Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Renewable Energy Tax Extenders
The tax incentives for many new fledgling companies in the alternative energy space are expiring at the end of this year. It is time that these extensions are put into law so that we continue to move away from using fossil fuels. We all need to urge our Congressional leader to move the Renewable Energy Tax Extenders forward. These are small but important steps that are needed to compete with BigOil
Monday, July 7, 2008
Modern Day Slaves Addicted to Oil
That is what we the people have become. Our solution to the energy crisis and addiction is to keep talking about it. If we do the end result will be drilling more holes and keeping us mainlined into the pure energy stuff. You know the fossil fuel stuff. It is like asking the drug pusher to help you get off your addiction. Sure I can help. How does $5.00 gas and $4.00 home heating oil sound?
The government says that alternative energy is too far away and why we need to keep the drilling piece front and center. Well that is simply not true. They say theses technologies are too expensive and we need to let the market decide who will be the winners and losers. That is also not true. The fact is the government has picked the winners and that is BigOil. The losers are alternative energy. The real underlying issue holding back alternatives and one that does not get reported in any meaningful way is that BigOil receives over $5.00 per gallon in hidden subsidies, incentives and tax schemes over the pump price. It is amazing that the talking heads representing the status quo are not fact checked by the media because these facts are readily available. These hidden incentives include depreciation allowances, master limited partnerships, pipelines built with taxpayer monies and then the talking heads say that alternative energy is too expensive. Come on, that is disingenuous. Where are the infrastructures built for alternatives? Where is parity within the tax code for alternative energy? Well there are none, only mere teasers to make it look good and to make you feel better about what we are doing as a nation.
Oh, one more point. Solar was making headway so they needed to be slowed down. So, Congress came up with a two year moratorium on building solar facilities on public land. Congress passes that, yet they can not even pass an extension for one year of mere teasers that alternative energies receive even when the public is crying and demanding change. Let us face reality. We are modern day slaves and the pharaohs are BigOil.
The government says that alternative energy is too far away and why we need to keep the drilling piece front and center. Well that is simply not true. They say theses technologies are too expensive and we need to let the market decide who will be the winners and losers. That is also not true. The fact is the government has picked the winners and that is BigOil. The losers are alternative energy. The real underlying issue holding back alternatives and one that does not get reported in any meaningful way is that BigOil receives over $5.00 per gallon in hidden subsidies, incentives and tax schemes over the pump price. It is amazing that the talking heads representing the status quo are not fact checked by the media because these facts are readily available. These hidden incentives include depreciation allowances, master limited partnerships, pipelines built with taxpayer monies and then the talking heads say that alternative energy is too expensive. Come on, that is disingenuous. Where are the infrastructures built for alternatives? Where is parity within the tax code for alternative energy? Well there are none, only mere teasers to make it look good and to make you feel better about what we are doing as a nation.
Oh, one more point. Solar was making headway so they needed to be slowed down. So, Congress came up with a two year moratorium on building solar facilities on public land. Congress passes that, yet they can not even pass an extension for one year of mere teasers that alternative energies receive even when the public is crying and demanding change. Let us face reality. We are modern day slaves and the pharaohs are BigOil.
Friday, June 20, 2008
No kidding, Trouble with Carbon Cap-and-Trade Markets, Who Would Have Guessed
The New York Times reports today of trouble with markets for trading carbon. In a race to placate industry, the European carbon market experience raises suspicion on cap-and-trade schemes. I believe and I think the majority feel [won’t publicly admit] that the only real way to reduce greenhouse gases is to structure a Btu tax. The dreaded Btu tax.
There is so much interference and diversion away from carbon facts. For instance, proponents of cap-and-trade point to the success of SOx pollution trading schemes as a reason why this would work for carbon. Well, not so fast as these are totally different compounds. Carbon dioxide emissions are pervasive in the environment and are not isolated to SOx emitters.
One glaring example is the use of natural gas, which produces lots of power and that does not have sulfur or SOx, but lots of fossil fuel CO2 emissions. See the point.
