January 2008 Archives

US president George Bush on his last State of the Union address is calling more research and development for alternative clean energy sources such as carbon-emission free coal power and nuclear power plants; and advanced battery technology and renewable fuel for automotives;

Below is an excerpt of his speech:

To build a future of energy security, we must trust in the creative genius of American researchers and entrepreneurs and empower them to pioneer a new generation of clean energy technology. Our security, our prosperity, and our environment all require reducing our dependence on oil.

Last year, I asked you to pass legislation to reduce oil consumption over the next decade, and you responded. Together we should take the next steps: Let us fund new technologies that can generate coal power while capturing carbon emissions. Let us increase the use of renewable power and emissions-free nuclear power. Let us continue investing in advanced battery technology and renewable fuels to power the cars and trucks of the future. Let us create a new international clean technology fund, which will help developing nations like India and China make greater use of clean energy sources. And let us complete an international agreement that has the potential to slow, stop, and eventually reverse the growth of greenhouse gases.

This agreement will be effective only if it includes commitments by every major economy and gives none a free ride. The United States is committed to strengthening our energy security and confronting global climate change. And the best way to meet these goals is for America to continue leading the way toward the development of cleaner and more efficient technology.

To keep America competitive into the future, we must trust in the skill of our scientists and engineers and empower them to pursue the breakthroughs of tomorrow. Last year, the Congress passed legislation supporting the American Competitiveness Initiative, but never followed through with the funding. This funding is essential to keeping our scientific edge. So I ask the Congress to double Federal support for critical basic research in the physical sciences and ensure America remains the most dynamic nation on earth.

Here is a more comprehensive explanation of the White House's green energy initiatives.

Aside from the 10% increase use of alternative fuels by 2015 (and minimum 36bn gallon consumption of biofuels by 2020), the White House also wants to mandate phasing out incandescent light bulbs by 2012 and mandate new energy efficient standards for appliances.

With the incoming presidential election (and democrats leading the polls), what do you predict will be the next green and alternative energy agenda for the White House?

I'm off next week to the annual Soap and Detergent Association (SDA) meeting in Boca Raton, Florida, where the global cleaning industry will talk about sustainability, regulation, trends, and maybe a little bit about politics.

For now I'll leave you with these two interesting articles from ICIS Chemical Business about the trend towards a more green cleaning industry.

1. Sean Milmo reports about the growing global consumer demands for greener soaps and detergents.

2. Andy Brice talks to various chemical companies who have been increasing their offerings of eco-friendly and renewable-based surfactants, the major raw materials for detergents and other cleaning products.

The oil-rich emirate Abu Dhabi is ready to spend more than $15bn in green energy, according to Reuters.

Some of the projects involve renewable energy infrastructure facilities that include solar, wind and hydrogen; carbon reduction, storage and management; research institutes and other investments towards developing renewable alternative energy.

The $15bn investments is also expected to kick-start the development of the ultimate green city under an initiative launched in 2006 called the Masdar Initiative (Masdar meaning "the source" in Arabic). The Jetsons will be green with envy when they see the city of Masdar, the world's first zero-carbon, zero-waste, car-free city with a total population of 50,000 and home to international business and top brains in the field of sustainable and alternative energy.

Groundbreaking for the green city is set for February 9. Completion of the project is expected in 2016.

Masdar officials said the city will have electricity generated by photovoltaic panels, while cooling will be provided via concentrated solar power. Water will be provided through a solar-powered desalination plant. Landscaping within the city and crops grown outside the walled city will be irrigated with treated waste water produced by the city's water treatment plant.

And as the rest of the world uses oil, Abu Dhabi will be able to create its green oasis probably enclosed in an air-pollution preventing force-field.

Global conservation group WWF said it approves of the project, according to this AFP news.

Europe's flame retardant group is fired up over the recent move by the Norwegian government to ban brominated flame retardant (BFR) Deca-BDE in all applications effective April 1.

Cefic's European Brominated Flame Retardant Industry Panel said Deca-BDE has been found safe for continued use by an EU risk assessment.

