Renewable Energy Jobs

It was music to my ears to see this piece of news. Renewable energy jobs have doubled in Germany in the last 3 years. More surprisingly Biomass accounts for 56% of the renewable energy jobs. The German success story is an example of what sound government policy can do stimulate investment and economic growth. Figures show that nearly 15% of Germany's electricity consumption is from renewable sources.

It is increasingly becoming clear that green energy is win-win situation. The old argument that green energy is more expensive and therefore not viable does not hold water.

Is our ministry and new and renewable energy listening? Is India doing enough? We will find out in a few years...wouldn't we???

The Promise of Biogas

With payback periods between 1.5 and 3 years, I wonder why Biogas projects are not popular on a larger scale.

Cricket Wars

The behavior of BCCI sponsored IPL has been appalling to say the least. Ever since its formation, IPL's commisioner Lalit Modi, has been ruthlessly focused on one thing and that has been the total destruction of its competitor, ICL. Any cricketer who remotely associates himself with the ICL will face his career threatened everywhere else. County cricket, international cricket, commentary boxes the list goes on and on...

Microsoft is just about to cough up $1.4B in Europe for breaching the anti-trust laws in that continent. I wonder if India has any anti-trust laws. Because, if it does not, it is a damn good time to have one. Because what the IPL is currently doing is inhibiting free trade not only within India, but also in other countries...

BCCI is the only organization that is going benefit from the failure of the ICL. Let there be no mistaking that. It goes without saying that BCCI is employing unfair trade practices to ensure the failure of the ICL. What has surprised me is the muted reaction from the ICL on this front...I wonder why???

And the Confusion Starts

A new study by researchers associated with princeton study has found that corn based Ethanol may not be the solution for world's climate problems. This study underscores the complexity of the global warming problem. The new study claims that land usage patterns are likely to change causing increasing destruction of existing forests. Infact, the study claims that corn based ethanol is likely to release twice as much carbondioxide into the atmosphere as gasoline. The renewable fuels industry has already begun questioning the results of the study. Their contention is that the study too "simplistic" and fails to put the issue of deforestation into context. Let the blame games begin!!!

Govinda! Govinda!

It is tough enough to play professional tennis. It is tougher if you are woman and you are Indian. Apparently a Tirupati advocate has filed a case against Sania Mirza for allegedly disrespecting the Indian tricolour during the Hopman cup in Australia.

Controversy has followed Sania Mirza forever. So this is nothing new. However, it is unfortunate that the controversies have driven her towards not playing tennis inside India for the foreseeable future. No wonder, Indian parents do not want their children to focus on sports during their formative years. Even if you are successful, what do you get? Harassment in the purest forms...

I am absolutely certain that nobody would have complained if Sania had been scantily clad in an Indian movie shaking her hips along with Nagarjuna for a Telugu masala song. We would even possibly have our Tirupati advocate standing in the queues outside one of the theatres desperate for a ticket.

I find the refusal of the Indian media to provide some sort of moral support for Sania Mirza astounding. When are we ever going to realize that she is just a kid pursuing her passion and trying to fulfill her dream. When are we ever going to realize that she is an inspiration for thousands of kids to take tennis as a sport and possibly one day win a grand slam tournament. When are we ever going to realize that if we just let her focus on tennis, maybe, very maybe, she can have a half decent tennis career.

I don't know about others...But here is a whole-hearted supporter of Sania Mirza.

YOU GO GIRL!!!

Black Sea Oil Spill

We are still reeling from the effects of the Bay area oil spill. Now there is second one that is even much bigger. We have now spilled 1.3 million gallons into the Black sea. I wonder who is responsible for cleaning up this disaster. Increasingly, it looks like an oil driven economy is not sustainable anymore...

Bay Area Oil Spill

Human error seems to be the cause of the oil spill under the Golden Gate Bridge. The ship, known as Hanjin, brushed against the bridge; leaving a gaping 100 feet gash resulting in a 58,000 gallon spill. The clean up cost for the state of California has probably already run into the millions, not to mention the amount of environmental damage. Further proof that oil is way more expensive than we think...

And it gets more complicated!

Looks like the person who finished 2nd behind Marion Jones in the 100m dash Kateria Thanou has already served a 2 year sentence since the Sydney Olympics for testing positive. Don't think she deserves the gold medal from Jones now.

There are complications with the other medals that Jones won as well. Especially the team medals. Two of her 4x100m team mates have tested positive for steroids since the 2000 Olympics.

Is the battle against steroids unwinnable?

The Heartache Continues

I am sports junkie without a doubt. I have been big time fan of all the philadelphia sports teams for the last 9 years. In this time, the philadelphia flyers have reached the conference finals twice, the philadelphia eagles have reached the superbowl once and the philadelphia sixers have reached the NBA finals once; all of them have comeback emptyhanded and broken my heart. Now add the phillies to this list. The fightin' phils reached the playoffs for the 1st time in 14 years only to fizzle out after 3 games. The phillies were swept by the colorado rockies in the division series and heartache of being a philadelphia sports fan continues...

