ICIS Chemical Business | From Our Own Correspondent

Business and golf - lessons from the ladies tee

2009-11-03T15:56:56Z

BY SPECIAL GUEST CAROL PICCARO, PRESIDENT AND CEO, U.S. CHEMICALS

Golf is one of the perks of my business, and I feel grateful for the opportunity to entertain and be entertained on the "almighty" course. While I've learned much about the game and the people I have played with over the last 20 years, this particular day it was a "golf first."

But going back, I still remember the day a very patient supplier offered to teach me the sport. I felt like I was just admitted to "the club." And I was hooked. I wanted to have all future meetings outside, without desks or tables, phones or Blackberries - just walking down the course, sharing stories.

What luck to be out of the office, enjoying some of the most wonderful settings in the country - and all this for "work!"

Being in the chemical distribution industry, most of my golf rounds are with men. Therefore, I have a wonderful advantage at golf outings, especially when the longest drive competition is not gender-segregated.

In many cases, the women's tee box is a generous 150 yards in front of the men's. You connect, and you may very well be the recipient of a dozen golf balls and winner of the coveted "longest drive" competition. But then at the 19th hole, all the participants hoot and holler that a woman won the honor, which makes for a long walk to receive the prize.

I felt compelled to write this after traveling to Ohio to play golf with a vendor. Once again, I was the sole female golfer. I accepted the invite and agreed that caddies would be a treat.

I appreciate caddies and enjoy their company, as they move the game along, save time ball searching, and help with reading putts, yardage, and providing advice when choosing a golf club. Playing golf is similar to running a company - you need the assistance of a great caddie to shoulder the load.

As we walked up to our first tee, I was blown away to find four young, attractive women as our caddies. Each girl was more pleasant than the next, with a smile from ear to ear. They gladly embraced the work on a hot afternoon.

And for once, I was not in the minority - I had peers, women, and numbers in my favor! The teasing I received for forward tee boxes or a good drive was now met with five sets of eyes staring down the persecutor. It was a wonderful day, and truly the highlight of this noteworthy golf experience.

Photo credits: U.S. Chemicals, Carol Piccaro

Medellin's comeback still shadowed by Pablo?

2009-11-02T16:38:57Z

Stephen Burns of the ICIS bureau in Houston writes of his recent trip to Colombia:

Many cities are known to us only by reputation. Paris has romance, London has pageantry, Rio de Janeiro has nightlife. Medellin has...Pablo Escobar?

It is almost 16 years since the violent death of the drug baron who for much of the world still defines that city. Escobar helped shape the image of chaos that Colombia still struggles to shake off.

Here's hoping it can, because the country deserves recognition for the progress that has put it back among the leading economies of Latin America.

A bad rap is hard to dislodge, though. Both the opportunities I have had to cover conferences in Colombia - Cartagena in 2004, and Medellin in 2009 - came my way because of the greater prudence of others.

The organizer of the latest conference acknowledged that the security issue loomed large for Americans in particular. But attendance from across the region was healthy and the choice of location was generally acclaimed as a success.

So what is a journalist with only a couple of spare hours to do in Medellin? Guidebooks talk of markets, the old town centre, and Botero statues.

But to a reporter, that would be like going to Rome and not seeing the Coliseum.

The hotel doorman translated my destinations to a taxi driver: Escobar's grave, and the scene of his bloody last stand.

Bravado evaporated as I was led across a well-kept cemetery, a magnificent showcase for the local flower industry. Did henchmen still watch over him, and watch over his visitors?

Maybe so...I was surprised to find fresh flowers adorning a large, tidy grave. Later I learned that flowers are placed regularly by those who regard Escobar more as Robin Hood than as evil personified.

Escobar shares the wide grave - and the December 2, 1993 date on his headstone - with some relatives. It looks more like a little garden than the portal to hell I had envisaged.

The area where Escobar made his last stand was nicer than I expected, too, although the house had obviously been empty for a long time. Graffiti on the walls distinguished it from its neighbors.

But the grim look on the faces of two men working on the roof where Escobar died was enough to deter my taxi driver from stopping. On to the chubby Botero statues.

