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UK Could Send Military Assets To Strait Of Hormuz

January 25, 2012 by ·

Britain could send extra military assets to the Strait of Hormuz to deter any attempt by Iran to block Persian Gulf oil tanker traffic, the country’s defense secretary said Tuesday, as Tehran accused the European Union of trying to create tension with a ban on the purchase of its oil.

Two British and French warships and the American aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln had entered the Gulf on Sunday to show Tehran they would not tolerate any interference with global shipping, Philip Hammond told reporters.

Iranian leaders have repeated long-standing threats to close off the Strait, which handles a fifth of the world’s oil, after the EU imposed the embargo Monday as part of sanctions to pressure Tehran into resuming talks on the country’s controversial nuclear program. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Economy, Foreign Policy, Industry ·

Electric Car Innovation Could Pump Range Up To 500 Miles

January 18, 2012 by ·

IBM Corp. might in a few years have a product that could drastically increase the driving range of electric vehicles such as the ones that Loveland-based Amp Electric Vehicles makes.

IBM’s lithium-air batteries, which have more than 1,000 times the energy density of typical lithium-ion batteries, could push the range to 500 miles, New Scientist reports.

That would solve one of the major barriers that electric-vehicle manufacturers face in attracting a large-scale customer base. Current technology provides a range of only about 100 miles before the vehicle needs to be charged again. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cars/Vehicles, Industry ·

Iran Warns Gulf Arabs On Oil

January 15, 2012 by ·

Iran warned Gulf Arab oil producers against boosting production to offset any potential drop in Tehran’s crude exports in the event of an embargo affecting its oil sales, the latest salvo in the dispute between the West and the Islamic Republic over its nuclear program.

The comments by Iran’s OPEC governor, published Sunday, came as Saudi Arabia’s oil minister was quoted the same day denying that his country’s earlier pledges to boost output as needed to meet global demand was linked to a potential siphoning of Iranian crude from the market because of sanctions.

World oil markets have been jolted over concerns that Iran may choke off the vital Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for sanctions hampering its ability to sell its oil. Saudi Arabia and other key Gulf Arab producers have recently said they are ready to provide stable and secure supplies of oil. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Foreign Policy, Industry ·

All Eyes On German Renewable Energy Efforts

December 29, 2011 by ·

This tiny village of 37 gray homes and farm buildings clustered along the main road in a wind-swept corner of rural eastern Germany seems an unlikely place for a revolution.

Yet environmentalists, experts and politicians from El Salvador to Japan to South Africa have flocked here in the past year to learn how Feldheim, a village of just 145 people, is already putting into practice Germany’s vision of a future powered entirely by renewable energy.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government passed legislation in June setting the country on course to generate a third of its power through renewable sources – such as wind, solar, geothermal and bioenergy – within a decade, reaching 80 percent by 2050, while creating jobs, increasing energy security and reducing harmful emissions. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Industry, Technologies ·

Man-Made Meat May Soon Feed World And Help Save The Planet

November 14, 2011 by ·

Scientists are cooking up new ways of satisfying the world’s ever-growing hunger for meat. “Cultured meat” – burgers or sausages grown in laboratory Petri dishes rather than made from slaughtered livestock – could be the answer to feeding the world, saving the environment and sparing the lives of millions of animals, they say.

Granted, it may take a while to catch on. And it won’t be cheap.

The first lab-grown hamburger would cost around e250 000 (R2.73 million) to produce, said Mark Post, a vascular biologist at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands, who hopes to unveil such a delicacy soon.

Experts say the meat’s potential for saving animals’ lives, land, water, energy and the planet could be enormous. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Food, Industry, Livestock, Research & Study ·

Nissan’s Mid-Size Car Is This Year’s Big Seller

October 20, 2011 by ·

Nissan’s American-built mid-size car, the Altima, is catching on with car buyers this year.

Through the first nine months of 2011, the pleasantly styled and well-powered Altima posted U.S. sales of more than 200,000 and outsold a perennial top seller, the Honda Accord. The Altima also was the fifth most popular car or truck in the United States in sales last month, and its September sales were just 495 shy of the month’s total Toyota Camry sales.

The Accord and Camry traditionally are No. 1 and 2, respectively, in U.S. car sales. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business, Cars/Vehicles, Economy, Industry ·

What To Consider When Shopping For Electric Cars, Plug-in Hybrids

September 18, 2011 by ·

Electric cars are back. Popular in early automotive history, electrics quickly got smoked by their internal-combustion-driven cousins.

But in this age of volatile gas prices and climate worries, these clean, quiet vehicles are winning new fans. Advances in technology have improved their range and power. Companies are rolling them out in every flavor.

Need a small SUV? Take a look at the Toyota RAV4 electric hitting the market next year. How about a luxury sedan? There’s the Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid, which the automaker compares to a Maserati Quattroporte but with better mileage and lower emissions than a Toyota Prius. Do you lean toward small, practical sedans that seat five? The Nissan Leaf may be your ticket. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cars/Vehicles, Industry, Lifestyle ·