Energy imbalance strangles democracy

NRGLab (ww.nrglab.asia) is dedicated to developing renewable energy alternatives for the future. By introducing electricity to the third world and making it more affordable for everyone else, we can democratize energy and information in ways never thought possible.  But in order to understand the relationship between energy, information, and good ol’ fashioned democracy, we must first examine what it means to be ‘democratic.’

Usually, people think of democracy in terms of its narrowest definition – everyone gets an equal vote on who will be their next leader. It dates back thousands of years to the ancient Greeks. As Winston Churchill so eloquently once put it, “Democracy is the worst form of government… except for all the others.”

The most crucial aspect to maintaining democracy is a well-informed electorate. When trusting people with the freedom of choice, we must also trust them with the truth. Who stands for what issue? What issues are the most pressing and important? Where is our world heading?

These questions influence voters, who influence policy, which, due to the nature of global politics, affects the entire world. And when it comes to energy policy, melting glaciers prove that no issue is more pressing.

We all depend on energy for our daily commute to work. To cook our food.  To heat our nightly shower. Economic stability depends on a nation’s reliable access to energy.  Yet a majority of sources like coal, oil, gas, and uranium, which are limited and only found in select places, are controlled by a handful of energy conglomerates.

What’s democratic about that?

When power is consolidated into the hands of a few, the majority become slaves to the minority. We’ve been conditioned to want fossil fuels for so long that our wants now far outweighs our needs. This moral dilemma of consumption versus social responsibility is restricting democracy. In order for citizens, CEOs, and politicians to be free to choose the best direction for our planet, we must first break free from big energy.

We have the ability to transcend the industrial roof thatched by the centuries preceding us. We can adapt to climate change by investing in clean-energy. We can demolish archaic economic thinking that threatens democracy for our children’s children by embracing carbon caps.

That’s why NRGLab keeps you up to date on daily developments around the world in energy, business, and new technology. We want you to stay informed. Stay curious. No matter where you live or where you’re from. New York. New Guinea. New Zealand. NRGLab wants to give you the freedom of choice as we work together towards a new and better tomorrow.

Wabah Penyakit Menyerang! Pemanasan Global Penyebabnya

Saat orang mendengar kata “pemanasan global”, yang terlintas dalam benak mereka adalah puncak gunung es yang mencair, naiknya permukaan air laut, dan badai super. Tapi tahukah Anda bahwa pemanasan global juga membuat penyakit menjadi lebih mudah menyebar? Benar – wabah berikutnya bisa saja sedang membayangi. Dan wabah terakhir datang telah merenggut jutaan nyawa!

Bakteri dan parasit berkembang biak di suhu yang hangat, yang biasanya bakteri dan parasite ini bersifat musiman di belahan dunia tertentu. Namun kini, hal itu tidak lagi berlaku. Musim panas yang lebih lama berarti jangka waktu hidup yang lebih lama pula. Lebih banyak penyakit menular. “Ada BANYAK penyakit,” Sonia Altizer,  Associate Professor di Universitas Georgia, menegaskan. “Terutama disistem-sistem alami, di mana ada sinyal yang jelas bahwa prevalensi atau tingkat keparahan dari penyakit-penyakit itu telah meningkat sebagai respon atas perubahan iklim.”

Altizer adalah penulis-bersama dari penelitian yang baru diterbitkan mengenai tren iklim selama lebih dari sepuluh tahun terakhir. Dia melanjutkan: “Jadi di Kutub Utara, ada cacing parasit yang mempengaruhi muskox dan rusa kutub yang berkembang biak lebih cepat dan menjadi lebih tersebar dan berekspansi. Kemudian di laut-laut tropis, seperti batu-batu karang di Lautan Karibia, terdapat banyak bukti yang muncul yang menunjukkan bahwa pemanasan berhubungan dengan simbiosis batu-batu karang tersebut – membuat batu-batu karang semakin rentan terhadap penyakit dan pada waktu yang bersamaan memperbesar tingkat pertumbuhan bakteri mematikan.”

Jadi di manapun Anda tinggal – di iklim yang hangat, atau dingin – tidak ada seorang pun yang aman dari bakteri. Untunglah, ada penelitian seperti yang dikerjakan oleh Altizer untuk mempersiapkan kita menghadapi masa depan.