It is said that reputations come down in the elevator but go up the stairs. Medellin - and Colombia - found itself a long way down in the basement, but it's definitely moving on up.

Video of Medellin, including Escobar's grave and last hideout:

Happy birthday ICIS Chemical Business!

2009-10-12T14:31:13Z

If an industry, group or person was able to reach the 100-year mark, this would definitely be a cause for celebration.

For synthetic rubber producer LANXESS, 2009 is officially the global rubber year as the company celebrated synthetic rubber's 100th anniversary last month in Cologne, Germany. Synthetic rubber was first developed and patented on September 12, 1909, by German chemical company Bayer. LANXESS was formerly Bayer's chemical and polymer business division, which was spun off in 2005.

During the event, LANXESS showed how man-made materials such as synthetic rubber could continue to thrive and remain indispensable for mankind, despite growing opposition from environmentalists to anything made from petroleum.

I was, however, amused when during the event's question-and-answer (Q&A) session, two European reporters boasted of their publications' more than 100-year-old pedigree in their introductions before proceeding to their questions.

Getting into the competitive spirit of whose publication is the oldest, I eagerly raised my hand. Did I have a burning question for the presenter at that time? No, but I also wanted to state ICIS Chemical Business's 138-year history.

I guess the event moderator sensed my intention and quickly wrapped up the Q&A session. Despite the missed opportunity, it dawned on me how LANXESS employees felt being part of a rich 100-year history.

ICIS Chemical Business's history goes back to 1881, when the former Oil, Paint and Drug (OPD) Reporter, based in downtown New York, began its operations. OPD was famous in the industry for its weekly lowdown on actual commercial conditions of the growing oil, paint, drug and chemical markets.

OPD, which then became Chemical Market Reporter, and is now part of ICIS Chemical Business, was able to survive more than a century of volatility within the chemical and publishing industries. Even now, as many print publications are in dire straits, ICIS Chemical Business will continue to evolve and become a better provider of chemical information, insight and analysis as we celebrate our 138th anniversary on October 18.

It is truly a pleasure to be a part of this historic publication and we look forward to our 200th anniversary!

See other old OPD/CMR photos on ICB's new facebook page!

Principles of Trade and Thermodynamics

2009-09-10T14:27:37Z

By: Clay Boswell

The credit crisis has put a spotlight on the flow of money from the US to China - and back, through the purchase of US Treasury bonds. The relationship seems to defy logic, as if one country were paying another to buy its products.

I'm reminded of a science project I did in the sixth grade, a modified balsa wood airplane. Like other such craft, it had a propeller at the front. Typically, the propeller would be powered by a wound rubber band, to which it was directly attached. (Get your own here!) My innovation was to eliminate the rubber band and connect the propeller, by means of a crude gear, to a paddle wheel further back. No child prodigy, I imagined that air flowing past the airplane would spin the paddle wheel, which would turn the propeller, which would pull the airplane through the air, which would spin the paddle wheel, which would.... You get the idea.

Mrs. Birch, the school principal, complimented my imagination, sweet lady. "But you know, of course, that perpetual motion is impossible," she added. Yes, I nodded cautiously, wondering what "perpetual motion" meant.

I'm no longer a stranger to the laws of thermodynamics. Indeed, I often see analogous relationships in unlikely places - such as America's trade deficit and debtor status. The economy isn't a closed system, however, and new wealth is being created all the time, sometimes even more quickly than it is destroyed. Likewise, the long-term trend in living standards does not suggest entropic decay.

Still, there does seem to be something fundamentally unsustainable going on. The Chinese government has been worried for some time. Last week, a former vice-chairman of the Standing Committee and the current head of China's green energy drive, Cheng Siwei, said Beijing was not pleased that the US Federal Reserve had resorted to buying US treasury bonds, essentially printing money to buy its own debt. "If they keep printing money to buy bonds it will lead to inflation, and after a year or two the dollar will fall hard," he was quoted as saying in the UK's Daily Telegraph.

That's pretty much what happened to my airplane: it fell hard. But that's science, right? With the economy, on the other hand - the stakes are a bit higher. And yet, I wonder: Are we like test pilots in a jumbo jet designed by a child?

