A Solution to the Gulf Coast Disaster?

14-May-2010 | kate | Agriculture Green Investing US Markets

BP is having a hard time finding a solution to contain their out of control oil well and it appears they  are running out of room after proposing an open forum to the public to come up with ideas to contain the disaster. Today, an interesting video came out of Florida, after a man demonstrated the hay, could be used to soak up the oil and is a green solution to this environmental disaster.

So to start lets explain what is going on right now.

Currently, BP is using oil booms to prevent the flow of oil. Oil booms are made up of several components; flotation member, fabric, ballast and oil absorbents. An example of an oil absorbent would be hair, both pet and human, which can hold up to 6 times its weight in oil.

So taking on the idea oil absorbent, that was easier to obtain than human hair, Darryl Carpenter, a Florida road contractor, came up with the idea to use hay, which has been used in road construction for years to soak up extra tar. Jumping to action, Carpenter called one of his subcontractors and got him to pour some oil into water, and see if the hay would soak it up. A few minutes later, he received some news “it works. It got every bit of oil out of the water.”

Carpenter has successful demonstrated how the oil can be soaked up from water with a little bit of hay, and that it can easily be collected and burned for energy on shore. Carpenter has also pointed out that the local shrimping boats (that are out of work) can be used to collect the floating hay (which never sinks) and return it to shore.  As well, since the oil sticks to the hay, it does not affect the shore line when it washes up. The washed up hay, can easily be cleaned up by the beach combing machines.

He contact BP, and did a demo for the high level executives late this weeks, and is waiting to hear back whether or not BP will move ahead with the oil containment solution that not only works, is actually a green idea.  Meanwhile, Walton county officials are hooked, and have already lined their shores with hay and are sending out barges filled with hay. The county has even invested in a hay blower, which they have set up in the water just off the coast line.

It is interesting to note that in 1969, there was an off shore rig blow out several miles of the Santa Barbara Channel, and well several oil dispersants were used including oil booms, the most effective was bales of hay. Hay was effectively used to contain the oil, and was washed up on shore and collected by volunteers and heavy equipment to be disposed of.

This blog has been prepared by the Retire First Team. The blog expresses the opinions of the writers and not necessarily those of Retire First Ltd. Statistic and factual data are from sources Retire First believes to be reliable but their accuracy can not be guaranteed. This blog is furnished on the basis and understanding that Retire First is under no liability whatsoever in respect thereof. It is for informational purposes only and is not be construed as an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of securities. Retire First Ltd. And its officers, directors, employees and their family may from time to time invest in the securities discussed in this blog. This blog is intended for individuals where Retire First Ltd is registered as a dealer in securities.

Retire First is a member of the Canadian Investors Protection Fund.

Commission, trailing commissions, management fees and expense all may be associated with mutual funds. Please read the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. A recommendation of any of the mentioned investments would only be made after a personal review of individual portfolio. Third Party research has been used in formulating the writer's opinions.

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BP Gulf Disaster’s Impact

03-May-2010 | Reggie | Commodities Green Investing Oil & Gas

With no sign of easing, the well gushing crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico is well on its way to being one of the worst ecological disasters ever caused by man.  The fallout from the broken well is going to be absolutely huge.  Countless species in an already fragile ecosystem will be under severe stress as they try and cope.  Fishermen, Oyster farmers, and tourism operators will see their businesses get decimated.  As a small consolation, British Petroleum is accepting responsibility and agreeing pay for the cost of the clean up.  This disaster could mark a dramatic shift to how off-shore drilling is permitted and viewed.

Nothing gets people as upset and seeing helpless animals covered in oil looking sick and destitute.  When pictures of ducks covered in oil emerged in the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez spill, the public was outraged.  A lot of hate and anger was targeted towards Exxon in the form of multi-billion dollar lawsuits and unfortunately for the Oil company, they get about as much sympathy to their plight as Goldman Sachs is getting present day.  Many still resent Exxon to this day for the destruction caused to the pristine Alaskan environment.

The United States was on the verge of opening up more coastline to off shore drilling along the Atlantic coast.  Also, Oil companies have been lobbying for years to ease regulations allowing for drilling in the Arctic Ocean.  I suspect this spill will put a significant damper in those plans.  Companies already or wishing to drill off shore could face a severe environment tax or insurance premium for doing so.

All in all, the impact of this latest spill could cause a significant shift in how the Oil sands is viewed by the general public.  Although the Oil Sands is no choir boy, the damage to the environment is known and without surprise.  For open pit mines, large tracts of marsh and forest must be cleared but the grass and trees will grow back with the operation is completed.  Tailing ponds are created as water is diverted from the Athabasca River – current usage is estimated at 0.4% of the river.  Last year when bad weather prevented air cannons designed to scare away wildlife from the pond malfunctioned – a couple hundred ducks past away.  Fortunately, this has been an isolated incident.

