Barcode Can Supplemental Hydrogen Reduce Emissions Save fuel and OIL

A barcode (also bar code) is an optical machine-readable representation of data. Originally, bar codes represented data in the widths (lines) and the spacings of parallel lines, and may be referred to as linear or 1D (1 dimensional) barcodes or symbologies. They also come in patterns of squares, dots, hexagons and other geometric patterns within images termed 2D (2 dimensional) matrix codes or symbologies. Although 2D systems use symbols other than bars, they are generally referred to as barcodes as well.

The first use of barcodes was to label railroad cars, but they were not commercially successful until they were used to automate supermarket checkout systems, a task in which they have become almost universal. Their use has spread to many other roles as well, tasks that are generically referred to as Auto ID Data Capture (AIDC). Other systems are attempting to make inroads in the AIDC market, but the simplicity, universality and low cost of barcodes has limited the role of these other systems. It costs about US$0.005 to implement a barcode compared to passive RFID which still costs about US$0.07 to US$0.30 per tag.

Barcodes can be read by optical scanners called barcode readers, or scanned from an image by special software. In Japan most mobile phones have built-in scanning software for 2D codes, and similar software is becoming available on smartphone platforms.

H. G. Wells

Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 – 13 August 1946),was an English author, best known for his work in the science fiction genre. Wells and Jules Verne are each often referred to as "The Father of Science Fiction".

Wells was an outspoken socialist and a pacifist, and his later works became increasingly political and didactic. His middle period novels (1900-1920) were more realistic; they covered lower middle class life (The History of Mr Polly) and the 'New Woman' and the Suffragettes (Ann Veronica). He was a prolific writer in many genres, including contemporary novels, history, and social commentary.

H. G. Wells
Wells pictured sometime prior to 1916
Born	Herbert George Wells 21 September 1866 Bromley, Kent, England(1866-09-21)
Died	13 August 1946 (aged 79) London, England
Occupation	Novelist, Teacher, Historian, Journalist
Nationality	British
Genres	Science fiction
Notable work(s)	The Time Machine, The First Men in the Moon, The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Shape of Things to Come

Michael Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009), known as the "King of Pop", was an American musician and one of the most commercially successful entertainers of all time. His unique contributions to music and dance, along with a highly publicized personal life, made him a prominent figure in popular culture for four decades.

He started a solo career in 1971, having made his debut in 1964 as a member of The Jackson 5. His 1982 album Thriller remains the best-selling album of all time, with four others — Off the WallBad (1987), Dangerous (1991), and HIStory (1995) — among the best selling. He popularized several intricate dance moves, such as the robot and the moonwalk. He is widely credited with having transformed the music video from a promotional tool into an art form, with videos for his songs "Billie Jean", "Beat It" and "Thriller" making him the first African Americancrossover following on MTV, and has influenced scores of music artists. (1979), artist to amass a strong

Twice inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, his other achievements feature multiple Guinness World Records — including the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time" — 13 Grammy Awards, 17 number one singles (including the four as a member of the Jackson 5), and estimated sales between 350 million and 750 million records worldwide.^[2] He was also a notable philanthropist and humanitarian who donated and raised million of dollars through support of 39 charities and his own Heal the World Foundation.

Jackson's personal life generated controversy for years. His changing appearance was noticed from the late 1970s and early 1980s, with changes to the shape of his nose and to the color of his skin drawing media publicity. He was accused in 1993 of child sexual abuse, although no charges were brought. He married twice, first in 1994 and again in 1996, and brought up three children, one born to a surrogate mother. In 2005, he was tried and acquitted of child molestation allegations. While preparing for the This Is It concert tour in 2009, Jackson died at the age of 50 in Los Angeles, California, after suffering from cardiac arrest. His memorial service was broadcasted live around the world.

Number of active oil rigs rises by 23

© 2009 The Associated Press June 19, 2009, 1:50PM

HOUSTON — The number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the United States rose by 23 this week to 899, only the second time this year the weekly count has increased.

Of the rigs running nationwide, 692 were exploring for natural gas and 196 for oil, Houston-based Baker Hughes Inc. reported Friday. Eleven were listed as miscellaneous.

