COLUMNS

Editor's Note
Investing in the Environment. The North American paper industry has made tremendous environmental strides in the last decade. But too many environmentalists refuse give credit where credit is due.

Ken Patrick
Biz-Speak 301. Biz-Speak is rapidly becoming a universal language, linking BS'ers around the world and fostering international good will through lingo standardization. BS 301 compliments previously published BS 101 and 201, and promises paper industry BS'ers better dialogue not just among themselves, but also with counterparts in other industries and businesses.

David Price
Bright Spots in Europe. European mills are abandoning "combined heat and power" (CHP) as a fuel source because national governments cannot agree on costs and prices. This disagreement is forcing mills into unprofitable operations, and they have all lost business confidence in the stability of European energy policy. So the mills are now questioning the financial benefits of "green electricity."

FEATURES

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Fabric Cleaning-Conditioning Plays Key Role in Press Section Efficiency
Press fabric design, mechanical elements, and chemical cleaning programs are key elements for reducing fabric filling, and need to be carefully maintained to combat changing conditions on a paper machine.

Exports Continue to Drive U.S. Recovered Paper Markets
Although the U.S. domestic mill demand for recovered paper is large, 25% of paper recovered in the U.S. is exported and has become the most important force driving this market. After more than a decade of strong growth, the recovery of paper and board (currently just below 50% for paper) has stalled.

Strategies for Optimizing Pump Efficiency and LCC Performance
Process pumps are the largest consumers of energy in a typical pulp and paper mill-boosting their efficiency is a new avenue to reduced plant operating costs.

Mechanical Fasteners Improve Uptime of Light-Duty Belt Conveying Systems
In applications that do not require endless belt constructions, various mechanical fasteners can boost overall operating efficiency and reduce splicing time and costs.