ICHC-logo.jpg (2201 bytes)       BUILDING A WORLD THAT WORKS TM    WWW. HYDROGENCOMMERCE .COM
       Welcome to the International Clearinghouse for Hydrogen Commerce
       
    "First they laugh at you, then they ignore you, then they fight with you, then you win." -- Ghandi 

    "This is silent mass murder. We have a herd of market traders, speculators and financial bandits who have turned wild and constructed a world of inequality and horror. We have to put a stop to this." 
 Jean Ziegler, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food
(reportedly to the Austrian newspaper, the Kurier am Sonntag)     SOURCE     April 2008

    The International Clearinghouse for Hydrogen Commerce is a defense site in the War Against Renewable Energy currently being waged by Nuclear Power, Big Oil, Coal, Big Agriculture and officials who traitorously sell influence to foreign nations and global corporations at the expense of their own people's interests.  Mankind's future depends on our national energy choices. Let's abandon the phony solutions that cause war, environmental ruin, poverty, hunger, hatred and disease. We must set the example and Build A World That Works!
THIS COLUMN IS OPTIMIZED FOR THE APPLE  iPHONE

"You wasted a lot of time and money with that ethanol farce. As long as you don't develop real solutions, I'll stay on top. See you at the pump!"


The Latest Advances in
R
ENEWABLE

Hydrogen Energy

NUCLEAR, OIL & COAL'S GREATEST FEAR

 
THE HYDROGEN CENTURY BEGINS!

OIL-DEPENDENCE SUICIDE PROMISES
GRIM TIMES AHEAD FOR AMERICA
 
"The market is beginning to perceive that OPEC has lost control. It is a devastating realization because it means that there is no supply-based ceiling on price."
  -- Jack Zagar, associate of Colin Campbell
 Hydrogen Hawaii      Directed by Richard D. Masters     2001
 
"The oil price is out of our control."
Qatar's oil minister Abdullah al-Attiyah
 
Oil Steady Above $126     Reuters     May 11, 2008
 
"Our society is in a state of collective denial that has no precedent in history,
in terms of its scale and implications."

 What They Don't Want You to Know About the Coming Oil Crisis
             
The Independent (UK)     January 20, 2006
 
OUR CALLS TO AVOID THIS DIRE FUTURE HAVE FALLEN ON DEAF EARS FOR 9 YEARS
NOW THAT FUTURE IS PRESENT


U.S.
FOOD-FOR-FUEL CATASTROPHE LAYS OUT
RED CARPET FOR RETURN OF GLOBAL COMMUNISM

"Casino capitalism has taken a seat
at the table of the poor. This is immorality carried to the extreme."
 Martin Schulz, MEP, European Parliament
India Suspends Soybean Oil Futures Trading
Ambrose Evans-Pritchard     The Telegraph (UK)     May 8, 2008
As food and fuel riots spread across the world, a string of governments have resorted to steps that menace the free flow of food and key commodities.

Oil-Rich States Starve the World Food Program
George Russell     Fox News     May 9, 2008
The OPEC total amounts to roughly one minute and 10 seconds worth of the organization’s estimated $674 billion in annual oil revenues in 2007 — revenues that will be vastly exceeded in 2008 with the continuing spiral in world oil prices. The only other major oil exporter who made the WFP list of 2008 donors was the United Arab Emirates, which kicked in $50,000. UAE oil revenues in 2007 were $63 billion. By contrast, the poverty-stricken African republic of Burkina Faso is listed as donating more than $600,000, and Bangladesh, perennial home of many of the world’s hungriest people, is listed as donating nearly $5.8 million.

Food Crisis Provides Opening for Array of
Ethanol Opponents

AP     May 8, 2008

    An informal coalition of oil refiners, environmentalists and food processors is trying to convince lawmakers that increased output of the alternative fuel is inflating food costs by siphoning off corn otherwise fed to livestock and discouraging U.S. farmers from planting wheat, soybeans and other crops. These strange bedfellows also argue that ethanol distribution constraints are contributing to higher prices at the pump, and that the biofuel is unlikely to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and may even increase them. ...Despite the wave of second-guesses by many lawmakers, most analysts say Congress is unlikely to alter or drop the ethanol mandate, given the political importance of farm states in an election year and President Bush's support for the industry. The top ten ethanol producing states account for half the electoral votes needed to win the White House, notes Kevin Book, an analyst at Friedman, Billings Ramsey & Co. Inc.

Europe Grapples Over Biofuels
Leo Cendrowicz     Time     May 8, 2008

    The latest call for a change of course came from economist Jeffrey Sachs, special adviser to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who this week urged the European Parliament to scrap the E.U.'s much-touted target of increasing biofuel's share in Europe's diesel and gasoline consumption to 10% by 2020.

