Tips On Antiques Collecting

Advertising Items

1. Watch out for modern soda pop advertising items. There are reproductions (close copies of original pieces) and "fantasy items" (brand new pieces with no old counterparts). Pepsi Cola items is especially abundant.

2. Collectors of advertising items always keep these points in mind: 1) Subject (company); 2) Rarity; 3) Condition; 4) Eye Appeal.

Artworks

1. A reverse-painted glass object, as the name implies, has the decoration sketched and dien pain tel. d in color on the back or inside. The most delicate examples are the tiny snuff bottles produced by the Chinese. Flat pictures were much easier to produce since the background design was sometimes stenciled on and then filled in with color. The Chinese did such painted pictures and, in the early 19th century, German artisans also produced such works, mainly as human por¬traits. Reverse-painted scenes were also quite often featured in the glass tablets above mirrors during the first half of the 19* century.

2. Currier & Ives prints are probably the most reproduced of any 19th century American lithographs. Read the inscription along the bottom edge with care. Many originals will have the date they were "Entered According to an Act of Congress," but some old ones are undated.

3. One test to help sort the originals from the copies is to use a 10X loupe and examine a small area. If you see tiny dashed lines, it is an original. If you see an overall design of tiny dots, it is a photographic copy. Also, if you can examine it out of the frame, you should be able to detect the watercolor paint on die surface. It will reflect light as it is turned at an angle.

Ceramics

1. Dogs are not the only old Staffordshire pottery pieces reproduced; other animals and even figural groups have been copied. Watch out for overall "crazing" of the glaze (early examples are seldom crazed). Also "firing holes" or vent holes on the bottom of originals are only about W diameter. Modern pieces have much larger holes.

2. The "Wedgwood" Wares Confusion. Most people see the name "Wedgwood" on a piece of ceramic and assume it is a product of the famous Josiah Wedgwood firm that was established around 1769 and is still operating today. Several other English potteries, however, used markings that appear similar. Keep in mind the Josiah Wedgwood pottery uses only the word "Wedgwood" to indicate the firm (note: no middle "e" in "Wedgwood").

Confusing marks include "Wedgwood & Co." (1860 - ), "H.F. Wedgwood & Co. Ltd. (ca. 1954-9), and "J. Wedgwood," the mark of John Wedge Wood (1841-60).

3. Ironstone china is a dense, heavy earthenware pottery that was the everyday tableware of most Americans from the 1840s until around 1910. First invented in England in the early 19th century, huge quantities were exported to the United States. In the 1850s all-white wares with embossed designs were popular, but patterns were also decorated with many transfer-printed de¬signs in dark flow blue and, later, in lighter shades of blue, brown, green, etc. Copper luster trim and designs such as Tea Leaf were long popular as was the Moss Rose pattern.

Much ironstone carries company trademarks that may include other terms for the ware such as "Stone China," "White Granite," "Granite Ware," "Opaque China," "Parisian Granite" and others.

4. Watch out for "fake" R.S. Prussia marks. The new green and red mark has been available on decal sheets for a number of years and can be applied to any unmarked china.

5. Ceramics Primer. A "ceramic" is any object made from clay and fired in a kiln. There are two categories of "Ceramics": pottery and porcelain.

Pottery is usually heavier and denser than porcelain and can be made from several types of clay to produce redware (reddish ware), yellowware (pale yellow) and stoneware (dense grey body). These types were used for more common utilitarian items (crocks, bowls, jugs, etc.) A finer, whiter pottery clay produces earthenware used for better dinnerware and serving pieces. Most must be glazed to hold liquid.

Porcelain is made with special clays, one clay composed of kaolin (china clay), one petun- tze (a fusible feldspathic rock). Porcelain is much finer and whiter than pottery and is also harder. Most pieces of porcelain will be translucent when held to a strong light. All pottery wares are opaque.

The Chinese developed porcelain in the 13d1 century, and it was rare and expensive in the West. The formula was Anally "discovered" in Europe in the early IS01 century and first produced by the Meissen factory in Germany. Porcelain can be glazed to give it a glossy finish or left unglazed, creating bisque. One type of all-white bisque is called Parian Ware for its resemblance to Parian marble.

