ENERGY, AND VITALITY.

If you are unhappy with your life, your work, your body, your finances, your relationships, your energy level, and/or anything else that is a major influence In your life then YOU MUST WANT SOMETHING MORE!!!

If you want a better life, YOU MUST DEMAND IT!

If you want a better job, company, or career, YOU MUST CLAIM IT!

If you want better health, YOU MUST SEARCH FOR IT!

If you want better finances, YOU MUST CRAVE IT!

If you want better relationships, YOU MUST REQUIRE IT!

If you want more energy, YOU MUST DESIRE IT!

If you want anything, YOU MUST SEEK IT!

YOU GOT THE POWER!!! 

Can you feel the power in the words?  SEEK IT!  DESIRE IT!  REQUIRE IT!  CRAVE IT!  SEARCH FOR IT!  CLAIM IT!  DEMAND IT! 

Try this!  Imagine yourself, in your unhappiness, three years from now, 10 years from now, and then 20 years from now.

Then, Imagine yourself in the constant state of never ending goal setting with happiness, energy, and vitality, living the life you dream of three years from now, 10 years from now, and then 20 years from now.

JUST DO IT!  IMAGINE IT!

You don’t have to know how your going to get it, just yet, just learn to DESIRE IT!  And then, follow my posts and we will create happiness, energy, and vitality, together!

Have a great day and don’t forget to have fun and be playful!

Elizabeth

Filed under: Healthy Eating, Holistic Recipe

Many people dismiss healthy eating as consisting solely of salads aka rabbit food. Even I remember a time when I ate only salads for an entire year thinking that was the only “healthy” food available. Boy did that ever backfire as I was nutritionally-deficient and hormonally-imbalanced, not to mention totally bored. Fast forward 10 years and one holistic nutrition degree later and I can tell you that while salads are most definitely part of a healthy diet, eating the same foods all the time denies not only your tastebuds, but your body of essential vitamins and minerals.

These days I am lucky to have friends who can not only cook, but who know how to cook delicious and healthy meals. Enter Candice, my neighbour and foodie extraordinaire. Candice and her boyfriend are so enamoured by food that she writes a blog (www.therealdishto.com) about all their Toronto restaurant adventures. Knowing my penchant for gluten-free recipes, Candice emailed recently to say she had a bread recipe that I just had to try. I must admit that I was at first hesitant because mastering the art of gluten-free bread can be a challenge (when I was a teenager my boyfriend’s dad had celiac disease and ate a bread that had the texture and weight of cement). The verdict: It was very moist and the most delicious gluten-free bread I’ve ever had.

Gluten-free recipe after the jump

Continue reading Gluten-Free Foods: Bread Recipe with Pumpkin Seeds

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Monday's announcement that China Petroleum & Chemical Corp (Sinopec) has agreed to buy ConocoPhillip’s 9% stake in Syncrude Canada Ltd. for $4.65 billion has positive implications for Canadian Oil Sands Trust, says Matt Donuhue, an analyst at UBS AG. 

Mr. Donuhue said the better-than-expected price offered for Conoco's stake implies value of $517-million per 1% interest in Syncrude. That translates to a $37.36 per share price for Canadian Oil Sands, based on its 36.74% interest in the Syncrude oil
sands joint venture.

"Assuming Sinopec paid a 10% premium for the asset and negating from that an historic UBS 5% premium for Canadian Oil Sands in relation to the Syncrude valuation (larger interest, pure play), we generate a target price for Canadian Oil Sands of $35.50/share," the analyst said in a note to clients, maintaining his Buy recommendation.

Greg Pardy, an RBC Capital Markets analyst, suggested the deal implied a value of $37.50 for COS units. He maintained his Sector Perform rating and left his $34.50 per unit unchanged.

The RBC analyst said the transaction was important because it removed uncertainty associated with a potential equity offering that had weighed upon Canadian Oil Sands Trust units since Conoco's intentions surfaced last autumn.

"Accordingly, we look upon the 5% appreciation in COS units [Monday] as reflective of that overhang removal along with its 100% production weighting toward crude oil," Mr. Pardy said.