Abu Dhabi Aims to Build First Carbon-Neutral City
Joe Palca     National Public Radio     May 6, 2008

Siphoning Off Corn to Fuel Our Cars
Steve Mufson     Washington Post     April 30, 2008

THE GREAT ETHANOL FRAUD BEGINS TO CRUMBLE

CONNECTICUT GOVERNOR
JODIE RELL
POLITELY ATTEMPTS TO EDUCATE GEORGE BUSH ON THE SEEMINGLY UNFATHOMABLE CONNECTION BETWEEN OIL, CORN AND FOOD -- AND TELLS CONGRESS TO KILL THE BLOODSUCKING ETHANOL INDUSTRY IMMEDIATELY!
-- RDM

Governor Rell Urges President, Congress to Tackle
Twin Pressures of Energy & Food Price Spikes
Office of the Governor (CT)     May 1, 2008

    Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced she is urging President Bush and Congressional leaders to temporarily waive the federal Renewable Fuel Standard and lift a 54-cents-per-gallon tariff on imported ethanol. The Governor said these two steps could reduce the pressure that families in Connecticut and across the nation are facing from endless increases in energy prices and the costs of staple foods.
    Governor Rell also called on Congress and the President to pass a second, energy-related stimulus package to help families keep up with food and energy costs.
    “Connecticut residents and business owners, squeezed from one side by energy prices and on the other by food prices, are trapped in a vise,” Governor Rell said. “The pressure is relentless and mounting ever-higher. It is time for the federal government to take some strong, definitive action to address these issues.”
    The Governor noted in her letter that a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline currently costs an average of $3.787 in Connecticut. A month ago the average was $3.35; a year ago the average was $3.06. A dozen eggs costs around $3, while a gallon of milk runs about $4. A box of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes costs $4.29 while a top round beef roast and chicken breasts are both priced at $4.99 a pound.
    “As unrelated as the cost of a gallon of gas and a gallon of milk might seem, these price increases actually have a common link: corn,” Governor Rell said. “The demand for ethanol – either as an additive to gasoline or as the primary component in fuels such as E85 – has increased sharply in recent years. Since most ethanol is made from corn, that demand has meant there is less of the crop for use as food for people and animals. Moreover, many farms are opting to switch from crops such as wheat to corn because of the higher price commanded by corn.
    “Every day the families of Connecticut – like their counterparts in every other state – face difficult decisions and diminishing choices,” the Governor said. “They are struggling to cope with the epic upward spiral of energy prices, struggling to avoid the worst effects of the current economic slump and struggling to make ends meet. Their struggles have been made all the more difficult because the prices of basic staples such as eggs, cereal, bread and milk have shot up by double digits even as more and more of our household budgets are consumed at the pump or burned to heat our homes.”
    Governor Rell recommended two specific actions to ease the demand pressure on corn prices:

  • Lift the current 54 cents-per-gallon tariff on imported ethanol. “The tariff is a major disincentive to imports of ethanol,” the Governor said. “Especially since refiners have turned to ethanol in lieu of additives such as MTBE, virtually all of the ethanol used in motor fuels has been domestically produced. Importing less-expensive ethanol from producers such as Brazil, Mexico and Jamaica could reduce gasoline prices and ease domestic demand, but because of the tariff those potential savings have not been achieved.”
  • Waive temporarily the federal Renewable Fuel Standard. “I recognize that ethanol is an increasingly important component of the nation’s efforts to decrease its dependence on foreign oil imports and improve air quality, and I value these efforts,” Governor Rell said. “However, given the current crisis, I believe a temporary waiver is in order and will not significantly hinder energy independence or environmental improvement programs.”

 "If government funds become short, subsidies for fuels will be looked at very carefully.
 When they are, there's no way ethanol production can survive."
Tad Patzek,
University of California Berkeley
UC Scientist Says Ethanol UsesMore Energy Than It Makes
Elizabeth Svoboda    San Francisco Chronicle    June 27, 2005

"The fact is we can't grow enough corn in this country to make a dent in our petroleum dependency."
Richard Bond,
CEO Tyson Foods
Ethanol vs. Food Debate Growing
Joshua Boak     Chicago Tribune (IL)    
May 1, 2008
 A recent analysis estimated that government subsidies for ethanol reached as high as $8.4 billion last year, a sum showing that all stages of ethanol production and consumption depended on some form of public support rather than the free market.

Statement of Joseph Glauber, Chief Economist, USDA
Before the Joint Economic Committee, U.S. Congress

May 1, 2008

    Continued expansion of biofuels production will likely maintain corn and soybean prices at historically high levels and livestock producers will adjust to the increase in feed costs by reducing production, leading to higher retail prices for beef and pork in the longer term.

UN Moves to Head Off Food Riots
Laura MacInnis, Eliane Engeler     The Scotsman (UK)     April 30, 2008
The United Nations' secretary-general, Ban Ki-Moon, yesterday said he was setting up a task force to tackle the global food crisis, in an attempt to avert "social unrest on an unprecedented scale".  ...Farmers in the developing world are not benefiting from the higher prices. They tend to eat most of what they grow, rather than sell it, and higher prices for fuel and fertiliser are putting them off growing more, World Bank analysis shows.

Opec Says Oil Could Hit $200
Carola Hoyos     Financial Times (UK)     April 28, 2008
Gas Bills Ate Your Rebate!
Steve Hargreaves     CNN Money     March 19, 2008

Go to "Promoting Revenue Transparency - 2008 Report on Revenue Transparency of Oil and Gas Companies" by Transparency International

RELEASED
2008 Report
on Revenue Transparency
of Oil and Gas Companies

Transparency International
 

Report by Anti-Corruption Group Rates
International Oil Companies' Transparency

AP     April 28, 2008

    Transparency International said the report aimed to help fight the so-called "resource curse" — oil can generate great wealth for a country, but if poorly managed can also discourage the development other areas of the economy, spur corruption and trigger conflict. The report said that if 10 percent of the estimated US$866 billion generated worldwide in oil revenues in 2006 was set aside, it would have been enough to cover the total cost of meeting the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals. The cost of meeting the set of development standards on education, health, literacy and poverty was estimated at US$73 billion in 2006, the report said.