6. "Nippon" is the Japanese name for their country. When the U.S. Congress enacted the McKinley Tariff Act in 1891, all countries had to mark the country of origin on their exports to the United States. (Markings could be paper labels and weren't limited to printed or stamped marks.) Pieces of ceramic marked "Nippon" date between 1891 and 1921. In 1921 the law was revised and the words "Made in" had to be added to marks. Also, the Japanese had to drop the name "Nippon" and replace it with the English name "Japan."

7. Many people don't realize that the W. Goebel factory made fine porcelain wares, includ¬ing figural pieces, long before it introduced Hummel figurines in 1932. Watch for its printed or impressed early mark consisting of a crown over an entwined "W.G."

Clocks & Furniture

1. Don't be fooled by 20th century copies of 18th and early 19th century furniture. Early pieces will show hand craftsmanship with fine dovetailing, early tool marks and specific design features. More modern copies will generally not have dovetailing, will probably be made of thinner pieces of wood, and 20th century veneering is paper thin compared to early veneers, which can often be seen along drawer edges.

2. The "Morris chair" is named for William Morris, an English designer in Victorian England who invented the original version of this reclining armchair in about 1870.

3. "Mission" or "Mission Oak" are terms often used to describe the very simple, sturdy and angular furniture made during the peak of the American Arts & Crafts movement, ca. 1905-20. The name derives from the mistaken belief that it resembles the rare primitive furniture made for Cali¬fornia missions of the 17th through 19th centuries.

4. The "Eastlake" style of late Victorian furniture takes its name from English author and tastemaker Charles Locke Eastlake, whose book Hints on Household Taste (1868) exerted a great influence in the United States. In fact, he was horrified to find his name associated with the often inexpensive, mass-produced furniture made in this country and sold as "Eastlake."

5. Federal "fancy chairs" remained popular into the 1830s. In 1829 Lambert Hitchcock of Connecticut was the first man to start a factory to mass-produce such chairs. "Hitchcock" chairs could be shipped unassembled or ready to use, and eventually reached markets in far corners of the globe.

Glass

1. Direct reproductions, as well as "adaptations" of Victorian Art Glass, are the bane of many beginning collectors. Keep in mind that, in general, 20Ul century copies will be heavier and more crudely finished than the originals. Check the base for a pontil scar. The best early Art Glass had a polished pontil that left a smooth shallow circle.

2. Even though the colorful iridescent glass from the early 20th century has been called "carnival" for some fifty years, there is no evidence that pieces were ever given away as prizes at old-time carnivals or fairs.

Jewelry

1. Be on the alert. A great deal of brand-new reproduction Art Nouveau style jewelry is on the market today, especially pieces in silver.

Antique clock prices are an important resource for any clocks collector, you will find antique clock price guides and information in my website.

A Guide to Help You Pick Your Next Piece of Furniture

Buying furniture doesn't have to be a stressful or painful activity. In fact, it can actually be a bit fun when you know how to distinguish the quality pieces from those destined for the dumpster. The following guide will hopefully demystify the inner workings and construction of furniture so you can focus on picking out the perfect color, print, and texture for your home.

Upholstered Furniture

Your furniture sets the mood, tone, and overall feel of your home just as your wardrobe conveys these same traits about you. Upholstered furniture is perhaps the most telling sign of these characteristics as the use of color, design, and texture come into play more here than with any other type of furniture. Pieces that generally fall into the 'upholstered' category include chairs, sofas, love seats, sectionals, and sofa beds. This guide is designed to make your decision less daunting by defining some technical terms and giving you some insight into what lies beneath the cloths and cushions.

Woven Fabric Covers

Woven fabric means simply that the fabric is woven by a machine that interlaces two yarns running at right angles to each other. The most widely used group of decorative upholsteries sold in the United States consists of woven fabrics. These woven fabrics can be natural, such as linen and cotton, or man-made fibers like polyester and olefin. In most cases, fabrics are blends of various fibers like the popular cotton-polyester blend. The most popular types of weaves are as follows:

o Jacquard weaves are fabrics with differently colored yarns or fibers woven into highly decorative designs. These weaves are most often found in traditional furniture styles.

o Pile fabrics have loops or cut fibers standing up densely from the surface to form a three-dimensional texture. Depending on color and design, pile fabrics can be appropriate for traditional or contemporary furniture.

o Textured fabrics are woven from yarns that have been processed to give them more bulk, crimp, stretch, or otherwise altered. Chenille is an example of a very popular textured weave. Textured fabrics are often woven to resemble antique, homespun cloth.

o Plain-woven fabrics consist of one color with their character resulting from the type of yarn or fiber used. Depending on the texture, plain weaves can be used on formal or informal furniture and with a variety of styles.

o Printed fabrics are first woven and then printed with a decorative design. Chintz and polished cotton are examples of fabrics that are often used for prints, however textured fabrics with blends of nylon, rayon, cotton, and polyester fibers are also often printed.