BFRs have been in the cross-hair of major environmental groups over the past few years, and bowing to pressures, electronic manufacturers such as Apple, Hewlett Packard (HP) and Dell have started phasing them out in their products.

Michael Spiegelstein, Chairman of the Bromine Science and Environmental Forum, said phasing out BFRs from consumer electronics may be a bad idea.

“It is only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or killed – and it will be as a direct result of this relentless pressure from activists to remove tested and proven flame retardants without reliable substitutes.”

Between the possibility of maybe, just maybe, getting a cancer from my computer, MP3 or camera, and the greater possibility of my apartment catching fire because of the lack of reliable flame retardant, I'll say coat my electronics with BFR anytime.

Bioplastic producer Cereplast says it has developed biodegradable, compostable plastics that can withstand freezing temperatures as low as -35 degree Celsius.

Standard polylactic acid (PLA)-based bioplastics can only withstand up to about 20 degree Celsius, says the company. The plastic can be ideal for frozen food applications such as ice cream containers.

With these fast developments, pretty soon bioplastics will be a standard material in our everyday lives. But maybe they have to come up first with alternative feedstock that does not compete with food.

The emissions noose is already tightening around many manufacturers' necks around the world especially in the European Union.

My colleague Philippa Jones of ICIS news reported about the recent changes in the EU emissions bill, which will weigh heavily on the pockets of energy-intensive industries in Europe such as power producers, the chemicals sector, aluminum, and steel manufacturing.

EU steelmakers are already smoldering against the bill, according to Reuters. Like the chemical industry, the EU steel industry worries on becoming less competitive against its global rivals.

The EU commission expects the tightening regulation to increase development of renewables and other emission-reducing alternatives.

An example is Air Liquide's project, which the company says could lower carbon dioxide emissions in industrial plants by using oxygen in a process called oxy-combustion.

Instead of air, using oxygen for the combustion of coal or other fuels will produce purer CO2 that can be captured, stored or use directly as a feedstock (check my previous blogs on new CO2 uses).

In Europe, Air Liquide has partnered with TOTAL to demonstrate the feasibility of the project, while in North America, Air Liquide is working with a power company to implement the technology.

Other emissions-reducing technology is already being worked on as the regulatory clock ticks louder for energy-intensive manufacturers.

Unfortunately for some of them, they might not be able to afford these new alternative technology as they pay the price to reduce their carbon emissions. Either that or they could already be out of business before these technology come out of the market.

The green trend is proving to be a red-hot breeding ground for innovation, and several multinational companies are willing to open their patent vault to encourage more development of renewably-sourced, environment-friendly, emission and waste-reducing, more energy-efficient, solution-providing...[ok, I'll stop now] products and processing.

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) in partnership with Nokia, IBM, Sony and Pitney Bowes launched the Eco-Patent Commons where companies can pledged patents that provide solutions addressing several environmental issues.

The Commons will be open to everybody through a search website hosted by the WBCSD. Here's a video by IBM (including a few minutes of self-promoting ad) explaining how this program works.

Unfortunately for the chemical industry, IBM's example of their free patents seems to involved more on reducing the use of chemicals in their products. On the other hand, the industry can use this opportunity to broadcast a greener image by pledging a patent [or two] that promotes sustainable chemistry.

American Fibers & Yarns (AF&Y) says it can prove the greenness of its polypropylene yarns with its cradle to cradle product certification awarded by consulting firm MBDC (McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry). The MBDC evaluation includes analysis of resin, pigment and additive concentrate formulations, as well as all finish ingredients.

Photo by United Colors of Benetton

MBDC rates each ingredient green, yellow or red based on their impact to human and environmental health. Green or yellow are considered “approved.”

AF&Y says some of their pigments such as yellows and oranges intended for high UV applications do contain heavy metals. Ingredients that did not qualify for the certification will be phased out eventually as soon as new alternatives will be available.

Third party certification is certainly a good way to prove to their customers that they are not greenwashers.

Chemicals made from fermenting agriculture-based products are reaching their critical point.

A few days after agribusiness company Cargill and enzymes producer Novozymes announced their plans to develop bio-chemicals such as acrylic acid from fermented sugar-based 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HPA), chemical company DSM and starch derivatives producer Roquette are building a pilot plant for starch-based succinic acid. The chemical is currently produce as a derivative from crude oil and natural gas.

