House Energy Committee Releases Draft Cap and Trade Bill
This fall, leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives Energy & Commerce Committee released draft legislation that would cap greenhouse gas emissions. The proposal by Chairman John Dingell (D-MI) and Rick Boucher (D-VA) will provide a starting point for the climate change debate in the House next year, and requires a 6% reduction in emissions by 2020. Representatives Dingell and Boucher contend that this change would allow time for the deployment of clean energy technology, particularly carbon capture and sequestration from coal-fired power plants.

The cap-and-trade program proposed in the draft would cover facilities that emit 25,000 tons per year or more of greenhouse gas emissions. While facilities producing 25,000 tons or less would not be covered by the cap-and-trade program, the draft would provide Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authority to establish industry specific emissions standards for these facilities. The draft also provides for low and no interest loans that would be available to companies to upgrade industrial processes, the efficiency of buildings, appliances and vehicles.

The AFS Greenhouse Gas Working Group will provide comments to the committee on the relevant portions of the draft bill. The Energy & Commerce Committee has posted the draft bill at http://energycommerce.house.gov. For more information, contact Alicia Oman, AFS Washington office, at ao@afsinc.org or 202/898-1444.

Conference Focuses on Reducing Costs, Improving Profits
The Improving Operations and Profitability in the Small Foundry Conference will be held Dec. 3-4 at AFS Headquarters, Schaumburg, Ill. This workshop was developed to help sustain the small metalcasting business in today’s challenging financial climate by detailing ideas to reduce costs and improve profits. It is being held in response to industry-wide requests for a conference that addresses the needs of smaller metalcasters. Topics include:

The conference will conclude with an open forum where metalcasters can ask the experts about pressing issues facing them. For more information, or to register for this conference, contact AFS customer service at 800/537-4237 or click here to download a conference brochure in .pdf format.

MODERN CASTING Launches Online Buyer’s Guide
MODERN CASTING magazine has put the compendium of information available in its annual Buyer’s Guide up on the internet, so you can find the materials, equipment and services you need to improve your metalcasting business without leaving your office.

The new guide, available at buyersguide.moderncasting.com, includes all of the suppliers in each of the product categories presented in the print edition of the resource. But with this interactive application, you can search through the data to find the products you need by directly selecting a product category, entering a supplier’s name or location, or choosing from a list of supplier names.

The online guide, which is constantly kept up to date by the suppliers themselves, also can be accessed through the AFS website (www.afsinc.org) or MODERN CASTING site (www.moderncasting.com). Check out the new Buyer’s Guide today, and go shopping for a better business.