1. Home
  2. Articles posted by: Rona Fried (Page 1352)

Venezuela: Most Sweeping GMO Restrictions, Says No to Monsanto

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Frias announced that the cultivation of genetically modified crops will be prohibited on Venezuelan soil, establishing the most sweeping restrictions on transgenic crops in the western hemisphere. Venezuela cancelled its contract with Monsanto Corporation, which ended the company’s plan to plant 500,000 acres of transgenic soybeans there. “I ordered an end to the project,” said Chavez, when he learned GM crops were involved. “This project is terminated.” Chavez views GM crops as negative for farmers and farmworkers.

Read More

Cellulosic Biofuels Bill Introduced

Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson and South Dakota Senator John Thune are introducing legislation to promote the development and production of celluosic ethanol. The Biofuels Innovation Program Act of 2007, provides business planning and assistance matching grants of up to $30,000 for entities and communities interested in developing a project area for producers to begin producing dedicated energy and biomass crops, as well as for attracting or creating a cellulosic biofuels facility. Grant applicants would have to submit a proposal that identifies eligible cropland and indicates the area has a strong likelihood for producing biomass for energy. The proposals would have to include a letter of commitment from an existing or proposed biofuels production facility to use the feedstock for producing biofuels or other energy. Once the grant is approved, the areas around the plant (within a 75 mile radius) would be classified as Biofuels Innovations Program (BIP) Project Areas, making them eligible for transitional assistance for the production of biomass feedstock. The assistance would be provided in the form of a percentage of the establishment cost incurred by a producer to plant and grow a biomass crop, as well as yearly rental payments on the land that is growing the […]

Read More

Whole Foods Enters Europe

Whole Foods Market Inc. (Nasdaq: WFMI), the world’s largest organic and natural foods chain, opens its first store outside North America tomorrow, June 6. The London store is the first of the hundreds planned in Europe. At 80,000 square feet, it is the largest supermarket in the UK, and Whole Foods largest to store to date. By 2010, the company plans to have 300 stores in the U.S., up from 194 today, and envisions eventually having the same number in the UK and Europe.” Along with its usual gourmet organic offerings, the London Whole Foods has a pub and a DJ on the second of its three floors. Whole Foods faces more competition in the UK than in the U.S. One analyst said its success in London depends on it becoming a shopping and tourist destination, because residents have plenty of options for purchasing everyday items. British chains Tesco (TSCO.L), J. Sainsbury Plc (SBRY.L), Wal-Mart Stores’ unit Asda (Nasdaq: WMT) and others carry thousands of organic products at prices often cheaper than at Whole Foods.

Read More

Tioga Energy Raises $10M

Tioga Energy, Inc. announced it launched the company with its initial funding round of $10 million. The company provides a total solar PV solution, including large scale financing solutions, partnering with top-tier installers and integrators to build on-site solar facilities, and the management and support required to make clean energy as seamless and easy as writing a check for a monthly electricity bill. NGEN Partners, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Rockport Capital, DFJ Frontier and Kirlan Ventures were among the venture capital investors. “We are very excited to help support Tioga Energy with this early-round financing opportunity,” said Steve Parry, a partner with NGEN Partners. “Organizations are struggling to go greener while respecting the bottom line, and a company like Tioga Energy is positioned to be there to help them quickly ramp up with clean and reliable power solutions built for the long-haul,” he said. “We invest in those companies we see as being industry-changing catalysts,” added Draper Fisher Jurvetson’s Managing Director, Raj Atluru. Website: http://www.tiogaenergy.com     

Read More

WilderHill New Energy Global Innovation Index Launches

The WilderHill New Energy Global Innovation Index (NEX) – an exchange traded fund (ETF) that invests in clean energy companies worldwide, has launched. It is available in four currencies: US (NEX), Euro (NEXEU), Pound Sterling (NEXBP) and Japanese Yen (NEXJY). Dow Jones Indexes is the calculation and dissemination agent and the American Stock Exchange will continue to act as an advisor. NEX is published by WilderHill New Energy Finance, LLC, a partnership between New Energy Finance Ltd, based in London, Josh Landess, based in the U.S., and Robert Wilder, founder of the well known Powershares Clean Energy ETF (PBW), also based in the U.S. The NEX index consists of 80-90 constituents, representing all significant sectors of the low-carbon energy industry, including renewable energy, biofuels and emerging low-carbon technologies. The index uses an equal-weighting methodology modified by sector and divided into two market capitalization bands. It is carefully designed to provide diversification across the different sectors of the clean energy industry and across size of company. It has extensive global representation. Components are limited to five percent (5%) of the index by weight at rebalancing. Website: http://www.nexindex.com     

Read More