“Mengetahui mengapa bakteri-bakteri patogen yang berlainan merespon secara berbeda pula terhadap perubahan iklim adalah apa yang dibutuhkan untuk membantu kita memprediksi dan menangani penyebaran penyakit pada manusia, hewan dan tumbuhan,” lanjutnya.

Beberapa benua sudah jauh lebih siap dibandingkan benua lain dalam menghadapi wabah yang akan datang, seperti Amerika Utara dan Eropa, yang memiliki “pemantauan, vektor pengendali, sanitasi modern, obat-obatan, dan vaksin yang dapat diberlakukan untuk mencegah penyebaran berbagai macam penyakit, terutama penyakit menular atau diare yang jauh lebih bermasalah di negara-negara berkembang. Jadi hal-hal ini dapat melawan efek-efek perubahan iklim dan menyulitkan untuk mendeteksi peningkatan bakteri patogen tersebut,” kata Altizer.

“vektor pengendali” merujuk kepada parasit pengendali seperti caplak dan nyamuk, yang dikenal sebagai penyebar demam kuning dan malaria.

Di negara-negara berkembang, penyebaran patogen dapat menghancurkan ekonomi pertanian. Tanaman dan hewan ternak mati. Kehidupan para petani dan keluarganya dipertaruhkan.

Seberapa khawatirkah mestinya kita? Menurut Altizer jawabannya tidak harus selalu jelas.

“Hal itu sangat tergantung dari lokasi. Di mana, kapan dan patogen seperti apa? Saya pikir saat ini kita berada dalam tahap, di mana dalam lima sampai sepuluh tahun lagi para ilmuwan akan dapat bergerak menuju kerangka berpikir yang dapat diprediksi, yang mampu menjawab pertanyaan-pertanyaan mengenai di mana lokasi, dan bakteri patogen seperti apa yang merespon dan akan paling kuat merespon terhadap perubahan iklim.”

Efek-efek dari pemanasan global perlahan mulai terungkap dan akan berlangsung lama, sehingga sangat penting untuk mendokumentasikan dan menganalisis data.

Diterjemahkan dari Bahasa Inggris, artikel asli di publikasikan tanggal di 13 Agustus: http://anashell.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-plague-could-be-coming-global.html

[ pemanasan global, Sonia Altizer, Universitas Georgia, krisis ekonomi, korupsi, affordable energy, Ana Shell NRGLab, ana shell sh-box, NRGLab Pte Ltd, nrglab singapore, NRGLab Сингапур, SH-box ]

一些简单的小窍门，让您节省大量能源！

只要进行一些简单的效率升级，您每个月的能源账单就可以减少85%，“自己动手（Do It Yourself）”专家Jeff Wilson说道，他在类似HGTV的电视频道上已经主持过200多期节目。

首先，用使用寿命更长，而且目前变得更实惠的LED灯代替旧的白炽灯。“它们的光质非常棒，”Wilson说道，“它们可调光暗，将为您节省70%至90%的能源成本。您需要的只是弹出天花板上的嵌入式灯具，拧下灯泡，然后拧入LED适配器，把适配器插在全新灯外壳的后面！还有四根弹簧用于固定。”

许多读者可能已经认识了这些高能效的LED灯，但您很有可能从未听说过淋浴地漏热量回收装置。听起来很复杂？其实一点儿都不！该设备会在一个单独的线圈中收集流向地漏的水中的热量，并对其进行再利用。

“使用过的水通过管道流向一根主铜管。淋浴水中的热量会被传输到冷水进水管中。这意味着在淋浴期间，您将减少使用热水箱中的热水。（大约）能减少百分之40的热水。” Wilson解释到。

安装这种加热系统所需费用不到400美元，而且能在两年不到的时间内就收回成本！现在花点儿小钱，之后就能节省更多。此外，还能享受更加热气腾腾的热水淋浴！

最后，新型喷涂绝热材料能帮助屋主在冬季让房间保有热量，在夏天又保持凉爽，而能源费用也会全面降低。“自己动手（Do It Yourselfers）”套装售价约为200美元左右。您需要在门框周围、地下室、阁楼——任何您认为可能会出现泄露的地方进行喷涂作业。

有人甚至会把整个家都涂上这种新型绝热材料，就像Wilson一样，以此创造一个能量力场！“它远比其他隔热材料有效，”他说道，“您需要把两个容器中的东西混合起来。它会变得潮湿，在其固化期间，它的体积会膨胀到本身体积的六倍大小，在固化完成后，它就会变成惰性材料，非常安全。在您实施喷涂作业时，应该佩戴防护设备，不过，一旦固化完成，它就会变成非常有效的隔热材料和气密层。