David Pett

Gregory T. Huang wrote:

Think it’s possible to shoot down a swarm of buzzing mosquitoes in mid-air? Or maybe you want to power up a remote flying vehicle? Tom Nugent is your man. The Seattle-area entrepreneur just might be the most versatile guy with a laser you’ve ever met.

Yes, a laser. Until recently, Nugent worked in the laboratory of Bellevue, WA-based Intellectual Ventures, the invention company led by Nathan Myhrvold, where one of his projects was the so-called “photonic fence.” This effort has gotten lots of media attention, most recently for an impressive demo at the TED conference in February. That’s where Myhrvold showed a video of a laser burning the wings off a flying mosquito in super slow-motion. The idea is this technology, implemented on a larger scale, could help prevent the spread of malaria or protect crops against flying pests.

But Nugent’s focus now is on something that might be more practical: power beaming. That means using lasers to deliver energy to remote sensors, vehicles, or base stations. It’s a two-way trick: the receiver has to have a solar cell to convert the laser’s energy into electricity. But as long as the solar cell is viable, the technology could be useful in any situation where installing a wire is impractical, where batteries run down, or where it’s too expensive to truck in fuel.

That’s really just the beginning, to Nugent’s mind. One of his ultimate goals is to be able to beam large amounts of solar power to Earth from space, presumably to help solve global-scale energy problems. For now, though, he’ll settle for beaming power to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other remote devices, including very early technology that could help scientists develop something called a space elevator. These ideas, in sum, have turned into a small company called LaserMotive, based in Kent, WA.

Before dismissing these projects as far-fetched, a little background is required. The idea of power beaming has been around for decades. But advances in cheaper and more energy-efficient diode lasers have made it possible to pursue the idea commercially in the past few years. Even the rise of laser hair removal products (which you might see on late night TV) have helped things move forward. So in 2007, Nugent and fellow physicist (and Intellectual Ventures veteran) Jordin Kare, an expert on laser rocket propulsion who worked on the “Star Wars” nuclear-missile defense system in the 1980s—decided to make a business out of power beaming, and co-founded LaserMotive.

“We think we can produce revenue while we get experience,” says Nugent, LaserMotive’s president.

Their first project: tackling the power beaming aspect of NASA’s “Space Elevator Games.” If you don’t know what a space elevator is, that’s OK—it doesn’t exist yet. The über-futuristic idea is to have a cable anchored to the ground, extending thousands of miles into space, that could be used to launch payloads into orbit. The space end would be unattached, and the Earth’s rotation would keep it taut so a robot “elevator” could move up and down the cable, carrying equipment. Sure, this would take billions of dollars and a few decades to get working, but it could ultimately make space operations much cheaper than using rockets. That’s the idea, at least.

If a space elevator is ever going to work, it will need power at multiple steps along the way. So, at “Level 1” of the NASA Power Beaming Challenge, held last November in Mojave, CA, Nugent and Kare’s team used a ground-based infrared laser to beam energy to specially designed solar cells aboard an 11-pound robot (see photo, left) driven by an electric motor. (All power must come from the ground.) The robot climbed a 900-meter length of metal cable suspended from a helicopter. Nugent and Kare’s was the only team to make it to the top with an average climbing speed of more than 2 meters per second—their robot went nearly 4 meters per second (9 mph)—beating out two other teams, who failed to reach the top. The prize was $900,000 (before taxes, Nugent laments—yes, it’s that time of year).

The upcoming “Level 2” competition will be held later this year, …Next Page »

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Greenwire: Royal Dutch Shell PLC has received a federal permit the company needed to begin exploratory drilling in Alaska’s Beaufort Sea, federal officials announced late Friday.

U.S. EPA issued a permit covering air pollutants emitted from the drill ship and supporting vessels the company needs to drill two exploratory wells off Alaska’s northern coast. This ends a nearly four year wait for Shell, which needed the approval to use an ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel and other technological advances, EPA said in a statement.

“This permit ensures that exploration and drilling will occur in a way that protects air quality,” said Rick Albright, director of the air, waste and toxics issues for EPA’s Seattle office.