“These findings show that chemical pollutants may cause heritable mutation.”
citysmogdna500w.jpg (7690 bytes)
Air Pollution Implicated in Genetic Damage
Engineer Live     April 27, 2008

 HYDROGEN FROM ALGAE
Designer Plants May Produce Hydrogen for Fuel
Jon Van     Chicago Tribune (IL)     April 28, 2008

ASK A KID, THEN ASK AN ETHANOL ADVOCATE,
"WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU BURN YOUR FOOD?"


"That's good if you're
a corn farmer!"
-- brilliant elected leader


"Look, Ma. No food!"
-- stupid kid

Food Rationing Strikes the U.S.
Josh Gerstein     New York Sun     April 21, 2008
Major retailers in New York, in areas of New England, and on the West Coast are limiting purchases of flour, rice, and cooking oil as demand outstrips supply.

Oil and Rice Race to Record Levels

WALL STREET BIOFUEL PUSHES THE WORLD'S POOR TO THE BRINK
GLOBAL FOOD RIOTS SPREAD
Marc Lacey    International Herald Tribune      April 17, 2008

    In Haiti, where three-quarters of the population earns less than $2 a day and one in five children is chronically malnourished, the one business booming amid all the gloom is the selling of patties made of mud, oil and sugar, typically only consumed by the most destitute.    
    "It's salty and it has butter, and you don't know you're eating dirt," said Olwich Louis Jeune, 24, who has taken to eating them more often in recent months. "It makes your stomach quiet down."

  WIND, SOLAR, WAVE, GEOTHERMAL, AND OTHER NEW CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES THREATEN THE FOSSIL AND NUCLEAR MONOPOLY THAT OWNS MOST SENATORS AND CONGRESSMEN.
  THE U
.S. GOVERNMENT SHUNS RENEWABLE ENERGY AT ALL COSTS, AS DEMONSTRATED BY THE SENATE'S PASSAGE OF AN UNFUNDED, 1-YEAR EXTENSION OF THE PRODUCTION TAX CREDIT FOR WIND.  BANKS ARE SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE 30-YEAR FINANCING BASED ON A ONE-YEAR HORIZON? NO WONDER THE HOUSE KILLED IT!
  WHILE OTHER COUNTRIES HIKE GAS TAXES TO FINANCE RENEWABLE INFRASTRUCTURE, U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES CALL FOR A GAS TAX HOLIDAY DURING PEAK SUMMER DRIVING SEASON. OH YEAH, THAT'S GOING TO SAVE GAS?
  "GULLIBLE FOOLS, VOTE FOR ME."
  THEY WILL.
  AND THE CYNICAL PURPOSE OF THE
GREAT ETHANOL FRAUD? IT WAS DESIGNED TO DRAW OFF FUNDING FROM TRUE RENEWABLE SOLUTIONS. AND IT WORKED, BIG TIME!
  "GULLIBLE FOOLS, BURN YOUR FOOD!"

  THEY DID!

  I NEVER THOUGHT MY FELLOW AMERICANS WOULD FALL FOR THIS, BUT HERE WE GO, DOWN THE TUBES IN FLAMES WITH THE GHOST OF KURT COBAIN WAILING "RAPE ME" IN THE BACKGROUND.
  YEARS OF TAXPAYER INVESTMENT IN NEW ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES IS SQUANDERED AS COMPANIES SEEK FOREIGN MARKETS OR ARE ACQUIRED BY FOREIGN INTERESTS.
  THE LACK OF EFFECTIVE ENERGY ALTERNATIVES KEEPS THE PRICES OF OIL PRODUCTS AI ALL-TIME HIGHS AS OUR MILITARY IS HIJACKED TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF INTERNATIONAL OIL CORPORATIONS AND DRACONIAN FOREIGN DESPOTS -- ALL THIS PAID FOR BY LYING TO TAXPAYERS ABOUT INFLATION AND TRUE COSTS, THEN ROBBING THEM BLIND OF THEIR SAVINGS VIA DISHONEST FINANCIAL MANIPULATIONS, RESULTING IN A DEVALUED CURRENCY.
  THERE IS NO PLAN FOR THE FUTURE.
  THERE IS NO VISION.
  INERTIA RULES RAMPAGE.
  THIS COUNTRY IS BROKEN AND WE ARE IN BIG, BIG TROUBLE.
--  RDM

GREEN JOBS  4/17/2008         
TEST & PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS ENGINEER
Responsible for testing and analysis of fuel cell stacks (short stack, full-size and powerplant levels). Responsible for all stages of testing and analysis including test plan construction, test execution, data analysis and test report generation. Support testing of both production and development units. Develop test procedures and provide instruction to testers and technicians. responsible for test stand checkout/troubleshooting, support of test stand modifications, support of area quality initiatives and compliance with EH&S policies. BS in Chemical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering. Experience with mechanical devices (pumps, control valves) and instrumentation (flow meters, thermocouples, pressure transducers). Experience in reading and interpreting P&ID diagrams. Experience with Microsoft Excel and programming of Visual Basic macros. Fuel cell background preferred but not mandatory. Northeast U.S.