The only other time this year the count increased was the first week of April. A year ago, the rig count stood at 1,906. The U.S. count is down 56 percent since the end of August as weak energy demand has hampered oilfield activity.

Oil prices peaked at almost $150 a barrel in July before plunging. Benchmark crude for July delivery dropped $1.09 to $70.28 a barrel in trading Friday on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Texas added 10 rigs, Louisiana gained four, Colorado and California each gained three, and New Mexico and Oklahoma each added one. Alaska, Arkansas, North Dakota and Wyoming were unchanged.

Baker Hughes has tracked rig counts since 1944. The tally peaked at 4,530 in 1981, during the height of the oil boom. The industry posted several record lows in 1999, bottoming out at 488.

Oil rises to $72 as investors eye inflation

Crude oil rose for a third day as violence escalated in Nigeria, Africa’s biggest producer, and on speculation that fuel consumption will climb as the global recession eases.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, or MEND, said it blew up an Agip pipeline that delivers oil to the Brass export terminal. They attacked a Royal Dutch Shell Plc pipeline two days ago, cutting oil production that supplies the Forcados oil terminal. European Union leaders said the region is on course for a “sustainable” economic recovery.

“The market is up because of the combination of Nigerian violence and the return of economic optimism,” said Tom Bentz, a senior energy analyst at BNP Paribas Commodity Futures Inc. in New York. “The market failed to break down this week, which signals that the bullish momentum is about to return.

” Crude oil for July delivery rose 32 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $71.69 a barrel at 10:24 a.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Prices have climbed 61 percent this year and reached a seven-month high of $73.23 on June 11. Futures are 0.5 percent lower this week. The Agip link was attacked at about 3 a.m. local time today by “heavily armed” fighters, Jomo Gbomo, a spokesman for MEND, said in an e-mailed statement today. Agip is a unit of Rome- based Eni SpA. A government offensive against armed groups since May has resulted in intense fighting in the oil-producing Niger Delta region. Militant attacks have cut Nigeria’s oil exports by more than 20 percent since 2006.

Disappointing Results

“After closing above $70 a barrel for eight days, the market is getting primed for a charge through the recent highs,” said Gene McGillian, an analyst and broker at Tradition Energy in Stamford, Connecticut.

“The Nigerian offensive doesn’t appear to have produced the results the government wanted. We will be missing a lot of sweet crude as a result.” Nigeria produces low-sulfur, or sweet, oil, prized by U.S. refiners because of the proportion of high-value gasoline it yields. The African country was the fifth-biggest source of U.S. crude imports last year, according to the Energy Department. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the re- election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was valid and warned of a crackdown on Iran’s “political elites” if protests continue. The nation is the second-biggest oil producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

“Missing flows from Nigeria are starting to add,” said Olivier Jakob, managing director of Petromatrix GmbH in Zug, Switzerland. “We will need to keep an Iranian risk premium for the weekend and to it we will add a Nigerian risk premium.” The EU is showing signs of a “sustainable economic recovery” from the worst slump since World War II, leaders of the 27-nation bloc said in a draft statement at a summit today in Brussels. The group’s members are responsible for 18 percent of global oil consumption, according to BP Plc, which publishes its BP Annual Statistical Review of World Energy each June.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s general economic index climbed to minus 2.2 from minus 22.6 in May, the bank said Thursday. The Conference Board’s index of U.S. leading economic indicators rose more than forecast in May for the second straight month, while the Labor Department said the number of people collecting unemployment insurance plunged by 148,000 in the week to June 6, the most since November 2001. Underscoring investor expectations of a revival in economic growth, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 0.6 percent to 923.99. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.4 percent to 8,587.04. Brent crude for August settlement rose 24 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $71.30 a barrel on London’s ICE Futures Europe exchange.
www.bloomberg.com

Oil rises to $72 as investors eye inflation

Oil prices rose to $72 a barrel on Friday amid concerns that massive U.S. fiscal spending will spark inflation down the road, making oil and other commodities attractive investment alternatives.

Benchmark crude for July delivery rose 77 cents to $72.14 a barrel by mid-afternoon in Europe in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. On Thursday, it rose 34 cents to settle at $71.37.

After hitting an eight-month high of $73.23 on June 11, oil has lingered above $70 a barrel this week on investor optimism that the global economy is stabilizing from a severe slowdown.

