Biofuels scandal - food or fuel? Video on Biofuel crisis,biofuel oil

biofuel industry is dead -- biofuel by converting food into oil is stupid and immoral. Biodiesel, biomass, biowaste and sugar to fuel conversion. Ethanol and gasoline or petrol mix, European Union EU policy changes on biofuel. Biofuels policy reversal. Anti-biofuel campaigns. Biofuel blamed for food riots, hunger, food shortages, rising food prices, wheat prices, food hoarding and stockpiles. Biofuel production: speculation in food futures. Biofuel links oil price to food price. Do biofuel quotas cause starvation, Africa Asia, India, China? Competition from biofuel manufafturers for food -- poor people cannot eat, food prices rise, biofuel means burning wheat in car engines, driving vehicles on biofuel, adding ethanol to petrol / gasoline. Biodiesel, soybean price rises, rice price rises, food riots, biofuel destruction of forests for agriculture. Non biofuel reasons for rising food prices: drought, crop failure, hoarding, ban on food exports, stockpiling of food, speculation on food commodities markets. Ethics of biomass fuel generation and increased use of fertilisers. Net carbon footprint of biofuel production. Net biofuel consumption or saving of CO2 / energy. Global trade in biofuels, food, oil and energy. Ethical crisis in biofuels industry. Federal government policy on biofuels and national energy policy. EU fuel regulations for ethanol, biodiesel and biomass fuel generation. Biofuel impact on oil prices, demand, economy, global warming, energy conservation and real estate industry. Biofuels and environment, environmental change, climate change. Risks in real estate development. Operational and management risks and role of a Futurist. What is a Futurist? Identifying new opportunities in buildings control, environmental regulation. Keeping pace with change in real estate planning and corporate real estate demands. Impact on corporate real estate of mergers and acquisitions. How world getting faster, client demands growing faster. How clients behave illogically in longer term real estate planning. Buildings controls, heating and cooling, retrofitting high rise, office blocks and factories. Building regulations and government action. Longer term real estate planning. Market research limitations and customer expectations, client demands. Architects and buildings design, living space, partitions, ventilation systems, balancing and rebalancing air conditioning. ARBS. Business management video by Dr Patrick Dixon, conference keynote speaker lecture, author of Futurewise and Building a Better Business. Global warming impact from offices and commercial buildings, skyscrapers, tower blocks and corporate real estate. Energy efficiency and energy consumption of commercial buildings and office blocks. Balancing air conditioning systems with better building control systems (integrated temperature monitoring) can save over 30% of energy costs each year. Johnson Controls and other companies provide specialist technical advice on heat loss reduction and air conditioning management systems. Issues of ventilation, fresh air, "tight" buildings, carbon dioxide levels, heat exchangers and air ducting. Electricity use and power generation on buildings. Green roofs, open spaces, shade, natural light. Impact of global warming and CO2 reduction on building design, architecture, building regulations and government standards. Special tax relief and concessions, reductions in stamp duty for energy compliant 5* and 6* commercial properties. Activist campaigns to reduce carbon emissions. Carbon trading and offsets. Energy in construction and demolition as proportion of life-time energy use. Future of corporate real estate and corporate real estate management companies. Outsourcing buildings management.
Energy saving, corporate, real estate, property, cost, management, electricity, power, consumption, air conditioning, buildings controls, heat, cooling, light, air circulation, warming, carbon dioxide, gas emissions, biofuels, biodiesel, biomass, biowaste, fuel production, cars, vehicles, aviation, food, wheat, soya, sugar, ethanol, reduction, green roofs

Future of oil prices - oil price rises - oil industry trends

Rational pricing of oil -- recent $15 a barrel rising to $120 a barrel for oil. Potential peak of $250 a barrel. Petrochemical industry future. Future of oil prices. Rising and falling oil prices. Peak demand. OPEC output capacity. Instability and national oil producers. Economic impact of high oil prices. Oil industry trends. Energy industry outlook. Forecasting future oil prices. Economy, global warming, energy conservation and real estate industry. Environment, environmental change, climate change. Risks in real estate development. Operational and management risks and role of a Futurist. What is a Futurist? Identifying new opportunities in buildings control, environmental regulation. Keeping pace with change in real estate planning and corporate real estate demands. Impact on corporate real estate of mergers and acquisitions. How world getting faster, client demands growing faster. How clients behave illogically in longer term real estate planning. Buildings controls, heating and cooling, retrofitting high rise, office blocks and factories. Building regulations and government action. Longer term real estate planning. Market research limitations and customer expectations, client demands. Architects and buildings design, living space, partitions, ventilation systems, balancing and rebalancing air conditioning. ARBS.. Business management video by Dr Patrick Dixon, conference keynote speaker lecture, author of Futurewise and Building a Better Business. Global warming impact from offices and commercial buildings, skyscrapers, tower blocks and corporate real estate. Energy efficiency and energy consumption of commercial buildings and office blocks. Balancing air conditioning systems with better building control systems (integrated temperature monitoring) can save over 30% of energy costs each year. Johnson Controls and other companies provide specialist technical advice on heat loss reduction and air conditioning management systems. Issues of ventilation, fresh air, "tight" buildings, carbon dioxide levels, heat exchangers and air ducting. Electricity use and power generation on buildings. Green roofs, open spaces, shade, natural light. Impact of global warming and CO2 reduction on building design, architecture, building regulations and government standards. Special tax relief and concessions, reductions in stamp duty for energy compliant 5* and 6* commercial properties. Activist campaigns to reduce carbon emissions. Carbon trading and offsets. Energy in construction and demolition as proportion of life-time energy use. Future of corporate real estate and corporate real estate management companies. Outsourcing buildings management.
Energy saving, corporate, real estate, property, cost, management, electricity, power, consumption, air conditioning, buildings controls, heat, cooling, light, air circulation, warming, carbon dioxide, gas emissions, reduction, green roofs