Hydrogen Energy Conference Planned for July in Laramie, Wyoming
University of Wyoming     April 21, 2008

    An energy conference focusing on hydrogen is expected to attract global experts in the field to the University of Wyoming this summer.     The fourth annual Hydrogen Energy Implementation Conference will address the technology, economics, policy, government activities and international team-building necessary to build a hydrogen economy. The conference will include a full professional program, exhibits and networking events.
    Sponsored by the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources, the event will take place July 22-24 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Laramie. The registration cost is $200. For more information or to register, contact the UW Conference Center, (307) 721-7574, or visit:
www.mountainstateshydrogen.com.
    Gov. Dave Freudenthal will deliver the keynote address Wednesday, July 23, and is expected to emphasize the importance of a diverse portfolio of energy sources as the nation moves toward developing regulations on carbon dioxide emissions. Other featured speakers will include Carl Bauer, director of the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory, Gerry Goenewold, director of the Energy and Environmental Research Center at the University of North Dakota, and Robert Dixon of the International Energy Agency.
    Business and industry leaders will offer presentations and exhibit equipment at the event. Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation (eTec), which specializes in products and services for hydrogen, hybrid and electric vehicles, will demonstrate hydrogen-fueled vehicles at the conference.
    The annual conference is organized by the Mountain States Hydrogen Business Council, a non-profit trade group focusing on hydrogen energy. Also supporting the event are the U.S.-India Business Alliance, and the University of North Dakota's Energy and Environmental Research Center.

The preliminary agenda for the UW Hydrogen Energy Implementation Conference July 22-24:

Tuesday, July 22
4 p.m. -- Media event in exhibit area.
4-7 p.m. -- Registration opens.
5-7 p.m. Welcome reception in exhibit area.

Wednesday, July 23
7:30 a.m. -- Continental breakfast in exhibit area; registration opens.
8 a.m. -- Welcome, David Haberman, IF, LLC, president of the Mountain States Hydrogen Business Council, conference chair; Klaus Hanson, mayor of Laramie; Carl Bauer, director of the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory.
8:20 a.m. -- Keynote address by Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal.
9:05 a.m. -- Panel 1: Hydrogen Energy: Vision and Impact, Sanjay Puri, United States-India Business Alliance, session chair; Karen Kimball, Parsons; David Haberman; Mike Holmes, National Hydrogen Association; Mike Mead, United States Air Force.
10 a.m. -- Break.
10:20 a.m. -- Panel 2: Hydrogen Energy Business, Dan Rabun, Air Products and Chemicals Inc., session chair; Barb Heydorn, SRI International; Glenn Hamer, Arizona Chamber of Commerce; Jon Read, H2 investor; Bob Rose, U.S. Fuel Cell Council.
11:15 a.m. -- Panel 3: Coal to Hydrogen, Dan Cicero, session chair; Steve Benson, Energy and Environmental Research Center; Ray Hobbs, Arizona Public Service; Lowell Miller, Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy.
12:10 p.m. -- Lunch.
1:15 p.m. --Transitions To Hydrogen, Carl Bauer.
2 p.m. -- Panel 4: Enabling Technology, Rich Walters, National Energy Technology Laboratory Albany, session chair; Bob Remick, National Energy Technology Laboratory; Tom Barton, Western Research Institute; Morris Argyle, University of Wyoming.
3 p.m. -- Break.
3:20 p.m. -- Panel 5: Driving Transition: Economics, Policy, Impacts, Jeff Herholdt, West Virginia, Session Chair; John Geesman, American Council of Renewable Energy; John Harju, Energy and Environmental Research Center; Ron Surdam, Wyoming state geologist; Jack Halpern, Energy Independence Task Force, American Jewish Congress; environmental group TBD.
4:30 p.m. -- Adjourn plenary.
5 p.m. -- Exhibits close.
6 p.m. -- Dinner.

Thursday, July 24
7:30 a.m. -- Continental breakfast in exhibit area.
8 a.m.-- Gerry Groenewold, Energy and Environmental Research Center's Hydrogen Strategic Plan.
8:45 a.m. -- Panel 6: Hydrogen Energy Products and Applications, Hazen Burford, Intelligent Energy, session chair; Don Karner, Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation (eTec); Bob Boehm, University of Nevada-Las Vegas; Bob Stokes, Versa Power Systems.
9:45 a.m. -- Nation's Hydrogen Direction, JoAnn Milliken, Department of Energy H2 Program manager, "Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy."
10:15 a.m. -- Break.
10:30 a.m. -- International Cooperation in Hydrogen, Robert Dixon, International Energy Association.
11:15 a.m. -- Panel 7, International Opportunity: Programs and Initiatives, Robert Dixon, session chair; Engin Ture, chief scientist, United Nations Center for Hydrogen Energy; plus representatives from China, Brazil, Scotland, Canada, India and Israel.
12:15 p.m. -- Adjourn.

GREEN COMPANIES FORCED TO PAY CARBON TAX!
Laughable British Carbon Tax Fiasco
Actually Attacks Renewable Energy

"The renewables industry is extremely hacked off about the CRC as there are no incentives for renewables. In fact, if you are switching from a relatively low carbon energy source, such as natural gas, to a genuinely green energy source, you could end up paying more for carbon credits..."
Leonie Greene, Renewable Energy Association (UK)
Renewables Industry Slams "Crazy" Cap-and-Trade Plans
James Murray     Business Green     April 17, 2008
 

The New Face of Hunger     The Economist (UK)    April 17, 2008

ICHC GREEN JOBS  4/17/2008  
MECHANICAL ENGINEER, TEST STAND DESIGN
Mechanical Engineer responsible for the fluid, thermal and mechanical design of fuel cell stack and power plant test facilities. Responsible for P&I diagrams, Test equipment layout and design drawings, hardware selection, interface sizing, conceptual control logic, and thermal management system design. Tasks include the planning, design, procurement, construction, calibration, installation and modification activities necessary to prepare, install and maintain the test equipment. Activities also include participation in FMEA’s, HazOp’s, EH&S reviews, failure investigations, and the training of hourly test operators. This position involves close interaction with numerous engineering disciplines and hourly functions. Ability to work in a team environment is a must. Applicant must be comfortable in a fast paced, dynamic work environment. A strong commitment to continuous improvement, root cause corrective action, and A.C.E. is required. BS in Mechanical or Chemical Engineering.  Proficiency in AutoCad preferred. At least one year of experience in product development and evaluation/test activity, or production testing. Or two years experience in an engineering environment exercising the responsibilities described. Experience in any of these is a plus: Fluid handling component design or specification, piping system design and layout, mechanical design and equipment layout, automatic or dynamic controls, electro-mechanical components, Data Acquisition Systems. Some shift rotation may be required. Fuel cell background preferred but not mandatory. Northeast U.S.

