Republican Presidential Hopeful Emerges as Financial Industry Candidate of Choice
Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is emerging as the candidate of choice for the financial industry. Newly released campaign finance records show Romney has raised $7.5 million from the financial industry—nearly twice as much as President Obama. Goldman Sachs gave the most to Romney at just more than $350,000, followed by Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, JPMorgan and Citigroup
Peanut butter as yet another potential causality of climate change
Scorching heat, especially in Texas, singed many peanut plants as they developed, leaving more peanuts destined to be processed into oil, rather than the edible quality that is shelled and turned into peanut butter. Only 38 percent of the US peanut crop was rated good or excellent last month, down from about 60 percent a year ago. The dismal peanut yields this mean consumers will soon be paying more for peanut butter products at the supermarket — adding to the list of gastro-delights like French wine, Italian pasta and German beer that are threatened by a changing climate.
ceramic printed circuit boards for EV power electronics
Siemens and its partners are developing a new type of ceramic printed circuit board for highly robust integrated power converters used in electric vehicles. The converters’ modular design and physical proximity to control and power electronics in the vehicles’ transmissions will make them more reliable and allow them to take on new functions.
The partners are working to combine ceramic power electronics printed circuit boards featuring high-temperature co-fired ceramics (HTCC) with control electronics that use low-temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC). Using ceramics and a cooling system integrated into the boards will increase the thermal stability of the electronic systems. The new system will also be more compact because the components are printed on both sides. System performance capability will be demonstrated in a vehicle with a ten-kilowatt converter assembly made of performance components (IGBT, MOSFET, diodes).
Up to 12,000 Prisoners Hunger Striking in California
In California, prison rights activists are claiming up to 12,000 prisoners are now taking part in a renewed hunger strike protesting alleged inhumane conditions. Inmates at Pelican Bay and other state prisons resumed their fast last week to demand swifter action on promises they had won to end the first hunger-strike in July.
Fossil fuel got $409 billion subsidies in 2010
International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated such subsidies at $409 billion in 2010, compared to $312 billion in 2009. Oil products had the largest subsidies at $193 billion in 2010 while $91 billion went to natural gas. Iran and Saudi Arabia had the biggest subsidies. Eliminating fossil fuel consumption subsidies by 2020 would cut global energy demand by 4 percent and considerably reduce carbon emissions growth, the IEA said.
Obama Administration Backs Increased Arctic Ocean Oil Drilling
The Obama administration gave its backing Monday for increased oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean off the coast of Alaska. The U.S. Department of the Interior announced it is upholding 500 oil-drilling leases in the Chukchi Sea issued by the Bush administration in 2008. The move is seen as a major victory for oil companies and a set back for environmental groups and Alaska Native organizations.