Shell will use a single drill ship and a fleet of support vessels to drill the Sivulliq and Torpedo prospects, which contain hydrocarbons.

Environmentalists and native groups are worried the drilling will release more emissions of carbon dioxide, hurting the people and wildlife in a region already affected by climate change (Yereth Rosen, Reuters, April 10). – JP

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From Green Right Now Reports

Outdoor footwear and apparel company Timberland says it reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 36 percent in 2009 over 2006 levels, citing improvements at its own facilities and a reduction in employee air travel.

The company has set a goal of reducing emissions by 50 percent by the end of this year.

All new Timberland stores in North America are being built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) specifications. The company also realized energy savings by installing LED lighting in nearly all of its U.S. stores.

By the end of 2009, Timberland says, it was using nearly 12 percent renewable energy globally. The company’s Ontario, Calif., distribution center is largely solar-powered, while its Enschede, Netherlands site is 100-percent wind-powered.

Timberland also works with supply chain partners to help reduce their emissions. The company’s Green Index rating system enables product developers to choose less carbon intensive materials at the design stage and gives consumers information about the environmental footprint of the footwear.

“Timberland is committed to reducing its carbon footprint — both in our facilities and throughout the supply chain — and conducting our business in the most environmentally-responsible way,” said Betsy Blaisdell, Senior Manager for Environmental Stewardship. “In 2009, we made improvements that we are proud of and can continue to build upon.”

The past year or so has been rough sledding for crude oil prices, but happy times are here again thanks to demand from developing economies, a new note said Monday.

Martin King, analyst with First Energy Capital, could barely contain his excitement as he raised his 2010 price target for West Texas crude to US$83 a barrel, up US$6 from his previous outlook.

"We still love crude oil. Just as we did from the depths of the price despair at the start of 2009 and into 2010, we have been bullish," he said in a note. "We are becoming increasingly so with this update, and feel there is much more upside to come in the crude oil pricing story for many years into the future."

He expects crude to eventually cross the US$100 threshold again, to US$110 by 2013. In the meantime, look for US$87 in 2011 and US$95 in 2012.

Mr. King also forecasts the losses in oil demand over the past two years will be wiped out by the end of the year, as non-OECD countries approach 50% of global demand.

And while prices were largely range-bound between US$70 and US$85 a barrel during the first quarter, that is also expected to be set aside in the second quarter for a move into US$85 to US$89 range.

However, there will likely not be a "runaway" in prices from now into 2011. Rather, prices will pick up steadily.

"[It is] more akin to what happened in the early 2000s, where structural forces in the global marketplace generated a steady but consistent rise in prices," he said. "For the price bulls, it is a steady run to higher prices, just not a stampede."

Eric Lam

Consider the following statistics:

1) There are 115 million households in the United States.

2) 58.1% of American households have at least two cars.  20.1% have three or more.

3) The IRS currently estimates that it costs 50 cents a mile to maintain a personal automobile.

4) The average American vehicle drives 12,334 miles each year.

Do the math, and you’ll discover that if every American household with more than one car gave up one of its cars, the total savings would be nearly 412 billion dollars per year. What if our country embarked on a ten-year program to build a high-speed rail system, and we used the money that we’re spending on our additional automobiles? We could finance a system worth over 4 trillion dollars.

Admittedly, in today’s political climate, such a program will never happen. But the hypothetical exercise reminds us how wasteful our “one-person, one-car” system of transportation is, and how much better things could be if we could break out of the car culture that has gripped the United States for over 60 years now.

In the coming months,  there will be a series of articles on the Seminal called “Driven to Destruction.” It will unearth some of the sordid history of how the country became so car-dependent, how this dependency has become harmful in so many ways, and how we can begin to move forward to a more sane and sustainable system of transportation.

Please come along for the ride!