Non-Woven Fabric Covers

Non-woven fabrics are produced by the bonding and or interlocking of fibers. These fabrics can be made by mechanical, chemical, thermal, or solvent means, or with an adhesive, or any combination of these. Examples of non-woven fabrics include:

o Vinyl, which may or may not be laminated to a fabric backing. Vinyls are preferred on furniture that is subject to hard usage. Also called Naugahyde®, vinyl is often thought of as a substitute for leather, and can be printed in a variety of patterns.

o Flocked fabrics are made by gluing pieces of cut fibers onto a flat woven cloth base. These fibers form a three-dimensional surface much like pile. Flocked velvet is an example of this kind of fabric.

o Knitted fabrics are made by interlooping one or more sets of yarns. This is a relatively inexpensive way of manufacturing fabric.

o Suede-like fabrics, such as Ultrasuede® are often used in decorative upholstered furniture covers to give the look and feel of genuine suede, without using animal hides and usually at less cost.

Inner Construction

The construction and inner workings of an upholstered piece of furniture can be as mysterious as an episode of Murder, She Wrote (ask your Grandma). But hidden under the decorative fabric or cover lies the secret to the piece's overall function, comfort, and longevity. No need to call Angela Lansbury in to solve this case, read on as we uncover what makes your chair or sofa tick.

The frame is the single most important component in determining whether or not a piece of furniture is going to stand the test of time. You probably figured wood as being the most commonly used frame material, and this, of course, is true. But any old hunk of tree won't due if you plan on passing this wonderful chair, sofa, love seat, or whatever on to your children or grandchildren (they'll probably just put it in storage or sell it at a yard sale anyway). Hardwoods, such as oak, alder, ash, beech and birch are what you're looking for in a frame. These hardwoods have a tighter grain and allow for screws, pegs, and nails to be set securely. Also, the best-made frames use wood that has been kiln-dried. This process consists of heating the wood in an industrial oven to remove excess sap and moisture. The process also makes the wood resistant to absorbing any outside moisture. If you're wondering what the problem is with moisture, I'll tell you. If you already know the answer to this, then skip to the next paragraph Mr. or Mrs. Smarty-Pants. Moisture can cause warping and swelling, can lead to loose joints and fastenings, and in severe cases can cause mildew or rotting, other than that, it's great.

The quality of the frame depends not only on the materials used, but how they're joined and held together. To create a strong, rigid frame, a variety of woods and laminates can be used in joints and for blocking and doweling.

o Joints are places where one piece of the frame meets another. These points of intersection need to be secured and reinforced with blocks and dowels to allow the frame to hold up over time.

o Blocking refers to placing additional 'blocks' of wood behind or diagonal to joints and corners to help relieve the stress these areas encounter. Blocks also provide lateral support and create a larger area for screws and fasteners to set wood elements securely.

o Doweling is the process of drilling into both pieces of the joint and then placing a pin, or dowel into the hole, thus further connecting the two pieces and adding extra support.

A quality chair or sofa will employ some type of inner spring system, usually in the back as well as the seat area. These systems add comfort, as you might expect, but they also work to take some of the stress off the joints of the frame. Here are some of the spring systems being used:

o The coil or cone spring system uses eight-way, hand-tied double cone springs to provide extraordinary comfort and support. This technique involves fastening the cone springs tightly to the base and expertly tying their tops together with a strong cord. This is the only system that allows for side-to-side movement in addition to up and down movement. Hand-crafted quality comes at a price, though, and while this is widely considered the best spring system, it is also the most expensive.

o The sinuous wire spring is made in a continuous zigzag or "S" shape. These wires run parallel to each other and are fastened directly to the frame and to each other. Similar to this system is the formed wire spring, whereby the continuous wire is formed into rectangular bends and angles instead of the zigzag pattern.

o The grid suspension system is composed of a wire grid, sometimes covered with paper or plastic-coated wire, which has one side fastened directly to the frame. The other side is connected to the frame by helical springs.

o Some manufacturers use elastic webbing instead of wire springs. The strips of elastic usually intersect and weave together and are fastened directly to the frame. It is best to avoid furniture that uses this technique.

