Mr. Jack Lifton

GLG News by Mr. Jack Lifton, Co-founder and Director

GLG News is now G+ Insights

G+ is a community for professionals, academics and entrepreneurs to connect through online discussions and in-person meetings. You will continue to see G+ Insights (formerly GLG News) here as well as on the G+ website, where you can share and discuss the G+ Insights you read.

The Impact of the Japanese Earthquake on the Demand for Rare Earths 1/2 of 2011

March 14, 2011

The second largest demand for rare earths is that of the Japanese domestic manufacturing industry (the first is that from the Chinese).Chinese production (global supply) of rare earths will not be affected by the Japanese earthquake. Japanese demand for the rare earths will decrease in the near term.Will the Chinese move to increase their market share of rare earth using end products? Perhaps, but that is not an immediate concern,.

The Effect on Neodymium and Dysprosium Supply of China's Domestic Growth

March 13, 2011

China's green-tech/cleantech growth targets as stated in the just-put-into-effect 12th five-year plan are ambitious. What is their effect on China's domestic demand for the two most important rare earth metals, neodymium and dysprosium?

Understanding the Low Prices of the Rare Earths in China Itself

February 27, 2011

Li Gang, Deputy Gov. of the Peoples Bank of China said on Sat, Feb 26,2011  “In addition to boosting the flexibility of the yuan exchange rate, China also should adjust resource prices to address imbalances,” he said, “as many resources are still traded in China at below their natural prices[ Emphasis added by me]. China also should boost wages and social benefits to lift consumption, step up its enforcement of environment regulations and undertake other structural reforms to address imbalances.”

Why Toyota and Daimler Looked At And Passed On Tesla

February 26, 2011

It is far cheaper for Global 1000 manufacturers to pay technology developers for a look-see at their wares than to try and develop tens of thousands of even good ideas in-house. Toyota and Daimler follow this rule of limiting their costs on reserach and development.For this reason, primarily, they both paid some money or, in the case of Toyota, gave a discount to Tesla for a look at its battery use technology.Neither one seems to have been impressed.The pump and dump press has ignored this.

Access to the Limited Global Supply of Tellurium is Critically Important

December 5, 2010

Analysis of:First Solar to Acquire 5N Plus to Access Tellurium? Is global tellurium supply really an issue? | www.greentechmedia.com

Even though the supply of all chemical elements in the universe is infinite with regards to the needs or uses for them known by the human race, nonetheless the limited supply of tellurium present at or near the earth's surface, that part of the world in which we do and can mine and recover it , is very limited.The amount of tellurium that can be obtained, not the total amount produced, by any one user, such as First Solar (FSLR), is the limiting factor to their production rate.

Ultimately, EVs, and No Lithium , Please, says Honda

July 21, 2010

Analysis of:Honda Discovers Cars With Cords | www.wired.com

Honda, the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines, and the first to market a hybrid powertrain equipped personal passenger car, has now committed to entering the rather confused electrified vehicle market place with a range of powertrains to supercede the one, a nickel metal hydride battery using gasoline/electric hybrid that it has been marketing since 1997.Siimultaneously Honda announces that it remains committed to a fuel-cell based powertrain as the ultimate goal.

TransCanada and the Future of Reliable Economical Energy Supplies for the USA

July 5, 2010

Analysis of:TransCanada: Oil Sands Exports Will Go To Asia If Blocked In US | councils.glgroup.com

American exceptionalism has added the dimension of exceptional stupidity with regard to our securing of future energy supplies. TransCanada has responded as a rational entity to the confused hypocrisy now dominating the American government about economics in general, and energy efficiency and self-sufficiency in particular.

China's Currency Valuation Change and the Rare Earth Mining Sector

June 19, 2010

Analysis of:China Signals a Gradual Rise in Value of Its Currency | www.nytimes.com

China, today, June 19, 2010, announced that its national currency, the renminbi, will from now on be linked to the value of a "basket" of currencies rather than "just" the US dollar. Rare earth mining entrepreneurs outside of China will tell you that this is now a reason to buy into their ventures or to support IPOs for them. But I think there is another side to the coin. One that should give investors looking at the rare earth mining sector pause.

China Seeks Self Sufficiency in Automotive Exhaust Emission Catalytic Converters

May 25, 2010

Analysis of:China seals African platinum deal | www.ft.com

China is now the largest producer of motor vehicles of any one country; it has almost certainly already surpassed the United States for that title permanently. In 2009 China produced 13.5 million motor vehicles; it is predicted that this production rate will reach 18 million per annum by 2015; and 21 million per annum in 2020.The exhaust from internal combustion engines using hydrocarbon fuels is cleaned by catalytic converters using the properties of platinum, palladium, and rhodium

Price Discovery Mechanism Proposed for Rare Earth Metals

February 13, 2010

Analysis of:Electric Motors, Made to Order | www.nytimes.com

There has been talk of setting up ETFs for rare metals, in particular for the rare earth metals, for the last two years. The waiting period for this type of price discovery mechanism for some of the rare metals, at least, may be over.

Will GM tell us please if the Volt's Miles per Charge is Temperature Dependent?