Press trip fails to live up to its promise

2009-09-02T11:33:59Z

I was really looking forward to my visit to East Asia. As soon as the invitation for a press trip to Shanghai, China, dropped into my email inbox last year, I was very quick to respond and get down to the local embassy to arrange my visa.

Aside from the obvious networking and news opportunities the trip would provide, I was particularly excited about the prospect of snagging a few bargains in the high-tech stores around the city. With a favorable exchange rate and access to one of the most innovative and advanced electronics markets in the world, I made sure I converted plenty of currency.

Despite major jetlag upon arrival, I had a few hours to kill before my first few meetings, and found myself gesticulating wildly to a passing taxi driver, urging him to take me to the city center. I roamed the streets, taking in the spectacular skyline - the bulbous Pudong Tower, the looming skyscrapers and massive illuminated signage I'd seen so often in the movies.

It wasn't long before I was accosted by a guy at a dodgy-looking stall, pleading with me to take a look at his "quality" goods. Other pushy street vendors made similar offers, which I respectfully declined. I'd heard from a fellow journalist back home about the risks of buying items in some parts of the city; counterfeiting is still rife in China. So I did business only in legitimate stores, the ones that provided receipts and offered a selection of items bearing all the leading brand names.

Sadly, someone I was with was not so lucky. Returning home, the large capacity computer memory stick they'd bought corrupted all their data, their DVDs didn't play properly and their selection of branded clothing barely made it through the laundry in one piece.

These were bought from what appeared to be reputable dealers, but it's still pretty easy to fall foul of unscrupulous vendors in China. Earlier this month, the World Trade Organization (WTO) hoped to address the situation by ruling that China should ease its restrictions on imported goods. The BBC website commented that, "China's current limitations on the import of official US DVDs and other media products has created a large domestic counterfeit industry."

My friend would have probably considered a return visit if the WTO had acted a little sooner.

(Photo credit: d'n'c)

Emerald Isle's plastic bags missed

2009-09-01T18:55:53Z

You never really notice the convenience of things until they're gone. Such was the case on my vacation to Ireland in August.

Visiting the Emerald Isle for the very first time, and for a week, my wife and I made the capital city of Dublin our home base as we explored the city and took several day tours.

Making a quick run to Supermacs, the fast-food chain bearing a strikingly close resemblance to McDonald's, I ordered four cheeseburgers, fries, some fried chicken, and a coffee and tea to go.

Just your usual unhealthy fast-food order - but lo and behold, no plastic bags for your takeout!

Ireland first slapped a tax on plastic bags in 2002 and usage dropped 90% within months. There are just no plastic bags to be seen anywhere.

Instead of the plastic bag you're used to getting in my home town of New York, you get a flimsy paper bag. Now that's fine for the food, but not ideal for carrying hot drinks back to the hotel.

And at the "convenience" store, whatever you buy, you haul out with your hands and arms - no bag is offered. Good luck carrying several bottles of water, milk, juice, potato chips, a cup of yogurt and a banana.

If you insist on having a bag, it will cost you 22 euro cents there. Call me cheap, but I was loathe to pay for something I'm used to getting for free.

Sure, there could be benefits to taxing plastic bags - the streets do look clean and same for the countryside. Maybe it's worth a bit of inconvenience, but that's debatable.

I missed the convenience of plastic bags. And don't get me started on the napkin situation. Restaurants were very sparing with the napkins, making a messy eater like me look even worse. At a local Burger King, there was a half-joking sign that said that if you took more than 10 napkins, you were a thief!

In August, Mexico City became the latest major metropolis to ban non-biodegradable plastic bags from the retail sector.

In most of the US, many feel it is our God-given right to get a free plastic bag with our purchase - whatever it is!

But then again, we also thought it was our divine right to drive gas-guzzling SUVs fueled with $1/gal gasoline.

Photo credit: Yvonne Chang

Breakfast in New York beats grey Sutton

2009-08-20T10:10:34Z

Most readers will be aware that since the merger of the US and European/Asian titles in 2007, ICIS Chemical Business has become a global magazine, with teams in New York, London and Singapore. I'm the deputy editor, heading up the European bureau based in the sleepy town of Sutton in Surrey, near London, UK.