Arm yourself with this knowledge and make a more informed choice the next time you purchase furniture.

For more information and a complete decorating guide along with some stylish eco-friendly and enlightened products, check out GREENCulture.com

12 Things to Check Before You Buy an Upholstered Chair

Chairs have evolved over thousands of years. There is evidence that the Stone Age people used chairs. The Egyptians were routinely using chairs as early as 650 AD. By the 1600s chairs had become part of interior design. In the 1700s upholstery started to appear on chairs. Upholstered chairs are common today, but you need to do your homework before you buy one.

Figure out what kind of chair you want first. Galen Cranz, author of "The Chair," groups chairs into five categories: hand-made, mass-produced, craftsman, designer, and artist. Artist chairs are one-of-a-kind chairs and can be pricey. These tips will help you find the right chair for your home.

1. Measure the space. You should measure the maximum width and available height. A chair that is too high will make your room look smaller.

2. Determine the style. Your new chair doesn't have to match your decor. Many interior designers are mixing modern furniture and antiques these days. Some decorators think every home should have a distinctive chair -- one that doesn't match.

3. Check the frame. According to "Upholstered Furniture," an article on http://www.homefurnish.com, kiln-dried hardwood is best for hair frames. Some manufacturers are framing chairs and couches with steel.

4. Check the wood type. The Carrington Court Direct Web site recommends maple, poplar, and ash. (Ash is so strong it is used for baseball bats.) The Grand Rapids Chair company uses European beech wood, "a grade 'A' hardwood that is stronger than oak or maple in every respect," according to its site.

5. Examine corner blocks. Corner blocks give the chair extra support. These blocks should be glued and screwed to the frame.

6. Inspect the joints. Joints should be glued together and also joined with dowels or L-brackets.

7. Check the springs. Manufacturers have two systems, eight-way hand tied springs and sinuous springs. The http://www.homefurnish.com site describes sinuous springs as two-dimensional, s-shaped wires fastened to the front rail of the chair. These springs run from front to back.

8. Feel the padding. The sales associate should be able to answer your questions and may have a brochure that pictures the padding. According to http://www.grandrapidschair.com, high resistance foam is "the Cadillac of cushioning."

9. Ask about upholstery options. Upholstery fabric is graded according to content and durability. Swatches are grouped in color categories. If the color you want isn't available you may not buy the chair.

10. Check out swatches. Major stores will loan you swatches for a few days. You pay a small fee and this fee is refunded when you return the swatches. See how the swatches look in the daylight, at dusk, and at night.

11. Get time info. Is the chair you like in stock? How long will it take to custom-make a chair? Does the company have a reputation for delivering on time?

12. Get return policy info. If you get the chair home and find, after a week, that it kills your back, can you return it? Buying a new chair is fun if you do your homework first.

Copyright 2008 by Harriet Hodgson

http://www.harriethodgson.com

Harriet Hodgson has been a nonfiction freelance writer for 29 years, has a Master's degree in art education and taken many design courses. She is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and the Association for Death Education and Counseling. Her 24th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from http://www.amazon.com - You will find a review of the book on the American Hospice Foundation Web site and the Health Ministries Association Web site.

Please visit Harriet's Web site and learn more about this busy author and grandmother.

Running Out of Options?

As a major emitter of carbon dioxide (CO2), the cement industry - particularly within Europe - has not been slow in addressing the climate change issue. On a sector level, the industry initiated the Cement Sustainability Initiative back in 1999. Many of the leading companies have put voluntary emissions reduction targets in place. On the regulatory front, cement is one of the five sectors that falls under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).

To a large extent, the cement sector has weathered the emissions constraints imposed upon it by the EU ETS in its first phase (2005-07). But, as we approach Phase II (2008-12) of the EU ETS, concerns are growing that abatement options may be becoming more limited, and more expensive. The industry fears that pressures imposed by the current structure of the EU ETS could see production - and therefore emissions - exported beyond the EU's borders.This, they believe, gives grist to their arguments for a new approach to controlling emissions within the sector.