在坚持使用这三个小窍门之后，Wilson在他有70年房龄的家中，减少的能源成本达到了惊人的85%！但是，您不必像Wilson一样极端。哪怕只听从这些小窍门中的一个，都将帮助您节约费用，同时减少您的碳足迹。

因此，您还在等什么呢？赶快行动吧！就在您看这句话的时候，您辛辛苦苦赚的钱已经被浪费了！

原文于2013年6月24日发表在http://anashell.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-few-simple-tips-to-big-energy-savings.html

[ 全球经济危机, 塞浦路斯银行危, 塞浦路斯银行危机, 德国的腐败, 腐败, NRGlab, nrglab asia, NRGLab Pte Ltd, NRGLab Сингапур, nrglab singapore, sh-box nrglab ]

Beberapa Tips untuk Menghemat Energi!

Anda bisa menghemat hingga 85% tagihan energi bulanan Anda dengan membuat beberapa upgrade efisiensi sederhana, kata Jeff Wilson, ahlinya ‘Do It Yourself’ yang menjadi host lebih dari 200 episode di stasiun seperti HGTV.

Pertama, gantilah bola lampu pijar Anda dengan yang lebih tahan lama, seperti LED, dan sekarang harganya lebih terjangkau .”Lampu LED mempunyai kualitas cahaya yang kuat,” kata Wilson. “Cahaya lampu LED bisa diredupkan, dengan demikian Anda bisa menghemat antara 70 hingga 90% biaya energi Anda. Melalui tempat lampu di langit-langit rumah, bukalah tutup bola lampu, lalu pasang adaptor LED, dan hubungkan ke bagian belakang rumah! Ada empat pegas menahan lampu LED di tempatnya.”

Mungkin banyak dari Anda mungkin sudah bahwa LED ini hemat energi, tapi bisa jadi Anda belum pernah mendengar tentang unit pemulihan panas di saluran-air mandi. Kedengarannya rumit? Tidak sama sekali! Perangkat ini menggunakan kembali panas dari air yang mengalir masuk ke saluran dengan mengumpulkan panas pada kumparan terpisah.

 "Air bekas mandi disalurkan ke sekitar pipa tembaga utama. Panas yang ada dari air mandi ditransfer ke jalur masuk air dingin. Itu berarti Anda akan menggunakan lebih sedikit air panas dari tangki air panas untuk mandi Anda. Ini artinya menghemat (sekitar) 40 persen air panas, " jelas Wilson.

Sistem pemanas dapat dipasang dengan biaya kurang dari $400 dan uang ini bakal kembali kurang dari dua tahun! Jadi keluarkan uang receh Anda sekarang. Simpan uang besar nanti. Dan mandilah dengan air panas beruap!

Terakhir, spray insolator pelapis, yang membantu pemilik rumah menyimpan panas selama musim dingin, menyimpan dingin saat musim panas, dan tagihan energi akan Anda pun bakal berkurang. Kotak ‘Do It Yourself’ tersedia dengan harga sekitar $200.  Semprotkan pelapis di sekitar bingkai pintu, di ruang bawah tanah, di loteng, di mana saja yang menurut Anda ada kebocoran.

Beberapa orang, seperti halnya Wilson, bahkan melapisi seluruh rumah mereka dengan insulator baru ini, menciptakan medan gaya energi! “Ini jauh lebih efektif dibandingkan insulator lain,”katanya. Insulator ini terdiri dari dua tangki yang bercampur bersama. Awalnya basah, dan ketika menjadi kering akan mengembang enam kali lebih besar dari ukuran awalnya dan melembam ketika mengering, jadinya aman. Ketika Anda menyemprotkannya, sebaiknya Anda menggunakan pelindung, namun begitu mengering, bakal menjadi insulator yang efektif dan menjadi menyekat udara.”

Setelah mengikuti tiga tip tersebut di atas, Wilson telah memangkas 85% biaya energi di rumah berumur 70 tahun yang ditempatinya! Tentu saja, Anda tidak perlu seekstrim Wilson. Mengikuti salah satu tip ini saja sudah akan membantu Anda berhemat sekaligus juga mengurangi jejak karbon.