Last week I had the opportunity, for the first time, to travel to New York and work with the editorial team out there, headed up by Joe Chang the global editor.

As you can imagine, there was something of a contrast between my usual Monday morning and my first day on the 17th floor of 360 Park Avenue South, New York.

To set the scene, let me first describe an average Monday morning. After hastily swallowing down a piece of toast, I normally rush down to a chilly Crystal Palace railway station to be met by an announcement such as "Southern Railways would like to apologise for the cancellation of this service". After a journey spent staring through the rain-spattered windows at the cheery folk of South London as they board the train, I arrive at the metropolis of Sutton; a small suburban town renowned for its snarling teen mums in gold hoop earrings, pushing prams, cigarettes burning.

Now to New York, where jet lag meant I awoke early on my first morning. The map showed a piece of open space called Madison Square Park near the office so I made my way down there, basking in the early morning sunshine. After buying a coffee and blueberry muffin I noticed some commotion near the park. It was a full outdoor film crew about to begin shooting. Park benches nearby beckoned so I sat down and watched the action. "Quiet please, film rolling", someone shouted, and the action began. I watched as a street scene was played out for a new TV series called White Collar.

A friendly New Yorker sat with me and after he'd finished moaning about the disruption caused by film crews blocking the sidewalk, we got talking about his great city and how clean and safe it was compared to the 1980's when he'd arrived from Guyana.

Madison Square Park became my breakfast venue each morning and I had a fantastic week working with and getting to know the team in New York. It's a shame I didn't get to meet pharma/fine chemicals editor Feliza Mirasol, but here are images of the rest of the team.

Clay Boswell, features, pharma outsourcing

Doris de Guzman, specialties/oils

Ivan Lerner, commodities

Corporate life leads some to seek The Good Life

2009-08-11T15:36:09Z

By John Richardson

I was sharing lunch with a highly de-motivated Singapore-based chemicals industry employee recently and the great British 1970s sitcom, The Good Life, came to mind.

In that sitcom, Tom Good, played by the actor Richard Briers, is meeting "Sir", the boss of the plastics processing company where he works as a draftsman. The company specialises in designing and moulding those little plastic toys you used to get (or might still get - I am not sure) free in your breakfast cereal.

"Sir" puts his arm around Tom, who he has noticed for the first time because he has been introduced by his friend Jerry, played by the late and great Paul Eddington, as "our top designer". Jerry is a monumental crawler and, as a result, is in an executive position.

Anyway, "Sir" says to Tom, or roughly words to this effect: "A new bubble has just come off the top of our think tank and I want you to take charge of this project - plastic hippopotamuses (or was it giraffes? Couldn't find on Google). Are you excited? Do you think you are the man for the job?"

He is speaking in one of those annoyingly enthusiastic voices you may have heard in meetings and wished "if only I could have the presence of mind to fake it that well".

Tom, is of course, supposed to show enthusiasm in order to crawl up the slippery corporate ladder, but instead bursts out laughing, goes home, quits his job, and decides to become self-sufficient by growing all his own food - and keeping livestock - in his suburban back garden.

To return to my lunch with the unhappy chemicals-industry employee, he had been ground down by having to bite his tongue in so many long and dull meetings that when his boss asked for ideas for a new corporate slogan, he replied: "How about 'The Relentless Pursuit of Mediocrity?' "

He lives in a condominium with a window box as a back garden and so growing fruit and vegetables for a new career is not an option.

Anonymous contributions would be gratefully received for comments you would have liked to have made in company meetings, but felt unable to do so. This is your chance to let off some steam.

Hooked on fuel cell car

2009-07-27T00:49:22Z

After testing out the H-racer fuel cell toy car sent by BASF (see ICB 5/11/09, p.7) I got the chance to test out a real fuel cell vehicle on July 14 courtesy of General Motor's Chevy Equinox fuel cell demo car powered by Shell's hydrogen.