DSM said the demonstration plant will be operational by 2009. Succinic acid is used directly in a variety of industry applications, such as pharmaceuticals, food and automotive and also as an intermediate for the production of several (high-performance) polymers.

According to the consulting firm BCC Research, the global biorefinery market will increase at a compound annual growth rate of 13.0% over the next five years to reach approximately $155.9 billion in 2012. Aside from the growing trend towards more environment-friendly chemicals, cheaper enzymes now made it possible to spur developments of new biochemical products via fermentation.

Keep the non-poisonous green stuff brewing!

Chrysler is looking to use paint residues from its automobile manufacturing to clean up mercury emissions from coal powered electric power plants.

The paint solid residues are said to contain nanostructured titanium dioxide which can chemically bond with mercury and thus has the potential to remove them with an efficiency of greater than 95%, according to University research scientists involved in the project.

Chrysler said it is already recycling the dried paint solid waste from its assembly plants in St. Louis, Mo., for use in Amaren Corporation's electric utility plant in nearby Meramec. Before their 'Paint to Power' program, Chrysler said the two St. Louis plants were sending one million pounds of dried paint solids to landfill each year.

Utility energy companies will be very much interested in the development of this project given the looming regulation by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to cut mercury emissions from US electric generating plants. According to the Department of Energy (DOE), coal-fired plants are the largest single source of mercury emissions in the US and emit 48 tons/year of mercury. Trying to comply with this regulation using current technologies will be costly, according to the DOE.

The electric power industry is currently studying the use of various chemicals, or "sorbents," such as activated carbon, to remove mercury from power plant emissions in a more economical way.

The Chrysler project could be a win-win situation for everybody where automotive manufacturers could reduce the dumping cost of their paint waste; utility companies will not only be able to comply with the EPA regulation but also reduce cost of mercury removal from their plant emissions; and consumers will not only have a cleaner environment but might have lower utility bills in the long run...if the cost of coal will not soon go up too.

Clorox is changing its bleach-white image with a softer, green color.

The company got a big buzz (pun intended) in the financial market late last year with its acquisition of natural personal care company Burt's Bees. The acquisition marked Clorox's entrance not only in the personal care industry but in the fast growing natural personal care sector of the market - where which international players such as Johnson & Johnson, L'Oreal, Hain Celestial, P&G, etc...are snapping up companies right and left.

This month, Clorox launched its Green Works cleaning products, their formulations said to be 99% all natural-derived. Clorox said it's goal is to deliver 100% natural cleaning products as soon as they can find raw material sources to make natural-based fragrance and color.

Adding to the brand's greeness is a logo of environmental group Sierra Club to be featured on the products' labels starting April. Clorox said its alliance with the group will help the company toward its more sustainable journey.

Clorox already bagged Wal-Mart's approval to be the first to sell the Green Works line worldwide.

This is a major development in the cleaning industry where most products (especially commercial products) and associated raw materials are usually being targeted by environmental groups as toxic to environment and unsafe when not handled properly.

I'm sure Clorox's rivals are already speeding up the development of their own line to catch up. SC Johnson, for example, already have their Greenlist, where it rates raw materials used in their products (e.g. solvents, propellants, insecticides, packaging, etc...) based on their environment/health-friendly profile.

The trend for green cleaning will definitely have a major impact for chemical suppliers. By how much remains to be seen but they need to start adapting to this change through innovation or scientifically proving that their materials are truly green in every sense or else their products will be washed away into that unREACHable region where chemicals die from being labeled as toxic.

Environmental groups and some scientists are saying biofuels such as soy-based biodiesel or ethanol are not as that helpful in reducing greenhouse gas emissions because they use insecticides and fertilizers, which they claimed could be harmful to the environment.

Scientists from the US Dept. of Agriculture are looking to develop pesticides that have more environment-friendly profiles and have discovered Asian cockroaches as natural born soy pests killers.

Scientists said that these potential biocontrol agents work at night and rest during the day.