Traders are also buying crude and other commodities as protection against possible inflation and a weaker dollar.

On Friday, the euro rose to $1.3932 from $1.3903 late Thursday in New York, while the British pound also gained, trading at $1.6463 from $1.6350 in the previous session.

"As an inflation hedge, oil is very popular right now," said Christoffer Moltke-Leth, head of sales trading for Saxo Capital Markets in Singapore. "The theme of the market is the inflation scare, and it's getting more pronounced. Crude is seen as a safe bet in this environment."

So far, inflation rates have remained low, with some countries slipping into disinflation amid deep recessions. But analysts worry that government stimulus spending, especially in the U.S., and rising commodity prices could push prices higher by the end of the year.

Robert Prior-Wandesforde, senior Asia economist for HSBC in Singapore, said in a report that he expects the inflation rate in Asia excluding Japan and China to bottom at 3 percent in September and then rise to 5 percent by year-end and 6.5 percent by mid-2010.

"A strong rise in both food and energy price inflation will push the headline rate higher," he said. "It is by no means clear that markets or policy makers are prepared for this kind of rapid reversal in inflation."

Analysts also highlighted potential risk factors in Iran and Nigeria.

"The Iranian version of the Florida vote-recount is starting to be a bit too long for comfort," said Olivier Jakob of Petromatrix in Switzerland. "The continuation of the protests in Teheran are a mounting embarrassment for the governing powers and increases the chance either a violent repression or the creation of a diversion by opening another front."

In Nigeria, Africa's largest crude producer, the main militant group said it blew up a major pipeline run by Italian oil company Agip, although there was no immediate confirmation from the subsidiary of Italian energy giant Eni SpA.

Violence has been escalating in the oil-rich southern region as the military intensifies operations to flush out rebels battling for a larger share of the Nigeria's oil revenues.

In other Nymex trading, gasoline for July delivery was up 0.43 cent to $2.0338 a gallon and heating oil rose 1.9 cents to $1.8560. Natural gas for July delivery gained 6.1 cents to $4.154 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In London, Brent prices rose 72 cents to $71.78 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.

Associated Press writer Alex Kennedy in Singapore contributed to this report.

Gazprom and Dow Chemical Expand Emissions Alliance

By ANDREW E. KRAMER

Published: June 18, 2009

MOSCOW — Gazprom, the energy company, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Dow Chemical Company to expand trading in carbon dioxide emission credits intended to slow climate change, a business that is a growing sideline for the Russian company.

Best known for its sales of natural gas and crude oil, which produce heat-trapping carbon dioxide, Gazprom is an emerging player in the market for credits that companies can buy or trade to comply with national or international rules on greenhouse gas emissions.

Under the memorandum, Gazprom and Dow agreed to look at opportunities where Dow technologies could be used to reduce carbon emissions, thus generating the emission credits. The companies agreed to look at opportunities worldwide.

Dow could then use some of the credits to offset its own industrial activities while Gazprom’s trading arm in Britain could market any excess.

Gazprom’s customers in Europe — in particular utilities that burn gas to generate electricity — often need to offset their emissions under a European Union pollution trading scheme or the broader Kyoto Protocol on climate change.

Through its marketing and trading subsidiary in London, Gazprom in 2007 began offering utilities a bundled product of fuel along with credits needed to burn it. Gazprom buys the credits on the market or through investments in alternative energy projects elsewhere in the world.

However, the true promise for this business is in carbon credits that come, like the gas, from Russia. Companies in Russia and elsewhere in Eastern Europe are among the world’s big producers of greenhouse gases. But they stand to benefit under the climate treaty by selling their rights to release carbon dioxide into the air, if they invest in greater efficiencies.

The statement said the companies would also explore projects in the small carbon market in the United States.

As a country, Russia possesses the credits in abundance under the Kyoto Protocol, which set a baseline in 1990 for emissions, before a sharp contraction in the Russian economy greatly reduced carbon emissions. Russia can transfer those benefits to its companies to sell.

In 2004, when Russia ratified the protocol, officials estimated Russian companies could earn $6 billion to $9 billion selling credits created from investments in emissions-reducing technologies.