OPUSNET Team

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Sep 13

New bid for the Alcoa’s plant in Sardinia

KiteGen Research, an Italian company specialising in troposhperic wind generators has presented a bid to the Italian Government to acquire the plant being dismissed by Alcoa in Sardinia (the largest energy consumer in Italy). Their plan would partially convert the production and obtain 100% of the required energy for the operations from tropospheric wind, with …

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Sep 13

Dark energy, the mysterious cosmic force

Dark energy, the mysterious cosmic force thought to be the fuel behind the accelerating expansion of the universe, is real, according to an Anglo-German team of astronomers after a two-year study. However, the scientists declare to have no idea of what it consists of (Reuters).

Sep 13

The German Constitutional Court’s “yes-but” answer to the ESM Treaty

The conditional approval of the ESM’s rules by Karlsruhe judges limits the secrecy of bailout agreements, in the name of the citizens’ right to be informed. It comes after 37.000 Germans signed the petitions against unlimited funding to ESM by Germany. The Court’s decision orders the two Chambers of the German Parliament be fully informed …

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Sep 13

Goa’s ban on iron mining

India’s Goa state, which exports more than half the nation’s iron ore, banned all mining after a panel of experts said the province’s government lost an estimated 349.4 billion rupees ($6.3 billion) because of illegal mining. Trading and transportation of minerals that have already been mined will be allowed after scrutiny, according to the Goa …

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Sep 13

The Water-Energy Nexus

Energy generation and resource extraction are dangerously connected to the large use of water resources. Coal, nuclear and natural gas power plants drink up half the freshwater withdrawn from US rivers. The threat appears most acute in Asia, where rivers are being diverted to feed thirsty coal-fire power plants: India and China alone plan to …

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Sep 12

Commodities markets: food price rush

In 2012 the price of soy grew over 30%, and this summer wheat and corn hit respectively +30% and +38%. In the last six months of 2010 alone, more than 44 million people were driven into extreme poverty as a result of rising food prices. At the same time, banks and financial investors are making …

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Sep 12

BBA warned banks on LIBOR-EURIBOR rate-rigging

The British Bankers’ Association (BBA) issued a warning to banks in April 2008 to “submit honest rates” to its Libor setting panel. One email, dated 21 May 2008, appears to show that Angela Knight, the chief executive of the BBA, was aware of the potential for banks to submit rates not reflecting the price at …

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