Recycling, Renewables and Sustainable Business 8

Friday, November 8, 2019

Recycling, Renewables and Sustainable Business 8

1          Tackle climate change or face funding pressure, gas conference told
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-gas-idUSKBN1XH26W
Investments in gas projects could dry up if the industry fails to demonstrate quickly that it is tackling climate change, a European gas conference heard in Paris on Thursday, a day after environmental activists disrupted the gathering.

2          US Energy Dept. Has A Solar Power Message For Coal: Get Lost!
https://cleantechnica.com/2019/11/07/us-energy-dept-has-a-solar-power-message-for-coal-get-lost/

For someone who promised to revive the US coal industry, President* Trump sure is letting Energy Secretary Rick Perry get away with murder. Coal power plants and coal producers have been dying off in growing numbers all during Secretary Perry’s tenure, thanks in part to his agency’s promotion of renewable energy. In the latest development, last month Perry announced that he would resign later this year — but not before his agency pushed out yet another round of  R&D funding aimed at pushing the cost of solar power far below the cost of coal.

3          Batteries vs. Blackouts: 1,100 Homes Powered Through Vermont Outage With Storage
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/green-mountain-power-kept-1100-homes-lit-up-during-storm-outage

A major rain and wind storm struck the state at the close of October, knocking out power to some 115,000 customers. Among those affected, 1,100 homes managed to keep the lights on thanks to pilot programs specifically designed to promote resilient backup power with energy storage. The battery backup service lasted nine hours on average, but the longest instance stretched to 82 hours.

4          IEA: Gas and renewables to power Africa
https://www.energyvoice.com/oilandgas/africa/211762/iea-gas-and-renewables-to-power-africa/
The struggle to provide Africa with energy will become increasingly important, particularly in terms of balancing power with carbon emissions, a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) has said.

5          The Permian paradox: Texas shale players go green to drill more
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-energy-renewables-idUSKBN1XI1HH
As the thirst for electricity to power drilling rigs in West Texas drives the state’s energy needs to new highs, oil and gas companies are increasingly relying on wind and solar power to ensure that the shale boom continues.

6          ‘Death of a river’: the ruinous design flaw in a vast Amazon rainforest dam | Environment
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/08/death-of-a-river-the-ruinous-design-flaw-in-a-vast-amazon-rainforest-dam

The biggest hydroelectric project in the Amazon rainforest has a design flaw that poses a “very serious” threat to human life and globally important ecosystems, according to documents and expert testimony received by the Guardian.

7          Rethinking Future Investments in Natural Gas Infrastructure
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/rethinking-future-investments-in-natural-gas-infrastructure

Cities and utilities across the United States are starting to reject natural gas — and not just for environmental reasons. Increasingly, the compelling economics of clean energy alternatives play a major role in these decisions.

8          Siemens Gamesa Rolls Out First 10MW Nacelle
https://www.offshorewind.biz/2019/11/08/siemens-gamesa-rolls-out-first-10mw-nacelle/

Siemens Gamesa launched the SG 10.0-193 DD, the company’s first 10+ MW offshore wind turbine, at the beginning of this year.

The 10MW rating is said to be made possible through a larger generator diameter, building on the Siemens Gamesa Direct Drive generator technology.

9          Coca-Cola commits to recycled marine plastic for beverage packaging
https://www.packagingdigest.com/sustainable-packaging/coca-cola-commits-to-recycled-marine-plastic-for-beverage-packaging-2019-11-7

The Coca-Cola Co., as part of its sustainable packaging focus, recently proved that plastic fished from waterways and plucked from beaches can be recycled into bottles suitable for soft drinks.

10        Renewable power GO: market looks to new drivers of liquidity and supply
https://blogs.platts.com/2019/11/07/renewable-power-go-market-liquidity-supply/
The market for European Guarantees of Origin, or GO, electronic tags that certify the source of renewable electricity, is evolving quickly.

S&P Global Platts has been monitoring developments, including the impact of recently-launched French auctions; price dynamics across regions and technologies; and where additional GO supply will come from in the coming years.

11        Exxon calls New York climate case a ‘joke’ on last day of trial
https://www.worldoil.com/news/2019/11/7/exxon-calls-new-york-climate-case-a-joke-on-last-day-of-trial

A lawyer for Exxon Mobil said New York’s fraud lawsuit against the oil giant was a “joke” and that the state had falsely accused engineers and scientists of cooking up a scheme to mislead investors about the financial risks of climate change.

