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October 27, 2009 Sign up Forward Archive Advertise Business and technology news exclusively for chemical engineers   Business Update  British biofuel plant prompts new support for green technology The construction of an ethanol plant in the Great Britain community of Teesside is creating support for green technology. The plant, which will turn wheat into fuel, may come online by Christmas. BBC (10/22) Venture capitalist launches green-technology investment fund Venture capitalist John Doerr continues to tout climate-friendly technology and serves on the Obama administration's Economic Recovery Advisory Board. Doerr's Silicon Valley firm, Kleiner Perkins, has launched a $500 million Green Growth Fund and plans an additional $1.1 billion investment. U.S. News & World Report (10/22) BASF workers go on strike to protest closure of Belgium plant A workers' strike has forced BASF to declare "force majeure" at its maleic anhydride plant in Belgium, likely further tightening the supply and raising the price of maleic anhydride in Europe. The strike was prompted by the company's recent announcement of the plant's closing, citing poor profit margins and failed restructuring efforts. ICIS News (U.K.) (10/23)   Chemical Technology News  Four supply-chain initiatives that can minimize emissions Companies can reduce their shipping emissions without adversely affecting their efficiency through a four-stage process, according to this opinion article. The process involves setting energy-efficiency goals, improving internal practices, negotiating changes to shipping arrangements with suppliers and customers, and establishing strategic partnerships. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (10/26)   Energy, Sustainability & Safety  Proposed Wyoming pipeline is sought in bid to reduce pollution Houston-based Ultra Resources is seeking approval to build a 42-mile-long pipeline in Wyoming to reduce pollution that may be harming wildlife. The pipeline from the Pinedale Anticline natural gas field to LaBarge, Wyo., would reduce emissions from truck traffic. The Dallas Morning News/The Associated Press (free registration) (10/24)   Materials & Nanotechnology  Carbon nanotubes could speed crop growth Researchers at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock have discovered that mixing tomato seeds to carbon nanotubes makes the plants accumulate significantly more water so they germinate faster. The discovery could have wider implications for agriculture, horticulture and biofuel production. FoxNews.com/Inside Science News Service (10/23) German scientists call nanotech health alarm a misunderstanding A white paper issued by Germany's Federal Environment Agency, or UBA, about the risk of illness posed by nanotechnology garnered sensational headlines, but agency officials say they were misunderstood. "You can't just talk about the risks -- you also have to look at the opportunities," said UBA scientist Wolfgang Dubbert. Bloomberg Businessweek/Spiegel Online (Germany) (10/23)   Education & Government Update  New government agency funds cutting-edge energy research The Energy Department is awarding research grants to leading-edge scientists to help develop energy technology that eventually could be funded by venture capitalists. A new government agency called Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy is directing the effort, which initially will award grants for such ideas as using bacteria to make gasoline, using enzymes to capture emissions and making cheap solar batteries. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (10/25) Senate releases details on cap-and-trade bill New details of the Senate's cap-and-trade legislation have been released that indicate the measure will expect utilities and industry to take most of the billions of dollars worth of free emissions permits and pass the benefits on to consumers and taxpayers. Proposed subsidies would ease energy-intensive manufacturing companies into a lower-carbon economy but would be eliminated in time. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (10/24)   Career Focus  Don't let failure slow you down Everyone fails sometimes, writes David Silverman, but the best business leaders don't allow themselves to be paralyzed by remorse or self-doubt. Silverman has talked to CEOs about their past failures, and he found that when things went wrong they sought to fix the problem fast and then move on to the next challenge. "Faced with failure, they stayed in motion," Silverman writes. Harvard Business Review online/Words at Work blog (10/21)   Institute News  Students rev up for AIChE's Chem-E-Car Competition AIChE will hold its 11th annual Chem-E-Car Competition on Nov. 8 in conjunction with its Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tenn. Teams of chemical engineering undergraduates at about 30 colleges and universities that have placed in regional competitions create shoebox-sized cars powered by controlled chemical reactions. The cars must transport a certain payload a specified distance -- but students don't learn until one hour before the competition begins what that payload and distance will be. Read more or watch previous Chem-E-Car competitions. Learn more about AIChE -> Homepage  |  Member Benefits  |  Events  |  Career Resources Technical Societies   SmartQuote  He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life." --Muhammad Ali, American boxer and three-time world heavyweight champion     Subscriber Tools       Print friendly format | Web version | Search past news | Archive | Privacy policy   About AIChE More than 40,000 engineers in 92 countries have joined the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. It is the focal point for information exchange at the frontiers of chemical engineering, including energy, materials, nanotechnology, sustainability, biological engineering, and chemical plant safety and security. 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