Sugar cane and cane-based ethanol became a more important energy source than hydroelectric power in Brazil's overall energy production last year, topped only by petroleum and oil products according to a report from the government’s energy planning agency, EPE.
Brazil and USA leads the world's production of ethanol
Sugar cane had a 16% share in the country's energy matrix while hydroelectric power dams were left behind with a 14.7% share. Oil and derivatives represented 36.7%, down from 37.8% in 2006. The rest of the matrix is made up of wood and coal, 12%; natural gas 9.6% and mineral coal, 6%.Non renewable energy sources dropped from 55.1% in 2006 to 53.6% while renewable energy rose from 44.9% to 46.4%. "It's a historic year in that sense, it's an irreversible trend," EPE President Mauricio Tolmasquim told reporters.
He attributed the growing role of sugar cane to booming demand for ethanol as a motor fuel, but expected more cane and ethanol to be used for electricity generation as well. Brazil is a world leader in bio-fuels with decades of valuable expertise in using ethanol in cars.In February 2007, the consumption of ethanol surpassed that of gasoline for the first time in two decades. The trend is driven by a drop in ethanol prices and huge sales of flex-fuel cars that can run on ethanol, gasoline or any mix of the two.Hydrous ethanol consumption jumped 46% last year to 10.4 billion liters, while the usage of anhydrous ethanol that is mostly blended into gasoline sold in Brazil rose nearly 20% to 6.2 billion liters.
At the same time, gasoline consumption in the country dipped almost 4% to 18 billion liters, according to EPE.Tolmasquim said it was important that Latin America's largest country was self-sufficient in the three main sources of energy, including oil. Brazil met its oil needs with domestic output for the first time in 2006.It still needs to import some light crude to mix with heavy local crude for refining, but it also exports heavy oil. Last year's exports totaled an average of 421,000 barrels per day and imports stood at 418,000 bpd.Brazil together with United States leads the world’s production of ethanol, a green alternative for oil. However the US ethanol is made out mainly out of corn.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Primo Launches More Environmentally-Friendly Bottled Water in Time for Earth Day 2008
Primo Launches More Environmentally-Friendly Bottled Water in Time for Earth Day 2008.
(PRNewsFoto/Primo) WINSTON SALEM, NC UNITED STATES
Innovative Single-Serve Bottles Made from Plants, Not Crude Oil
WINSTON SALEM, N.C., April 7, 2008 /PRNewswire/
This Earth Day, busy
consumers will be able to enjoy the convenience of bottled water while
reducing their impact on the planet with Primo water, a great-tasting water
in a more environmentally-friendly, single serve bottle. Traditional water
bottles are made from crude oil, a non-renewable resource.
The Primo bottle
is different from all other water bottles sold in the U.S. because it is
made from plants, a natural, renewable resource grown on American soil.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080407/NYM007A )
Plastic water bottles are created from PET (polyethylene
terephthalate), a petroleum-based plastic derived from limited and
depleting reserves of crude oil and natural gas.
These fossil fuels take
millions of years to regenerate. Primo is unique and more
environmentally-friendly because it is made from Ingeo(TM) natural plastic,
the world's first and only performance plastic made from 100% annually
renewable-resources
1) This plastic is also commonly known by its generic
name, PLA (polylactide). Primo water bottles are as durable as other water
bottles, but because they are manufactured from an annually-renewable
resource, they have less impact on the environment than other plastic
bottles. In fact, if all plastic PET bottles made from crude oil sold today
in the U.S. were instead made from Ingeo(TM) natural plastic, Americans
would save the equivalent of a billion gallons of gas each year.
(2)
Consumers will not only enjoy Primo for its environmental benefits, but
also for its great taste. In blind taste tests conducted at the end of 2007
across the U.S., three out of four consumers preferred Primo over the
leading spring water and four out of five preferred Primo over tap
water.
(3) In fact, Primo water was enjoyed at the MusiCares(R) Person of
the Year event, on the red carpet and in the green room of the first
"green" GRAMMY awards ceremony held in Los Angeles on February 10th.