Fall from Grace

We have been always too eager to criticize sportspersons over their inability to win. The lack of a killer instinct, no mean fighting spirit, inability to be strategic...the list goes on and on.

However, does winning always come at a cost? After years of denying, Marion Jones finally admitted to being a willing partner in the BALCO scandal. Once a symbol of everything that is right about being a female athlete, Marion Jones's fall from grace is now complete. Rightfully, Marion Jones is going to be stripped of all her medals.

We live in an world that is unforgiving to people who finish 2nd. Marion Jones has not only disgraced herself, but also taken away the joy from a person who rightfully (with a big IF) finished 1st.

I have always been an admirer of American sportstars. I am not so sure anymore. America seems to have a culture problem as far as sports is concerned. Corruption seems to have immersed itself in the American sport. Barry Bonds, Lance Armstrong, NFL players and everybody else seems to be involved. Astoundingly American society seems to be unwilling to admit the extent of the problem.

Sure it feels good to come 1st. But I will always take the nice guys who fight hard but may not win! Because the word "win" now seems to stand for everything that wrong with sports today.

High-Tech Bra

It is quite obvious that the western world is in the midst of consolidating all the technological advances made in the 90's. One of the results of this process is the High-Tech bra for early detection of cancers. Technology never ceases to amaze me! So, when are the guys are going to get something for early detection of prostate cancers?

The Magicbox

The Magicbox a.k.a the Greenbox, developed by a group of chemists, is another cool way to reduce GHG's. The Magicbox traps 95% of the gases emitted by automobiles. Once it fills up it can be exchanged for an empty one. The gases from the old box can be converted into biofuel. The big question is whether the Magicbox will ever see light of the day...

And we are supposed be scared?

It is funny when oil companies act like they are under siege from the growing ethanol business. Even though bio-fuels are quite a few years from making an impact, about a week ago the OPEC chief warned the west about researching on Bio-fuels. Now the US oil refineries are almost saying the same thing except in a subtler fashion. Bio-fuels or no bio-fuels, I have no illusions about oil prices coming down in the near future. Therefore, it is my belief that such warnings are going to be counterproductive. Just like the oil producing nations and oil companies are looking for their demand security, the rest of the world should look after its energy security.

The Art of Long Term Thinking

One of the most beautiful paragraphs that I have seen...

The global energy industry provides a great example of the need for long-term thinking. It took coal nearly 100 years to bypass traditional energy sources (such as the burning of wood) as the world's primary energy source. It then took oil nearly 100 years to surpass coal usage. Natural gas has been more than 100 years in development and now represents about 20% of global primary energy use. Similarly, it will take new renewables, such as wind, solar and biofuels, 10, 20, or 30 years to catch up with coal, oil and natural gas. That's the reality of energy markets and one of the reasons why long-term thinking is so critical in the realm of clean tech.

Check the entire article. Clean Tech and the Art of Long Term Thinking.

Renewable Energy Key to Addressing Declining Oil Reserves

In an survey conducted by KPMG, oil and gas executives believe that renewable energy sources are necessary to alleviate the problems of declining oil reserves. Here is the article.

Some key points from this article are...

• In the KPMG survey, which polled 553 financial executives from oil and gas companies in April 2007, twenty-five percent of the respondents said that at least 75 percent of government funding into energy should be directed at the renewable sources sector and a further 44 percent said that at least 50 percent of funding should be allocated in the same way. These feelings stem from the overwhelming majority, or 82 percent, citing declining oil reserves as a concern.
• Sixty percent of the executives believe that the trend of declining oil reserves is irreversible. And, when asked about the impact of emerging markets, such as China, will have on declining oil reserves, almost 70 percent of the executives said that it would lead the situation to worsen.
• Sixty-five percent of the respondents say that while they believe global warming is occurring, it is a natural weather cycle, and 11 percent say that they do not believe it is occurring. Just under a quarter believe CO-2- induced global warming is occurring.

US to add 3000MW of Wind Power in 2007

The US is in on track to increase its Renewable Energy Portfolio from wind by 25% for the year 2007. Already one of the leaders in generating energy from clean sources in the US, Texas alone will account for two thirds of this capacity. How does Texas do it?

George Bush as the Governor of Texas signed a Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards (RPS) into law in the year 1999. The RPS apparently uses market mechanisms (whatever that is!) to ensure that a growing percentage of electricity through clean energy sources.

Canadian Renewable Energy Initiative

With all the cold weather in their country it is easy to think that Canadians are probably least concerned about global warming. However, there are already Canadian government programs in place to drive clean energy sources into the mainstream. Here is an example. The Ontario government is willing to pay 7 times more than the cost of power generated through coal fired plants. Even if these costs will be eventually passed on to the consumer, I believe the initiative shows the will to look in a new direction and a deep understanding that global warming is indeed manmade.