To assess the impact to date of the EU ETS on the European cement industry, The Strategy Works carried out face-to-face interviews with the key personnel at the top five global players: Lafarge, Holcim, Heidelberg, Cemex and Italcementi [1] and a telephone interview with Cembureau, the European trade association for the industry.

Total European sales from these five companies are estimated at EUR26 billion (.5 billion) in 2006. Lafarge is the market leader in Europe for cement, while Holcim and Cemex compete closely for second place. Together, these three companies account for some 70% of the turnover among the five companies interviewed.

Demand for cement is growing steadily within Europe at 2-3%/year. It is proportional to economic development and Lafarge reports that developing economies now account for as much as 80% of global demand, a trend which is likely to increase and which is changing the global landscape of the industry. Industry efforts to reduce emissions predate the launch of the EU ETS. Lafarge says that it was the first global cement producer to set medium-term targets for CO2 emissions, in 2001. Other firms followed suit; now all of the five companies interviewed have medium-term targets (for 2010-15) for CO2 emissions. Public domain information, published within their corporate accounts and annual sustainability reports, confirms that four of the five companies have reduced their emissions in accordance with their targets to date.

However, the introduction of the EU ETS puts mandatory limits on the sector's emissions. Under the EU ETS, companies are issued CO2 allowances (EUAs) by national governments based on their reported emissions in previous years, a procedure known as 'grandfathering'. If they emit more than their allocation, they must buy EUAs on the open market. If they expect to emit less, they can sell surplus allowances.

Generally, within the sector, Phase I saw generous allocations in Eastern Europe, but stringent ones in the West, which Holcim believes is "not a level playing field". By and large, companies were allocated allowances in line with their expected emissions in Phase I.

Firms have been able to transfer their allocations between countries without having to trade on the open market. Three of the five firms appear to be balancing their allocation on an overall, or net basis. Heidelberg "does it on an individual country basis because CO2 has the same value in all countries".

Cemex, meanwhile, will consider trading allowances between facilities or countries in the second phase.

Cembureau reports that Phase I has been "business as usual" for the industry. There is no evidence of plant closure solely because of the scheme, but some plants have reduced their output or even stopped producing as a consequence of the EU ETS. However, there are concerns that the allocations for Phase II from 2008 will be much tighter. If this occurs, the scheme could effectively act as a cap on production, because it could become uneconomical for the industry in Europe to buy the additional allowances needed to produce (and therefore emit) more than its allocation.

There are several approaches to reducing the emissions associated with cement manufacture, but within Europe at least, two are key. The first involves reducing the amount of clinker in the finished cement, known as 'clinker factor reduction' or material substitution.

Clinker is the main constituent of cement and it provides the strength of the finished product. However, the production of clinker is emissions-intensive, both in terms of the fuel necessary to heat the kilns, and the chemical process that converts calcium carbonate to clinker (releasing large amounts of CO2).

There are two main alternatives to clinker - blast furnace slag and pulverized fuel ash (PVA, or fly-ash). Slag is a non-metallic byproduct of the steel making process, while PVA is waste produced when the flue gas from a coal-fired power station is 'scrubbed', which effectively means removing the noxious gases.

The second method of emissions reduction is by using alternative fuels, including organic waste, animal feed and biomass. The emissions saving results from the fact that these fuels are considered "carbon neutral" - on a net basis over their lifecycle, they do not release CO2.

This results in two savings. First, the CO2 emitted per unit of energy content is lower than traditional fossil fuels, and secondly, there is an indirect saving associated with recovering these waste products. If they were not used in the cement kiln, they would either be landfilled or incinerated, both of which result in their CO2 being released to the atmosphere (although the EU ETS does not provide credit for avoiding these emissions).

Material substitution is by far the most efficient means through which to reduce cement emissions.This is because around 60% of emissions are released from the chemical processes occurring inside the kiln, with the remaining 40% come from the burning of the fuel. Material substitution targets both of these sources, because less clinker is required in the first place, which also mean less fuel. Fuel substitution, on the other hand, reduces only the fuel-related emissions.

Companies vary in the degree to which they are pursuing these two routes. The market leader for material substitution is Holcim, with around 27% of alternative materials, including gypsum, being used in its cement in 2006, while the figure for most other companies was approximately 10%. Heidelberg is the market leader in the use of alternative fuels, with around 16% of its total fuel input in 2006 coming from sources such as biomass, tyres and plastics.

