Tag Archives: development
The EU’s Misallocation Of Biomass
Monday, 09 September 2013 The EU’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED) is hindering the development of materials use and consequently the entire creation of a bio-based European economy, according to Michael Carus, managing director of Germany’s Nova Institute. As a consequence, companies like DSM and BASF are choosing to make investments in other countries such as the USA and Brazil, as well as Asia. “The EU’s bioenergy and biofuel policy, as embodied in the ambitious objectives fixed by RED, leads to the systematic allocation of biomass to energy to the disadvantage of material use,” Carus told Il Bioeconomista . “RED has triggered the development of national action plans and support systems for bioenergy and biofuels and this in turn has driven up biomass prices and agricultural leases, making it far more difficult for other sectors to get their hands on biomass and distorting prices. “The ‘misallocation of biomass’ is the right phrase here, since this is blocking higher value material uses like chemicals and plastics from coming to fruition. RED-linked developments on the ground will have a considerable impact on the future availability of biomass for the materials industry.” Bioenergy and biofuels are expected to make up roughly 60% of the overall EU’s RED quota and about 90% of the transport quota by 2020. “We urgently need a new political framework for the most efficient and sustainable utilisation of biomass,” Carus said. “This means especially a level playing field between material and energy use. Five years ago this was a worldwide problem – today it is mainly a problem for Europe. In America and Asia the political framework for bio-based chemicals and plastics is now much more favorable than in Europe. Accordingly, most of the new investments are going to the US, Canada, Brazil, Thailand, Malaysia and China.” Continue reading
JLT motorists caught in jam
JLT motorists caught in jam Muaz Shabandri / 10 September 2013 Thousands of motorists were stuck in their cars on Monday morning after traffic came to a standstill in the Jumeirah Lake Towers community. Some motorists spent more than two hours in their cars as traffic backed up from Shaikh Zayed Road leading up to the entire stretch of the road going around the community. The slow-moving traffic at the JLT roundabout in Dubai on Monday. — KT photo by Leslie Pableo Police officers confirmed the incident on Twitter as Dubai Police tweeted, “Broken down vehicle is causing traffic congestion at JLT.” Rush hour traffic continued late on Tuesday evening also as motorists complained similar traffic snarls in the same area. Some motorists complained that a major roundabout in the middle of the development was closed and traffic from three different roads was being rerouted to one exit. “It usually takes me seven minutes to reach office from my house in Emirates Hills. On Monday, it took more than two-and-a-half hours and it was absolutely chaotic. There were no signs explaining which roads were closed,” said Manjari Khatwani who works for an international media company in JLT. Most motorists in the area were unaware as limited traffic signs and new road diversions added to traffic problems. Offices in JLT were severely affected as the so-called ‘planned road closure’ had choked access to buildings in the area. Security staff working in the area were seen directing traffic towards an exit leading to Shaikh Zayed Road as teams from civic authorities also rushed to the site. Rami Salame works for an advertising agency in the area. He called on authorities to plan better and help avoid such situations. “There can’t be three or four roads leading to one exit. Someone has to take responsibility for better planning and build more access and exit points in the area,” he said. JLT’s master developer, Dubai Multi-Commodities Center, was tight-lipped about the traffic crisis. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) also did not reply to questions by Khaleej Times . muaz@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
China Corn Imports Could Reach 20-30 Million Tonnes
Reuters | September 6, 2013 China could import 20 million to 30 million tonnes of corn a year to cover growing supply shortages, a researcher with a government think tank said on Thursday, as much as four times current levels. This would be around a quarter of globally traded corn and up to twice as much as number one importer Japan buys, a boon to exporters like the United States, Ukraine and Argentina. While Xu Xiaoqing, the head of the rural department at the State Council’s Development and Research Centre, didn’t give a timeframe, his comments to a conference are another sign that China is relaxing its policy of being self sufficient in the feed grain. The think tank, an agency of the country’s cabinet, doesn’t decide policy but does directly advise and issue policy recommendations to Chinese leaders. “For corn, we can maintain basic self-sufficiency and whenever there is a shortfall, we could import – there would be no problem importing 20-30 million tonnes,” said Xu. “But we should keep self-sufficient in staple grains of wheat and rice.” Imports are expected to rise to 7 million tonnes in 2013/14, 3.3 percent of China’s total domestic output of 211 million tonnes. Xu’s comments reflect a wider debate in government about the country’s food security goals in the light of soaring demand, rapid urbanisation, declining farmland and a shortage of agricultural labour. Agriculture minister Han Changfu on Sunday told state media that corn imports would have to rise gradually in order to meet feed demand, reversing his 2012 vow that China would not allow itself to become dependent on foreign supplies. China could tweak its grain security strategy by allowing its corn self-sufficiency rate to fall to around 80 percent, Xu said. China has long vowed to maintain a 95-percent rate of self-sufficiency in major staples, but imports of rice and corn have been steadily rising, and analysts also expect the country to start sourcing large quantities of meat from overseas. Xu said China’s demand for beef has risen more than twice as quickly as domestic production in recent years, driving up prices. He said meat consumption would continue to rise as China urbanises, and imports could be increased. Continue reading