Until the world’s need for Oil is alleviated by some sort of new technology, drilling for Oil remains a necessary evil.  Companies and governments will learn from their mistakes and any ecological disaster will be met with intense public dissatisfaction.  Hopefully this one will be an opportunity to re-evaluate the Oil sands impact on the environment and appreciate it for what it isn’t.

This blog has been prepared by the Retire First Team. The blog expresses the opinions of the writers and not necessarily those of Retire First Ltd. Statistic and factual data are from sources Retire First believes to be reliable but their accuracy can not be guaranteed. This blog is furnished on the basis and understanding that Retire First is under no liability whatsoever in respect thereof. It is for informational purposes only and is not be construed as an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of securities. Retire First Ltd. And its officers, directors, employees and their family may from time to time invest in the securities discussed in this blog. This blog is intended for individuals where Retire First Ltd is registered as a dealer in securities.

Retire First is a member of the Canadian Investors Protection Fund.

Commission, trailing commissions, management fees and expense all may be associated with mutual funds. Please read the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. A recommendation of any of the mentioned investments would only be made after a personal review of individual portfolio. Third Party research has been used in formulating the writer's opinions.

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Obama says Yes to Nuclear Energy

16-Feb-2010 | Reggie | Commodities Green Investing Market Outlook Oil & Gas Technology

Today US President Barack Obama announced an $8.3 billion loan guarantee to help Southern Co. build a nuclear power plant in Georgia.  This loan signifies the US taking a positive stance on nuclear power as a reliable and clean source of energy.  Since the accident that occurred in Pennsylvania in 1979 at Three Mile Island, the US has not licensed another nuclear power plant to be built.  That, along with the Chernobyl disaster, and the difficulty in storing and disposing of nuclear waste has created quite a controversy over the topic.

The creation of additional nuclear power in the United States has quite a few pros to it.  For one, the construction, maintenance, and operation of the plant should result in thousands of jobs for residents in the Georgia area.  It also means that the US will be investing in reliable home made power with a small to non-existent carbon footprint.  The United States has been making reliance on foreign states for it’s energy needs a priority for many years.  Going back to nuclear power will be a big step in the right direction for sustainable and clean energy.

Although this is only 1 plant, the announcement has several future implications for the uranium, and coal sectors.  As technology super powers resume work to develop nuclear power into a safe and consistent source of energy, we can hopefully look forward to seeing nuclear power take the place of the smog and particulate inducing coal plants that dirty up much of the country side.

This blog has been prepared by the Retire First Team. The blog expresses the opinions of the writers and not necessarily those of Retire First Ltd. Statistic and factual data are from sources Retire First believes to be reliable but their accuracy can not be guaranteed. This blog is furnished on the basis and understanding that Retire First is under no liability whatsoever in respect thereof. It is for informational purposes only and is not be construed as an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of securities. Retire First Ltd. And its officers, directors, employees and their family may from time to time invest in the securities discussed in this blog. This blog is intended for individuals where Retire First Ltd is registered as a dealer in securities.

Retire First is a member of the Canadian Investors Protection Fund.

Commission, trailing commissions, management fees and expense all may be associated with mutual funds. Please read the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. A recommendation of any of the mentioned investments would only be made after a personal review of individual portfolio. Third Party research has been used in formulating the writer's opinions.

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Who said Green Investments can’t be Blue Chip?

17-Nov-2009 | kate | Green Investing Stocks

Going green is the best PR a company can generate and global power houses like Coca Cola are taking notice. Coca-Cola is taking their 30% plant based, 100% recyclable bottle to the masses hoping that replacing their petro based bottle will help them capture sales from green clients.

In 2010, Coke plans to produce over 2 billion PlantBottles, which is made from sugar cane and molasses, and is looking forward to eventually using 100% renewable materials in the packaging in the future. The plant based bottle is already in shelves in Denmark and is gearing up to be launched in Canada prior to the 2010 Olympics.

While many green investors may never think of looking towards a soft drink company for  a green investment, Coca Cola is working towards a zero waste program, by developing their 3 R’s- Reduce, Recover and Reuse.

Reduce the amount of packaging material and energy used in processing

Recover- 85% of Coca Cola’s packaging is recyclable and their goal is to directly recover 50% of cans and bottles sold worldwide.

Reuse- Using refillable bottles and recovered materials is helping to increase the recyclable content of packaging.

Beyond packaging, Coca Cola is taking the green movement seriously and working hard to reduce their environmental food print. The company has developed and introduced a water resource management process, with the goal to reduce consumption by 20% from 2004 usage levels as well as working towards meeting wastewater standards by 2010 at all plant locations world wide. Waste water standards require that waster water be appropriately treated to suppose aquatic life. Meeting waste water standards has proven to be a large undertaking for the company, since many plants are located in areas that do not treat waste water and has required construction of treatments sites. Finally, in January 2009, Coca Cola opened the world’s largest recycling plant in South Carolina worth over $60 million dollars.

