CLEAN
MOVES calls for paradigm shift in mobility
-
Mobility after the crisis: viable alternatives at the end of oil
- More people in cars does not add up to greater mobility
Brussels/Hannover, 1 May
2009 - The transport sector is still the biggest emitter of CO2. On the other
hand, it is also a vital part of the world economy. The CLEAN MOVES energy-efficient
mobility forum under the patronship of German Environment Minister Sigmar
Gabriel addresses this issue. Astrid Klug, Parliamentary Secretary at the
Federal Ministry for the Environment says: “Personal mobility is a basic
human need, a fact that poses enormous challenges for both society and the
environment. Meeting these challenges requires a fundamental change in direction.
To achieve this, we need to push ahead more quickly with the transition to
alternative fuels and drive systems and maximize all available efficiencies.
However, this growth in the ‘sustainable mobility’ market will
involve more than just hi-tech products and solutions. It also encompasses
innovative transport concepts that rely heavily on public transport, pedestrian
and bicycle transport.” This
year, the CLEAN MOVES forum will from 20 - 24 April 2009 for the very first
time be supported by Germany’s nationwide rail carrier, Deutsche Bahn.
Deutsche Bahn group has a climate protection program and various flagship
projects aimed at reducing group-wide emissions by 20 percent over the 2006–2020
period. The company also has its sights set on achieving significant emission
reductions through alternative transport solutions, as its GM Integrated Systems
Rail, Dr. Lutz Bücken, explains: “By providing rail services as
part of intelligently networked multimodal transport chains we are able to
function as a one-stop shop for sustainable transport solutions worldwide.
Electric powered trains already account for over 90 percent of our rail services.
But even this tried and proven system, which is ideally suited for the use
of renewables, offers potential for further efficiencies. We intend to realize
that potential.”
The EnergyAgency.NRW “Competence
Network for Fuels and Drive Systems of the Future” will be exploring
the theme of electric mobility at CLEAN MOVES. The Network’s director,
Dr. Frank Köster, explains this integrated approach: “We’re
talking about electrifying the entire drivetrain from well to wheel, but we’re
still dependent on the internal combustion engine. That is why clean diesel
concepts and gasoline-saving vehicle developments are just as central to our
research as electric solutions.” This is the 21st century, yet the mobility
debate is still framed by 20th century thinking and ideas. The time has come
for completely new, groundbreaking solutions. Ralph Kappler, the initiator
of CLEAN MOVES, explains: “The move away from oil is long overdue. CLEAN
MOVES provides a way forward by offering an unbiased, integrated platform
for solutions that are already highly developed and capable of being realized
right now.” The CLEAN MOVES initiative also has a number of road shows,
including a show at the European Motor Show in Brussels. In addition, the
initiative is partnering with MASDAR Turret Middle East to operate a CLEAN
MOVES Pavilion at the European Future Energy Forum in Bilbao. Further information
at: www.cleanmoves.com
World
Energy Dialogue with Focus on Energy Security
Hannover,
20 January 2009 - High-caliber speakers will be exploring the issue of energy
supply security at the fourth WORLD ENERGY DIALOGUE, which will be held on
the second and third day of HANNOVER MESSE 2009. Keynote speakers are Germany's
Federal Minister of Economics and Technology, Michael Glos, its Foreign Minister,
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and Russia’s Energy Minister, Sergei Shmatko.
The dialogue, which will be held on 21 and 22 April 2009, will once again
be chaired by environmental expert Dr. Klaus Töpfer, Germany’s
former Minister for the Environment. Dr. Töpfer recently called for targeted
investment in efficient, leading-edge technologies and products in order to
keep pace with the world’s growing demand for energy, arguing that this
was the right path towards a sustainable economic policy. “One can’t
simply preserve jobs for the sake of preserving jobs. Creating employment
opportunities into the future requires global environmental leadership. Climate-friendly
production is the solution to the current crisis, not its cause,” Dr.
Töpfer said.
The international summit is co-organized by the Federation of German Industries
(BDI), the Germany Energy Agency (dena) and HANNOVER MESSE. The lineup of
speakers also includes: Youn Ho Lee, Minister of Knowledge Economy of Korea,
Prof. Dr. Hans-Peter Keitel, President of the BDI and Jennifer M. Granholm,
Michigan State Governor. The World Energy Dialogue will be held in Hall 27
at the Hannover Exhibition Center. The first day of the summit will close
with the awards ceremony for the Energy Efficiency Award 2009, which recognizes
innovative energy efficiency projects by industry and the manufacturing trades.
