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William Leys

Coking Coal Supplies Tighten Further - Commodities - Resource Investor - 0 views

  • The situation is far worse than three years ago, when flooding also affected Queensland coal production. At that time (February 2008), the tonnage lost is estimated to have been only 5-6 million tonnes, McCloskey said. On the other hand, the effect on the recent floods appears to have more than counterbalanced fears of a slowdown in Chinese coal demand
  • “Can Australia and the rest of the coking coal market make up the lost tonnage in the balance of the year? The answer is: no,” McCloskey said. “Some people will not be able to make steel because of what is happening in Queensland,” he stated.
  • US producers have steadily expanded coking coal exports in recent years, from 37 million tonnes in 2009, to 55 million tonnes in 2010. This year, US exports are forecast to reach 65 million tonnes. much of which will be in the form of relatively low grade blending coals. These factors will help to restrain prices.
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  • Brett Hartke
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    Research Question: What are the effects of the Australian flood? Summary: Coking Coal from Australia is going to harder to get. The effect could end up being higher prices for steel production (what coking coal is used for).  Reflection: The flood had a serious effect on coking coal and as a result the production costs of steel will go up. This could effect any number of industries ranging from the auto industry to housing. 
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    Hi Josh, you did a nice job with the annotations, but your summary and reflection could be more substantial...you are also missing questions.
William Leys

Due to flooding, the Australian Coal Production Loss $ 8, 3 Billion | Business Area - 0 views

  • SIDNEY – Damage caused by flooding in Australia some time ago resulted in the loss of coal production is estimated at $ 8, 3 billion.
  • s previously projected. Heavy floods hit parts of Queensland in January, causing significant damage, among which is the cessation of mining production and the cessation of transportation infrastructure.
  • “It is estimated the lost coal production ranges between 20-30 million tonnes,” said the Australian Treasury Department was quoted as saying by the AFP on Sunday (03/04/2011). Previously the government has indeed been estimated that the floods which covers an area of ​​the country of France and Germany will cut its coal production of approximately 15 million tons in the first quarter of March.
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  • In addition to main economic impacts due to these disasters is the disruption of mining and coal exports. Another thing that affects the agriculture in several countries. “Rising prices for crops and livestock, leaving farmers to further increase the expenditures and strive to increase their capital,” said the Australian Treasury. Besides these two effects, the flood that killed more than 30 people also have an impact on the tourism industry. Tourism Australia is facing some problems.
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    Research Question: What are the effects of the Australian Flooding? Summary: Continuing problems with coal have impacted Australia more than anticipated Reflection: Since the coal mines still have stagnant water in them, the process of procuring coal has stayed difficult and over-costly. Forcing coal prices to rise for the Australian-Asian market. Questions: Why were the original lost tonnage estimates by the Australian Government so off? Shouldn't they have had a better picture of the amount lost?
William Leys

AFP: Australia floods to cut growth: bank - 0 views

  • SYDNEY — Australia's record floods will shear one percentage point off growth in the March quarter, the central bank said Tuesday, with preliminary estimates showing a 15 percent drop in coal output
  • "The biggest effect on GDP was likely to arise from swings in coal production, with many Queensland mines severely affected by wet weather since December," the bank said in the minutes to its latest interest rate meeting, published Tuesday.
  • Treasurer Wayne Swan has flagged a 0.5 percentage point drop in growth for the current fiscal year due to the floods, which killed 35 people and brought the nation's third-largest city, Brisbane, to a standstill.
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  • The coal industry, which flooding virtually shut down in Queensland last month, stood to lose about Aus$5 billion (US$5.02 billion) in exports from the crisis, while agriculture could take a Aus$2 billion hit, Swan said.The floods were followed by a top-level cyclone which Treasury estimates wiped out Aus$700 million in rural production, Aus$200 million in coal exports and Aus$100 million in tourism activity.
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    Research Question: What are the effects of the Australian Flooding?Summary: People are all losing money because Australia's 3rd largest city (Brisbane) completely came to a halt from the floods.  Reflections: It's bad that Australia is going to lose a large chunk of their GDP, at the same time it isn't just going to effect them. Japan is  a huge importer of Australian coal. A good 10% of that coal is now under water and that will make it more difficult for Aussies to get coal to Japan, which in turn could raise the prices of Japanese made cars in the U.S. Questions: How much equipment was damaged as well?  
William Leys