After gathering dust for 60 years, one of the first modern solar cells ever built was recently uncovered and sold at auction. It still works! Take whatever that original Energizer bunny was claiming in 1989 and add another “…and going.” More »

Over 40 world leaders are gathering in Washington next week for the Global Nuclear Security Summit to tackle nonproliferation issues and, in part, to lay the groundwork for the safe expansion of civilian nuclear power around the world. GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy is among the industry representatives that will be at the Nuclear Energy Institute-sponsored meeting: “The Role of the Private Sector in Securing Nuclear Materials,” which is being held on the summit’s third day. With some solutions focusing on next generation technologies, we’re taking a look today at one of the most revolutionary ones currently on the table: GE Hitachi’s design that would recycle fuel from nuclear power plants and use it to generate additional electricity.

Let me atom: Dr. Eric Loewen of GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) — which is GE’s nuclear alliance with Hitachi, Ltd. — is working on the Advanced Recycling Center, or ARC, technology for nuclear fuel. GEH is the only large-scale nuclear reactor technology provider that is majority-owned by a U.S. company. “We have an historic opportunity to recycle nuclear waste before it is disposed of in the ground,” Eric says, “and to go forward and provide a leadership position in so doing.”

As Esquire magazine recently pointed out, the stakes are enormous for the breakthrough technology, as the sodium-cooled reactor that GE Hitachi’s Dr. Eric Loewen and team are developing “burns nuclear waste, emits no CO2, and might just save the world.” Eric tells GE Reports that he feels a great responsibility to further the work he inherited when he joined GE in 2006 — and to help lead a new technological revolution pioneered by GE. “We have a chance to compete in an ocean where no one else is even sailing,” he says.

The opportunity Eric sees takes the form of what’s called an Advanced Recycling Center (ARC) system, which would allow for much of the world’s used fuel from nuclear power plants to be recycled. The technology is called “PRISM,” which stands for Power Reactor, Innovative Small Module. (We’ll explain the “small module” part of PRISM in Part 2 of our series next week). Utilities also would be able to reduce the amount of used fuel that needs to be stored on-site.

Eric explains that what today is considered nuclear “waste” could potentially power all the energy needs of the United States for 70 years. With the sodium-cooled reactor technology, nuclear waste that previously would have to be stored for 1 million years would only need to be stored for 300 to 500 years to reach natural radiation levels.

So how does it work? By using a different coolant, namely sodium, (usually it’s water), neutrons born from fission are allowed higher energies in the reactor. This fact makes it possible for a sodium-cooled reactor to “burn” the remaining energy reserves in used fuel removed from a traditional water-cooled reactor. In fact, when used fuel is removed from a water-cooled reactor, 95 percent of the potential energy is still untapped. It just needs a different kind of reactor — which is where PRISM comes in. The reactor would also shut itself down automatically in the unlikely event of an accident.

Next week, we’ll provide an update on the industry conference and take a closer look at GEH’s current nuclear technologies.

* Read Esquire’s story and see their video interview with Dr. Loewen
* Read “GE’s Nuclear Waste Plan” in Forbes
* Read “Up and atom: GE’s nuclear design hits key milestone” on GE Reports
* Learn more about GEH’s current reactor technologies
* See why GE’s reactors are certified as ecomagination products
* Read “GE to build mobile nuclear threat detection system” on GE Reports

Questionnaire focuses on usage, operations and supply chains and management strategies in water-intensive sectors.

By Andrew Maddocks
Circle of Blue

Photo Copyright Carbon Disclosure Project

The Carbon Disclosure Project, a non-profit that compiles global corporate climate change data, announced the launch of a questionnaire today that will poll 300 businesses in water-intensive industries to release detailed information about their usage of the precious resource.

This is the first time that the independent British-based organization is applying its model for emissions’ measurements to water. Companies will measure and disclose information on their water usage, explore the risks and opportunities in their operations and supply chains, as well as water management and improvement plans.

The results, which will be published in late 2010, will give the companies and their investors new tools to analyze water-related risks and bottom line opportunities.

Marcus Norton, head of the water disclosure program, said the survey’s broad acceptance is a sign that companies are beginning to understand water as an important part of their supply chain.

“Companies will need to operate in a water-constrained world,” Norton told Circle of Blue. “Investors will be very interested in knowing that it’s a part of their long-term planning.”