650 industry professionals from 25 nations attended WED 2008, which focused
on ‘The Future of Power Plants and Grids’. For further information
on WED 2009, visit:www.hannovermesse.de/wed_e.
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EU
biofuel firms say not to blame for food prices
By Michael Hogan, REUTERS - European bioethanol production is not to blame
for rising grain prices, a biofuels conference heard on Thursday. Only 2.6
percent of Germany's 40.9 million tonne grain harvest in 2007 was used to
produce bioethanol, and only 1.5 percent of the European Union's total 267
million tonne grain crop was used for bioethanol, said Doerte Bieler of Germany's
bioethanol industry association LAB. "It cannot be that this level of
grain use for bioethanol production can be responsible for the doubling of
EU grains prices in the last year," she told the Clean Moves Expo biofuels
conference. "Grain
prices have risen because of other factors such as poor harvests and speculation,"
she said.
But U.S. biofuel output was at a higher level than in Europe and may be responsible
for pushing up grains there, she said. Several politicians, including British
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, have recently raised concerns that higher biofuels
production aimed at reducing global warming was behind the rise in global
food prices. Albrecht Schaper, commercial manager of German bioethanol producer
Fuel21 GmbH, said Germany had huge grain and sugar surpluses which have been
traditionally exported as they could not be consumed by Germany's domestic
market. "For the last 30 years we have been criticised because we have
exported grain cheaply around the world," Schaper said. "Now we
have found a use for grain which means we may not have to do this any more
and suddenly that is wrong too." He
said development aid to the Third World needed to be focused more on increasing
agricultural efficiency. Ingo Klenk, of German bioethanol producer CropEnergies,
said the food versus biofuel debate had ignored the fact that huge volumes
of animal feed were produced as a by-product of bioethanol production. He
called for a more coordinated approach to increasing biofuel output among
governments to ensure there is be no competition for raw materials between
food and biofuel makers. (Reported by Michael Hogan,
REUTERS, from the HALO organised Clean Moves Conference)
Efficient
mobility gains global momentum
Brussels/Hannover,
25 February 2008 - The Clean Moves Expo, part of the flagship
Energy fair, will focus on unlocking new applications for electric drives,
sustainable biofuels, the latest developments in natural gas drives and optimized
diesel technology. With German Federal Environment Minister
Sigmar Gabriel as its patron, the Clean Moves Expo at Hannover Messe (the
Hannover Fair) will cover the full range of energy-efficient mobility technologies.
“There are
many advantages to using electrical energy in transportation. It can be obtained
from a number of primary energy sources, which could substantially reduce
dependency on oil imports. And crucially, using renewable energies to generate
power will greatly improve the CO2 balance in the transport sector”,
comments Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel. The most efficient way to use
energy is to conserve it. This simple conclusion has provided the launch pad
for developing highly-efficient cars. Manufacturers such as Volkswagen, Fiat,
Opel and Ford will be displaying examples of these at Clean Moves 2008. “Clean
Moves establishes a firm foothold on the path towards finding technology that
will help to overcome the imbalances and dependencies of the oil era. This
event provides a market-focused showcase for viable solutions,” comments
Ralph Kappler, the driving force behind Clean
Moves.
“Germany,
one of the global front-runners in the development of biofuels, is focusing
on establishing international sustainability standards for both the cultivation
of biomass and the production of biofuels,” says Dr.
Andreas Schütte of the Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe (Agency
for Renewable Resources). His agency and the BDEW are both supporting Clean
Moves as information partners. According to EU Commission guidelines, biofuels
are to replace ten percent of fossil fuels by 2020 to ensure sustainable security
of supply. The German Federal Government’s road map anticipates that
the proportion of sustainable biofuels could be as high as 17 percent by 2020.
Dietrich Klein, Managing Director of the Verband
Landwirtschaftliche Biokraftstoffe (Association for Agricultural Biofuels)
comments: “If we produce bioethanol in Europe using the raw materials
available in the region, we can be confident of meeting the EU’s sustainability
criteria throughout the entire process from cultivation to production.”