These super flying roaches may have their use in the grand scheme of things but who would like to see hundreds of them in the soy field? *shudder*

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has given out its 2007 P2 Recognition Project award, which recognizes new chemicals and technology designed for pollution prevention to Clariant, BASF and Chisso America.

Clariant got a thumbs up for its Cartaspers PSM, a readily biodegradable chemical designed to keep stickies out in the board-and paper-making process.

Paper makers usually used cleaning solvents to clean out stickies - contaminants such as latex, adhesives, pitch and resins in recovered paper. With the chemical, Clariant says solvent usage was reduced by 90% in some cases, not only leading to big savings from using cleaning solvents but also less worker exposure to VOC (volatile organic compound), and more efficient paper machine operation.

BASF got the award for its Micronal PCM materials, which are wax-contained microscopic polymer capsules that provides high thermal storage capacity to building construction materials. The use of the materials results in the reduction of CO2 emissions from energy consumed to regulate building temperatures.

Chisso was awarded for its Epsilon polylysine produced from bacterial fermentation of sugar. The additive is being used as an alternative to alcohol-based electric shaving razor cleaning solution.

The EPA says it screens up to 2,500 new chemicals per year.

Cargill and Novozymes have joined to develop a range of valuable chemical derivatives including acrylic acid from 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HPA) produced from sugar fermentation using bioengineered microorganisms. The US Dept. of Energy is also supporting the project with a $1.5m funding.

Acrylic acid is currently produced by the oxidation of propylene. The companies said half of the 3.1m tons of crude acrylic acid annually produced is used to make superabsorbents, which finds its way in personal care items such as diapers. Other uses include coatings, acrylic fibers, paints and inks.

Despite the R&D challenges, bio-acrylic acid could be ready within five years, according to both companies.

Sweet!

As the global temperature rises, green trading is warming up in the financial market with several institutions launching their own Green Index.

Standard & Poors launched in January 7 its Global Eco Index designed for 30 of the largest publicly listed companies worldwide operating in ecology-related industries, including clean energy production, water utilities and infrastructure, timber, environmental services and waste management.

UBS launched in January 10 its Greenhouse Index (UBS-GHI) that will be based on a mix of weather futures contracts traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange; carbon credits traded on the European Climate Exchange; and the UN's Clean Development Mechanism traded on Nord Pool.

UBS said their new Greenhouse Index will simplify investing in a very complicated carbon market.

No comments here...I'm already having a hard time trying to sort out my 401-K so I'll leave this one to the experts.

Regulators worldwide are increasingly being vigilant about any greenwashing business for consumers' protection and rightly so.

The FTC is already looking to revised their Environmental Marketing guidelines through a series of workshops that examines green marketing.

In Norway, tighter advertising guidelines on cars are being enforced such as fining car makers if they use the words 'environmentally friendly', 'green', 'clean', 'environmental car', 'natural' or similar descriptions, according to a Reuters article.

"If someone says their car is more 'green' or 'environmentally friendly' than others then they would have to be able to document it in every aspect from production, to emissions, to energy use, to recycling. In practice that can't be done," says a Norwegian government official.

EnviroMedia, a green marketing agency based in Austin, Texas, recently launched its Greenwashing Index, where anybody can rate any company's green advertisings and marketing claims.

The Malaysian Palm Oil Council, a Chevy billboard, a coal advertising in Pennsylvania, Kermit the Frog (in a Ford commercial), and an advertising about waste management are some of the top green hogwashers in the Index.

I think a Greenwash Index is a good idea for warning consumers about unscrupulous marketers. However, one major issue is trying to define what green really means to a consumer. Some of the participants seem to be giving bad rates just because they can and not because of any reasonable explanations on why they think the ads are misleading or their products are not being green enough. One commented about Kermit being a traitor and rated the Ford ad as a total greenwash (the highest uncomplimentary rate is 5).

Another rated an eco water bottle with 4.6 because reducing its plastic content by 30% is not good enough to use the word "eco". To him (or her), the only way a plastic water bottle can be green is by not existing at all.

I once received an offer from a green energy company asking me if I want to reduce my carbon footprint by parting some of my few precious dollars every month to support their wind energy project.