Biofuels video: run buses on old cooking oil - Stagecoach ...

Innovation using old cooking oil to drive buses or cars or lorries. Future of public transport energy efficiency and Stagecoach innovation in energy saving, reducing carbon footprint. Why biofuel industry using food is dead -- converting food into oil is stupid and immoral but converting used cooking oil is a good thing. Biodiesel, biomass, biowaste and sugar to fuel conversion. Ethanol and gasoline or petrol mix, European Union EU poliy changes on biofuel and biowaste. Policy reversal. Anti-biofuel capaigns. Food riots, hunger, food shortages, rising food prices, whet prices, food hoarding and stockpiles. Speculation in food futures. Link oil price to food price. Starvation, Africa Asia, India, China. Competition for food -- poor people cannot eat, food prices rise, burning wheat in car engines, driving vehicles, adding ethanol to petrol / gasoline. Biodiesel, soybean price rises, rise price rises, food riots, destruction of forests for agriculture. Other reasons for rising food prices: drought, crop failure, hoarding, ban on food exports, stockpiling of food, speculation on food commodities markets. Ethics of biomass fuel generation and increased use of fertilisers. Net consumption or saving of CO2 / energy. Global trade in food, oil and energy. Ethical crisis in biofuels. Federal government policy and national energy policy. EU fuel regulations for ethanol, biodiesel and biomass fuel generation. Economy, global warming, energy conservation and real estate industry. Environment, environmental change, climate change. Risks in real estate development. Operational and management risks and role of a Futurist. What is a Futurist? Market research limitations and customer expectations, client demands. Business management video comment about successful Stagecoach innovation by Dr Patrick Dixon, conference keynote speaker lecture, author of Futurewise and Building a Better Business.
Energy saving, biofuels, biowaste, public transport, bus, buses, road haulage, cars, corporate, cost, management, warming, carbon dioxide, gas emissions, biofuels, biodiesel, biomass, biowaste, fuel production, cars, vehicles, aviation, food, wheat, soya, sugar, ethanol, reduction, green roofs

Oil prices and aviation industry trends

Future of aviation industry with higher oil prices. Operational efficiency and budget airlines, capacity, turnaround time, cost reduction, seat occupancy, load factor increase, fuel efficiency with new planes. Future of airline travel for business, leisure and tourism. Transport competition from road and rail. Total fuel element of travel cost small. Discounted air fares. Aviation industry profitability, crisis, mergers and acquisitions. Long haul flights and short haul flights. Carbon offset travel carbon dioxide emissions -- airlines. Air freight carbon offset for DHL, UPS and Fedex. Average cost per passenger seat. Dollar price of oil. Future oil price trends. Impact of higher oil prices on aviation. Use of biofuel and alternative fuels. Business class tickets, image and public relations. Alternatives to commercial travel for meetings.Video by keynote conference speaker Dr Patrick Dixon, Futurist and author of 12 books on global trends including Futurewise and Building a Better Business.

Sovereign wealth funds - what China will do next?

Sovereign wealth funds hold several trillion dollars. What will they do? Most was in long term Federal Bonds. Expect sovereign wealth fund managers to diversify into banking, technology, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, mining and oil industry as well as real estate if prices fall further. Selling dollars on large scale is unlikely since it would lower dollar value and value of their remaining dollar investments. Video by conference keynote Futurist speaker Dr Patrick Dixon, author Futurewise. Sovereign wealth, funds, management, dollar, US economy, outlook, fall, rise, investments, portfolio, economic trends, emerging markets, patrick dixon

Social and demographic / lifestyle trends -- impact on ...

Need for students to understand demographic challenges, global challenges. Issues of injustice (perceived) and potential for future conflicts. Example of oil industry in Nigeria. Militant activists, moral passion, attacks, sabotage, kidnapping, security issues. Small numbers of activists will have huge power in tomorrow's world. Video on future of education, high schools, colleges, universities, curriculum, trends, syllabus, exams, assessments, business schools, MBAs, degree courses - by Dr Patrick Dixon, Futurist conference keynote speaker for NAIS.

Sovereign funds - national tensions - future trends?

China, Russia, UAE and other nations buying national assets. Sovereign wealth funds size and growth. Investment policy, transparency, reaction and regulation. National interest and conflict. Controversy. Link to private equity and buyouts. Rescue of banks and financial institutions. Future fund manager decisions and government policies to hold dollar or euro reserves. Switch from dollars to euros. Oil revenues boost sovereign fund wealth. American foreign policy interests. Foreign ownership of utilities, ports, airports, stock exchanges and other national assets. Conference keynote speaker and Futurist Dr Patrick Dixon.