Shell, in partnership with GM, opened its second hydrogen refilling station in New York for fuel cell car drivers. There aren't any fuel cell cars out there yet for sale but some are testing demo cars such as GM's Chevy Equinox under the company's Project Driveway program.

GM said there are 30 of the model available for testing in New York and 60 in California. The company has overall 115 for testing across the globe. Since the program's inception in January 2008, these cars burned 900,000 miles in total all producing just water as emissions.

The car has an estimated rate of 39 miles per kilogram so if we do the math, it can actually go to more than 160 miles (even 200 miles GM said) before it needs to be filled up again with hydrogen.

At first glance, the car didn't even looked anything like my vision of a greener bat mobile and instead featured a gray SUV/van-type of automobile that any parent with two kids who'd like to have. It did sport a Fuel Cell logo along with trailing green water molecules that look like vines from a distance.

The shiny fuel cell powerhouse is located under the front hood replacing the odd bits and pieces of greasy motor innards typical of a petroleum-powered car. On the back of the car are four exhaust slots where water mists flow out. GM assured no dripping water here.

I had one of the GM officials to chauffered me around a parking lot so I can check the nuts and bolts inside the car (and to avoid being sued in case I crash it). GM did not disclose the cost of the car but said that they were very expensive to make. The fuel cells were hand-made by the way.

One feature that was very interesting to watch while the car is being driven is the energy display monitor near the dash board which shows power flowing from the fuel cell to the motor and/or battery as well as charging power returning to the battery during regenerative braking. It also showed how much petroleum was saved depending on the car's total mileage.

The car that I rode already had 9,392 miles on its hood and indicated about 417 gallons of petroleum saved.

I generally don't like to drive and it has been 10 years since my last attempt but all in all I was very impressed and was mightily tempted to buy an electric vehicle at that moment - if there's one already available and if it's cheap.

All I ask is to put a nice sounding chime to it when the car starts to avoid a possible crash. It's so darn quiet that I didn't even realized it was already turned on! Oh, and GM did assured me that the three hydrogen tanks located underneath are crashed proof.

We don't want another Hindenburg incident, do we?

Glastonbury Festival not just about the music

2009-07-15T10:23:30Z

For five days each year, a few fields in a quiet corner of the UK's West Country becomes a throbbing city of 180,000 people. The Glastonbury Festival of the Performing Arts is a national institution. Started in 1971 by a farmer, Michael Eavis, who had an interest in music, it has grown to become Europe's biggest festival.

Whilst there this year, I started thinking about the organisation and economics of this event, plus its wider impact on the local area and on demand for chemicals.

At a "meet the organiser" question and answer event, a rather stoned-looking man stood up and said he thought the festival had become a model for a new way of living. He was referring to the "Green Fields" part of the event where people seeking alternatives to conventional lifestyles.

Eavis didn't seem too keen on that idea, but said the festival had been called "the acceptable face of capitalism" because he donates around £2m each year to charities such as Greenpeace and WaterAid.

The local economy must benefit hugely from the festival. There were several hundred stalls selling everything from food to clothes to the "ShePee", which I'll leave to your imagination. Of the 180,000 people attending, 40,000 are workers: a major boost to the economy.

The huge number of tents covering the site must also stimulate demand for the UK plastics industry: or more likely, China's plastics industry.

"Green" is certainly a key theme of the event. Woe betide anyone trying to avoid the queues at the toilets by hiding behind a bush or hedge. A team of "green police" (see video) wearing British Bobby hats coloured green patrol the site, blowing their whistles and chasing offenders.

The figures for waste produced are staggering. In 2008 the festival recycled 49% or 863.32 tonnes of its waste. This included 193.98 tonnes of composted organic waste, 400 tonnes of chipped wood, 9.12 tonnes of glass, 54 tonnes of cans and plastic bottles, 41 tonnes of cardboard, 66 tonnes of scrap metal, 11.2 tonnes of clothing, tents, sleeping bags, 0.264 tonnes of batteries, 10 tonnes of dense plastic and 0.25 tonnes plastic sheets.

This year the festival also used a fleet of New Holland tractors, all capable of running on 100% biodiesel refined from used cooking oil sourced in the UK.