Coal and Climate Change in Queensland - 0 views

  • The recent severe flooding in Australia that caused scores of deaths and billions of dollars in property damage and which was followed by an unusually powerful cyclone that caused damage hundreds of kilometers from the Queensland coast are the result of climate change. Floods and cyclone are natural phenomena but their unusual intensity and increasing frequency are linked to changes in weather patterns.
  • Meanwhile, ocean surface temperatures off northern Australia have been at record levels — as much as 5°C above average in some places.
  • Given this knowledge, the silence on the contribution of climate change to the January floods and Cyclone Yasi is deafening. The Royal Commission announced to investigate the floods will be limited to the response to the disaster and not the cause.
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  • The Australian and Queensland governments are putting fossil fuel company profits ahead of human safety.
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    Research Question: What are the effects of the Australian Floodings? Summary: Australia is putting fossil fuel production ahead of public safety in order to maintain low costs. Reflection: The article is definitely coming from a more socialist perspective (go figure), so they speak against the more Capitalist government in Australia. Questions: How will they be able to prevent future storms given the knowledge they have? They don't offer a solution, so do they know someone who does? "Coal and Climate Change in Queensland." Socialist Resistance (2011): n. pag. Web. 10 Mar 2011. .
Brielle DeFrell

The Delta-our abused, neglected child: the troubled Niger Delta is the linchipin of Nig... - 0 views

  • t is because of the Delta that Nigeria is the largest oil producer in Africa and the sixth largest in the world. Oil accounts for 40% of its GDP.
  • looking at our recent his-tory, Nigeria has suffered particularly badly from a form of Dutch Disease'. This term, coined by The Economist to define the relationship between the exploitation of natural resources and a decline in other sectors of the economy, also implies a decline in moral backbone.
  • Owing to the overweening importance of oil, the body politic has succumbed to temptation to greed
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  • The formerly vibrant agricultural sector, which still employs 60% of the national workforce, used to grow its own food and was a net exporter. Now the very crops that once built Nigeria's reputation as the largest sub-regional exporter, are being imported. Despite the mining sector's huge potential, its story is also largely one of neglect: as well as coal and tin, there is iron ore, limestone, niobium, lead and zinc.
  • Asian governments tried juggling fuel subsidies to keep businesses alive and Americans started leaving their cars at home. In a global economy, our crisis in the Niger Delta can have a terrifying impact on all of us.
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    Research Question: What are the effects of the oil competition in Nigeria? Okhomina, Osamede. "The Delta-our abused, neglected child: the troubled Niger Delta is the linchpin of Nigeria's economy and one of the world's most important sources of oil and gas. But the troubles continue to rumble on with no real solution in sight. Oilman Osamede Okhomina * warns of the dire consequences of a failure to find answers." African Business July 2008: 62+. Student Edition. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. Reflection: It's really hard to realize that the oil competition has actually brought down the morality of people that they can leave a girl with polio laying in a puddle.  Summary: The author of this article was in a taxi in Lagos during a rainy day. As he was being drove around he saw a girl submerged in water that was crippled from polio, no one stopping to help but splashing up the water on her. He believes that since the oil has become such a big part of Nigeria's economy that the morality of people has gone down.The people are getting more greedy. Nigeria also used to be a big agricultural sector, but since the oil growth the same crops they once exported are now being imported because they don't do it themselves. It's also causing the rest of the world to worry because if any crisis hits the Niger Delta, it will have an impact on the entire world. Questions: Is there a way to create a moral backbone again for Nigeria? Should we feel partially responsible for the loss of morals since they are supporting us with so much oil?
Matt Mulder

North Korea parliament praises progress on economy - FoxNews.com - 1 views

  • parliament praised progress in building the economy
  • but state media made no mention of a major promotion for the son of leader Kim Jong Il
  • Kim Jong Un would be elected to the powerful National Defense Commission — a move that would further solidify the young man's standing as North Korea's next leader.
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  • parliament typically meets once or twice a year
  • The country has made it a key goal to build up the economy by 2012, the 100th anniversary of the birth of national founder Kim Il Sung.
  • election to the National Defense Commission, which formulates key state and military policies, would be the next step in the path to formally naming him as successor.
  • outsiders scrutinize the sessions for clues to changes to the tightly controlled country's economic policies and power structure.
  • built a new steel factory, increased coal industrial capacity and built hydropower stations
  • "It actively encourages the struggle for the improvement of the people's living standards, marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of our fatherly leader Kim Il Sung in 2012, next year,"
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    Research Question: How does North Korea's communist government and nuclear technology influence the lives of its people? Source: Foxnews.com Summary: The leaders of North Korea's government met on thursday, and there were rumors that Kim Jong Il's son would be appointed to a higher position in the government to secure his place as next in line for the leadership of North Korea. However, there weren't any reports of that happening this time. Apparently, the top officials in the government meet once or twice a year to pass bills, appoint new leaders, etc. The government has been making significant progress over the past decade or so to be more self-sufficient as a country, which should greatly improve the standard of living for the average North Korean citizen. Reflection: I really think it's great that the people of North Korea might finally be able to have a better life, oppressed though it may be. I think that once the people have a better standard of living, they might also get to doing some thinking for themselves, and maybe have some interesting ideas about how their government is doing things. Yes, I know, that's a best-case scenario, but it could still happen. Questions: 1. What will happen once the people get better lives? 2. Is an overthrow possible? 3. What will Kim Jong Un be like as a ruler?
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