12        Saudi Aramco joins World Bank’s zero flaring initiative
https://www.energyvoice.com/otherenergy/211665/saudi-aramco-joins-world-banks-zero-flaring-initiative/

Saudi Aramco announced today that it is joining the World Bank Initiative: ‘Zero Routine Flaring by 2030’.

Flaring remained at less than 1% of Aramco’s total raw gas production in the first half of 2019.

13        The Full Scale Of Brazil’s Oil Spill Remains A Mystery
https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/The-Full-Scale-Of-Brazils-Oil-Spill-Remains-A-Mystery.html

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said Sunday that “the worst is yet to come” with an oil spill that has affected fisheries and polluted more than 200 beaches on the country’s coast, Agence France-Presse reported. “What came so far and what was collected is a small amount of what was spilled,” Bolsonaro said in an interview with Record television.

14        McCrone: Clean Energy’s Decade Nearly Gone, And Its Decade Ahead
https://about.bnef.com/blog/mccrone-clean-energys-decade-nearly-gone-and-its-decade-ahead/

A decade ago, as 2009 drew to a close, Donald Trump was a bombastic reality TV star, Greta Thunberg was an unknown six-year-old in Stockholm, and the world had yet to appreciate major advances such as vaping, yoga pants and “bars” where you get your eyebrows threaded.

Business Intelligence and Analytics 37

Friday, November 8, 2019

Business Intelligence and Analytics 37

1          Data Cleaning and Preprocessing for Beginners
https://www.kdnuggets.com/2019/11/data-cleaning-preprocessing-beginners.html
Data cleansing or data cleaning is the process of detecting and correcting (or removing) corrupt or inaccurate records from a record set, table, or database and refers to identifying incomplete, incorrect, inaccurate or irrelevant parts of the data and then replacing, modifying, or deleting the dirty or coarse data. //Wikipedia

2          3 Lies Data Scientists Tell Themselves
https://towardsdatascience.com/3-lies-data-scientists-tell-themselves-8d29af9ccdf2
If you browse r/MachineLearning you’ve probably seen some posts over the last couple weeks about Siraj Raval, a YouTube personality working to build a name for himself as an online data science educator. He’s recently been under fire for plagiarism, exaggeration of his skills, and milking the data science hype for a quick buck.

3          Understanding Boxplots
https://www.kdnuggets.com/2019/11/understanding-boxplots.html
The image above is a boxplot. A boxplot is a standardized way of displaying the distribution of data based on a five number summary (“minimum”, first quartile (Q1), median, third quartile (Q3), and “maximum”). It can tell you about your outliers and what their values are. It can also tell you if your data is symmetrical, how tightly your data is grouped, and if and how your data is skewed.

4          Research Guide: Advanced Loss Functions for Machine Learning Models
https://www.kdnuggets.com/2019/11/research-guide-advanced-loss-functions-machine-learning-models.html

In addition to good training data and the right model architecture, loss functions are one of the most important parts of training an accurate machine learning model. For this post, I’d love to give developers an overview of some of the more advanced loss functions and how they can be used to improve the accuracy of models—or solve entirely new tasks.

5          Protecting Data Privacy in the Era of Digital Trading
https://insidebigdata.com/2019/11/08/protecting-data-privacy-in-the-era-of-digital-trading/
Technology has made it easier for anyone to invest their money. From automated trading advice and recommendations to wide access to global markets, even a novice investor can begin trading or market speculation with little money or experience. This has created an explosion of capital around the world.

6          Manufacturing Industry Reshuffle — Will Companies Thrive or Barely Survive in The New Era of AI-Defined Automation?
https://towardsdatascience.com/manufacturing-industry-reshuffle-will-companies-thrive-or-barely-survive-in-the-new-era-of-aa06a3cade5c

Previously we talked about how AI can enable robots to perform tasks that could not be done in the past. Specifically, AI robots have achieved breakthroughs in three major areas. But what impact will it have on the current landscape of the manufacturing industry? Who will be able to grasp the opportunities brought about by the new technology? Which companies will face unprecedented challenges?

7          Shaped by AI, the Future of Work Sees Soft Skills & Creativity as Essential
https://martechseries.com/mts-insights/guest-authors/shaped-ai-future-work-sees-soft-skills-creativity-essential/

As technology advances, it disrupts and revolutionizes entire business sectors, often making our jobs easier and our lives better. And while we don’t always know the full impact of such technological advancement, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) it’s becoming increasingly clear that AI will disrupt nearly every industry in one way or another.

8          4 Important Things Universities Need to Teach About Data Science/Analytics
https://towardsdatascience.com/4-important-things-universities-need-to-teach-about-data-science-analytics-6ab5988639ca

I remembered the analytics and machine learning projects I did as an undergraduate, the professors would expect us to produce presentations and scientific reports by implementing statistical and machine learning concepts taught in class on the final few weeks of the semester. These projects have one thing in common: We are to choose readily available data sets.