January 13, 2010

Analysis of:GM Unveils Plans for New Hybrid, Again | www.forbes.com

Before a single Volt is sold to a real customer off of a showroom floor GM is announcing again that they are going to expand their offerings of this "extended range" hybrid powertrain in a Cadillac this time rather than as a Buick or as a Saturn the time before.I have a simple question for GM to answer before anyone at all buys a Volt.

Underpriced Rare Earth Metals From China Have Created A Supply Crisis

December 6, 2009

Analysis of:Chinese pay toxic price for a green world | www.timesonline.co.uk

China has a policy of predatory pricing, which has allowed it to gain monopoly control over some strategic natural resources such as the rare earth metals. The policy has now backfired as the low revenues to Chinese producers have deprived them of the investment funds they need to not only expand production but also to maintain the production they have.The result is a massive Chinese environmental problem, which threatens all by itself to cut non Chinese end users off from their only supply.

Is The Rare Earth Supply Crisis Due to Peak Production Capability or Capacity

September 6, 2009

Analysis of:A Different Environmental Threat: Peak Rare Minerals, China, and Green Technology | michaelperelman.wordpress.com

The current "crisis" in the media in the supply of rare earth metals is most likely due to nothing more sinister than mining capacity in China, the country which today produces some 97% of the world's supply of rare earth metals. There is sufficient accessible by current technology rare earth mineralization in North America, Australia, Southeast Asia ,Viet Nam, and South Africa to not only make world industry independent of China, but, ultimately, and soon, to supply China's domestic shortfalls.

Will The Chevrolet Volt Even Be Built as A Production Model? That's The Question

September 4, 2009

Analysis of:Audi U.S. president Johan de Nysschen addresses Chevrolet Volt is for idiots firestorm via Facebook | www.autoblog.com

The Audi USA president is simply vocalizing what is on everyone's mind in the OEM automotive world. His basic sentiment that the Volt is an idiotic concept is widely shared wherever in the world cars are designed , built, and marketed by existing mass producers.

The Rare Earth Security of Supply Crisis in Simplified Form

September 3, 2009

Analysis of:China tries to calm unease over rare earths curbs | news.yahoo.com

China's domestic use of its domestic production of the rare earth metals used accross the board in and critical to many if not most green technologies has caused it to restrict exports of these rare metals for years. The economics of Chinese rare earth production caused all other world producers to cease mining them years ago. Chinese domestic demand is now approaching Chinese domestic supply. The sleepy world of natural resource use and finance now calls this hoarding.. The Chinese are not amused.

Autoblog Misunderstood What Bill Ford Said About Batteries Used By Ford

August 20, 2009

Analysis of:Chevy Volt's 230 mpg rating, ad campaign comes under fire from Bill Ford, AdAge | green.autoblog.com

The Autoblog.com article I am analyzing is poorly edited, poorly fact-checked, and poorly written. William Clay Ford, could not have said what the article attributed to him in the context described.

Is The Chevrolet Volt Only A Fair Weather Car?

August 12, 2009

Analysis of:How did GM arrive at 230 mpg for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt? | www.autoblog.com

All this nonsense about the Chevrolet Volt's fuel use and performance is just hot air until the car is on the road and its actual performance under real driving conditions and with ordinary drivers is measured. I propose a side-by-side test of the Prius and the Chevrolet Volt to settle which is the more practical and versatile car.

Fast Charging EV Batteries Is A Problem Not A Solution

August 9, 2009

Analysis of:Electric Car Charge Stations: The Next Third Space? | www.thebigmoney.com

The cart is dragging the horse as the economically and electrical engineering clueless are now debating where to put the infrastructure for recharging (fueling) electric cars. All we have to do is change the transportation fueling, the shopping habits, and the daily routines we have built up over the last 100 years as soon as possible. Not quite. We' will also have to reconstruct our electric power distribution grid and avoid fast charging except in emergency situations. What was that?

Is General Motors backing Off Of The Chevrolet Volt Type Plug-In Hybrid?

August 8, 2009

Analysis of:New Buick Plug-In Hybrid Due By 2011: Breaking News | www.popularmechanics.com

The new Buick "two mode" hybrid is not an evolution of the Chevrolet Volt power train as this article in Popular Mechanics implies; the Buick (mild) "hybrids rather a step back for GM, and I think, an admission that all is not right with the Chevrolet Volt either in performance and range to be delivered or in marketability. GM made a misstep listening to Rick Wagoner and Bob Lutz both say that there was no future to the full hybrid exemplified by the outstandingly successful Prius.

Peugeot Expands Use of Rare Earth Based Batteries with First Diesel Hybrid

August 6, 2009

Analysis of:Peugeot preparing to launch its first diesel-powered hybrid | www.4wheelsnews.com

French car maker, Peugeot, has matched its long history of making and marketing diesel cars with the solid performance history of , reliable, and long lived nickel metal hydride battery packs, such as those made and used by Toyota in the Prius "full" hybrid, to introduce the first diesel hybrid powered car to enter the global marketplace in mass production. Did Peugeot engineers and marketers choose reliability over hype?

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