Other real problems with cap-and-trade is the uncertainty in the price and the legitimacy of carbon offset programs. How does one protect against huge historical price swings and validate or even audit CO2 offset claims. Who is ultimately responsible if these offset are fraudulent credits being sold by manipulators?
A cap-and-trade sounds like a compromise but it is just another head fake on the public. A Btu tax, although politically more difficult, creates market certainty and eliminates these loopholes and potential for manipulations. A tax, of course, would disappoint financial institutions, attorneys and environmental groups that were anxious to capitalize on a new global trading scheme. Oh well!
There is so much interference and diversion away from carbon facts. For instance, proponents of cap-and-trade point to the success of SOx pollution trading schemes as a reason why this would work for carbon. Well, not so fast as these are totally different compounds. Carbon dioxide emissions are pervasive in the environment and are not isolated to SOx emitters.
One glaring example is the use of natural gas, which produces lots of power and that does not have sulfur or SOx, but lots of fossil fuel CO2 emissions. See the point.
Other real problems with cap-and-trade is the uncertainty in the price and the legitimacy of carbon offset programs. How does one protect against huge historical price swings and validate or even audit CO2 offset claims. Who is ultimately responsible if these offset are fraudulent credits being sold by manipulators?
A cap-and-trade sounds like a compromise but it is just another head fake on the public. A Btu tax, although politically more difficult, creates market certainty and eliminates these loopholes and potential for manipulations. A tax, of course, would disappoint financial institutions, attorneys and environmental groups that were anxious to capitalize on a new global trading scheme. Oh well!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Floods, Disaster Clean-up and Lack of Energy
We presented a concept paper to FEMA and the U.S Military to develop a mobile unit called a Rapid Diesel Deployment Platform or RDDP. It has been received well. This is a mobile unit that takes local organic waste and turns it into fuel for immediate use. This is the perfect piece of equipment to bring into disaster areas where power is often not available for extended periods of time. It would be ideal to turn the mountains of polluted waste into renewable diesel fuel oil to power the equipment for first responders and emergency crews.
With the predictions of more intense storms, droughts and flooding, the time has come for this to be constructed in order to bring relief to areas hit by disaster.
With the predictions of more intense storms, droughts and flooding, the time has come for this to be constructed in order to bring relief to areas hit by disaster.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
We are Now Forcing U.S. Beef on Korea
The story that has rocked the President of Korea is really incredible. If it takes high level meetings to force and open up markets for U.S beef [that is half the price] then something is dead wrong. This issue underscores the real magnitude of the U.S. still allowing downers and other waste to be rechanneled back into animal and pet food. The world markets have spoken and they do not want our meat.
The fix is simple. Ban cannibalism and the processing of sick and downer animals from entering the food chain. Even if we believe there is still a debate on science related to food safety, we are losing billions of dollars in sales, and our reputation for producing quality meats is being tarnished. It may be reaching the point that the damage will be irreparable if the FDA and the USDA do nothing to alleviate food safety concerns.
The fix is simple. Ban cannibalism and the processing of sick and downer animals from entering the food chain. Even if we believe there is still a debate on science related to food safety, we are losing billions of dollars in sales, and our reputation for producing quality meats is being tarnished. It may be reaching the point that the damage will be irreparable if the FDA and the USDA do nothing to alleviate food safety concerns.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Reading About It
Virtually every week, CWT receives an inquiry from a municipality or a commercial enterprise that wants us to come build a TCP plant in their area. They've seen us or read about us somewhere, and the logic of what we're doing with TCP instantly registers. We've received literally hundreds of inquiries like this over the past 3 or 4 years. Unfortunately, as a start up company, we're not in a position to pursue most of these yet. But it sure is encouraging to know that our technology makes so much instinctive sense to so many.