STUDY PORTENDS THE END OF COAL
THE END OF NUCLEAR EXPANSION
THE END OF RESOURCE DEPLETION
THE END OF OIL WARS
--
RDM
RELEASED

"In several states, the renewable electricity required by RPS policies appears competitive with fossil generation."

Renewable Portfolio Standards
in the United States

Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
April 2008

    As one indicator of the role of state RPS programs in renewable resource development, over 50% of non-hydro renewable capacity additions in the U.S. from 1998 through 2007 occurred in states with active, mandatory RPS policies, totaling roughly 8,900 MW (see Figure 5). Since 2002, this percentage rises to over 60%. In 2007 alone, approximately 76% of all non-hydro renewable capacity additions came from states with active RPS programs. By this metric at least, it appears that state RPS policies are already playing a major role in renewable resource development in the United States.

Silicon Nanotube as a Promising Candidate for Hydrogen Storage

ICHC GREEN JOBS  4/17/2008   
TEST & PERFORMANCE ENGINEER
Test & Performance Engineer for testing and performance analysis of both development and production fuel cell stacks and power plants. Responsible for all stages of testing and analysis. Responsible for working with production team to ensure product or deliverable testing is executed according to quality and schedule requirements. For developmental units, will be responsible for working with the ITP groups to develop and execute tests according to developmental objectives. The Test and Performance Engineer is responsible for writing test operator instructions for hourly associates. Also responsible for test stand checkout / troubleshooting, support of test stand modifications, support of area continuous improvement activities, and compliance with EH&S policies. Minimum BS in Chemical, Electrical or Mechanical Engineering Prior experience operating PEM or PAFC fuel cells or power plants. Experience with test stand operation and troubleshooting, including P&ID interpretation. Good oral and written communication skills. Experience with Microsoft Excel and programming of Visual Basic macros. Experience in any of these is a plus: automatic or dynamic controls, electro-mechanical components, PC data acquisition, PC real time control systems, N.I. software and hardware, PLC programming. Some shift rotation may be required. Fuel cell background preferred but not mandatory. Northeast U.S.
"Thousands, hundreds of thousands of people will be starving. Children will be suffering from malnutrition, with consequences for all their lives."
Dominique Strauss-Kahn
International Monetary Fund Head Warns About Food Prices 
Harry Dunphy     AP     April 12, 2008

    Earlier Saturday, Germany's development minister, who is attending the World Bank's meeting Sunday, called for greater regulation of the global biofuels market to prevent its expansion from driving up food prices.
    "It is unacceptable for the export of agrofuels to pose a threat to the supply situation of the very people already living in poverty," Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul said in a statement.
    The development group Oxfam, a frequent IMF critic, said rich countries are largely responsible for the food crisis because they have been cutting aid to developing countries and encouraging biofuel production, which the IMF says is responsible for almost half the increase in the demand for food crops.
    "Rich countries' demand for biofuel is driving up food prices and is a big part of the problem," said Elizabeth Stuart, an Oxfam policy adviser. "Meanwhile, by cutting aid levels, they are doing precious little to be part of the solution."

"To grant enormous subsidies
for biofuel production is morally unacceptable and irresponsible.
There will be nothing left to eat!"
Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Nestle
EU Defends Biofuel Goals Amid Food Crises
AFP     April 14, 2008

Global Warming Up to a Hydrogen Economy
Seeking Alpha     April 14, 2008

 FUEL CELL BREAKTHROUGH!
A team of chemists at Brown University for the first time has consistently created uniform platinum nanocubes, a breakthrough that could make hydrogen fuel cells more efficient and less costly.

The Making of a Platinum Nanocube: On the left is a transmission electron microscopy image of 7 nanometer platinum nanocubes used for oxygen reduction reaction. In the upper right corner of this image is a high resolution picture of a single cube. On the right is an illustration demonstrating the oxygen reduction on a Pt(100) surface of a cube.
Platinum Nanocube Enhances FC Operation
                        Brown University (RI)     April 10, 2008