Companies participating this year are concentrated in water-intensive sectors, and includes  Ford, L’Oréal, PepsiCo and Reed Elsevier already signed on. More than 130 financial institutions with a combined $16 trillion in assets, which includes Allianz Group, HSBC, ING, and National Australia Bank, are also contributing, according to a CDP press release.

The questionnaire has three general categories: water management and governance, water-related risks, and metrics. The first group of questions asks how companies work with various parties, from governments to local groups, when it comes to their water supply. Investors interested in these businesses, Norton said, want to know how companies are anticipating the dangers of operating in water-scarce regions.

Norton said CDP designed the survey to collect meaningful data that doesn’t create an excessive reporting burden. While it’s a “rocky” process that will develop over many years, companies have no incentive to mislead shareholders, Norton said.

While carbon emissions have the same effect on London as they do on Michigan, the effect of water scarcity varies across the globe, making useful data harder to gather. This makes localized information the most valuable, according to Norton.
“Until you look at that I don’t think the data is truly meaningful,” he said.
CDP aims to use the project as a lens that connects local and global water issues that will, in turn, give companies and investors far more information, awareness and understanding.

“This is an iterative process of improvement,” Norton said. “We’ll be developing modules for different industries and sectors.”

Eventually, Norton will use the survey’s first year to explore ways the survey should expand and hopes to prioritize two additional categories: the largest, most water-intensive companies and the regions with the worst water scarcity.
Meanwhile Norton says this project will advance global awareness of the water crisis in the coming years.

“I’ve heard people describe us with water as where we were with carbon and climate change five years ago.”

Companies have until July 31 to respond to CDP’s survey.

Andrew Maddocks is a reporter for Circle of Blue. You can reach him at [email protected].

Juha-Pekka Tikka wrote:

Millions of commuters suffer daily in traffic jams. Cars burn expensive, non-renewable gasoline and pollute our air while producing tons of carbon dioxide that threaten to bring about disastrous global climate change. But relief is coming, promises Pietzo, a year-old startup in Bedford, MA. The medicine is inexpensive, and can actually save money and offer healthy fun for commuters, says Hemang Dave, co-founder of Pietzo. It’s a modern version of a 100-year-old invention: the electric-assisted bicycle.

Pietzo’s business is to sell corporate fleets of e-bikes to organizations like hotels, universities and corporations. The startup delivers fully assembled bicycles with locks and helmets and provides free on-site maintenance for one year. The idea behind the program, which launched on March 29, is to get employees to exchange their cars for electric bikes, diminishing congestion, pollution, and greenhouse-gas emissions.

At Wellesley College, campus police and facilities managers are already using Pietzo’s e-bikes to lower energy consumption—and to underscore the institutions’ commitment to the environment.

Electric biking has taken off in Europe and Asia: China alone is home to 120 million e-bikes, and Asian and European sales combined last year added up to 22 million units. Pietzo believes that in 2010, 300,000 electric bicycles will be sold in the U.S., twice as many as in 2009. The Light Electric Vehicle Association predicts that by 2020, about 40 percent of U.S. bike sales will be electric.

Pietzo imports its bikes from China and offers three models, priced from $1,299 to $1,899. Riders can use manual or electric mode, with a maximum speed of about 20 miles per hour under electric power.

This Xconomy reporter had a chance to test-drive one of Pietzo’s electric bikes briefly in downtown Boston (see photo below). The bike behaved nicely. It had low, medium and high electrical mode, and even the low setting provided a considerable boost.

Riders choose the mode by pushing a button. In my limited experience, the electric boost is helpful if a rider is climbing a hill or going a long ride. But I wouldn’t advise inexperienced e-bikers to use electrical mode in a traffic jam. A boost at the wrong moment could be dangerous!

The electrical mode can be turned off entirely. My short trial didn’t reveal whether e-bikes work as nicely as ordinary bikes when a rider uses manual mode.

The U.S. is undeniably a motoring nation. But Dave believes that electric bicycles will play a bigger part in the nation’s transportation future transportation, for many reasons. “The price of energy has gone up, electric bicycles have become less expensive and Americans have now more time,” he says. “People have time because the economy is slower and working pressure has eased. Electric bicycles will come into their own now, because people are trying to find new ways to cut fuel and parking costs. In addition, green values make people think how to cut pollution and live an environmentally friendly and healthy life.”

