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Politics : Rat's Nest - Chronicles of Collapse -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (7152)	2/25/2008 11:21:44 AM
From: Wharf Rat	Respond to of 24211

China faces shortage of 6 billion tons of oil Economics 2/25/2008 5:59:00 PM TOKYO, Feb 25 (KUNA) -- China, the world's second-biggest energy consumer, faces a shortage of 6 billion tons of oil and 600 million cubic meters of natural gas over the next few years, as the country has entered a phase of rapid mineral consumption amid its rapid industrialization, the official media reported Monday. "An insufficient supply of resources has become a major bottleneck for the country's development," Wang Min, vice-minister of land and resources, told a national geological survey conference in Beijing, according to the China Daily. Given the goal of doubling the nation's gross domestic output, China is expected to consume 510 million tons of oil, 20 million cubic meters of natural gas, 3.7 billion tons of coal, 400 million tons of steel, 6.6 million tons of copper and 13 million tons of alumina by 2010, Wang noted. "China is stepping up its efforts to further tap domestic mineral resources to meet the huge appetite of its blistering economic growth in the wake of soaring global resource prices," he added, pledging to find more than 200 new mineral bases by 2010. According to figures from the Ministry of Land and Resources, global investment in surveying for solid mineral resources totaled USD 10.5 billion last year, a year-on-year jump of 40 percent. China discovered more than 800 new mineral bases during the past nine years, but high demand in the domestic mineral market has put a strain on mineral supplies, the vice minister said. China used up to 2.3 billion tons of coal and 420 million tons of steel in 2006, respectively accounting for 39 percent and 33 percent of total global consumption in that year. It also consumed 3.72 million tons of copper and 8. 65 million tons of alumina in 2006, accounting for 22 percent and 26 percent of total global consumption. The ministry also pledged to deepen international cooperation in mineral surveying and exploitation. More than 200 foreign companies have invested in mineral surveying in China, with most of their 400 projects, including surveying for oil, natural gas, coal, copper and gold mines, in the nation's vast western regions. (end) mk.ajs KUNA 251759 Feb 08NNNN kuna.net.kw

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (7152)	2/25/2008 1:37:12 PM
From: stan_hughes	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 24211

Branson's 'Nutty' Idea To Power His Jets Virgin Airways 747, Powered By Blend of Biofuels, Flies to The Netherlands By NICK WATT LONDON, Feb. 24, 2008— Virgin Flight 811P took off from London Heathrow this morning fueled, in part, by 150,000 coconuts and babassu nuts picked in the Amazon rainforest. The Boeing 747 touched down safely 40 minutes later in Amsterdam. This was either a milestone in aviation history on a par with Lindbergh's first solo crossing of the Atlantic, or it was a cynical public relations stunt. It depends on how you look at it. "This is the first stage on a journey towards renewable fuel," Virgin's founder Richard Branson told hundreds of journalists gathered to watch the take-off. "It's the equivalent of those exciting first few steps by a baby." There was a carnival atmosphere: Free bagels and back rubs in the Virgin hangar at Heathrow for the press. Branson, ever the showman, posed with a coconut. But environmentalists were not impressed. "This is a greenwash," Leo Murray of the pressure group Plane Stupid told us. "It is designed to send a message out to the public that it's OK to continue flying because a 'technofix' is just around the corner." What does today's flight prove? Only that biofuel can work at 25,000 feet -- it won't freeze at 30 degrees below zero. But as Branson said, this is a baby step. Only one of the 747's four engines was powered by a biofuel blend 20 percent biofuel and 80 percent conventional aviation fuel. There are some bigger steps that must be taken before biofuel is used for vacations. First up, a sustainable and viable source of biofuel must be found. Corn, palm oil or coconuts are not the answer: Rainforest is cleared for their production or they compete with traditional agriculture and take up land that is needed to grow food. Fuel from algae might be the answer. But most experts think that technology is a long way off. Decades, perhaps. Branson thinks Virgin aircraft could be flying on algae in the next five to 10 years. Optimistic? I asked him. "Well, as you know, I'm an optimistic person." Branson has pledged $3 billion -- all the profits for a decade from his airline and train company -- for research into greener fuel. The aviation industry burns around 87 billion gallons of fuel every year. Branson, and others, realize something needs to be done. Today's experimental biofuel was made by a Seattle-based outfit, Imperium Renewables. Boeing and General Electric, which makes the engines, are also involved. Boeing's new generation jets -- the 787 Dreamliner and the updated 747 -- are far more fuel efficient than their predecessors. Airbus, Boeing's European competitor, tested a synthetic jet fuel earlier this month. But environmental groups like Friends of the Earth would rather airlines just stopped flying so much. "Biofuel is not the answer," a spokesperson for Friends of the Earth told ABC. "People like Friends of the Earth just annoy me," Branson told me today. "All they do is criticize anyone that tries anything new. What they should be trying to do is encourage technological breakthroughs so that the world has a future." It's a future that will have a lot more planes in it. The world's fleet is projected to double in size in the next 20 years. Will biofuel be the answer? Will environmentalists get their wish and will our flights be rationed? It might take years before we really know if today was a milestone or a stunt. Copyright © 2008 ABC News Internet Ventures abcnews.go.com