From The New York Times | The heads of the world’s largest oil companies are facing a Congressional panel on Tuesday, and they will try to cast the BP spill as a rare event that their companies are not likely to repeat. In prepared remarks, the executives said that continued offshore drilling is essential to American oil and gas supplies.
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Oil executives try to explain differences from BP
Orbitz offers special oil spill travel guarantee
By Julie Johnsson | Online travel agency Orbitz is offering to refund lodging costs for
Florida travelers with standalone hotel reservations if a beach at their
destination is closed due to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
The “Open Beach Guarantee,” rolled out Monday by Chicago-based Orbitz
Worldwide, is one of the first broad initiatives aimed at addressing the
steep drop-off in tourism to the gulf region as a result of the BP
environmental disaster.
The guarantee applies to about 100 coastal hotels in Florida, but may be
expanded to other states, and is aimed providing some assurance to
travelers hesitant to vacation along Florida’s coasts, said Orbitz
spokesman Brian Hoyt.
Car emission control market drives up Tenneco
Dow Jones Newswires | Shares of Tenneco Inc. (TEN) jumped a day
after the auto-parts maker projected a much bigger market for its
emission control systems.
In a meeting with analysts Wednesday, Tenneco — which also makes
automotive ride control products — boosted the estimate for its market
for commercial-vehicle emissions control after-treatment to $8 billion
from previous expectations of $5 billion to $6 billion.
ADM lobbies for more ethanol blends
Dow Jones Newswires | Archer Daniels Midland Co. is lobbying
U.S. regulators to allow more ethanol to blended with gasoline for use
in all cars, countering an effort that would boost the corn-based
additive in a limited number of vehicle model years.
Looking at the oil spill: How bad could it get?
An aerial view of a crew cleaning the oil-swamped marshes off the coast of Louisiana on May 27, 2010. (Reuters)
From CNN | The bad news is: Things in the Gulf of Mexico could get a whole lot worse.
So far, the leaking BP well has spewed out as much as 630,000 barrels, making it the worst oil spill in U.S. history.
BP continues to try ad-hoc fixes, which have included filling the hole with bits of old tires and placing an upside down funnel over it. On Thursday night, the company said it had put a cap on the ruptured well in an attempt to channel the oil to a tanker on the surface.
United Airlines to run fuel-saving test flight
Associated Press | United Airlines plans to demonstrate new
fuel-saving methods on two flights between the U.S. and Europe on
Saturday. The airline says it expects to save about 940 gallons of
fuel, about 3 percent of the fuel it would usually burn, on the
flights. The testing includes a trip from Frankfurt to Chicago on a
United 777, and a return trip on the same plane. Both are regular
flights with paying passengers.
Calif. Assembly passes plastic bag ban
Associated Press | It could soon cost California shoppers at the
checkout aisle if they forget to bring their own bags to the store
under what would be the nation’s first statewide plastic bag ban. The
California Assembly on Wednesday passed legislation prohibiting
pharmacies and grocery, liquor and convenience stores from giving out
plastic bags. The bill also calls for customers to be charged for using
store-issued paper bags.
CUB program to reward those cutting electric use
By Julie Wernau | Ten 100-watt incandescent light bulbs, burning four hours a day,
replaced by ten 100-watt compact fluorescent light bulbs, burning four
hours a day: How much can you save over a year?
No need to do the
math. An online tool introduced Wednesday by the Citizens Utility Board
does it for you; the answer is $241. CUB Energy Saver automatically
links to your Commonwealth Edison bill to track savings, rewards your
energy savvy with points redeemable for gift certificates and lets you
compete against your neighborhood, friends — heck, even enemies.
Retailers to limit lead in handbags, accessories
Associated Press | More than 40 major retailers and apparel
makers have agreed to limit the use of lead in handbags and other
fashion accessories, an environmental group said Wednesday.
The companies will set new industry standards for lead use in their
products as part of a $1.7 million settlement filed Tuesday in Alameda
County Superior Court in California.
Cubs announce recycling initiative at Wrigley
By Mary Ellen Podmolik
| The ivy-covered outfield walls aren’t the only green at Wrigley Field.
Four companies and the Chicago Cubs announced a recycling initiative at the ballpark Wednesday that is expected to save about 165,000 pounds of cardboard and plastic materials from landfills.
Chicago getting softer on fitness index
By Mary Ellen Podmolik | Among large metropolitan areas,
Chicago isn’t doing well in the survival of the fittest.
A fitness index performed by the American College of Sports Medicine
ranked Chicago No. 33 among the 50 largest metropolitan areas when it
comes to residents’ health, fitness and the infrastructure that
encourages such a lifestyle. Last year, Chicago at least was in the top
half, but just barely, having ranked No. 25.
Rand Paul: Obama criticism of BP ‘un-American’
Associated Press | Kentucky’s Republican Senate candidate Rand Paul criticized President
Barack Obama’s handling of the Gulf oil spill Friday as putting “his
boot heel on the throat of BP” and “really un-American.”
Tontine halves investment in Broadwind Energy
By Michael Oneal |
A Connecticut investment firm said Monday that it will halve its
investment in Broadwind Energy Inc., a Naperville-based wind-energy
firm.
As a result of the move, board member David Reiland, the former chief
executive of motion-control company Magnetek, will become as
Broadwind’s board chairman, replacing James Lindstrom of Tontine
Associates, which led a group of funds that collectively are
Broadwind’s largest stockholder.
Nissan CEO says Leaf orders above capacity
A Nissan Leaf, an electric car with zero-emission, on display at Beijing Auto China 2010, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)
Associated Press | Nissan’s chief executive says the automaker
has received over 13,000 orders in the U.S. and Japan for its new
electric car, the Leaf, exceeding production capacity.
Carlos Ghosn said Thursday the company is seeking to boost capacity to
meet the demand. Currently it can produce fewer than 12,000 of the cars
by next March. The first models of the zero-emissions Leaf will be
delivered to customers in December.