9          Explainer: World’s biggest trade pact shapes up without India
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-asean-summit-trade-explainer-idUSKBN1XF0XY
Although India pulled out at the last minute, China and 14 other countries agreed in Bangkok this week on plans for what could become the world’s biggest trade agreement – the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

10        Fatigue Can Be as Dangerous as Drinking on the Job
https://www.business2community.com/workplace-culture/fatigue-can-be-as-dangerous-as-drinking-on-the-job-02256079

Beep. Beep. Beep. Hear that? It’s your alarm sounding, except you feel like you just closed your eyes moments ago. Coming from the world of insurance, we’re surrounded by risk management best practices, and making sleep a priority for our employees and our clients has become an absolute necessity. There are more risks associated with fatigue than many realize.

Energy, Petrochemicals and Plastics 36

Friday, November 1, 2019

Energy, Petrochemicals and Plastics 36

1          Economic Uncertainty Leaves Oil Markets Paralyzed
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Oil-Prices/Economic-Uncertainty-Leaves-Oil-Markets-Paralyzed.html
The Federal Reserve cut interest rates again this week, but signaled that it may be done cutting for the time being. It was the third interest rate cut this year, which marked an about-face after successive increases over the previous few years. The central bank was forced into monetary easing after the global economy showed signs of slowing down, made worse by the U.S.-China trade war.

2          Weekly resin report: Processors begin preparations for reduced year-end inventories
https://www.plasticstoday.com/resin-pricing/weekly-resin-report-processors-begin-preparations-reduced-year-end-inventories/180904835961780

Domestic demand in the spot resin trading market slowed last week, as asking prices for fresh offers ratcheted higher, but strong exports again brought completed volumes to solid levels, reports the PlasticsExchange (Chicago) in its Market Update. Some special discounts for commodity grades in the domestic market—suppliers still had railcars requiring disposition before the end of the month—helped move some material, but notwithstanding one-off deals, overall pricing for both polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) balanced out steady.

3          U.S. oil output soars to record 12.4 million bpd in August: EIA
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-oil-output-idUSKBN1XA2A6

U.S. crude production soared nearly 600,000 barrels per day in August to a record of 12.4 million, buoyed by a 30% increase in Gulf of Mexico output, according to government data released on Thursday.

4          Asian coal demand to drive exports from North America’s West Coast
https://blogs.platts.com/2019/10/31/asian-coal-demand-exports-from-north-america/

Coal demand is declining in the US and Europe, but coal remains the world’s most dominant fuel for power generation. Despite what you may read, the global market for thermal coal continues to gain steam, particularly as Asia builds new coal-fired power plants to charge its growing economies.

5          Oil Set for Biggest Weekly Loss in a Month
https://www.rigzone.com/news/wire/oil_set_for_biggest_weekly_loss_in_a_month-01-nov-2019-160213-article/

Oil headed for its biggest weekly loss in a month as swelling American stockpiles and renewed doubts over a long-term trade deal between the U.S. and China suggested supply will keep outpacing demand.

6          Oil Price Fundamental Daily Forecast
https://www.fxempire.com/forecasts/article/oil-price-fundamental-daily-forecast-weak-job-pmi-data-could-send-prices-higher-609933

Weak data could pressure crude oil prices because this would highlight the expected drop in future demand. U.S. West Texas Intermediate and international-benchmark Brent crude oil futures are trading mixed shortly before the regular session opening on Friday.

7          Natural Gas Price Fundamental Daily Forecast
https://www.fxempire.com/forecasts/article/natural-gas-price-fundamental-daily-forecast-bearish-reversal-top-could-trigger-break-to-2-563-2-522-609929

Natural gas futures are trading slightly lower early Friday after posting a dramatic technical closing price reversal top on Thursday. If the chart pattern is confirmed later in the session the market could pullback another $0.06 to $0.10 over the near-term. The catalysts behind the price action was a bearish government storage report and a weak cash market.

8          Exxon Mobil beats 3rd-quarter expectations, but hurt by lower oil prices
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/exxon-mobil-q3-1.5342268
Exxon Mobil Corp’s third-quarter profit nearly halved, hit by lower oil prices and weaker margins in refining and chemicals, with its three major business reporting lower year-over-year profit. Earnings fell to $3.17 billion US, or 75 cents per share, in the quarter, from $6.24 billion, or $1.46 per share, a year earlier, the company reported on Friday.