They call it selling carbon offsets, meaning, if you feel guilty about your carbon emissions every time you drive, eat, or just breathe, companies or organizations can reduce greenhouse gas emissions for you to ease your guilt by paying them to plant more trees, use renewable energy or any other green practices that could reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The million dollar question is are they're really doing something to help the environment or just pocketing your money?

This is why the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) started a series of workshops examining the use of environmental marketing claims as well as the emerging carbon trading and purchase of renewable energy certificates.

Multinational corporations such as Volkswagen, Dell, Delta and Continental Airlines, GE and Bank of America are already participating in carbon-offset schemes, according to this article from the New York Times.

According to the FTC, the potential for deception is huge in this type of growing but still unregulated trading.

I'm sure there are honest companies and organizations out there that really care about the environment and just need some of our money to make it work.

But for now, I just threw the letter from that green company in my recycling bin. Until the FTC will have some guidance on this type of marketing, my dream of being carbon neutral can wait.

Several governments are starting the year by planning to reduce their plastic baggage.

China plans to ban super thin plastic shopping bags (thinner than 0.001 inches) effective June 1 because of growing plastic pollution problems, according to several news report. Thicker plastic bags will be charged although the Chinese government did not yet provide any plastic fee details.

The report from AFP said the city of Shenzen is considering fining retailers of up to 50,000 yuan ($6,800) if they gave the bags for free.

Following China's announcement, Australia is not just considering a plastic bag ban but to totally phase out the use of plastic bags by the end of the year. I think that's a nutty idea. What will they do, go back to cutting trees to make more paper or use more land to plant cotton for fabric bags?

In the US, San Francisco already started their non-biodegradable plastic bag bans in grocery stores while the city council of New York City recently passed a bill requiring supermarkets to collect, transport and recycle the plastic bags they give to their customers for free.

The global chemical industry will definitely have their hands full this year dealing with these developments. One thing for sure, the biodegradable plastic market will gain in the long run.

My colleague Barbara Ortner of Chemicals Confidential Blog wrote about a fashion show in Kuala Lumpur where designers used condoms as their textile of choice (the show is about fighting against AIDS). I, of course, looking at the environmental aspect of it, was curious if the condoms were recycled.

Consumers will probably not be that enthusiastic about recycled condom gowns but eco-friendly apparels are definitely hip and cool these days, according to this article from USA Today.

I've already mentioned eco underwear from my previous blog. Now there are also shoes featuring treads made from recycled car tires, designer clothing made from recycled materials, and of course, the growing popularity of organic cotton.

One best green tip I've learned so far from a television show is to refashion your prom gown or bridesmaid/maid-of-honor dresses into a more wearable cocktail/party frocks. The scraps you can sew into table napkins, ribbons for your hair or curtain, and if you really have a green sewing thumb, you can create your own recycled underwear.

If your sewing skill is limited to cutting threads (like mine), list your stuff on Ebay or just donate them. This way your waste is now somebody else's problem!

Biofuels and agribusiness major Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) plans to reduce some of their greenhouse gas emissions by capturing carbon dioxide from its Decatur, Illinois-based ethanol plant and storing it via drilled wells deep below Mount Simon Sandstone, a major regional saline-water-bearing rock formation in Illinois.

According to Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium (MGSC), ADM's partner in the project, the reservoir can store 1 million tonnes of CO2 over a period of three years. The $84.3m injection, mostly funded by the US Dept. of Energy, will start in October next year and will end in 2012. MGSC will monitor the reservoir during the entire period to prevent CO2 mutiny.

If successful, who knows maybe someday we can harvest them back and make some use out of those trapped CO2. Diamonds with oxygen anyone?

Another heavenly idea, Reuters reported that India is planning to subsidize solar power plants to help develop the country's renewable energy infrastructure.

The government will pay 12 rupees (30 cents) per kilowatt hour for solar photovoltaic and 10 rupees per kilowatt hour for solar thermal power fed to the electricity grid.

All I can say is more power to them!

Harnessing solar energy from space using satellites could be another alternative energy source here on earth, according to this article from Associated Press.

