Amstelveen, Netherlands (AHN) – Dutch carrier KLM on Wednesday said it would begin using used cooking oil for some of its flights. The announcement comes less than two years after the airline flew the first biokerosene-fueled passenger flight in Europe.

Used cooking oil from factories and hotels will fuel KLM flights between Amsterdam and Paris beginning September. According to the airline, the fuel will meet the same technical specifications as those of conventional kerosene. No changes to engines or aircraft infrastructure will be required to use the new fuel.

Approval for the use of biofuel in aviation is expected soon in Europe. KLM, the world’s oldest airline operating under its original name, hopes the move will result in a positive recommendation from the Sustainability Board of the Netherlands.

KLM launched the first plane powered with biokerosene on the continent in November 2009 when it flew a select group of passengers with one engine running on 50 percent used cooking oil and 50 percent aviation kerosene.

Other carriers are similarly exploring the use of biofuels to improve sustainability and lower carbon emissions.

Continental, Japan Airlines and Virgin Atlantic are among those that have tried using fuel sustainably made from sources such as algae, coconut oil and jatropha.

Brazilian airline TAM partnered with Airbus last year to become the first to fly a biokerosene-fueled plane in Latin America.

KLM’s biokerosene is supplied by SkyNRG and made by Dynamic Fuels, a United States-based joint-venture of Tyson Foods and Syntroleum Corp.

Dynamic Fuels operates a plant in Louisiana that is recognized as the first U.S. industrial-scale production facility for biofuels. The company makes fuel from animal fats such as inedible porcine fat, vegetable cooking oil used in frying, fat from wash water in beef rendering and from factory cooking operations, and unrefined, inedible soybean oil produced from the refining process.

KLM, which merged with Air France in 2004 and has led among airlines in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, said many factors affect the level of sustainability of biofuels. It ensures the quality of its biokerosene with advise from the Sustainability Board, which includes the Dutch wing of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Copernicus Institute of the University of Utrecht.

The carrier made clear its support for the WWF’s Energy Report, which says alternative fuels made from biomass are the only appropriate replacement for fossil fuels for sectors such as the airline industry.

“The route to 100 percent sustainable energy is enormously challenging,” managing director Camiel Eurlings said in a statement. “The costs of biofuels need to come down substantially and permanently. This can be achieved through innovation, collaboration and the right legislation that stimulates biofuel in the airline industry, but with an eye on honest competition. We really need to move forward together to attain continuous access to sustainable fuel.”

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The International Monetary Fund will interview Mexican Central Bank Governor Agustin Carstens ahead of French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde in the fund’s search for a new managing director.

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The Securities and Exchange Commission is proposing tighter rules on the audit of brokerage firms to make it harder for these companies to engage in fraudulent practices similar to Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro said on Wednesday.

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Some parts of Europe are experiencing a drought that is particularly severe in certain areas of England, France and Germany.

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WASHINGTON (UPDATED: 2:40 p.m. ET, 6/8/11)-CUNA President/CEO Bill Cheney said that the Senate’s failure to delay implementing the Federal Reserve’s interchange debit fee cap will “create a train wreck that will affect every consumer with a debit card.”

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Beijing, China (AHN) – China has agreed to end subsidies of its wind power manufacturers that use domestic parts instead of imports, which violate World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and give Chinese firms an unfair advantage over U.S. manufacturers.

A complaint to the WTO filed by the United Steelworkers prompted China’s move, according to U.S. .Trade Representative Ron Kirk.

The end of subsidies by China’s government provides a more level playing field for U.S. wind turbine manufacturers to compete with Chinese products.

Kirk also criticized China for evading its transparency commitments by failing to provide the WTO with information about its subsidy programs on a regular basis. He said that because China is the second largest WTO trader that it is not acceptable for China to evade providing the WTO with the information.

However, critics say that China’s renewable energy manufacturing sector has grown so large that it is now so powerful that ending the illegal subsidies that allowed it to grow so large will not help other nations much to compete against Chinese manufacturers in the world market.

China’s Special Fund for Wind Power Manufacturing illegally gave individual grants of up to $22.5 million to Chinese manufacturers who agreed to use Chinese-made parts in the manufacturing of wind turbines, according to a case filed last year by the United States at the WTO.

The U.S. filed the suit so U.S. manufacturers could have an opportunity to supply parts to Chinese manufacturers.

The issue is especially important now as the U.S. struggles to create more jobs and close the huge trade gap with China.

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Americans continue to pay down revolving debt balances after all, as pessimism may be curbing consumer credit growth

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Washington, DC, United States (KaiserHealth) – Medicaid will stop paying for about two dozen “never events” in hospitals, such as operations on the wrong body part and certain surgical-site infections, federal officials said today.

Currently, about 21 states have such a nonpayment policy. The 2010 federal health law, in effect, expands the ban nationwide. The rule published today gives states until July 2012 to implement it.

