Business in the Spotlight

RESPONSE TO ESKOM'S PROPOSED TARIFF HIKES: In this Engineering News article, National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers (Naacam) indicated that: "The cumulative impact of power utility Eskom's tariff application to increase electricity prices by 45% each year over the next three years would result in “the loss of many jobs in automotive component manufacturing”". and went on to say "They must implement urgent cost cutting, and an independent group must be sent in to assist them to do this and monitor progress and assure accountability. Also, an urgent plan of alternative power must be implemented, including solar and wind power, and government must develop a national plan to address this."

ENERGY EFFICIENCY - Another large company, Astrapak reports on how efficiency enhancing programmes implemented contributed to increased profits [Engineering News].

SOLAR ENERGY TECHNOLOGY - Hospital in Pretoria gets 'first of its kind' solar-thermal driven air-conditioning system installed.[Engineering News].

GROWTH OF LOW-CARBON TECHNOLOGY SECTOR [CLEANTECH]- This Engineering News article reports that this sector has "experienced 1 000% growth between 2000 and 2007"! It is also worth the read for its comparison of coal and renewable energy alternatives, quoting the World Wide Fund for Nature's Du Plooy saying "Solar energy is essentially infinite, distributed, modular and fit-for-purpose, which meant that "we could cut out the million year old middle man,that is coal"

COMPUTER GIANT, APPLE RESIGNS FROM CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (US) - This Simply Green article reports how Apple resigned as a result of "the Chamber’s recent comments opposing the EPA’s effort to limit greenhouse gases."

BREWERY BASED IN THE US MAKES BEER FROM RAINWATER - Read more here on Simply Green

COLLECT-A-CAN reports food and drink can recycling has increased by 72% - read more here, on Simply Green.

BIOGAS - Simply Green reports on South African Breweries Biogas Recovery projects at one of their plants. Here, Simply Green also reports on a manure-to-power biogas plant planned for Heidelberg.

BIOFUEL - Simply Green also recently reported on: a soybean biofuel project in Mmpumalanga that will create rural jobs. [note: we are not sure what has been said regarding this project and the controversy surrounding 'food vs fuel'] Another Simply Green article tells us about the very interesting research a large Power Station in Arizona, USA, is undertaking. The project involves turning "carbon dioxide emissions from a coal power plant into biofuel using algae."