Beyond Coca Cola The snack food and beverage industry are working hard to improve their environmental impact, rival drink maker Pepsi, is working hard to improve their bottles as well, introducing a new bottle that will save over 75 million pounds of plastic a year.  Pepsi has also launched new packaging for SunChips which is 100% biodegradable.

Well may investors looking for green investments end up buying small start up companies, taking the time to look at well known global firms might turn up a green investment that already has a proven business structure and product market. Coca Cola is trading up at $56.75 USD.

This blog has been prepared by the Retire First Team. The blog expresses the opinions of the writers and not necessarily those of Retire First Ltd. Statistic and factual data are from sources Retire First believes to be reliable but their accuracy can not be guaranteed. This blog is furnished on the basis and understanding that Retire First is under no liability whatsoever in respect thereof. It is for informational purposes only and is not be construed as an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of securities. Retire First Ltd. And its officers, directors, employees and their family may from time to time invest in the securities discussed in this blog. This blog is intended for individuals where Retire First Ltd is registered as a dealer in securities.

Retire First is a member of the Canadian Investors Protection Fund.

Commission, trailing commissions, management fees and expense all may be associated with mutual funds. Please read the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. A recommendation of any of the mentioned investments would only be made after a personal review of individual portfolio. Third Party research has been used in formulating the writer's opinions.

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Solid State Batteries and the Electric Car – Introduing ZENN Motor Co

01-Oct-2009 | Reggie | Canadian Investing Green Investing Investment Ideas Technology

ZENN is a leading developer, manufacture and supplier of the world’s first zero-emission vehicles. Until recently the widespread acceptance of electric vehicles has been unattainable because of the limitation of the battery- inefficient, expensive, and susceptible to temperature fluctuations.  That is until the ZENN met EEStor a Texas company that developed a EESU (electrical storage unit) capable of propelling a vehicle 400 km on a single 5 minute charge. ZENN was so impressed; they bought 10.7% of the company.

Rather than competing head-on with traditional manufacturers, ZENN plans to work with them by making their drive train technology available for sale and licensing.  This, they hope is a far better strategy and should make wide spread sales and adaptation much easier.

Unlike traditional batteries, the EESU is not a chemical energy storage device but a solid state storage device, a unique way of storing energy. They can store large amounts of energy and because they are not chemical, they are a permanent energy storage device- they don’t wear out.  They also boast very little toxicity compared to conventional batteries.  In the event that one of the EESU has to be taken out of service, the material can be reprocessed. Not only does ZENN have an agreement to use EESU in their vehicles, they also have world wide rights to all aftermarket conversions of any internal combustion vehicles to an electric drive that uses EESU technology.  The only thing ZENN doesn’t have rights to is military applications – which was already taken by Lockheed Martin.

In the mid 90s, ZENN’s founder Ian Clifford had a moment of revelation one day while sitting in a traffic jam in Toronto inside his SUV.  “Am I completely out of my mind?”  When Ian started looking for an electric car to purchase he came across a 40 year old reno’d Renault Dauphine that a guy had been driving for 35 years.  It proved to him that electric cars are in fact a viable mode of transportation an immediately fell in love with it and the guilt free conscience that came along with it.

This comes about at a great time, as it looks like the idea of an electric car finally has enough technology and momentum behind it to finally achieve widespread use and adaptation.  Environmental concerns have been at the forefront and the electric car is seen as one of the ways to help save the planet.  In rapidly developing China, there existing electrical infrastructure is suited far better to electric cars compared to gas, which is unavailable in much of the countryside.  China has also expressed a lot of concern over the massive amounts of smog already in the country.  China has pledged rebates, tax cuts, and policies to help speed the implementation of electric cars.  The Obama administration recently investing $2.4 billion for electric car and hybrid technologies.  Any talk is certainly backed by money.

This of course, isn’t the first time a company has tried to sell an electric car.  Ford saw some limited success with the EVI in the early 90s as did Toyota with the Rav4.  Today there are a few more hybrids like the Prius and the electric Chevy Volt.  However, these cars have been limited by the extremely expensive and inefficient batteries and the requirement of an overnight charge.  If proven, the technology behind the ZENN could be a huge step forward and be the needed catalyst for an electric car revolution.

This blog has been prepared by the Retire First Team. The blog expresses the opinions of the writers and not necessarily those of Retire First Ltd. Statistic and factual data are from sources Retire First believes to be reliable but their accuracy can not be guaranteed. This blog is furnished on the basis and understanding that Retire First is under no liability whatsoever in respect thereof. It is for informational purposes only and is not be construed as an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of securities. Retire First Ltd. And its officers, directors, employees and their family may from time to time invest in the securities discussed in this blog. This blog is intended for individuals where Retire First Ltd is registered as a dealer in securities.

Retire First is a member of the Canadian Investors Protection Fund.

Commission, trailing commissions, management fees and expense all may be associated with mutual funds. Please read the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. A recommendation of any of the mentioned investments would only be made after a personal review of individual portfolio. Third Party research has been used in formulating the writer's opinions.

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