Clean Moves au 86ème Salon Auto de Bruxelles
HALO ENERGY, Bruxelles 3 December 2007 -
Si la mobilité écologique est l’une des tendances la plus en vogue au sein
du marketing, c’est à l’European Motors show qu’il faut aller pour voir et
expérimenter ce que cela peut bien vouloir signifier. En effet l’European
Motors show donne aux plus des 700.000 visiteurs attendus, la possibilité
d’essayer des voitures et scooters qui étonnent par leur système de propulsion
électrique. Du 17 au 27 janvier 2008 les visiteurs du salon d’auto, Hall-1,
auront l’occasion de constater la plus-value qu’offrent ces véhicules en matière
de performance, de confort et, de mobilité, sans que cela aie, pour autant,
une incidence sur la l’expérience de conduite proprement dite.
« La plupart des consommateurs considèrent l’énergie propre
comme une donnée abstraite. Voitures et scooters sont d’importants témoins
de notre style de vie. Ils génèrent beaucoup de passion/émotion. La
promotion des véhicules écologiques avec l’énergie propre est un choix stratégique
intriguant », observe Ralph Kappler, fondateur et organisateur
de ‘Clean Moves’.
L’université Libre de Bruxelles se chargera, à cette occasion,
de donner des informations scientifiques –mais très accessibles– sur le phénomène
des véhicules écologiques. Quelles technologies et quels carburants entrent
en vigueur pour ces véhicules ? Comment ces technologies réduisent-elles l’effet
de serre ? Quelle influence a-t-elle sur notre santé ? Rouler avec un vélo
électrique est à porté de tout le monde, raconte Dr. ir. Joeri Van Mierlo
du département Elektrische Engineering et Energietechnologie de l’Université
Libre de Bruxelles.Les nouvelles technologies de mobilité diminuent notre
dépendance vis-à-vis du marché, flottant/fluctuant des carburants fossiles.
C’est un point de vue que partage aussi Ajit Nazre, partenaire de la société
d’investissement, bien connue, KPCB de Palo Alto. Il le formule ainsi : «
Parmi toutes les solutions en matière des carburants écologiques parvenus
à maturité du point de vue du marché, les moteurs à propulsion électrique,
présentent, de loin, l’alternative la plus prometteuse.» ’Expo
Clean Moves a vu le jour en 2005 sur initiative d’une série de petites et
moyennes entreprises londoniennes. Pour plus d’information
reportez-vous aux sites www.cleanmoves.com
et www.salonauto.be.
Nuclear
expansion would be a risk to national security
According
to a new report from the Oxford Research Group the hope for a new era of cheap,
clean nuclear power is a 'myth'. Building more nuclear power stations would
also increase terror risk the paper says. A worldwide expansion of nuclear
power has little chance of significantly reducing carbon emissions but will
add dangerously to the proliferation of nuclear weapons-grade materials and
the potential for nuclear terrorism, says a leading research group that has
analysed the possible uptake of civil atomic power over the next 65 years.
The Oxford Research Group paper, funded by the Joseph Rowntree charitable
trust, says that the worldwide nuclear "renaissance" planned by the industry
to provide cheap, clean power is a myth.Although global electricity demand
is expected to rise by 50% in the next 25 years, only 25 new nuclear reactors
are currently being built, with 76 more planned and a further 162 proposed,
many of which are unlikely to be built.
This compares with
429 reactors in operation today, many of which are already near the end of
their useful lives and need replacing soon. For nuclear power to make any
significant contribution to a reduction in global carbon emissions in the
next two generations, the paper says, the industry would have to construct
nearly 3,000 new reactors - or about one a week for 60 years. "A civil nuclear
construction and supply programme on this scale is a pipe dream, and completely
unfeasible. The highest historic rate of build is 3.4 new reactors a year,"
says the report.If the decision to go with nuclear power is taken, then the
UK will implement a flawed and dangerously counter-productive energy policy.
"The question is whether in the 21st century the security risks associated
with civil nuclear power can be managed, or not? Society has to decide whether
or not the risks of proliferation and nuclear terrorism in a world with many
nuclear power reactors are acceptable", the report concludes.
World Energy Dialogue: Efficiency as export factor
HANNOVER
MESSE, 19 February 2007 - Under the patronage of the German Ministry for
Economic Affairs and Technology, the World Energy Dialogue 2007 is being
organized jointly by Deutsche Messe and the Federation of German Industry.
