FuelMonger

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A California judge has ordered a couple to chop down their redwood trees which were blocking a neighbor’s solar panels from receiving sunlight. A law in California protects a homeowner’s right to sunlight. This is the first time that someone has been prosecuted under the law.

www.nytimes.com
The House has finally passed tax credits on certain renewable energy such as wind and solar. This brings debate over whether oil should continue to be subsidized. If the subsidy on oil were halted, perhaps the energy paradigm would shift.

There’s been a lot of talk in the last year on the CAFÉ Standards. But where are they at now? What are they? FuelMonger takes a look at these thirty year old regulations and how they’ve changed to meet today’s oil crisis.

1. What does CAFÉ stand for?
Corporate Average Fuel Economy

2. What does the CAFÉ standard do?
CAFÉ standards define the fuel consumption of passenger vehicles and light trucks (which includes SUVs under 8500 lbs).

3. When did the CAFÉ standards originate?
CAFÉ standards began in 1975 during one of the first oil crises immediately following the Arab Oil Embargo in 1974.

4. What do the current standards require?
Currently, passenger vehicles must get 27.5 mpg. Light trucks (to include SUVs under 8500 lbs) must get 22 mpg.

5. What are the standards for trucks and SUVs over 8500 lbs?
That’s a trick question. Because trucks are used in agriculture and construction, limits are not defined. The intent was not to allow gas-guzzling trucks and large SUVs on the highways without moderation. It’s to allow farmers and construction crews to not be restricted on the appropriate tools they need.

6. Why are the CAFÉ Standards in the news now?
Between now and 2011, the CAFÉ standards are transitioning to a less one-size-fits-all regulation. The categories divide from two into six and numbers are based on technology and feasibility.

7. Why are the CAFÉ Standards controversial?
Clearly the intent of the CAFÉ Standards is to reduce oil dependency. But there are some big voices that have beef with these regulations, most notably, Rush Limbaugh. Conservatives argue that these standards are extraneous and inhibit companies from making technological advances in the auto industry. Additionally, when engineers are required to focus on fuel economy, safety may take the hit and be neglected. Last, CAFÉ Standards put emphasis on vehicles that use gas. Perhaps if the auto industry didn’t have to focus on these, it could focus on building the idealistic carbon-neutral vehicle.

MarketWatch Pulse
Teton Energy will double its production through aquisition of 4.25 million cubic feet of oil reserves in the Central Kansas Uplift.

www.bostonglobe.com
The beautiful Antarctic penguins have made a dramatic comeback from near extinction. But as their numbers have begun to stabilize, they face new threats to their environment as warming sea waters threaten the birds by killing off the food that they eat.

www.time.com
Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Airlines, was on hand Sunday to watch the first flight ever of a commercial jet to fly on biofuel. The biofuel used in the plane was a mix of coconut oil and oil from the Brazilian babassu plant. According to Branson, this flight was the “first stage on a journey towards renewable fuel.”

www.time.com
Farmers in the Himalayan Mountains of India rely on glaciers as their only source of fresh water to irrigate their farms. The glaciers have been quickly retreating, leaving most farmers to wonder if they will be able to survive from year to year. One local man has created artificial glaciers in the hope that he can fend off the looming irrigation crisis.

Before you hit print, think if you really need to print the document. Proofread any documents on screen and preview before printing. Create electronic files whenever possible instead of creating paper files. Allow internal documents to be circulated with minor hand corrections rather than retyping drafts. Just a few suggestions to help you think before you print.

www.cnn.com
The price for a gallon of gas has risen 75 cents above the average price of gas at this time last year. It has gone up by about 16 cents nationwide over the past two weeks alone. There are many reasons for the increase in gas prices including the weak US dollar and Hugo Chavez’ recent spat with the US.

www.cnn.com
Cherokee Investment Partners and other companies see opportunity where others only see waste. These companies have begun buying polluted property, cleaning it up, and then developing it into usable space.