Future of Kazakhstan

Interesting visit – giving a presentation on the investment potential of the country at a conference in Karaganda opened by the Prime Minister. Kazakhstan is a spectacularly vast and beautiful country, with massive resources of oil, gas, coal, copper, uranium and many other minerals. Kazakhstan is the size of Europe, yet most people in Europe cannot place it on a map. Kazakhstan suffered under the former Soviet regime, was host to many Gulag camps, has been affected by industrial and nuclear pollution on a massive scale, is severely short of water (hence death of the Aral sea), and yet life expectancy and incomes fell from already low levels when Communism ended.

The ending of Russian control created high expectations but the reality was half a decade of chaos and uncertainty as reforms gradually worked through and internal markets began to develop. Living standards fell sharply during those years and life was very tough for millions of people.

Rapid development of oil and gas fields in the early 2000s has resulted in huge economic growth, and Kazakhstan is likely to see continued inflation in real estate prices as well as in other sectors. Government income will rise rapidly as new oil and gas fields come on stream through 2008 onwards, and we can expect major investment in large-scale infrastructure as well as in health and education. At the same time, expect major environmental initiatives, some linked to ecotourism, of which one will be renewed regional efforts to allow the Aral Sea to recover.

Kazakhs are returning to the country and birth rates are rising, while significant numbers of Russians continue to leave. The net effect is likely to be population growth of around 0.5m to 1m every two years. There is a feel of optimism and yet there is a long way to go in improving basic health care and social support, especially for the elderly or vulnerable. Kazakhstan is likely to find that oil and gas wealth is a mixed blessing. As energy exports rise, so will the value of the national currency, making other exports more difficult for tens of thousands of small and medium sized businesses on which the wider and more sustainable future of the economy will depend.

As we have seen in many other oil-rich nations, huge energy reserves can create other challenges ranging from national security threats from energy hungry neighbours, to internal threats from groups keen to take power and cream off wealth for themselves. Neither seem a significant issue at present in Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan is strategically placed with political stability, good relations with neighbouring nations, carefully balanced diplomacy with both Russia and the US, and greater religious tolerance than some of its neighbours (the country is roughly half Muslim and half Christian).

There are huge business opportunities here for people who are sensitive to history and culture, globalised in outlook and well connected to people who matter.
The visit was interesting for another reason: the AIDS foundation I started in 1988 (ACET) has trained community workers in HIV prevention in Kazakhstan and other countries in the region so it was helpful to meet key people and learn about the spread of HIV and practical steps being taken to save the lives of young people at risk.

BP oil profits up - beyond petroleum?

BBC NEWS | Business | Oil boom helps BP beat forecasts

BP is leading the way for many other oil companies with the slogan "Beyond Petroleum", which is a summary of a firm commitment to develop alternative energy sources. However, environmental and safety issues remain a challenge as well as continued dependence on oil for most revenue generation.

Analysts tip oil will push beyond current record - Business - Business

Analysts tip oil will push beyond current record - Business - Business

Some time ago many people predicted that global economic growth would slow significantly if oil prices rose as high as $50 to $60 - and yet little has happened.

Now some are warning of dire consequencies if the oil price were to rise to $100 a barrel.

The fact is that when we allow for inflation, oil is still cheaper than it was at the height of the oil crisis in the 1970s - 30 years ago.

The oil price per barrel would need to be around $90 to equal the real cost then, but other things have changed. In the 1970s many nations had far higher rates of inflation. Today, globalisation and the digital age have resulted in falling prices across a wide range of goods, and have also reduced the costs of many services like banking.

It could be argued that recent oil prices as low as $15 a barrel were highly undesirable for the sustainable future of the earth, encouraging energy waste and making it impossible to develop profitable alternative energy sources.

From that point of view we should welcome higher oil prices, which are already helping stimulate huge new investment into solar, wind, tide, hydroelectric and other generation methods, while also encouraging fresh efforts in energy conservation.

Higher oil prices suck vast amounts of cash out of oil-poor countries into the hands of oil producers, and this is already finding its way quite rapidly back into other economies. Just look for example at the amount of Middle East wealth that is flowing into the real estate markets in Europe, particularly the UK.

There are a large number of new business opportunities that arise from these wealth movements, and of course from energy conservation / alternative power generation.

China oil consumption - and global warming

Interesting fact: If China develops to the same level as South Korea (GDP per head), it could consume as much oil per day as 60% of the whole world at 2005 levels.

Expect the Chinese government to invest great efforts not only in securing their own oil supplies by buying significant stakes in oil companies around the world, but also to invest in alternative energy sources, especially coal.

The future of the coffee industry

After oil, coffee is the world's greatest commodity in trade terms, and like oil, the coffee industry raises many ethical questions about environment, human rights, inequality between wealthy and poor nations. Reasons perhaps why this presentation to the European Coffee Federation created such a stir at the time and continues to draw heavy web traffic.