This year I saw fantastic performances from Prodigy, Will Young, Tom Jones and Neil Young plus DJs like Pete Tong and Deadmau5. Don't tell any of my cool friends, but I also loved Australian legend Rolf Harris!

FECC - time for chemical distributors to refocus

2009-07-07T08:50:16Z

By Elaine Burridge

An elegant hotel in a picturesque seaside setting in Helsinki, Finland, was the venue for the annual FECC Congress last month.

Delegates soaked up the sun's rays in the gardens among the ducks and geese while discussing the main themes, namely the current business environment, implementing Reach, and the challenges and issues facing distributors.

Inside, away from the peace and calm outdoors, executives from chemical distributors and their suppliers, were grabbing cups of coffee as they made the most of the networking opportunities.

Despite the downturn and corresponding corporate cuts in travel budgets, nearly 200 delegates managed to attend the two-day event.

If there were two key words to take away from the meeting, then it would be differentiation and focus, or perhaps that should be refocus.

And, yes, although there is plenty for distribution companies to be negative about as their earnings decrease, albeit not as dramatic as their suppliers who are "going through hell at the moment", there were also positive notes.

One CEO emphasized the resilience of the chemical distributor as a business model with high diversification, flexibility and high barriers to entry.

CEOs of private equity-owned firms also spoke out in favor of their backers, trying to rebut the negative image portrayed during the crisis. Whether people were convinced about the advantages of private ownership was open to debate and not helped by the view of one speaker who said that private equity firms are destroying value and exit routes were closing.
Companies spoke too of the need to differentiate themselves, to refocus on their business model and plan for the long term, to get closer to customers, and to act in a sustainable and responsible manner.

As if the worst economic crisis in decades was not enough to cope with, distributors are having also to grapple with Reach (as is everybody at the moment) and forming substance information exchange forums (SIEFs) while time marches on inexorably towards the 2010 deadline. Add to this industry consolidation and migration, transport issues, drastic cuts in credit insurance cover and tightening credit lines, to name but a few.

And in the background is an ongoing antitrust investigation which kicked off in France and Germany in April, 2007, and which still lingers like a bad smell.

So, here's to next year's event in Barcelona, Spain, where hopefully the sun will shine again and the financial crisis, and perhaps the investigation, will be just another piece of corporate history. Just make sure your company survives until then.

So that's what they use Gutta-percha for

2009-07-03T09:28:00Z

The other day I found myself partially anaesthetised, lying on my back on a specialised bed covered in PVC, gazing up at a man wearing a mask and breathing heavily.
I was at my local National Health Service dentist having some root canal work done on a molar that's been grumbling for some time. As a polymer technologist, there's something strangely comforting about dentist's surgeries, one of the few places where people do not object to polymers from the floor to ceiling in the name of hygiene.
Then two unexpected things happened.
Firstly, it was bearable. My dentist sloshes local anaesthetic onto and into your gums so expertly that you could have your jaw removed and not notice.
Secondly, he took me through what he'd done after the drilling, filling and filing was over.
He explained that my root canals were between 1.6 and 1 cm long (that's about 0.75/inch to 0.5/inch long) and that he'd filled them with gutta percha.
I last heard of gutta percha about 20 years ago on my polymer science and technology degree. Polymers are such a big class of chemicals that I felt at least part of the degree's role was to mention polymers in passing so we could bluff our way into any conceivable job in the business. It's stood me in good stead for the past 20 years.
As we polymer technologists know, gutta percha is trans-1,4-polyisoprene and is produced in a bioreactor, or tree. Natural rubber and synthetic analogues of natural rubber are the cis-1,4- polyisoprene isomer. Natural rubber is rubbery, gutta percha isn't. That's because one is trans, and packs together well enough to have a developed crystalline nature. Cis-1,4-polyisoprene packs together badly with only limited crystallinity.
I had always wondered two things. What gutta percha was used for, and why my degree was being taught in the polymers metals and dental technology department of Manchester Polytechnic. That's now renamed as the Centre for Materials Science Research at Manchester Metropolitan University.I had thought, when I thought about it at all, that metallurgy was perhaps a dull kind of chemistry, but couldn't guess that polyisoprene held the link between an exciting course like mine, and dentistry. In one simple answer 20+ years after graduation I found out.
It looks like I've had isoprene at the back of my mind for about half of my life, and all things being equal, I'll have a head full of isoprene to see me thought the remainder. There's something symmetrical about that.