Giant satellites (orbiting 300 miles from earth) will use ultralight solar panels, transmitting enough power taken in by gi-normous rectifying antennas or "rectennas" installed here on earth to light up thousands (and soon billions if successful) of homes.

The first challenge is to develop ultralight solar panels. After that, creating the satellite, transporting it to space and maintaining it in space will be their next priorities. One project is already being planned for completion by 2012, the report said.

The solar energy beamed from the satellite will not fry someone's brain unfortunate enough to cross its path, assured scientists involved in the project.

Now the only thing we need to worry is where to set up these rectennas, which I'm sure will generate lots of complaints if people will see it in their backyard.

After consulting the great green gurus of the world wide web, these are some of the green predictions for the chemical industry I've gathered for 2008:

Lithium, photovoltaics (for solar energy) and carbon dioxide are hot!

These products will continue to be big in terms of research and development. High-powered lithium-based rechargeable batteries will increasingly replace nickel cadmium such as in tools, (think of Black & Decker's new VPX system and Ryobi Lithium technology), portable machinery and even in electric cars. Development of cheaper photovoltaic materials will make solar panels affordable for use as a source of electricity. More and more application of carbon dioxide will be discovered and developed.

Plastics in and plastics out
While consumer use of petroleum-based plastics will shrink (e.g. shopping bags, water bottles and some packaging), plastic application in the industrial sector (e.g. automotive) will grow to replace metals and other traditional heavier-weight materials. Bioplastics will increase to replace traditional plastic materials in the consumer sector and will soon be cheaper as production also increases.

Organics and naturals
Demand for organic and natural ingredients in food, personal care and toiletry products will continue to rise.

According to Marc Jacobson, a scientist from Stanford University (California), higher mortality rates in the US could be blamed directly to the build-up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

"The study is the first specifically to isolate carbon dioxide's effect from that of other global-warming agents and to find quantitatively that chemical and meteorological changes due to carbon dioxide itself increase mortality due to increased ozone, particles and carcinogens in the air."

Jacobson added that each additional one degree Celsius in the global climate caused by carbon dioxide would lead to around 1,000 deaths per year and increasing cases of respiratory illnesses and asthma in the US.

That's the bad news.

The good news? You can contribute to reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere such as lowering your fuel and energy consumption, reducing waste and by planning ahead and telling your loved ones you want to be buried in a biodegradable coffin....

The word "chemical" definitely has a stigma when it comes to beauty products.

According to BenchMarking Company's Pink Report, 45% of women out of 1,800 surveyed in the US choose natural or organic beauty products because of their fear of chemicals in traditionally-made beauty brands.

Many major beauty manufacturers have launched organic beauty product lines last year and were said to be successful sales-wise despite their premium price.

A recent article from the Wall Street Journal tell Estee Lauder's 3-year global hunt for organic ingredients for its Origins Organics product line. Organic palm oil was found in Brazil, clove in Indonesia, coconut oil in the Philippines, olive oil in Greece, thyme in Spain and lavender in Bulgaria. The last was organic soy lecithin in the US for use as an emulsifier.

Many chemical companies deal with this greening beauty products trend by offering natural, semi-natural, natural-infused and even organic ingredients to their cosmetic customers.

I guess it is natural (no pun intended) for consumers to be wary of chemicals in their skin care products especially with environmental activists continuing their "scare-the-consumers-about-the-evils-of-chemicals" tactics. However, maybe the chemical industry should also become more proactive about teaching consumers the benefits of chemical ingredients to their beauty regimen. They have to start by making the word chemical beautiful again.

Here's several New Year's green resolution tips for consumers offered by energy provider Green Mountain Energy Company.

1. Sign up for Cleaner Electricity

2. Go on a Carbon Diet

3. Give the Gift of Green

4. Purchase a Hybrid Car

5. Green Your Commute

6. Drive Smart

7. Upgrade to EPA ENERGY STAR-certified products

8. Switch to compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs)

9. Recycle More

10. Say No to Plastic Bags

Here's another one from a consumer herself written on the Daily Green blog.

I wonder what are the top ten New Year's resolution for chemical companies in terms of their own sustainability and green practices?