9          Brazil’s $50 Billion Oil Boom Is Falling Apart
https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Brazils-50-Billion-Oil-Boom-Is-Falling-Apart.html
Exxon may not be interested in stepping up to the bidding plate at Brazil’s massive $50 billion transfer of rights auction next week, because the oilfields up for grabs come with a hefty price tag, Exxon’s president of exploration, Stephen Greenlee said in an interview with Bloomberg.

10        Encana declaring itself American is a gut punch for Alberta
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/encana-suttles-oilpatch-alberta-houston-denver-1.5342935
The most historic energy company in Canada decided on Thursday to fill out some forms and declare itself American. That change is an exceptionally bitter pill to swallow for the beleaguered oilpatch in Western Canada.

11        Novatek publishes its latest results
https://www.lngindustry.com/liquid-natural-gas/31102019/novatek-publishes-its-latest-results/

Pao Novatek has released its consolidated interim condensed financial statements as of and for the three and nine months ended 30 September 2019, prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

12        Total has declared its 3Q19 results
https://www.lngindustry.com/liquid-natural-gas/31102019/total-has-declared-its-3q19-results/

Total’s Board of Directors met on 29 October 2019, to approve the Group’s 3Q19 financial statements.

13        Another Oil Major Beats Expectations Despite Poor Profits
https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Another-Oil-Major-Beats-Expectations-Despite-Poor-Profits.html

Shell became the latest Big Oil major to report weaker third-quarter profits as low crude oil and gas prices dented its net result. However, the Anglo-Dutch company managed to beat analyst expectations on the back of strong income from oil and LNG trading.

14        Big Oil, investors face returns reckoning amid darkening economy
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-oil-dividends-idUSKBN1XA1T7

Darkening clouds over the global economy have led two of the world’s top oil firms to warn investors that promised growth in returns could be at risk for the first time since the 2014 oil downturn.

Recycling, Renewables and Sustainable Business 7

Friday, November 1, 2019

Recycling, Renewables and Sustainable Business 7

1          Borealis Aims to Start Producing Renewable PP by Year’s End
https://www.ptonline.com/blog/post/borealis-aims-to-start-production-of-renewable-pp-by-years-end
What is likely to represent a new  milestone in sustainable PP will result from the strategic cooperation announced recently between Borealis and Finland’s Neste. Borealis is aiming to produce renewable PP using Neste’s 100% renewable propane produced by Neste’s proprietary NEXBTL technology at its facilities in Kallo and Beringen, Belgium, starting by end of year.

2          Offshore Wind is Breaking Out Of Its Incubator Markets
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/offshore-wind-is-breaking-out-of-its-incubator-markets
From the North Sea to New Jersey, offshore wind tenders have successfully been awarding gigawatts of contracts to bankable, sizeable and increasingly economical projects.

3          Oil majors must cut output by a third to meet climate target – study | Business
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/nov/01/oil-majors-must-cut-production-by-a-third-to-meet-climate-target-study

The world’s largest oil and gas companies need to slash their production by more than a third by 2040 to meet global climate targets, according to a new report.

4          Even Louisiana’s Wealthier Neighborhoods Can’t Escape Toxic Air in “Cancer Alley”
https://www.propublica.org/article/even-louisianas-wealthier-neighborhoods-cant-escape-toxic-air-in-cancer-alley

Once a sleepy stretch of cane fields and plantation houses, Louisiana’s river corridor has been remade over the past century into a petrochemical powerhouse. When chemical companies looked to build along the Mississippi, areas next to black neighborhoods were typically the first to see the swap of sugar cane for smokestacks.

5          Keystone pipeline shut after spilling over 1 million litres of oil in North Dakota
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/keystone-spils-over-1-million-litres-oil-north-dakota-1.5343509

An estimated 1.4 million litres of oil have spilled from TC Energy Corp.’s Keystone crude pipeline in North Dakota, state authorities said on Thursday, a major leak at a time of increased regulatory scrutiny of oil pipeline expansions.

6          Argentina could become ‘sacrificial country’ for plastic waste, say activists
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/01/argentina-plastic-waste-dumping-ground-imports

Argentina has changed its definition of waste in a move that could allow it to import millions of tonnes of plastic waste discarded in the US.

The country’s president, Mauricio Macri, signed a decree in August reclassifying some materials destined for recycling as commodities instead of waste, allowing looser oversight of mixed and contaminated plastic scraps that are difficult to process, and are often dumped or incinerated.

7          German path to carbon neutrality achievable and affordable: research
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-energy-transition-idUSKBN1XA1UX

Germany can reach its target of becoming largely carbon-free by 2050 if it keeps expanding renewable power and introduces a hydrogen economy, one of the country’s biggest research centers said on Thursday.