    Two great obstacles to hydrogen-powered vehicles lie with fuel cells. Fuel cells, which like batteries produce electrical power through chemical reactions, have been plagued by their relatively low efficiency and high production costs. Scientists have tested a wide assortment of metals and materials to overcome the twin challenge. Now a team led by Brown University chemistry Professor Shouheng Sun has mastered a Rubik’s Cube-like dilemma for dealing with platinum, a precious metal coveted for its ability to boost a chemical reaction in fuel cells. They show that shaping platinum into a cube greatly enhances its efficiency in a phase of the fuel cell’s operation known as oxygen reduction reaction.
ICHC GREEN JOBS  4/17/2008   
TEST STAND DESIGN, ELECTRICAL TECH
 (NON-EXEMPT POSITION) Assist in the Design, specification, installation and comissioning of electrical and electronic systems used in fuel cell stack and power plant test facilities. Responsible for hardware selection, wire sizing, selection of circuit protection devices, control logic, and software / hardware interfaces. Tasks include planning, design, documentation, procurement, construction, calibration, initial verification, troubleshooting and modification of fuel cell test equipment. This position involves close interaction with numerous engineering disciplines and hourly functions. Ability to work in a team environment is a must. Applicant must be comfortable in a fast paced, dynamic work environment. A strong commitment to continuous improvement, root cause corrective action, and A.C.E. is required. AS in electrical technology. Minimum of 5 years experience with the design, installation and maintenance of electrical or electronic test equipment. Experience in a development or production test environment is preferred. A thorough understanding of the NEC is required. Experience in any of these is a plus: automatic or dynamic controls, electro-mechanical components, PC data acquisition, PC real time control systems, N.I. software and hardware, PLC programming. Some shift rotation may be required. Fuel cell background preferred but not mandatory. Northeast U.S.

HYDROGEN FUEL CELL
CARS WOULD CUT GLOBAL FOSSIL FUEL USE BY 50%

NEW STUDY SLAMS ALL ALTERNATIVES TO HYDROGEN

COMPARISON OF TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS
IN A CARBON-CONSTRAINED WORLD:
HYDROGEN, PLUG-IN HYBRIDS AND BIOFUELS

C. E. (Sandy) Thomas, Ph.D.     March 31, 2008

    "We conclude that even if all FCVs use hydrogen from natural gas, the impact on natural gas resources would be minimal on a global scale, and the slight decrease in natural gas consumption is more than offset by the larger increase in oil resources. The net effect is to partially improve the balance between natural gas and oil consumption while cutting total fossil fuel use in half."

LISTEN FOLKS, IF YOU WOULD JUST STOP VOTING FOR ROTTEN PEOPLE WHO TAKE BRIBES FROM BIG ENERGY, WE COULD MAKE HYDROGEN FROM WIND
FOR JUST $2.16 GALLON EQUIVALENT.
CENTRALIZED ENERGY AND BIG AGRICULTURE WOULD LOSE INFLUENCE IN WASHINGTON.
WE WOULD NO LONGER FIGHT OIL WARS OR STARVE THE WORLD'S POOR BY TAKING FOOD FOR FUEL. THAT IS WHAT THIS WEB SITE IS ALL ABOUT.
-
- RICHARD D. MASTERS
 
Adding the reduction in health and mortality costs from wind Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles of $0.29 to $1.80/gallon, which is the externality cost of gasoline, gives a direct cost plus externality cost of U.S. gasoline/diesel of $2.35 to $3.99/gallon, which exceeds the mean cost of hydrogen from wind ($2.16/gallon) even if retail hydrogen is marked up.   

Cleaning the Air and Improving Health
with Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Vehicles

M. Z. Jacobson, W. G. Colella, D. M. Golden   Science   June 24, 2005

Rice Jumps to Record
Glenys Sim and Danielle Rossingh     Bloomberg     April 8, 2008
Germany Drops Plan to Boost Biofuels
Clean Tech     April 4, 2008

ICHC GREEN JOBS  4/17/2008   
SOFTWARE DESIGN ENGINEER, TEST EQUIPMENT DESIGN

 Electrical controls / Software design Engineer for the design of software and control systems used in fuel cell stack and power plant test equipment. Responsible for conceptual control logic, software design, software / hardware interfaces and controls hardware selection. Tasks include the planning, design, installation and documentation activities necessary to develop and maintain test equipment control software. A thorough understanding of National Instrument's LabView software and its use in automatic or dynamic controls is required. This includes the use of LabView software to control electro-mechanical components, acquire, store and manage data using real time control systems. Experience with PLC programming is also desirable. This position involves close interaction with numerous engineering disciplines and hourly functions. Ability to work in a team environment is a must. Applicant must be comfortable in a fast paced, dynamic work environment. Participation in FMEA's, HazOp's, EH&S reviews, failure investigations, and the training of hourly test operators will also be required. A strong commitment to continuous improvement, root cause corrective action, and the continuous improvement process is required. Bachelors degree in electrical or computer engineering. 2 - 5 years experience in product development evaluation and testing. Alternatively, the same experience in an engineering environment exercising the responsibilities described. Some shift rotation may be required. Fuel cell background preferred but not mandatory. Northeast U.S.

Air Products Surpasses 50,000th Hydrogen Fueling
Air Products     April 1, 2008

THREE YEARS AFTER YOU FIRST READ ABOUT IT HERE, TIME MAGAZINE BARES THE UGLY TRUTH ABOUT ETHANOL -- IN ITS EUROPEAN EDITION!
IT MAKES YOU WONDER WHAT THE WORLD WOULD BE LIKE IF WE HAD REAL JOURNALISM.
 
-- RDM

"It's like witnessing a rape."
The Clean Energy Scam

Michael Grunwald    Time Magazine (Europe) 
March 27, 2008

Ethanol increases global warming,
destroys forests and inflates food prices.
So why are we subsidizing it?