Jadi, tunggu apa lagi? Mulailah sekarang! Masih ingin membuang uang begitu saja saat Anda membaca pesan yang benar ini?

Diterjemahkan dari Bahasa Inggris, artikel asli di publikasikan tanggal di 24 Juni http://anashell.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-few-simple-tips-to-big-energy-savings.html

[ Menghemat Energi, Jeff Wilson, LED, NRGlab, nrglab asia, NRGLab Pte Ltd, nrglab singapore, NRGLab Сингапур, SH-box, sh-box nrglab, сheap electricity ]

Zero-net homes: make more energy than you take!

Innovative new houses are being built across the Hudson Valley in New York, U.S.A.  that generate more energy than they consume. Dubbed “zero-net homes,” these dwellings come equipped with solar panels, geothermal heating and cooling systems, and thick insulated walls. Quite a change from the energy guzzling city.

Gil Lobell, a resident new to the zero-net development that’s nestled 70-miles north of New York City, loves the prospect of cutting ties with his public utility company. “I don’t have to worry about $6,000 worth of utilities to run a house,” he says. “I can use that money for other things, so we go on vacations because I’m not spending money on utilities. I don’t worry about oil bills. I don’t worry about electric bills. I don’t worry about gas bills.”

HIs most recent electric bill read: “Electricity Used (kWh) = 0.” Basic service charges and taxes for two months came out to $49.51. Lobell even gives electricity back to the grid when it’s sunny out, earning credit towards what he consumes later. He figures he saves about $5,500 a year compared to his previous house.

Sounds like a dream come true, doesn’t it?

Exterior walls of Lobell’s house consist of a 6-inch layer of reinforced concrete sandwiched in between 2½ inches of polystyrene. Combined with heavily insulated rafters above, an insulated concrete slab below, and triple-paned windows, the entire house is practically airtight!

Three-bedroom units in this development start at around $399,000. Each house features a $29,000 solar panel system and a $39,000 geothermal system.

“Any homeowner that goes out and spends $100,000 less than my zero-energy homes is going to be spending more at the end of the year,” claims Anthony Aebi, president of Greenhill Contracting Inc., the company behind the Hudson Valley development. 

Unfortunately, not everyone can afford a mortgage on a $400,000 house. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a zero-net home!

With something like the SH-Box – a carbon-free, poly-crystalline generator developed by NRGLab - you too could be creating more electricity than you consume! All it takes is a little upfront investment and you could see huge savings.

Check out NRGLab’s slate of alternative energy projects at nrglab.asia.

Truly yours,

Ana Shell

[ Hudson Valley, Gil Lobell, Anthony Aebi, Greenhill Contracting Inc., sh-box, nrglab, nrglab Singapore, nrglab Сингапур, Ana Shell, Ana Shell nrglab ]

Attention small business owners: some keys to keeping energy costs down

It isn’t easy owning a small business in today’s age. Expenses like rent, utilities, and inventory are at all-time highs. Even taxes are expected to spike. Conglomerates like Wal Mart squash small businesses wherever they spring up. So, how can entrepreneurs stay afloat in an increasingly competitive economy? By saving money wherever and however possible.

First off, start by educating and motivating your employees to be more energy conscious. Offer incentives to those who cut down on their electricity usage. Throw an Earth Day celebration. Remember – happy employees are hard-working employees. Keeping costs down is going to require hard work on everyone’s part.

Install smart-thermostats to maximize your heating and cooling systems. You’re paying for your employees to be comfortable. Not relaxed in a tropical or wintry climate.

Invest in an ink-jet printer. They use about 90% less energy than their laser counterparts.

Copying machines actually consume the most energy of all the appliances around your office. It takes quite a lot of energy to warm the toner in order to fuse it to the paper. Even when not in use, copying machines tend to waste a considerable amount of electricity. If you’re thinking of buying a new one, make sure it comes with duplex copying capabilities. Utilizing both sides of a page helps cut down on the machine’s usage.

If you have a T12 lighting system, replace it with T8 energy-efficient fixtures. And if you haven’t already, make sure you upgrade your incandescent lights to compact fluorescent lamps. They’ll save you money and last longer.

Speaking of lighting – turn off all non-essentials. Not using the conference room? Why keep it lit? Installing motion-detectors helps keep the lights on where they’re needed.