Participants at the recent Energy Summit held by the German government expressed
the view that energy-saving technology, i.e. the ability to improve energy
efficiency, could prove an important factor in the international marketing
of German cutting-edge technology. In this connection Michael Glos, Federal
Minister for Economic Affairs and Technology, has announced a new export
drive based on energy-efficient technology. Increasing energy efficiency
forms a cornerstone of energy-related policies. Importantly, the use of
modern technology to reduce energy consumption reduces the dependency of
nation states on imports, and also leads to lower energy costs. Furthermore,
the quest for new energy technology encourages innovation and makes an important
contribution to the control of climate change. In the event of long-term
increases in energy prices the development of this kind of technology would
become an even more important competitive factor than it already is today.
The German government has emphasized the huge potential for
energy-saving technology. In fact, government policy aims to double energy
productivity by 2020 compared with levels in 1990. This goal applies to
all areas of energy consumption – from power stations and buildings to vehicles.
The German Energy Agency estimates that on the basis of improved utilization
the country will be able to reduce energy consumption in 2020 by more than
20 percent compared with 2005. For more information go to: www.world-energy-dialogue.com
OPEC uses oil prices
to discourage alternative fuel use
Source
USA National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition - OPEC announced late last week that
they were planning on cutting oil production by 1.2 million barrels per
day in hopes to keep costs of crude at about $60 per barrel. This cut is
intended to bring the cost of gasoline up a bit but to keep it low enough
so as to be more attractive than alternative fuel pricing. “It’s unfortunate
that OPEC feels that they can control the vision of this country and the
destiny relative to alternative fuels,” exclaimed Curtis Donaldson, Chairman
of the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition. OPEC expects to keep the price
of gasoline at about $2.25 per gallon. According to a Foxnews.com news story
on October 20 (which can be found by clicking here), “OPEC's cut also signaled
that it would defend a price of about $60 a barrel, high enough to justify
its investment in future production capacity but low enough to allow economic
growth and deter a flood of alternative fuels.” U.S. oil prices set a record
high in July of this year topping at $78.40 a barrel and averaging record
high fuel costs.
Alternative fuel pricing, including E85, tended to be much
lower during the summer, thus making them more attractive to consumers.
“OPEC feels that they can manage the price of gasoline to a point where
increasing the production of E85 and providing it at more locations across
the country will become less attractive. It will be disappointing if we
allow this to happen when everyone knows, now more than ever, we need more
energy independence,” added Donaldson. According to an Automotive Fleet
article (whiche can be found by clicking here), Saudi Arabia’s Oil Minister
supports OPEC’s decision to decrease production. California sues car firms
for global warming The Guardian reports, September 21, 2006 - America's
most populous state, California, opened a new front in its struggle with
climate change yesterday when it announced that it was suing the six largest
carmakers in the US for allegedly contributing to global warming. In the
unprecedented lawsuit, the state accused Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Honda,
Chrysler and Nissan of creating a "public nuisance" and costing it millions
of dollars.
Lloyd's tells members climate change
could destroy insurers
The Guardian,
by Terry Macalister, June 6, 2006 - Lloyd's of London, the oldest insurance
market in the world, yesterday urged its members to start taking global
warming more seriously, by increasing prices to avoid being "swept away"
in a sea of future financial claims. Premiums will have to rise and some
risks might even be classed as uninsurable due to greenhouse gases and rising
sea levels, warned Lloyd's in a report entitled Climate Change, Adapt or
Bust. "Although it's almost two decades since the UN recognised that climate
change was a catastrophic threat to the Earth, it's clear that the insurance
industry has not taken catastrophe trends seriously enough. Climate change
is today's problem not tomorrow's. If we don't take action now to understand
the changing nature of our planet we will face extinction," said Lloyd's
director, Rolf Tolle. Lloyd's, which has the capacity to write £15bn worth
of business this year, did not want to enter the politicially contentious
debate on how much human activity affected global warming but was happy
to accept the "growing body of opinion" on the issue.
The rising cost of weather-related catastrophes made it impossible
for the insurance market to ignore what was happening with rising carbon
dioxide levels, it said. In the short term the insurance industry would
have to invest more time and money in academic research as well as convert
scientific predictions into practical guidance for the sector. The unstable
climate could have an impact on global asset values, reducing their value
to insurers which have traditionally relied on investment returns to boost
profits, it warned. "Consequently it will become even more important for
insurers to price risk according to exposure, and to underwrite for profit,
without reliance on investment income." It was time for insurers to stop
treating climate change as a peripheral field of work and to put it at the
centre of their operations. "Understanding and responding to it must become
'business as usual' for insurers and those they work with.