However, there are limits to the above methods of reducing emissions. Generally speaking, material substitution cannot exceed about 75% of total cement composition for slag and 25% for fly ash.

Companies also report quality being a limiting factor for fly-ash: it is often contaminated and requires further processing before it can be used in cement. Lafarge states that this fly-ash quality issue will become more significant in the future because "power generators will have increasing constraints on their emissions," meaning that the fly ash will contain rising levels of contaminants. Italcementi also reports that many of its clients are willing to pay more for a higher clinker content, which acts as a limit to the material substitution rate.

Slag, on the other hand, appears to be limited in supply. Cemex concedes that there is "no sign of a possible increase of slag production in Europe". Only companies with long-term contracts therefore have a guaranteed supply. Interviewees were reluctant to divulge their sources of supply, but Lafarge claims to have secured long-term contracts with steel manufacturers. Holcim has a vertically integrated approach and "owns and operates slag granulation plants at a couple of steel companies", such as Arcelor in France and Salzgitter in Germany.

However, even this limited supply is threatened. Heidelberg reports that "new steel plants do not produce granulated blast furnace slag - it's not part of the process". Italcementi foresees a problem within two generations (given the c 50-year lifecycle of a steel plant) in that "the bulk of the steel production is still made from the traditional process, but unfortunately that's true for emerging countries like China and less and less in Europe or in North America, where new technologies recycle scrap iron".

The industry is also facing growing competition for carbon neutral kiln fuels. There is a distortion of competition from the power sector, because this sector receives so-called green certificates for burning renewable biomass fuels. Italcementi points to "a 'double-penalty' from the power sector". Electricity generators can afford to pay a higher price for biofuels because they pass it on to the consumer. They receive credits for using renewables, which certify that the electricity generated is 'carbon free'. But they can also benefit by selling the resulting excess of EU ETS permits.

The interviewees estimated an average carbon price during Phase II of EUR25/t, perhaps even reaching EUR35/t. EUR30 per tonne of carbon corresponds to a price increase in the finished cement of about 30%. However much customers value the brand, says Lafarge,"they will not accept such a price increase".The company warns of a future scenario in which the industry is driven out of Europe: "It could generate delocalisation by transferring demand to non-European suppliers. That's the challenge we are facing now."

Cembureau suggests the EU ETS is ineffective in that it focuses on carbon reductions in Europe: climate change is "a global problem", to which the EU ETS is an attempt to find "a European solution".

The fear is that, if the carbon price does rise as anticipated during Phase II, the scheme will act as a cap on production within Europe. It might then become economical to import cement or clinker from outside the EU, which would defeat the very object of the EU ETS.

Many of the firms state that this is not their intention, but say it might be the only option in a worst-case scenario. Cembureau believes this "would be the worst solution". The irony is that overall emissions would then actually increase, because of those resulting from transporting cement or clinker.

An obvious solution is to change the way the EU ETS operates for the European cement industry, and rethink the grandfathering approach. Lafarge believes that "it's not the right way of calculating future allocations ... it's imperfect".

Cembureau, along with most of the firms, favours a worldwide benchmarking approach instead of grandfathering. This would establish an emissions intensity benchmark, based on best practice, against which performance would be measured. As benchmarking is performance-related, it rewards efficient operation. This is the opposite of the grandfathering approach which, by allocating permits based on previous activities, can reward the heaviest polluters and punish the "good guys".

Cembureau proposes "to combine the cement industry worldwide, to have defined a specific performance to be achieved which is per tonne of product".

Any future scheme clearly needs to be global. The association favours a scheme which "either encompasses the OECD and the major developing countries, or protects countries in the lead of CO2 reduction from competitive distortions".

[1] The individuals are:Vincent Mages, vice president, climate change initiatives, Lafarge; Bruno Vanderborght, vice president, environmental strategy, Holcim; Rob van der Meer, director, EU public affairs, Heidelberg Cement; Luis Trevino, director, energy and CO2, Cemex; Xavier Blutel, group vice president, environmental affairs, Italcementi; and Claude Loréa, technical director, Cembureau.

Michael Herson is director of The Strategy Works, a London-based marketing consultancy specialising in original business-to-business research across Europe.
Company website: http://www.thestrategyworks.com

This article was published in Carbon finance, November 2009.