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Cargill Becomes Sole Owner of Corn-Based Plastics Business

Cargill has agreed to acquire The Dow Chemical Company’s interest in Cargill Dow LLC, the 50:50 joint venture formed in 1997 to commercialize polylactic acid biopolymers (corn-based plastic). Terms were not disclosed. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval in Europe. Cargill is the original inventor of polylactic acid (PLA), a polymer derived from natural plant sugars and marketed by the joint venture as NatureWorks PLA and Ingeo(TM) fibers. NatureWorks PLA is used in a range of packaging applications for companies seeking plastics made from an annually renewable resource. Ingeo fibers are used in fiberfill applications including pillows, comforters, mattress pads, blankets and apparel. The business employs 230 people in Minnetonka, Minn. and Blair, Neb. Website: http://www.cargill.com     

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Dawn of a Solar Era on the Horizon

Mitsubishi Electric & Electronics USA Inc. has announced its entry into the growing U.S. solar/photovoltaic (PV) or module market, with two high-efficiency modules that contain no lead solder. The company will initially focus on the southwestern United States through its network of dealers and distributors, and expand to other regions in the months ahead. Mitsubishi Electric’s entry into the U.S. market comes at a time of increasing awareness and acceptance of alternative energy sources. Designed for both commercial and residential applications, Mitsubishi Electric’s PV modules contain lead-free solder. Instead of lead solder coating for the cells, Mitsubishi Electric developed silver electrodes that offer weatherproofing and higher PV module conversion efficiency. Currently, Mitsubishi Electric offers dealers and distributors two module options: 120 watts and 165 watts. While a new entrant to the U.S. market, Mitsubishi Electric has been active in the solar arena globally. The company began building solar-powered satellites in the 1970s, and recently expanded its Japanese factories’ module production capabilities in response to growing worldwide demand. Reasons for Optimism There are several factors that are contributing to the increased interest in solar power. Breakthroughs in solar technology, concerns about dependence on foreign sources of oil, and increasing demand for […]

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Ethical Funds Double in France

The French SRI market surpassed the 5 billion euro mark in 2004; funds under management, and French SRI funds increased assets under management by 24%. Total assets under management by open-ended SRI funds available in the French market (both domestic and foreign funds) surpassed 5 billion euros in 2004, compared with 4.4 billion euros at year-end 2003 and 2.5 billion euros at year-end 2002. That means total funds under SRI management have doubled in two years. One of the highlights of 2004 was the significant increase in SRI assets managed by French funds, which today total nearly 3.6 billion euros, versus 2.9 billion euros the previous year ? a 24% increase. At year-end 2001, assets under French SRI management totaled 920 million euros, making for a spectacular rise. Assets under French SRI management have grown nearly fourfold in just three years. At year-end 2004, a total of 122 funds were available to investors in the French market, as opposed to 108 in 2003 and 80 at year-end 2002, an increase of more than a third in two years. A number of new players entered the French market last year: Orsay Gestion; JP Morgan Fleming; Fdris Gestion. And many French players […]

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Weekly Clean Energy Roundup:January 19, 2005

News and Events International Builder’s Show Features Energy-Efficient Homes Energy Value Housing Awards Honor Energy-Efficient Builders Volvo Unveils the 3CC, an Electric-Powered Sports Car Hydrogen Buses Hit City Streets while Concept Car Sets Records Idaho Geothermal Power Plant Moves Ahead with Power Agreement Paint-On Solar Cell Captures Infrared Radiation Energy Connections2004 is Fourth Warmest Year on Record News and EventsInternational Builder’s Show Features Energy-Efficient HomesThe 2005 International Builders’ Show – held in Orlanda, Florida, by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) – concluded on Sunday after exposing builders to the latest in energy efficiency for the home, including three showcases for energy efficiency technologies: the Not So Big Showhouse, the New American Home, and the PATH Tutorial Townhouses.The 2,900-square-foot Not So Big Showhouse was conceived by architect Sarah Susanka, whose best-selling book “The Not So Big House” introduced a “build better, not bigger” approach to home design. Three of DOE’s Building America teams collaborated on the Susanka-designed house using a “building as a system” approach to design, specify, and plan the construction of the home. The walls are made of structural insulated panels (SIPS), which feature a core of foam insulation sandwiched between two oriented strand boards. The tightly […]

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Arctic Drilling May Be Attached to Congressional Budget Resolution As Shortcut

There is enough good sense in the U.S. Senate to block drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, with a filibuster if necessary. So, drilling supporters hope to slip the major environmental and energy decision into a budget bill. Drilling would feed the U.S. oil addiction, helping us to duck tough choices about conservation, transportation and new forms of energy. The refuge’s fragile environment needs protection. Some drilling supporters now want to distort congressional practices. New Mexico Republican Sen. Pete Domenici, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, hopes to include refuge drilling in a budget bill, which can’t be subjected to filibuster and the need for 60 percent approval to cut off debate. Drilling supporters may be tired of losing. That doesn’t excuse Congress from following normal legislative processes. Dubious ideas deserve full congressional scrutiny, not convenient shortcuts.

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Steelcase Wins Good Design(TM) Award

Steelcase Inc. (NYSE: SCS), a global office environments manufacturer whose offerings help individuals to work more effectively and organizations to use space more efficiently, announced the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design has awarded its Think(TM) chair with a Good Design(TM) award. Founded in 1950, Good Design awards publicly acknowledge the world’s most prestigious industrial design firms and manufacturers for the finest new design and design innovations. The design of Steelcase’s Think chair was among the 150 products that were awarded this year. The Think chair is a smart, simple and environmentally sustainable seating product that addresses the growing need for mid-priced ergonomic seating. Created in collaboration with designer Glen Oliver Low, McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry and the Institute of Product Development in Copenhagen, Denmark, the Think chair conforms to the highest environmental standards and raises the bar in cradle-to-cradle design and life-cycle thinking. Website: http://www.steelcase.com     

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