Unforgettable for all the wrong reasons

2009-06-10T08:59:11Z

Written by Mike Nash

Two weeks ago, the general mood at the International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA) annual conference in Shanghai was, for me, established on day one. I was having lunch with a French fertilizer distributor, who when not moodily pushing round the food on his plate with his chopsticks, was making monosyllabic utterances about the pretty dismal state of the fertilizer market in general, and his little corner of it in particular. A few Gallic shrugs later, I'd had enough. It was a long lunch.

By the end of day 1 I was pretty miserable too. And I had two more full days of meetings like this.

I could understand the misery. Last year, everyone was making pots of cash on the back of booming fertilizer prices, driven by high crop prices, and the mood was buoyant. Now, since the collapse in the financial markets, farmer credit has dried up, crop prices are uncertain and the fertilizer market has seen a near collapse. 2008 was already being consigned to history as a never-to-be-repeated aberration.

It was perhaps the spirit of this masochistic misery that I subconsciously allowed the rather scruffy looking man sitting behind me in a hotel coffee shop to expertly steal my wallet. Talking with friends and colleagues afterwards, it is quite true that, looking back, you realize exactly when it happened. I remember colliding with the suspect when I got up to go to the bathroom, inadvertently hitting him with my chair.

I like to think of myself as fairly savvy. I've traveled to some pretty dodgy places for work and pleasure and this kind of thing had never happened to me before. The lobby of the Shangri La hotel was not a war zone and there were two colleagues sitting at my table. Surely they would notice anything amiss while I walked to the bathroom, leaving my jacket on my chair?

Alas no. About 10 minutes later as I got up to leave and pay the bill, I realized what had happened. It is a sickening feeling. First there's the frantic call home to the wife, waking her up in the process to ask her to cancel all the credit cards. Then there's anger - what good to him is my gym membership card or my pass at the driving range, all of which needed replacing.

Then a curious calm descends upon you. I became quite sleuth-like, asking for CCTV footage - unfortunately the cameras did not cover the exact scene of the crime. Then I retraced my steps through the lobby, looking under tables and chairs, and getting a few odd looks.

This kind of news ripples through a conference pretty quickly. And the hotel bent over backwards to help. This included commandeering the bell boy, Irwin, who accompanied me to the Shanghai police station in the hotel limo.

While much of urban China has "modernized", let's just say its police stations are stuck firmly in the 1950s. It was like a scene out of a film. The police were clearly having fun with the bell boy. Poor Irwin was patiently trying to explain what had happened, but the policeman on the reception desk kept getting up, only to be replaced by someone else. It was clear a decadent westerner losing his wallet was of little concern to them. I decided to remain patient. Any sign of antagonism would only protract the whole process several hours.

After 20 minutes I was finally allowed into an interview room. Bare white walls, bare desks, no natural light. No air con just a fan which kept blowing my passport onto the floor. There was one attempt to lighten the place up. A potted plant stood forlornly in a corner, unwatered for several days.

There followed a painstaking review of what the wallet contained and what make it was. Time and time again my passport was checked. Fortunately, my visa said businessman rather than journalist. Otherwise I'd still be there today.

Then I described the suspect, my version of events as best I could recall them. This took an hour. At no time did any policeman make eye contact, or acknowledge my presence. It was disconcerting.

Eventually, I got what I had come for. A certificate with a crime number on it so I could claim for my losses back home through insurance.

I remained stoically British to the end, I thought, and went to shake the policeman's hand, who looked totally non-plussed, but eventually offered his hand.

Then the police disappeared to input all the data onto their computers. I was left alone with Irwin, who chirpily started talking about Premier League soccer. He was a Liverpool fan, which made it bearable. God bless Irwin (later in the hotel I filled in a card saying how he had "gone the extra mile" to help a guest). He's probably head bell boy now.