Do your employees still use bulky desktop computers? Think about exchanging them for laptops, which draw about 1/10^th the energy. Prefer looking at the larger screen? Go ahead and plug your laptop into a larger monitor. That will still cut your energy usage in half!

But, if you insist on keeping the desktop computers, have your employees shut off their monitors if they don’t intend on using them for 30 minutes or more. The monitor alone draws about half of the computer’s overall energy.

You know the saying – TGIF! Make sure all computers, printers, copiers, and appliances are switched off or unplugged for the weekend.

Don’t let the times frustrate you. Don’t just stay afloat, either. Adapt to the ever-expanding global market and rise above your competition by demonstrating your superior energy awareness. Join the green revolution and help fight the effects of global warming. When you receive next month’s utility bill, you’ll be happy you did…

[ small business, energy costs. Wal Mart, Earth Day, affordable energy, NRGlab, nrglab asia, NRGLab Pte Ltd, nrglab singapore, NRGLab Сингапур, sh-box nrglab, ana shell sh-box, SH-box ]

Preserve nature or clean up energy: do we really have to choose?

Some cities are being forced to choose between their gorgeous, all-natural views, and a new green energy infrastructure. Santa Rosa and Sonoma in California, U.S.A. are two such cities.

Advocates of green energy call it “reinvesting in the community,” and yes, while boasting clean energy independence would be quite a feat, is it worth the price of admission? Is it worth cutting down forests? Blanketing farmlands? Blotting out skylines?

In Sonoma, a 20-megawatt, 50-acre, $100 million solar-panel system is currently in development. At best, the farm would provide for 10,000 local homes. Only 10,000! At that size, where are we expecting to build future solar farms? On top of one another?

Eventually, our nations will become nothing but ice rinks of black glassy solar panels!

City planners in Sonoma are considering changing zoning regulations to open up thousands of acres of green pastures for green energy projects, including a 23-acre solar farm on 130 acres of grazing pasture just outside of Petaluma. Residents are obviously up in arms about the vote, but unfortunately, have little influence over the outcome.

This tradeoff – nature for technology – is far from breaking news. From fracking to giant wind turbines, ocean drilling to nuclear plants, we’ve been sacrificing our environment for improved fuel-efficiency for decades now. We want lower prices. Convenience. And we’re willing to give just about anything to get it…

NRGLab is hoping to put a stop to all this with the one-of-a-kind SH-Box. It’s carbon-free, low cost, and even portable! So whether you’re at home, stuck at work, or on the go – you can experience energy independence without destroying the environment.

Think of how many great works of art we would have missed out on! Instead of Van Goh’s landscapes of the French countryside of farmhouses and fields, we’d be admiring a black rectangular solar panel.

Doesn’t quite compare, does it?

So for the sake of the future of art and the environment, help fight urban sprawling. End the tyrannical reigns of solar and wind. Usher in the dawn of truly renewable, reliable energy with the SH-Box. Visit nrglab.asia for more information.

Truly yours,

Ana Shell

[ clean energy, Santa Rosa, Sonoma, Petaluma, sh-box, nrglab asia, Ana shell, Ana Shell NRGLab, NRGLab auction, nrglab company, nrglab singapore, NRGLab Сингапур, sh-box nrglab ]

DJ Contest. $200 Grand Prize

The territory of "Shell" is full of treasures, and in the hearts of each of its members resides love, conviction, and faith in family. "Shell" is a territory full of hopes and dreams for a bright future; it’s like vision, creativity, and all of the other God-given gifts of nature; it’s devotion to country, culture, and religion; it’s a friendship and brotherhood of its members, intolerant of racial and religious persecution, injustice and dishonesty. As Roman Philosopher Seneca once said: "We should strive not to live a pleasurable life, but to live the right one.”

Members of the territory of "Shell" clearly understand the importance of its formation and are free to choose the extent of their involvement. Each member agrees to behave honestly, simply, and modestly, and to act honestly and morally. He or she is confident that the reason for the territory of "Shell’s" formation is the disappearance of the phenomenon known as Globalization, both in terms of material trade and spiritual culture.

The aim of the members of the territory is to consistently educate others on the current economic crisis, and that it stems from liberal “Western” dogmas that constitute the basis of our modern socio-economic environment. Each member firmly understands that if we do not protect traditional values the world will delve into total depravity. Moreover, if we do not fill the ideological vacuum with something constructive, it will be consumed by itself, or quite possibly be filled by extremely destructive and dangerous ideas for the future. Like it says in the Gospel of Matthew: "A bad tree cannot bare good fruit.”