THE GREAT ETHANOL TAXPAYER FRAUD
"With corn prices well over $5 a bushel, corn ethanol economics have gone out the window."
Michael Jackson, President, Syntec Biofuel
Corn Hits $6 a Bushel on Tight Supplies

Stevenson Jacobs     AP     April 3, 2008

    Corn is the basic feedstock for most of the plants and about 20 percent of last year's 13 billion bushel corn crop was consumed by ethanol production. That percentage is expected to increase to 30 percent for the next crop year, which ends Aug. 31, 2009, according to Terry Francl, a senior economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation.
ICHC GREEN JOBS  4/17/2008    
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER, TEST STAND DESIGN
Responsible for the design of electrical and electronic systems used in fuel cell stack and power plant test facilities. Responsible for hardware selection, wiring design, conceptual control logic, and software / hardware interfaces. Tasks include the planning, design, procurement, construction, calibration, installation and modification activities necessary to prepare, install and maintain the test equipment. Activities also include participation in FMEA's, HazOp's, EH&S reviews, failure investigations, and the training of hourly test operators. This position involves close interaction with numerous engineering disciplines and hourly functions. Ability to work in a team environment is a must. Applicant must be comfortable in a fast paced, dynamic work environment. A strong commitment to continuous improvement, root cause corrective action, and A.C.E. is required. Bachelors degree in electrical engineering. 2 - 5 years experience in the design of development or factory acceptance test equipment. Alternatively, a minimum of two years experience in product design development or equivalent experience in a comparable engineering environment exercising the responsibilities described above. Experience in any of these is a plus: automatic or dynamic controls, electro-mechanical components, PC data acquisition, PC real time control systems, N.I. software and hardware, PLC programming. Some shift rotation may be required. Fuel cell background preferred but not mandatory. Northeast U.S.

  ETHANOL AND BIOFUELS: JUST ANOTHER WAY TO PAY FOR OIL
GLOBAL STARVATION
HOLOCAUST LOOMS

DUE TO U.S. MANDATE TO BURN FOOD FOR FUEL
RICE FUTURES JUMP 30%
 COUNTRIES STOP RICE EXPORTS
CHAOS APPROACHES

THE GREAT ETHANOL FRAUD SIPHONED FUNDS AWAY FROM GENUINE RENEWABLE ENERGY SOLUTIONS (THAT THREATENED OIL PRICES AND CONGRESSIONAL GRAFT)

“I have no idea how importing countries will get rice.”
Chookiat Ophaswongse, President
 Thai Rice Exporters Association
Jump in Rice Price Fuels Fears of Unrest
Javier Blas and Daniel Ten Kate  Financial Times (UK)  March 27, 2008

  • HAITI: THOUSANDS RAMPAGE OVER FOOD SHORTAGE
    Food Riots Kill At Least Four, Dozens Injured
    Mayur Pahilajani     AHN     April 5, 2008
       
    A young man was reportedly shot in the head by the U.N. peacekeepers and three others were found dead in Les Cayes during the clashes as thousands of Haitians went on the rampage, looting stores, blocking the roads, firing at the U.N. troops and burning cars.
  • CHINA, INDIA AND VIETNAM CUT RICE EXPORTS
    Rice At Record on High Demand, Export Restrictions

    Glynys Sim     Bloomberg     April 4, 2008
        Record grain prices contributed to strikes in Argentina, riots in Ivory Coast and a crackdown on illicit exports in Pakistan.
  • PHILLIPINES: PRESIDENT APPEALS FOR CALM
    Nation Asked to Stay Calm
       Asia Pulse    
    April 4, 2008
       
    The president made the appeal amid developing economies' outcry over the oil and food price surges fueled by among other things the conversion of farm products into biofuels in developed countries. Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram was quoted by AP as saying in Singapore last week that the situation was being worsened by the diversion of food to produce biofuels in some countries. It was estimated that in the US, for example, nearly 20 percent of the country's corn production was used to make biofuels, he said. ...According to a UN report, biofuels are not only hurting poor consumers in Asia by driving up crop prices, they are also failing to help the region's farmers who have not been able to adapt their production to cash in on the boom. "Small poor farmers in particular, have been left behind," UN Conference on Trade and Development economist Cape Kasahara, was quoted by AFP as saying in Geneva last week. Food giant Nestle's chief executive Peter Brabeck also said earlier that the growing use of crops such as wheat and corn to make biofuels is putting world food supplies in peril.
  • PHILLIPINES: TROOPS OVERSEE GRAIN SAILS
    The Philippine Rice Crisis Mounts
    Karen Lema     Globe and Mail (Canada)     April 4, 2008
       
    Soldiers armed with M-16 rifles were keeping the lengthy line moving, but there was no sign of tension. ...The government has also said traders caught hoarding grain will be charged with economic sabotage, which can carry a life sentence in jail.
  • ERITREA: FOOD RIOTS BEGIN IN POOR COUNTRIES
    Food Prices Soar
         AP/Eritrea News    
    April 4, 2008
       
    Clashes over bread in Egypt killed at least two people last week, and similar food riots broke out in Burkina Faso and Cameroon this month. But food protests now crop up even in Italy. ...Rising demand for meat and dairy products in rapidly developing countries such as China and India is sending up the cost of grain, used for cattle feed, as is the demand for raw materials to make biofuels.
  • THAILAND:  RICE STOCKPILES RUNNING SHORT
    Thai Exporters Say Soaring Rice Prices Causing 'Crisis'

    Forbes/Thompson Financial News     April 4, 2008
        "Exporters are facing trouble because their rice stockpiles are running short, while no more rice is coming to fill the stocks. Few rice farmers have any stockpiles because most of them have no silos for storage."
  • EUROPE: Europe's Biofuel Road Paved with Potholes
    Eric Reguly     Globe and Mail (Canada)     April 4, 2008
        Europeans, like Americans and Canadians, are becoming biofuel mad in spite of ample evidence that the costs to the environment and the taxpayer range from the questionable to the disastrous.
  • WORLD BANK:  LEADERS MUST ACT NOW
    World Bank President Says Government Leaders Must Act Now to Ease World Food Crisis   
    AP/IHT    
    April 2, 2008
       