One important reason for the surge of e-bike use, Dave says, is that the new bikes are much more advanced than previous generations. The lithium-ion batteries that run the bike’s motors are very small, and the bikes can go 20 to 25 miles on a single charge. Charging takes 4 to 6 hours and the battery adapter plugs into any standard electrical outlet. The batteries last up to 20,000 miles, and Pietzo takes old batteries back for recycling.

Hemang Dave founded the self-funded startup with fellow serial entrepreneur David Page. Dave hasn’t said how much the founders have invested in the firm, but it may be a relatively modest amount, considering that the the company is buying completed products and reselling them with services.

Pietzo claims, based on a research project at MIT, that riding an electric bike generates no more greenhouse-gas emissions than riding an ordinary bike. (After all, pedaling humans burn food and exhale carbon dioxide.) An electric bike is 13 times more energy efficient than a mid-size automobile and six times more efficient than rail transit, the research showed. One final statistic: for the price of one gallon of gasoline, a rider could buy enough electricity to charge a Pietzo bike’s batteries to go 1,500 miles. Try getting that kind of mileage in your Prius.

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UNDERWRITERS AND PARTNERS

President Obama just released a statement showing an extreme attentiveness to the Massey Energy mining disaster in Coalmont, West Virginia. He has called for an initial assessment report from federal mine safety officials next week, as well as action items for how to prevent accidents like the one that caused the greatest loss of life in over 25 years.

The President will meet next week with Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and Mine Safety and Health Administrator Joe Main. He expects them to report on their early assessment of the deadly explosion’s cause, the safety record at the Upper Branch mine, and the steps that the Federal government should take to improve safety enforcement and prevent future tragedies. The Secretary and MSHA Administrator will address safety issues as well as enforcement and legal authorities in their briefing.

There’s a very simple way to make mining safer – put Don Blankenship and Massey Energy out of business. The company’s safety record is appalling, and clearly the CEO cares more about “running coal” than protecting his workers. This really isn’t much of a secret. You can look at the $3 million dollars in fines his company has run up for safety violations, the personal testimony of employees saying that working for Blankenship was “like living under a hammer,” the multiple investor lawsuits criticizing Blankenship and Massey Energy’s safety record or the words from Blankenship himself, saying that he doesn’t like following safety rules:

They’re very difficult to comply with. There’s so many of the laws that are, if you will, nonsensical from an engineering or a coal mining viewpoint. A lot of the politicians, they get emotional, as does the public, about the most recent accident, and it’s easy to get laws on the books that are not truly helping the health or safety of coal miners. I think we need to be very pragmatic and very careful when we’re passing laws of that nature to make sure that we create as much safety and as much health as can be created for each of the resources we expend.

Blankenship really didn’t have to worry about safety rules under the Bush Administration, because the MSHA was basically captured by industry. But with a new sheriff in town, Blankenship finds compliance “onerous.” The employees in the Upper Big Branch mine have quite a bigger burden.

I’m a blogger fellow with Brave New Films on their 16 Deaths Per Day campaign for worker safety.

UPDATE: The Upper Big Branch mine has been shuttered 61 times in the last 15 months for safety violations. This is getting close to criminal.

Erin Kutz wrote:

Wilbraham, MA’s FloDesign Wind Turbine will get $3 million in funding from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, as it plans to expand its operation in the state with the addition of a new corporate headquarters and product development center in Waltham, the state announced today. FloDesign, which is developing wind turbines with technology reminiscent of jet engines, will keep its Wilbraham location as an aerodynamics research center. The new funding will come in the form of a $600,000 convertible grant that could give the Clean Energy Center an equity stake in the company, $1.7 million from the center’s Renewable Energy Trust, and a $700,000 five-year forgivable loan, which requires FloDesign to add 150 jobs in the state over three years and maintain them for another two years. Wade caught up with FloDesign’s new CEO in January, days after the company announced it had raised $35 million in Series B funding.

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UNDERWRITERS AND PARTNERS