The territory of "Shell" is proud to announce a new DJ remix contest for Ana Shell’s hit song “Killers.” The contest supports the creative initiatives of territory members - from big cities all the way to small villages. Hopefully, this contest will stimulate territory members to begin exchanging ideas on energy, the environment, and how we can ensure a better future for all . Remember - you can never have too much creative thinking. For more information, visit http://anashell.com/newsandevents.html 

[ DJ Contest, ana shell, ana shell music, ana shell song, ana shell killers, ana shell nrglab, ana shell sh-box, Ana Shell Singapore, Anastasia Samoylova, NRGlab, NRGLab Pte Ltd, nrglab singapore, NRGLab Сингапур ]

Perusahaan Penyedia Energi Jerman Tersangkut Skandal Korupsi?

Rasanya sulit dipercaya jika perusahaan-perusahaan penyedia fasilitas umum, kelompok pendukung BDEW (Asosiasi Air dan Energi Jerman) kini mengklaim bahwa Jerman berada di ambang skandal penipuan pajak yang besar.

Bukan berarti sekarang ini sektor energi Jerman tidak terlibat skandal sama sekali. Kurang dari empat tahun lalu, mereka menjadi korban sejumlah penipuan yang melibatkan perdagangan emisi karbon!

Lebih dari dua bulan terakhir, regulator pajak berangkat dari Baden-Wuerttemberg ke Hamburg telah mengajukan bukti "penipuan pajak pertambahan nilai dalam perdagangan energi." Lebih dari 1.800 perusahaan penyedia energi negara akan bergiliran diperiksa secara ketat karena pejabat pajak memeriksa dan mencari aktivitas korupsi. 

Tapi apakah mereka yang dinyatakan bersalah akan dihukum? Atau, seperti bankir Amerika di Wall Street, akankah para penguasa energi  ini melarikan diri hanya dengan membayar sedikit denda saja?

"Sulit untuk bertindak atas penipuan," kata Hildegard Mueller, direktur BDEW, kelompok fasilitas Berlin yang anggotanya termasuk EON SE dan RWE AG (RWE), perusahaan-perusahaan energi terbesar Jerman. "Jika seseorang bertindak dengan tujuan kriminal, mungkin akan terlambat ditemukan." 90% keanggotaan BDEW berasal dari sektor energi Jerman. Itu artinya ada banyak 'kekuasaan' (power) yang dikuasai oleh segelintir orang saja.

Pada tahun 2009, penipuan di pasar emisi karbon Eropa menelan biaya sekitar €5 milyar atau $6,54 milyar. Sejak saat itu, wilayah ini menerapkan kewaspadaan tinggi. Sayangnya, tidak cukup tinggi.

Ada sejumlah langkah yang dapat dilakukan perusahaan untuk melindungi diri terhadap korupsi. Investigasi internal. Pemeriksaan Latar Belakang. Sistem checks and balances. Dan jika suatu kesepakatan tampaknya sangat sempurna - mungkin justru harus dicurigai, kata Mueller.

Pekan lalu, para menteri keuangan Eropa mengesahkan undang-undang untuk memerangi penipuan. Namun karena lebih banyak hukum dan peraturan dibuat, dan dinding keamanan semakin bertambah tinggi, hal tersebut hanya memberi banyak kesempatan bagi mereka yang memiliki agenda kriminal untuk menemukan titik lemah dinding tersebut, dan memanfaatkannya.

Sekalipun beberapa prosedur baru dibuat cukup ampuh. REW baru-baru ini menemukan 35 rekening mencurigakan dalam perdagangan emisi dari tahun 2009 dan 2010 silam. Perusahaan ini “terus memeriksa dan mengevaluasi rekanan mereka dan bekerja sama dengan pihak berwenang,” kata juru bicara Michael Murphy.

Sektor energi Jerman telah diliberalisasi pada tahun 1998, memberikan akses bagi produsen asing ke jaringan  grid dan basis pelanggan mereka untuk pertama kalinya. Sayangnya, hal ini juga telah membuka celah bagi mereka untuk korupsi.

Tahun lalu, perdagangan energi Jerman menyumbang sekitar 45% dari pasar Eropa. "Sangatlah penting untuk memiliki pasar yang dinamis. Ini berarti seseorang dapat memilih dari sejumlah besar rekanan perdagangan, "kata Mueller. "Dan dalam hal itu, Jerman adalah panutan."

