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Univ of Washington team working to make poplar coppice viable cheap, high-volume biofuel feedstock

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Their results, published recently in two papers—one in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering and the other in Biotechnology for Biofuels (open access)—point to a promising future for using poplar coppice for biofuel. That’s the problem.

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The “Amazon Effect” Is Coming To Oil Markets

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While OPEC mulls over further steps to once again support falling oil prices, tech startups are quietly ushering in a new era in oil and gas: the era of the digital oil field. These are cheap computing with industrial-application capabilities; ubiquitous communication networks; and, of course, cloud tech.

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Opinion: How Much Longer Can OPEC Hold Out?

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With announcement of a historic nuclear deal framework between Iran and six global powers: America, France, Britain, China, Russia and Germany on April2, 2015, there is a good possibility that Iranian crude oil exports will increase greatly after June 2015 when the final nuclear deal is signed. Nigeria’s dilemma.

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Baker Institute expert: crude-oil production increase a risky strategy for Saudi Arabia

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Most notably, a rise in Saudi crude-oil output could trigger a damaging period of global oversupply, said Jim Krane, the Wallace S. This glut could be exacerbated by future carbon taxes and other policy restrictions on fossil fuels, he said. Further, in theory, higher oil production also shortens the time horizon to full depletion.

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Volkswagen Group invested €11.5B (US$12.9B) in R&D in 2014; ongoing focus on electromobility and digitalization of vehicles

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We develop technologies that point the way well into the future. ”. According to Winterkorn, the company now employs 46,000 researchers and developers as well as more than 10,000 IT experts, all of whom are working on the mobility of the future such as alternative drive concepts or the digitalization of vehicles and factories.

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Saudis Expand Price War Downstream

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The gross refining margin is nothing but the difference between the value of the refined products and price of the crude oil. In case of Saudi Arabia, the price of crude oil would be extremely low. The crude is so cheap it’s pretty much free for them, the margins are going to be massive. Source: [link].

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KPMG study identifies 10 sustainability “megaforces” with accelerating impacts on business; imperative of sustainability changing the automotive business radically

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The analysis examines how these global forces may impact business and industry; calculates the environmental costs to business; and calls for business and policymakers to work more closely to mitigate future business risk and act on opportunities. Urbanization: In 2009, for the first time, more people lived in cities than in the countryside.