Reporting on the business and technologies
driving today's global industrial gas industry

The United States is one of the most important regions for global sales of industrial gases and related equipment and technologies. The economic crisis that began in the fourth quarter of calendar year 2008 affected the US industrial gas sectors in different ways. Large market segments, like steel and chemicals, took a deep dive. Sectors like healthcare and food, however, remained somewhat stable as they service basic human needs that are often recession resistant. Other segments, like energy and the environment, held some momentum based on widespread global interest. By the fourth quarter of 2009, improvement in manufacturing, a turn in inventory cycles, gradually stabilizing retail sales, some return of customer confidence, and firmer housing markets, were helping to turn the crisis around. In the US, this strengthening trend continues into the first half of 2010.

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This article presents an economic and industrial gas industry business summary for the year 2009, and takes a look at encouraging first quarter 2010 results. Readers of Mr. Pelitti's business reports will recall that the Latin American Region had enjoyed six consecutive years of growth. While as a decrease of 1.8 percent in 2009 — as a consequence of the international crisis that began in 2008 — Pelitti is able to report that today the situation is improving, and the Latin American region is back on a growth track.

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With the advent of summer, our thoughts turn to pleasant weather, some time off, and an idyllic place to enjoy that free time — like a trip to a farm. Today, there is more going on alongside the cows, corn, and rolling pastures than meets the untrained eye. It seems innovation is brewing in the barnyard, where waste is being turned into energy. While carbon dioxide is the most common greenhouse gas produced by humans, methane is far more toxic to the ozone layer. And boy, are those animals full of... methane.

One line of defense for environmental scientists has been to study ways to make cows and other animals produce less methane through better diets and genetics. Others see, among all those gases and emissions floating around, that there exists a considerable amount of potential for fuel sources. The strategy is one that is well-suited to less developed nations as it addresses many issues related to farming, greenhouse emissions, and the power needed to confront these challenges.

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The MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) sponsors a series of colloquia to showcase areas of critical energy research and analysis in hopes of mitigating foreseeable upcoming energy challenges. This article is a summary of a seminar presented by Bruce E. Dale PhD, a Professor of Chemical Engineering at Michigan State University. Professor Dale's interest lies in converting plant matter to cellulosic biofuel, chemicals, and materials. Dale advocates making informed and rational choices among alternative energy options by establishing key metrics used to compare energy alternatives as well as encourage collaborative efforts among farmers, biofuel producers, government agencies, and environmental grouops.

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