 Berikut ini harapan bahwa orang-orang yang mencoba untuk menipu sistem dibawa ke pengadilan sebelum mereka menyeret pasar jatuh bersama mereka!

Diterjemahkan dari Bahasa Inggris. Artikel asli diterbitkan pada 2 Juli 2013 di http://anashell.blogspot.sg/2013/07/german-power-providers-guilty-of.html

[ korupsi, Asosiasi Air dan Energi Jerman, BDEW, Baden-Wuerttemberg, EON SE, RWE AG, Jerman, krisis di siprus, krisis ekonomi, NRGlab, NRGLab auction, NRGLab Pte Ltd, nrglab singapore, NRGLab Сингапур, SH-box, Ana shell, Ana Shell NRGLab, Hildegard Mueller ]

Forget low: 7 no-cost energy saving solutions

Recently, we’ve been discussing a number of low-cost ways you can cut back on your energy consumption and save on your monthly bills. But what about people who can’t afford to make efficiency upgrades? How about some ‘no-cost’ solutions?

Luckily, there are plenty of steps you can take – completely free of charge! – that will help you improve your home’s energy efficiency.

1. If you have a fire place, make sure the damper or flue is closed. It’s an easy thing to forget about and an even easier way to blow that cold air right out of the house.
2. Leave your drapes drawn during the day. It will help reduce warming from sunlight through the windows.
3. Own a pool? During the summer, let the pump run between eight and 12 hours. During the winter, you can cut back to six. No need to overwork it. Also, make sure the strainers and filters are cleaned regularly to maximize your pool pump’s efficiency.
4. When washing your clothes, did you know that roughly 90% of the energy used goes to heating the water? Wash as many loads as possible in cold water. You’ll be shocked at how much money you save.
5. Dry loads of laundry back-to-back to utilize the heat stored up in your machine. And don’t forget to clean out the lint traps! Clogged ones will keep your machine from reaching its full drying potential.
6. Every time you reach into the refrigerator to look for a snack, 30% of the cold air escapes. Think about what you want to eat before opening the door.
7. If you’re cooking in the kitchen, turn the oven off 15 minutes before you’re ready to serve. It’s already hot enough in there! Also, like the refrigerator, every time you open the oven door, you lose anywhere between 25 and 50% of the heat. Set a timer instead, and trust your culinary instincts.

You don’t always have to spend money to save money. Sure, investing in a carbon-free source of energy like the SH-Box by NRGLab is a monumental leap towards self-sufficiency, but even small steps add up. These easy tips should help you take the first step towards responsible energy consumption.

Don’t be a part of the problem. Be a part of the solution. Be a part of a greener future.  

[ energy consumption, source of ebergy, Ana Shell NRGLab, NRGlab, NRGLab auction, nrglab company, NRGLab Pte Ltd, nrglab singapore, NRGLab Сингапур, sh-box nrglab ]

German power providers guilty of corruption?

As if you needed another reason not to trust public utility companies, the advocacy group BDEW now claims that Germany is on the brink of a major tax fraud scandal.

Not that Germany’s energy sector isn’t used to scandals by now. Less than four years ago, they were victimized by a number of scams involving carbon emissions trading! 

Over the last two months, tax regulators from Baden-Wuerttemberg all the way to Hamburg have come forward with proof of “value-added-tax scams in energy trading.” More than 1,800 of the countries energy providers will take turns under the microscope as officials scrutinize and search for corrupt activity.

But will those found guilty be punished? Or, like the American bankers on Wall Street, will these energy moguls escape with little more than a slap on the wrist?

“It is hard to take action against fraud,” said Hildegard Mueller, director of BDEW, a Berlin utility group whose members include EON SE and RWE AG (RWE), Germany’s largest energy companies. “If someone acts with criminal intentions, it might be discovered too late.” BDEW’s members account for 90% of Germany’s energy sector. That’s a lot of ‘power’ in the hands of a few.

In 2009, fraud in the carbon emissions market cost Europe approximately €5 billion, or $6.54 billion. Since then, the region has been on high-alert. Not high enough, it seems.

There are a number of measures companies can take to protect themselves against corruption. Internal investigations. Background screenings. A system of checks and balances. And if a deal seems too good to be true – it probably is, says Mueller.