I resisted the temptation to steal a police cap from the rows upon rows of them I was passing as I left. It would have made for a nice souvenir and would have pleased my son no end.

It all certainly made the conference a little more memorable.

Nicaragua, Kenya, Zambia, Ethiopia, this is a truly global industry!

2009-06-05T10:32:29Z

Going to chemical-industry events can sometimes be predictable, especially the run-of-the-mill financial results events where you can usually guess in advance which executives, public-relations people and journalists will be tagging along.

But just now and again an event takes you by surprise. I attended the Helsinki Stakeholders' Day and Chemicals Forum in Finland two weeks and have been left with some vivid memories.

In the Commentary Blog you'll find my impressions of the main event, which will definitely stay with me for a long time.

But outside of the main hall it was some of the people I met from all walks of life who fascinated me.

We all know the chemical industry is international, so we are accustomed to meeting different nationalities when networking round an event. But can you beat this? On my table at the gala dinner were people from Nicaragua, Kenya, Zambia, Ethiopia, Finland and the UK!

The stories they had to tell were also compelling. The Nicaraguan worked for an agency which tested for pesticide residues in agricultural workers there. "Now, I grow my own food and only eat organic," he declared.

The Kenyan worked for a government ministry which attempts to control and monitor the import of pharmaceuticals. He described the constant battle to stem the flow of potentially unsafe generics from China and India.

My Ethiopian friend described in great detail the country's religious history. Christianity flourished there before it hit Europe. Indeed the country still boasts a significant minority of Christians. They practice an ancient form of the belief, with its own traditions and practices.

Perhaps the most interesting, though slightly depressing tale came from Mr Zambia. He was an official with Zambia's environment ministry. Asked what some of the biggest challenges are in the country for his department, the man gave an example which said it all.

Cases of poisoning had arisen in people living in villages downriver of a mine. The ministry investigated and found the mining company had allowed toxic residues to leach into the groundwater and river.

Next, proceedings were begun against the company concerned and a case for prosecution organised. The case was proceeding well until word came "from upstairs" that the case must be dropped immediately. People at the highest level in government were protecting this company and the judiciary were not independent.

Despite this, the Zambian was proud of his country, especially of its free press though he added: "It's a shame they're not interested in environmental issues."

Chemicals journalism is truly a fascinating job.

Roadtrip Rules

2009-05-27T14:46:23Z

Written by Feliza Mirasol

On my latest family trip, we took to the road for a 10+ hour drive to Toronto, Ontario. I am one of those people who really enjoys long drives, when the weather is clear and you've got a full tank of gas. It feels good to know you can go for miles and miles.

Hitting the road for Canada was once a family tradition. As kids, my parents would drive me and my siblings to our relatives in Toronto and let us stay there for whole summers. So taking this trip up to celebrate our cousin's birthday was in keeping with family tradition.

But as a kid, it didn't occur to me how long road trips like this need planning and money: food, gas, tolls, maps, etc. Where I live, it's fairly easy to find gas stations with competitive prices, and these days, every cent off counts. But on the road, I find you're pretty much at the mercy of whichever gas station you pull into, and despite prices having come down from ridiculously high highs, it can still take a hefty bite out of your wallet.

On this latest road trip, I eschewed the usual "punch buggy" game used to pass the time in lieu of pointing out hybrid cars on the highway. Once or twice we even passed, or were passed, by the cute little Smart Car, which always reminds me of a clown car at the circus for some reason. I was curious of how much of a difference it made to run on electricity and whether those travelers in the hybrids really needed to stop less often as we did.

I've read up somewhat on varying debates on whether hybrid technology is worth the investment when there still exist cars with better fuel efficiency at cheaper prices. However, with the presence of more and more hybrids on the road, at least according to my re-vamped road game, it seems that there is at least a faction of consumers out there willing to do it the new way.

But in the meantime, while the development of even more fuel economic vehicles marches on, and as hybrid technology gets its kinks ironed out, I'll kick it the good ol' road warrior way. Without the GPS and just the roadmap, a wad of gas cash, a loaf of homemade sandwiches in the cooler, and, of course, the Slim Jim's original beef jerky. Canada, here we come, eh!