    "33 countries around the world face potential political and social unrest because of the acute hike in food and energy prices." For those countries, where food comprises half to three-quarters of consumer spending, he said "there is no margin for survival. ...Children as young as four or five forced to flee the safety of their rural communities to fight for food in teeming cities; food riots threatening social breakdown; mothers deprived of nutrition for healthy babies."
  • UNITED KINGDOM:  SLEEPWALKING INTO A CRISIS
    Rising Oil Prices Will Bring Enormous Problems
    Rosie Boycott     The Guardian (UK)     March 28, 2008
       
    ...we are governed by the politics of Tesco - and that is truly scary.
  • PHILLIPINES: AMID LOOMING FOOD CRISIS
    Solon Wants Biofuels Development Suspended

    Norman Bordadora
        Philippine Daily Inquirer  
     March 25, 2008
        MANILA, Philippines -- Senior Deputy Minority Leader Roilo Golez called on Malacañang on Tuesday to impose a moratorium on the development of biofuels that would compete with food production. "Supporting ethanol and biodiesel is opting to feed gas tanks instead of hungry stomachs. It is bad policy in the face of the food crisis," Golez said in a text message. He urged the authors of the landmark Biofuels Act to take the lead in pushing for a moratorium on biofuel development. Quoting the food advocacy think-tank Center for Global Food Issues, Golez said prices of commodities such as wheat, soybeans, rice and cotton were rising "as they're crowded out of field space by biofuel crops." He noted that China blocked further expansion of its biofuel program because its food inflation rate rose 18.2 percent. "These are dire warnings. The government's billion-dollar and million-hectare biofuel program should be suspended and the resources realigned to food production," Golez said.
  • INDIA: Biofuel Appetite Causing Stavation
    George Monbiot     The Hindu (India)     November 7, 2007
  • POLITICS OF THE MADHOUSE
    Food Shortages Provoke Economic Nationalism
    Brian Durrant     The Daily Reckoning (UK)     March 25, 2008
        If White House efforts to double ethanol production this year are achieved, in due course around 40% of the corn crop will end up in petrol tanks. This is an unnecessary market distortion. It is old-fashioned government support of agriculture masquerading as a policy to increase energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The net result is a relative scarcity of food and higher prices. Indeed, the UN agency responsible for relieving hunger is drawing up plans to ration food aid in response to the spiralling costs of agricultural commodities.
  • Japan's First Rice Ethanol Plant Sees 2009 Start
    Risa Maeda     Reuters     January 18, 2008


 

United Kingdom:
Biofuels "Profoundly Stupid"

Top Scientists Warn Against Rush to Biofuel
James Randerson,  Nicholas Watt  The Guardian (UK)  March 25, 2008

    John Beddington, the government's current chief scientific adviser, has already expressed scepticism about biofuels. At a speech in Westminster this month he said demand for biofuels from the US had delivered a "major shock" to world agriculture, which was raising food prices globally. "There are real problems with the unsustainability of biofuels," he said, adding that cutting down rainforest to grow the crops was "profoundly stupid".

A STARVING CHILD CONSUMES ENOUGH GRAIN IN A YEAR TO DRIVE AN SUV ABOUT 90 MILES ON ETHANOL

 ETHANOL: THE "FINAL SOLUTION"
 "America, I'm sorry I took your ethanol."

"It's criminal to burn corn for fuel when we are out of food!"
BMO Financial Group strategist Don Coxe

Could We Really Run Out of Food?
Jon Markman     MSN Money     March 6, 2008

    Higher prices are not meeting any resistance from desperate buyers. Most unusual about this phenomenon, according to BMO Financial Group strategist Don Coxe, is that until now, food crises in world history were regional concerns that arose from crop failures, war or pests. Once global trade of grains got going in the 19th century in a major way, food shortages in one country were ameliorated by imports, he said. What's happening now is a lack of supply everywhere at once. ...Coxe's solution: As a first step, shut down all ethanol plants immediately.  more

Energy: A Report from the Field
Lessons Learned and Choices for Future Transportation

ICHC GREEN JOBS  4/17/2008   
PROJECT ENGINEER, TEST EQUIPMENT DESIGN
Project Engineer responsible for managing the design, fabrication, installation and commissioning of fuel cell stack and fuel cell power plant test stands. Tasks will include estimating material and manpower, establishing capital budgets, project planning and tracking, maintaining vendor communications, coordinating test equipment installation and facility interfaces, coordinating test plans and test equipment functional requirements with internal customers, coordinating test stand commissioning and reporting overall progress to the Engineering and Program managers. Activities also include organizing and / or leading FMEA's, HazOp's, EH&S reviews, failure investigations, and the training of engineering associates within the test stand design group. Minimum BS in Mechanical, Electrical or Chemical engineering, MS a plus. Minimum of 7 years test equipment or product design experience with at least 2 years of that spent actively leading projects. This position involves close interaction with numerous engineering disciplines and hourly functions. Ability to work in a team environment is a must. Applicant must be comfortable in a fast paced, dynamic work environment. Fuel cell background preferred not mandatory. Northeast U.S.

THEY'RE NOT WHAT YOU THINK!
The Real U.S. Energy Priorities
Forget the Hype: Federal Energy Budgets
Indicate Federal Energy Priorities