Canada

Slowly but steadily I am getting ready for a lot of changes in my life. In about 2 weeks at this time I will be at Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada. While I am looking forward to the excitement an intense MBA program has to offer, I am not really happy about living away from my wife in a different country for a year. However, this is the path I have chosen… The last few days I have spent a considerable amount of my time taking different personality tests, to better understand my strengths and weaknesses, as I prepare for a career in business. I found these 3 tests to be particularly interesting. BCII: the Business Career Interest Inventory will help you discover what your interests in business work are. MPRP: the Management and Professional Rewards Profiles will help you prioritize what really is motivating to you in your work. MPAP: the Management and Professional Abilities Profile will help you identify your top abilities in business work. Here is a highlight of my interests, strengths and weaknesses as identified these tests. It is important to understand that the accuracy of these tests is dependent on my ability to have a good understanding of myself.
Interests
You have a strong interest in Application of Technology, one of the basic activities in business work. You take a systematic, engineering-like approach to solving problems and understanding systems and processes -- regardless of whether you've ever studied engineering. You feel comfortable with the "language" of technology and like to know how things work, and you probably enjoy using technology both in your work and outside it. You may want to express this interest by working in businesses that involve technology, either as a product or as an integral part of the services they provide.
Abilities
You have a number of strengths, including:
· Comfort with Differences: Comfortable and effective in relating to people from many different backgrounds and cultures.
· Creative Thinking: Able to think creatively, generating new ideas and approaches to situations.
· Merit-orientation: Judges ideas and people on merit alone, without bias or favoritism.
· Openness to Criticism: Accepts critical feedback without becoming defensive.
·Projection of Confidence: Projects self-confidence, even in uncertain and difficult situations.
·Resilience: Handles pressure and stress well.
·Respect for Others: Respectful of other people's points of view, as well as their ttime and priorities.
·Self-control: Does not act or speak impulsively; does not easily lose composure.
·Sensitivity and Tact: Sensitive and tacful: promotes an atmosphere of good feeling and mutual consideration.
·Teamwork: A team player: cooperative, works well as part of a group.
·Written Communication: A good writer, expresses ideas and positions clearly.
·Work Ethic: Has a strong work ethic, willing to make sacrifices to achieve important goals.
You also recognize some weaknesses in your business skill set:
· Comfort with Risk: Takes risks when appropriate, isn't afraid to innovate and experiment.
· Day-to-Day Responsibility: Takes good care of the day-to-day aspect of running things.
· Delegating: Delegates appropriately and effectively.
· Influence: Can influence and persuade other people, even without direct authority.
· Motivational Ability: Understands how to motivate different kinds of people to do their best work.
· Power-orientation: Comfortable asserting authority and using power.
· Recognition of Opportunity: Recognizes new opportunities and acts to take advantage of them.
· Sociability: Socially venturesome and self-assured; forms new relationships easily and works to maintain them.
We will come back in a year’s time and see how good I was at understanding myself. On a side note I am going to try very hard at not making this an MBA experience blog. There are enough of these going around…

ENERGY STAR Rated Homes

To find out more about ENERGY STAR rated homes visit http://www.energystar.gov/. Briefly, in a sentence, for a home to earn an ENERGY STAR rating it should be at least 15% more energy efficient than traditional homes. Because most homes use energy from coal fired power plants, about 16% of the greenhouse gas emissions in the US are from the energy used in homes. This raises an interesting point!

With a booming real estate market in India, I was wondering how much thought has been put into building energy efficient homes/offices. Isn’t this really an opportunity to incorporate green ways to generate energy into the very fabric of our society? How about building not just energy efficient but energy sufficient homes? I believe power in India is still supplied by state run bureaucratic, inefficient electricity boards. If an Indian home owner is given the choice of not having to deal with these electricity boards, would he/she not just jump on such an opportunity? Maybe all these things are unimportant in the Indian context. Homes probably emit only a fraction of the green house gases in India.

I doubt if right now global warming is at the top of our list of problems. However, with more than a billion people, it is likely that we are going to be one of the most affected due to climate changes in the world. It is for precisely this reason that we need to find a way to devote the resources, devise innovative solutions and reduce green house gas emissions.

Another Environment Initiative

On March 6th 2007, Bank of America announced an impressive $20 billion ten year environment initiative. Listed below are some of my favorites as part of the initiative.

• EPA Smart Way Transport Program: Under a partnership between the Environmental Protection Agency and the freight industry, the bank provides Small Business Administration (SBA) Express loans with no collateral and flexible terms to small and mid-sized trucking companies to finance fuel efficient technologies. The loan program helps trucking companies purchase Smart Way Upgrade Kits that include idle-reduction devices, low-rolling resistance tires, aerodynamic equipment and exhaust after-treatment devices. The kits can improve fuel efficiency by 15 percent·
• The Green Mortgage Program: Homebuyers will receive a reduced interest rate or $1,000 back for each home-purchase mortgage meeting ENERGY STAR specifications·
• Aggressive, voluntary goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the company nine percent by 2009 and seven percent in our energy and utility portfolio by 2008·
• Active program to reduce paper usage throughout company operations; from 2000-2006, the company reduced paper usage per associate by 40 percent

I really like the Smart Way Transport Program for its collaboration with Small Business Administration. Who better to drive clean energy initiatives than small business enterprises? The voluntary goals to reduce paper usage and reduce greenhouse gas emissions are important to increase Bank of America’s credibility and create an institution wide awareness, commitment and indoctrination towards the environment.