Last week, European finance ministers passed legislation to combat fraud. Yet as more laws and regulations are put in place, and the security wall grows higher, it simply affords those with a criminal agenda more opportunities to find the wall’s weak spot, and exploit it.

Some new procedures do appear to be working though. REW recently discovered 35 accounts of suspicious emissions trades dating back to 2009 and 2010. The company is “continuously checking and evaluating counterparties and working together with the authorities,” said spokesperson Michael Murphy.

The German energy sector was liberalized in 1998, giving foreign producers access to their grid and customer base for the very first time. Unfortunately, this has also opened them up to corruption.  

Last year, Germany’s energy trade accounted for roughly 45% of the European market. “It is important to have a liquid market. It means one can choose from a large number of trading parties,” said Mueller. “And in that respect, Germany is a role model.”

Here’s hoping that those who try to cheat the system are brought to justice before they drag the market down with them!

[ Ana Shell NRGLab, Ana Shell Singapore, NRGLab Pte Ltd, NRGLab auction, nrglab company, NRGLab Сингапур, NRGlab, corruption, world economy, BDEW, Hildegard Mueller, EON SE, RWE AG, Michael Murphy ]

Must read story. Part 2

As I promised before, here is the rest of my story about Andrew - the friend of mine from Cyprus (http://anashell.blogspot.sg/2013/05/must-read-story.html):

Andrew visited several banks in Singapore over three days. He wanted to get a personal consultation about his options for transferring money out of Cyprus into a local bank. He was hoping to find out more about the security he could expect under Singaporean laws, but he could never find out anything of material value for his new strategy. The main conclusion Andrew reached after his meetings with bankers was a general one that the global system of offshore havens is becoming a thing of the past. He talked a lot  about the coming abrupt deterioration in the global financial system, which was why the operation to eliminate offshore zones was speeded up a little. The naïve Andrew was outraged that authorities were putting together a database of offshore zone clients and that it would be complete some time in early 2014.

It was both funny and sad to watch Andrew and his brother because they were both expecting a quick recovery from the ongoing financial crisis. They are still refusing to see that the hunt for other people’s money started in Cyprus precisely because the financial crisis was and is still in full swing. Andrew’s clients were lucky to have only lost some of their money, because they could have lost their life or freedom. A somewhat civilized version of high street robbery has come to the market. After the events in Cyprus, anybody who has eyes can see the horrible truth about this civilization’s banking system: all the “first-world” Western countries are bankrupt and perfectly capable of robbing their own citizens and foreign nationals alike.

To put the sad situation with Andrew, his clients, and other ordinary people into perspective, one only needs to look at the gold scam that showcases how severe the current bankruptcy of Civilization is. It transpired in 2012 that trade in counterfeit gold bullion was rampant on the world market, with tungsten ingots coated in gold masquerading as pure gold. Suspicions arose that the vaults of central banks and national treasuries contain hoards of tungsten. US member of Congress Ron Paul successfully argued for selective testing of bullion stored in the vaults of Fort Knox and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Germany demanded that the US return the gold from the Bundesbank’s international reserves held in the NY Fed vault, meeting insurmountable resistance from the US Treasury and Federal Reserve System.

I told Andrew that the topic of central banks’ gold was going to get an even higher profile in 2013. Thus, everyone is anxiously awaiting the release of results of selective physical tests on gold bullion stored in the US Treasury. The US authorities promised to announce the results in early 2013. Everyone is also tense in anticipation of Germany’s reaction to Bernanke’s statement on mysterious disappearance of the German government’s gold.

As an illustration, I quoted the thoughts of Amartya Sen (Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences Laureate and board member of ECAAR-USA), who wrote more than 10 years ago in the International Herald Tribune on 14 July 2001 that equality between and within nations is the fundamental issue of Civilization. Relative inequality includes non-uniform distribution of wealth as well as a huge asymmetry in political, social and economic power. Distribution of globalization’s potential benefits between rich and poor nations, as well as among different groups within nations (countries), is a major issue. Amartya Sen wrote that the rich were getting richer, and the poor only poorer.

[ Ana shell, Ana Shell NRGLab, ana shell sh-box, Ana Shell Singapore, Anastasia Samoylova, crisis Cyprus, Cyprus, NRGlab, nrglab singapore, NRGLab Сингапур, NRGLab Pte Ltd ]