Petrol Malaysia

In December 2009, the world's attentions focussed on the Climate Change Summit at Copenhagen. The world was watching to see if an accord could be reached on a new framework, one that would replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012. Since 1992, the Kyoto Protocol has been the main framework in worldwide initiatives against: climate change, global warming, and carbon emissions. From the Kyoto Protocol came the concept of carbon trading. (Curious readers can read more about carbon trading and the Kyoto Protocol by diving into "Carbon Trading and the Kyoto Protocol" by Prof. P. Coles and Prof. B. Edelman of Harvard Business School.) Developing nations have requested that "the Kyoto Protocol should continue and that developed countries should slash their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 percent, compared to 1990 levels, by 2020." Developing nations, including Malaysia, are not bound by the Kyoto Protocol but are able to engage in carbon trading unde...

In June 2009, German newspaper, The Spiegel reported that Ecuador, which derives one third of its national revenue from oil, was prepared to forgo the income from mining the oil if developed nations could come up with a plan to compensate Ecuador for "some of its lost income". In order to mine the oil, mining companies in Ecuador would potentially destroy the rainforest that is home to an amazing range of bio-diversity. Known as the National Yasuni Park, it is a UNESCO biosphere Reserve. (Ref: The Spiegel Online, 23rd June 2009. Oil Or Trees? Germany Takes Lead in Saving Ecuador's Rainforest ) The report by The Spiegel stated that Germany had yet to confirm statements of a $50 million pledge to help sustain the Ecuadoran rainforest. It also noted that the Kyoto Protocols would expire in 2012 and that the Copenhagen Climate summit in December is expected to producea new United Nations mechanism for managing/countering climate change. In October 2009, Wall Street Journa...

According to Bernama, our Deputy Prime Minister, Muhyidding Yassin was reported to have said in a speech last night that almost 70 per cent of petrol stations in Malaysia are being successfully operated by Bumiputeras due to the initiative and efforts taken by the government.". (Ref: Bernama, 6th November 2009. 70 Per Cent Of Petrol Stations Operated By Bumiputera, Says Muhyiddin ) As a departure from my usual style, the complete news report is reproduced below. 70 Per Cent Of Petrol Stations Operated By Bumiputera, Says Muhyiddin KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said almost 70 per cent of petrol stations in Malaysia are being successfully operated by Bumiputeras due to the initiative and efforts taken by the government. The government has been carrying out a more streamlined license distribution system in line with the Petroleum Development Act, he said. He said the government has been aware of the many challenges faced by th...

Dear Reader, How many of you out there knew that styrofoam is a petroleum-derived product? I'll be honest: I didn't. But most of us who use consumer electronics would know what styrofoam is: it's that spongy, white, substance, formed into small globes, and further compressed together to form protective layers in packaging consumer electronics. It certainly helps reduce the damage to the electronic item in question, for example whenever there is a bump or the box falls on the ground. What is Styrofoam? From Wikipedia, we learn that styrofoam can refer to two things: Extruded polystyrene foam . In fact, the word " Styrofoam " was first used as a trademark by the Dow Chemical Company for extruded foamed polystyrene, used in thermal insulation and craft applications. Foamed polystyrene is moisture resistant and is used in building materials. Expanded polystyrene foam , in which case "styrofoam" has become a generic word to refer to moulded packaging ...

First off, this particular post has nothing to do with Malaysia. It has everything to do with events in a foreign land. Having said that, the question becomes, what is the "Royalty In Kind" programme? Why does it attract any attention at all? The country in question is the United States of America, and we pay attention because it involves scandals with regards to petrol companies. On 18th September 2009, The New Republic, an online news portal , blogged about the "Royalty In Kind" programme. Here is an excerpt: On Wednesday, the Interior Department finally terminated a program few people had ever heard of: the royalty-in-kind (RIK) system, which allowed oil and gas companies to drill in public lands and pay the government in oil, rather than cash. Over the past decade, the program, run out of an office in suburban Denver, had allowed companies to underpay the government by $10 million. But that's not why it was shut down--the tale goes well beyond ordinary...

In an earlier post , we looked at how filling a metal container on a vehicle (e.g. a truck) can lead to a build up of static electricity. The static electricity cannot be discharged when it is on the vehicle. As a result, a build up of static of electricity ensues. When another element is nearby, the static electricity build up may become discharged. It is common in the discharge of static electricity that a spark is formed. When a spark is in the vicinity of petrol vapours, the petrol vapours may become ignited. Static electricity is an everyday occurrence. To understand the phenomena of static electricity, one should understand that atoms, the basic building blocks of the universe, are composed of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons are positively charged, and sit in the center of the atom with the neutrons, forming what is known as the "nucleus". Electrons orbit the nucleus. Electrons are negatively charged. When two objects come into contact, electrons may move fr...