Medicaid is a joint state-federal program for the poor and disabled. Under the rule, Medicaid funds can’t be used to pay doctors and hospitals for services that “result from certain preventable health care-acquired illnesses or injuries,” the officials said.

A similar regulation has been in place for Medicare, the federal health program for the elderly, since 2008.

“These steps will encourage health professionals and hospitals to reduce preventable infections, and eliminate serious medical errors,” said Donald Berwick, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. “As we reduce the frequency of these conditions, we will improve care for patients and bring down costs at the same time.”

Some physician groups have concerns about the new policy. “Simply not paying for complications or conditions, that, while extremely regrettable, are not entirely preventable, is a blunt approach that is not effective or wise for patients or the Medicare or Medicaid program,” Dr. Michael Maves, CEO of the American Medical Association, said in written comments to CMS in March.

He said the medical association has “grave concerns” about states extending the non-payment policy beyond the conditions considered by Medicare. The American Hospital Association expressed similar reservations.

Cindy Mann, deputy director of CMS and director of Medicaid, said the rule gives states the option to expand the nonpayment policy to health care settings besides hospitals and to add other types of “never events.”

She said the policy would help improve patient care and drive down costs in the $364 billion program. “All (health care) payers are looking to gain better value for the dollars they spend and Medicaid is no different,” she said.

But the costs savings from the change is relatively modest. According to the proposed rule, Medicaid would save about $35 million over the next five years from stopping pay for such medical mistakes. Medicare has saved about $20 million a year under its policy.

“It’s a welcome first step into the national debate on quality,” said Matt Salo, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors. “Clearly many states have already moved ahead, although that should never be taken as rationale for forcing the rest of them to do … well, anything. But improving quality in a coordinated fashion between Medicare and Medicaid is important.”

This is list of preventable conditions that Medicaid will no longer pay for:

• Foreign Object Retained After Surgery
• Air Embolism
• Blood Incompatibility
• Stage III and IV Pressure Ulcers
• Falls and Trauma
• Fractures
• Dislocations
• Intracranial Injuries
• Crushing Injuries
• Burns
• Electric Shock
• Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
• Vascular Catheter-Associated Infection
• Manifestations of Poor Glycemic Control
  • Diabetic Ketoacidosis
  • Nonketotic Hyperosmolar Coma
  • Hypoglycemic Coma
  • Secondary Diabetes with Ketoacidosis
  • Secondary Diabetes with Hyperosmolarity
• Surgical Site Infection Following:
  • Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) – Mediastinitis
  • Bariatric Surgery
  • Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass
  • Gastroenterostomy
  • Laparoscopic Gastric Restrictive Surgery
• Orthopedic Procedures
  • Spine
  • Neck
  • Shoulder
  • Elbow
• Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)/Pulmonary Embolism (PE) Following Total Knee Replacement or Hip Replacement – with pediatric and obstetric exceptions
• Surgery on the wrong patient,
• wrong surgery on a patient, and
• wrong site surgery

Source: CMS

pgalewitz@kff.org

– Provided by Kaiser Health News.

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ALEXANDRIA, Va. (June 6, 2011) – National Credit Union Administration Board Member Michael E. Fryzel visited South Division Credit Union in Evergreen Park, Ill., last week where he met with the credit unions’ CEO Geri Burek, several Board Members, and key staff to discuss current industry happenings and NCUA perspectives.

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City of Newport, Wales, United Kingdom (AHN Sports) – Alex Noren hoisted the hardware Sunday at Celtic Manor. He used his day-long consistency for a one-under par 70 and a nine-under par total of 275 that delivered victory at the Wales Open.

Noren won his second European Tour event with 15 pars, two birdies and only one mistake in the final round.

At the driveable par four 15th, his three-wood carried the water hazard but hit the bank and bounced back into the water. He still had a great shot at par but missed from eight feet and picked up his only bogey of the day.

He cruised to victory after opening up a four-shot lead over the first seven holes. Neither Anders Hansen nor Peter Hanson could make a run at him. Hansen shot an even par 71 and tied for second at seven-under par 277 with Gregory Bourdy of France who shot the day’s low round, a 67 that pulled him up into second place with Hansen.

Pablo Larazabal and Ricardo Gonzalez equalled Bourdy’s effort with their own 67s and finished with Johan Edfors (69) and Hanson (72) at six-under par, 278.

Defending champion Graeme McDowell recovered from his disastrous third round 81 with an even par 71 to finish at three-over par, 287.

“I’ve proved to myself that I could hit a lot of greens and not just relay on my short game,” Noren said after his win. His last victory came two years ago.

He won’t have time to rest on his latest laurels. He’ll go to Sunningdale and play in a 36-hole qualifier for the Open Championship in July. He qualified last week for a spot in the U.S. Open.

“It will be wierd but I’ll will look forward to it,” the new champion said.

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