8          We know plastic bottles are choking our planet. So why are companies still selling them?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/plastic-bottles-1.5341617
The American Beverage Association announced on Tuesday that the world’s leading beverage companies — Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Keurig Dr Pepper are investing $100 million to reduce the use of new plastic and improve plastic bottle recycling across the globe.

9          Iran’s thirsty energy industry runs up against water shortage
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-energy-water-analysis-idUSKBN1X80H5
The plan to build a petrochemical plant near the Iranian city of Firouzabad had everything usually needed to get a project off the ground: approval from the nation’s top authority, funding from the Revolutionary Guards and plentiful gas feedstock.

10        Most utility-scale batteries in the United States are made of lithium-ion – Today in Energy
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=41813

Most of the utility-scale battery systems used for energy storage on the U.S. electric grid use lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, which are known for their high-cycle efficiency, fast response times, and high energy density. Nearly all of the utility-scale battery systems installed in the United States in the past five years use lithium-ion technology.

Business Intelligence and Analytics 36

Friday, November 1, 2019

Business Intelligence and Analytics 36

1          Your Data Is Shared and Sold…What’s Being Done About It?
https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/data-shared-sold-whats-done/

Earlier this month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law amendments to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), the most sweeping state data privacy regulations in the country. The law, which takes effect on Jan. 1, regulates how data is collected, managed, shared and sold by companies and entities doing business with or compiling information about California residents.

2          Is Artificial Intelligence Set to Replace Accountants in the Future?
https://medium.com/@fugenxmobileapp/is-artificial-intelligence-set-to-replace-accountants-in-the-future-2bce34be39e9

Long ago, Artificial Intelligence services (AI), robots and machine learning (ML) were thought to be the only ones found in sci-fi films. Today, this type of technology is taking center stage in workplaces worldwide. Industries, including manufacturing, retail, agriculture and customer service, have already replaced some job positions with AI, so workers are scrambling to find new career options.

3          4 Data Sets You Need to be Aware of on Your Website -Big Data Analytics News
https://bigdataanalyticsnews.com/data-sets-need-aware-website/
Running a website isn’t just about picking an aesthetically appealing design, bigging yourself up on your ‘About Me’ page, and posting interesting content. To truly succeed as a site owner, you also have to be prepared to pay attention to big data and analytics. More to the point, you need to be aware of a number of data sets that have the potential to hold your site back from reaching its full potential.

4          Chief Data Officer Survey and Research Results
https://insidebigdata.com/2019/10/31/chief-data-officer-survey-and-research-results/

Research undertaken by YouGov on behalf of analytics database provider Exasol finds that 72% of businesses worry that their inability to generate insights through the analysis of data will have a negative impact on financial performance. This is despite a similar number (77%) of respondents stating that data is now their organization’s most valuable asset.

5          How to Use AI to Detect Soft Skills
https://datafloq.com/read/how-use-ai-detect-soft-skills/7089

The new world we live in gives us more help — and more doubts. Machines stand behind everything — and the scope of this everything is only growing. To what extent can we trust such machines? We are used to relying on them in market trends, traffic management, maybe even in healthcare. Machines are now analysts, medical assistants, secretaries and teachers. Are they reliable enough to work as HRs? Psychologists? What can they tell about us?

6          A Content Model (From Scratch)
https://www.business2community.com/content-marketing/a-content-model-from-scratch-02253316

Content marketing is one of the most effective marketing methods out there, with lower up-front costs and deeper long-term benefits than paid search. Also, users are getting over-saturated with ads, and therefore starting to tune out. Many users are using ad-blockers, and click-farms and bots are both decreasing the conversion rates of ads, making smart marketers turn to alternatives like content marketing. Gary Vaynerchuck is one of the leading marketing figures to listen to when it comes to content marketing, and he’s created an incredible resource for diving deep into his content model.

7          Creative Ways to Get More Mileage from Your Data
https://www.informationweek.com/big-data/big-data-analytics/creative-ways-to-get-more-mileage-from-your-data/a/d-id/1335951

Use analytics to your advantage to support your HR department, sales and marketing teams, team managers and ultimately your customers.

8          Do We Really Need Machine Learning for Personalized Recommendations?
https://celadonsoft.com/ai-ml/machine-learning-for-personalized-recommendations

In the 21st century, aka the era of customer-centricity, it’s hard to think of a high-quality software product that does not use personal recommendations. This functionality is actively used for cross-selling and upselling and brings immense benefits to both the company and the customer.