"We're proud to bring consumers a more environmentally-friendly bottled
water," said Billy Prim, CEO of Primo Water Corporation. "Not only does
Primo give consumers the great taste, convenience, everyday price value and
availability that they've been looking for in a bottled water, it also
helps them to leave a better world for their children."
"With Primo, consumers have told us they feel good twice; once for
promoting their own health by drinking more water and avoiding sugar, and
twice, for helping to preserve the precious and depleting resources of our
planet," said Dave Burke, President and COO of Primo To Go.
Primo will be sold in a multipack of eighteen 16.9 oz. bottles and will
be available nationally this spring in select leading retailers, including
all Kroger stores in April. Suggested retail price is $4.99.
About Primo Water Corporation
Primo Water Corporation, a privately-held company based in
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, manufactures, markets, and services mineral
enhanced bottled water that meets both the convenience consumers seek and
the environmental benefits they desire. Today, three product lines make up
Primo Water Corporation's portfolio. The first, introduced in June of 2005,
offers three- and five-gallon Zero Waste bottles and an exchange program
that rewards consumers for recycling their bottles for refills.
The second,
launched in April of 2008, is a new line of Energy Star rated and stylish
water coolers. And the third is a single-serve bottled water, in a
more-environmentally-friendly bottle made from plants, not crude oil.
According to blind taste tests, three out of four consumers prefer Primo
over the leading spring water and four out of five prefer Primo over tap
water. To learn more, visit http://www.primowater.com.
(PRNewsFoto/Primo) WINSTON SALEM, NC UNITED STATES
Innovative Single-Serve Bottles Made from Plants, Not Crude Oil
WINSTON SALEM, N.C., April 7, 2008 /PRNewswire/
This Earth Day, busy
consumers will be able to enjoy the convenience of bottled water while
reducing their impact on the planet with Primo water, a great-tasting water
in a more environmentally-friendly, single serve bottle. Traditional water
bottles are made from crude oil, a non-renewable resource.
The Primo bottle
is different from all other water bottles sold in the U.S. because it is
made from plants, a natural, renewable resource grown on American soil.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080407/NYM007A )
Plastic water bottles are created from PET (polyethylene
terephthalate), a petroleum-based plastic derived from limited and
depleting reserves of crude oil and natural gas.
These fossil fuels take
millions of years to regenerate. Primo is unique and more
environmentally-friendly because it is made from Ingeo(TM) natural plastic,
the world's first and only performance plastic made from 100% annually
renewable-resources
1) This plastic is also commonly known by its generic
name, PLA (polylactide). Primo water bottles are as durable as other water
bottles, but because they are manufactured from an annually-renewable
resource, they have less impact on the environment than other plastic
bottles. In fact, if all plastic PET bottles made from crude oil sold today
in the U.S. were instead made from Ingeo(TM) natural plastic, Americans
would save the equivalent of a billion gallons of gas each year.
(2)
Consumers will not only enjoy Primo for its environmental benefits, but
also for its great taste. In blind taste tests conducted at the end of 2007
across the U.S., three out of four consumers preferred Primo over the
leading spring water and four out of five preferred Primo over tap
water.
(3) In fact, Primo water was enjoyed at the MusiCares(R) Person of
the Year event, on the red carpet and in the green room of the first
"green" GRAMMY awards ceremony held in Los Angeles on February 10th.
"We're proud to bring consumers a more environmentally-friendly bottled
water," said Billy Prim, CEO of Primo Water Corporation. "Not only does
Primo give consumers the great taste, convenience, everyday price value and
availability that they've been looking for in a bottled water, it also
helps them to leave a better world for their children."
"With Primo, consumers have told us they feel good twice; once for
promoting their own health by drinking more water and avoiding sugar, and
twice, for helping to preserve the precious and depleting resources of our
planet," said Dave Burke, President and COO of Primo To Go.
Primo will be sold in a multipack of eighteen 16.9 oz. bottles and will
be available nationally this spring in select leading retailers, including
all Kroger stores in April. Suggested retail price is $4.99.
About Primo Water Corporation
Primo Water Corporation, a privately-held company based in
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, manufactures, markets, and services mineral
enhanced bottled water that meets both the convenience consumers seek and
the environmental benefits they desire. Today, three product lines make up
Primo Water Corporation's portfolio. The first, introduced in June of 2005,
offers three- and five-gallon Zero Waste bottles and an exchange program
that rewards consumers for recycling their bottles for refills.