BARTA, the transportation authority in Reading, Pennsylvania, is one of these companies. The Reading Eagle wrote about the authority's interest in CWT today. It's way too soon to know if this will actually go anywhere, but State Rep. Thomas Caltagirone from Reading actually sponsored a bill in the State legislature that would create a tax credit to lure CWT to build a plant there. He sees our technology as a way to "break the stranglehold on foreign oil." The bill didn't pass the Senate, but what's really significant is that key enterprises like BARTA and leaders like Rep. Caltagirone are demonstrating that serious mainstream interest in alternative energy solutions like ours is growing. In fact, the BARTA board is talking about forming a coalition with other public transportation systems in Pennsylvania to collaborate on the effort to get an alternative energy plant built.
This is good news indeed and, hopefully, a harbinger of things to come.
BARTA, the transportation authority in Reading, Pennsylvania, is one of these companies. The Reading Eagle wrote about the authority's interest in CWT today. It's way too soon to know if this will actually go anywhere, but State Rep. Thomas Caltagirone from Reading actually sponsored a bill in the State legislature that would create a tax credit to lure CWT to build a plant there. He sees our technology as a way to "break the stranglehold on foreign oil." The bill didn't pass the Senate, but what's really significant is that key enterprises like BARTA and leaders like Rep. Caltagirone are demonstrating that serious mainstream interest in alternative energy solutions like ours is growing. In fact, the BARTA board is talking about forming a coalition with other public transportation systems in Pennsylvania to collaborate on the effort to get an alternative energy plant built.
This is good news indeed and, hopefully, a harbinger of things to come.
Monday, June 2, 2008
In Denial About The Energy Crunch
As if we couldn't predict it, energy prices are officially taking their toll on stocks. Today's Wall Street Journal sums up the depressing situation by saying, "Now, as the second quarter enters its final month, the energy crunch is taking a bigger bite out of profits just as many analysts thought earnings would be getting better." Didn't they see it coming? I did. You probably did. Any company that relies on oil for its bread and butter earnings (automotive manufacturers, chemical producers and airlines) or on consumer traffic (retailers and restaurants) was bound to take a hit. You don't have to be a professional stock analyst to know this.
Ironically, the Journal says that technology stocks are holding steady as this sector takes advantage of the "export boom" stemming from the weak dollar. That's just great. We're celebrating the demise of the U.S. dollar.
How about, instead, we try shoring up the economy by replacing a key import - oil, that is -- with an alternative that we can produce domestically? Oil, that is. Yes, we can produce our own oil utilizing an abundant, renewable, readily available resource: the hundreds of millions of tons of solid waste that accumulates in this country every year.
Just imagine the ramifications -- economically, politically and environmentally -- if the United States were to stop importing oil and supply its own, based on the use of above-ground carbon stock. U.S. industry would have a reliable source of inexpensive energy. Gas pump prices would drop to realistic levels. There would be little left to fight about in the Middle East. We would solve our waste management problems and arrest global warming at the same time.
This is the stuff great headlines are made of. Maybe our new administration, whoever that turns out to be, will see the light and take steps toward an energy policy that is forward-looking and takes advantage of technologies like TCP (thermal conversion process) to change the energy paradigm. Or maybe we'll just keep wooping it up every time U.S. currency takes another plunge.
Ironically, the Journal says that technology stocks are holding steady as this sector takes advantage of the "export boom" stemming from the weak dollar. That's just great. We're celebrating the demise of the U.S. dollar.
How about, instead, we try shoring up the economy by replacing a key import - oil, that is -- with an alternative that we can produce domestically? Oil, that is. Yes, we can produce our own oil utilizing an abundant, renewable, readily available resource: the hundreds of millions of tons of solid waste that accumulates in this country every year.
Just imagine the ramifications -- economically, politically and environmentally -- if the United States were to stop importing oil and supply its own, based on the use of above-ground carbon stock. U.S. industry would have a reliable source of inexpensive energy. Gas pump prices would drop to realistic levels. There would be little left to fight about in the Middle East. We would solve our waste management problems and arrest global warming at the same time.
This is the stuff great headlines are made of. Maybe our new administration, whoever that turns out to be, will see the light and take steps toward an energy policy that is forward-looking and takes advantage of technologies like TCP (thermal conversion process) to change the energy paradigm. Or maybe we'll just keep wooping it up every time U.S. currency takes another plunge.
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