Tag Archives: updated
Dragons Swoop Down On Bamboo Toilet Paper Offer
By Peter Rusland – Cowichan News Leader Pictorial Published: October 17, 2013 9:00 AM Updated: October 21, 2013 9:19 AM A Cowichanian and his business partner rolled out of the Dragons’ Den Wednesday with a $200,000 investment in their bamboo Silk’n Soft toilet-paper business. Shawnigan Lake’s Brad Kornelson — the lake’s former fire chief — and Victoria lawyer James Legh convinced CBC-TV’s millionaire dragons Jim Treliving and Arlene Dickinson to invest in their firm. In return, the dragons got a 35% stake in the toilet tissue arm of the company during Wednesday’s airing of the popular show. The partners told the dragons three-ply, bamboo-cotton Silk’n Soft saves thousands of trees. Their toilet tissue also costs about the same as tissue made from wood fibre. Their company sells about $320,000 worth of the bathroom product annually, they noted. Eco-minded Treliving — owner of Boston Pizza — and venture capitalist Dickinson learned Silk’n Soft is BPA-free, and Kornelson and Legh have an exclusive deal to distribute their tissue. Snarly dragon Kevin O’Leary was interested in the privy product, but wanted payment in dividends. Kornelson and Legh also grabbed dragons’ attention with their bamboo meat-trays — to replace oil-based Styrofoam ones — plus bamboo paper-towels. Kornelson said the investment will help his entire True Earth Paper corporation. Continue reading
Farmland Value Continues To Go Up
Updated: Thursday, October 3 2013, 05:44 PM CDT DAVENPORT, IA (CBS 2/FOX 28) — The value of cropland across the state of Iowa continues to be on the rise, but slowing a bit. The Land Trends and Value Survey, presented by the Iowa Farm and Land Chapter #2 REALTORS Land Institute, reported a statewide average increase of cropland values of 10.6% for the year from September 1, 2012 to September 1, 2013. This follows an average increase of 18.5% for the year from September 2011 to September 2012; and an average increase of 32.6% for the year from September 2010 to September 2011. Overall, the strong upward movement in land prices has leveled out even though we have seen growth in values over the past six months especially in the East Central District, which covers much of the local market area. “Clearly the decrease in commodity prices and the potential for highly variable yields are slowing the increases in land value especially in medium to lower quality farms,” said Eric Schlutz, Realtor with Ruhl Farm&Land and Muscatine Manager for Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS. The survey also attributed the current land values to an increase in long-term interest rates, 2013 growing conditions, a lack of stable alternative investments, large amounts of cash on hand and the limited amount of land on the market. For the survey, participants are asked to estimate the average value of farmland as of September 1, 2013. These estimates are for bare, unimproved land with a sale price on a cash basis. Pasture and timberland values were also requested as supplemental information. Seven of the nine Iowa crop reporting districts showed an increase in the last 6 months. For local experts, the survey results were not surprising, said Dennis Stolk, Realtor with Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS. “The best strength in the land market continues to be in the high quality, all tillable parcels, with some easing of the growth in values of the lesser quality parcels, as well as recreation land,” Stolk said. “Future direction of land values will be highly dependent on commodity prices for corn, soybeans, hogs and cattle, as well as interest rates and the general overall economic trend. “We are positioned in eastern Iowa and western Illinois to see good stable land values and do not anticipate a drastic movement downward or upward.” Ruhl Farm&Land, a division of Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS, is focused on the sale, purchase and marketing of land, farms and acreages. Read More at: http://www.cbs2iowa.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/farm-land-value-continues-go-up-22831.shtml Continue reading
UN To Open Carbon Market Offices In Bogota And Manila
Last updated on 29 July 2013, 4:04 pm New offices are a “leap of faith” says CDM chair Stiansen, as UN takes steps to revive interest in flagship scheme Bogota (pictured) and Manila have been identified as the new regional bases for the UN’s carbon market (Pic: David Berkowitz/Flickr) The UN plans to open two new offices aimed at boosting the world’s flagging carbon markets by promoting trading in Latin America and South East Asia. The move is part of a new strategy targeted at stimulating interest in the UN-run Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) in developing countries. The CDM allows developed nations to offset their emissions by investing in low-carbon projects in poorer parts of the world. Prices of CDM certified emission reductions (CERs) collapsed by 80% in 2013 to around 55 Euro cents due to an over-supply of credits, weak economic growth and unambitious climate policies. “The choice was to drop anchor or stay the course. We ultimately decided to take this time to maintain and improve the CDM and seek opportunities where they might be found,” said Executive Board Chair Peer Stiansen. “This meant engaging with stakeholders through partnerships in key locations, especially in underserved areas showing interest and potential.” According to UN documents , the new offices are set to be based in Bogota and Manila, and will complement similar regional centres operational in Africa and the Carribbean. “Setting up the centres required a leap of faith. We have a responsibility to implement the mechanism and feel strongly about its value, so we made that leap,” said Stiansen. “We’re in a constrained market, and will of course be keeping a close eye on progress, but the early results from the centres are encouraging, for the CDM and Africa.” The CDM board has also revised the application process for new projects, which it says will promote transparency and reduce costs. The CDM currently operates in 88 countries, and has spurred more than USD 215 billion of low-carbon investment in developing countries, issued credits equal to 1.3 billion tonnes of CO2, and added more than 110,000 Mega Watts of renewable energy to global electricity grids. Earlier this month it passed the 7000 project mark after certifying a biogas capture plant in a Philippine chicken farm, which will reduce emissions by 48,000 tonnes, equivalent to 10,000 cars. – See more at: http://www.rtcc.org/…h.mXnqXtay.dpuf Continue reading