The second,
launched in April of 2008, is a new line of Energy Star rated and stylish
water coolers. And the third is a single-serve bottled water, in a
more-environmentally-friendly bottle made from plants, not crude oil.
According to blind taste tests, three out of four consumers prefer Primo
over the leading spring water and four out of five prefer Primo over tap
water. To learn more, visit http://www.primowater.com.
Monday, March 17, 2008
oil bug-swatting
Most OIL companies have reaped the sweets of a resource that, some would argue, has literally kept the world turning. With the instability of the price of oil and the concerns of the associated environmental degradation, the time has come for us to really assess what we have done and chart a realistic path forward.
To my mind, the turning point for the entire world should have come after the recently held International Conference on Renewable Energy, when the President of the United States called on Americans to stop depending so heavily on oil, since it presents a challenge to the nations national security.
He also noted that despite popular belief, the US federal government spent more than $12 billion to research, develop and promote alternative energy sources, and has provided incentives for the private sector to invest.
This is the direction that all countries must be headed. For a world power to make such statements pointing to the vulnerability that the country faces because of oil small island states must be equally as cautious and, quite frankly, scared. We all know that if the United States sneezes three quarters of world will catch a cold, and this is one cold that we can ill-afford to catch.
The way to go is utilising environmentally friendly products and we are seeing quite a few companies heading in that direction, particularly with regard to luxury vehicles. Incentives for making these changes will be critical since many companies are still only seeing the bottom-line and their profit margin. It is also up to the consumer to demand that the products that they consume or purchase are of the strictest standards and comply with stringent eco-friendly practices.
On the topic of oil, it would be remiss of me not to mention recent comments made by Deputy Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme, Stein Hansen, who took the more optimistic approach to the rising oil prices.
He suggested that it should not be viewed as a negative, but rather an opportunity for countries to focus more on alternative energy sources.
He pointed to the fact that with a sun-rich region such as the Caribbean, every island should be making full use of the suns rays. Hansen also lauded Barbados use of solar technology. However the question remains, how much further are we going to go? There was tremendous hype associated with the solar-powered vehicles, which would have been used as shuttles in and around the city. What has become of that project? What else are we doing to seriously promote renewable energy on the island?
These are all considerations that will have to be made as we watch the price of oil, a non-renewable resource, spiral out of control and out of our reach.
To my mind, the turning point for the entire world should have come after the recently held International Conference on Renewable Energy, when the President of the United States called on Americans to stop depending so heavily on oil, since it presents a challenge to the nations national security.
He also noted that despite popular belief, the US federal government spent more than $12 billion to research, develop and promote alternative energy sources, and has provided incentives for the private sector to invest.
This is the direction that all countries must be headed. For a world power to make such statements pointing to the vulnerability that the country faces because of oil small island states must be equally as cautious and, quite frankly, scared. We all know that if the United States sneezes three quarters of world will catch a cold, and this is one cold that we can ill-afford to catch.
The way to go is utilising environmentally friendly products and we are seeing quite a few companies heading in that direction, particularly with regard to luxury vehicles. Incentives for making these changes will be critical since many companies are still only seeing the bottom-line and their profit margin. It is also up to the consumer to demand that the products that they consume or purchase are of the strictest standards and comply with stringent eco-friendly practices.
On the topic of oil, it would be remiss of me not to mention recent comments made by Deputy Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme, Stein Hansen, who took the more optimistic approach to the rising oil prices.
He suggested that it should not be viewed as a negative, but rather an opportunity for countries to focus more on alternative energy sources.
He pointed to the fact that with a sun-rich region such as the Caribbean, every island should be making full use of the suns rays. Hansen also lauded Barbados use of solar technology. However the question remains, how much further are we going to go? There was tremendous hype associated with the solar-powered vehicles, which would have been used as shuttles in and around the city. What has become of that project? What else are we doing to seriously promote renewable energy on the island?
These are all considerations that will have to be made as we watch the price of oil, a non-renewable resource, spiral out of control and out of our reach.
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