Author name: John-Paul Maxfield

John-Paul Maxfield is the founder of Waste Farmers. Waste Farmers is a next generation sustainable agricultural company focused on helping humanity meet current and future food demands, while decreasing agriculture’s environmental footprint. The Company started in 2009 with $9,000 and a belief that idealism and capitalism can coexist. Today Waste Farmers has evolved into an innovator respected by leaders in the global community for developing simple solutions to the complex problems of modern agriculture and food security. Prior to starting Waste Farmers, John-Paul founded the "The Inspired Economist", a blog focused on covering the people, places, ideas, and technologies inspiring positive change and redefining capitalism. In addition, John-Paul served as an Associate a private equity group specializing in small to mid cap service companies. In this capacity he focused on planning, forecasting, budgeting, and performance evaluation of MBH and its designated subsidiaries. Prior to joining MBH, John-Paul was an Analyst with Alvarez and Marsal where he spent the majority of his time on a team that aided Louisiana’s Recovery School District with the restoration of public schools post Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. John-Paul is active in the Colorado community, serving on the Board of the Rocky Mountain MS Center. In 2007 he was selected as one of the “Fifty for the Future” by the Colorado Statesman and is a graduate of the inaugural class of Impact Denver. John-Paul holds a BA from the University of Colorado.

Chinese Investors Showing Interest in Biodiesel Palm Oil Plants in North Sumatra

Biofuels Digest reports that a group of Chinese investors are showing interest in palm oil-based biodiesel production in North Sumatra.  The investment group has sent an exploration team and is investigating the financing of construction projects that would commence in 2009.  Berita Sore points out that crude palm oil and other animal/phyto oil exports in the January-October 2008 period were …

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Carbon Market Evolves with Addition of American Carbon Registry

If President Elect Barack Obama stays true to his campaign promises, federal cap and trade legislation may soon become a reality.  In light of this, companies are competing to become the EPA ‘feeder’ greenhouse gas registries of choice.  One company of note is the non-profit, American Carbon Registry.  With 25 million registered offsets and stamps of …

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Economic Security Measures Proposed for Major Banks

Under Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) of the U.S. Treasury, Citigroup and Goldman Sachs received $25 billion each and Bank of America received $10 billion in federal bailout funds.  It has been argued that much of the the global economic meltdown was brought on by the country’s largest financial institutions.  In response to the recent …

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The Economics of Urban Sprawl- What’s Happening to Our Farmland?

If you are from Colorado and have made the drive along I-25 over the last five years from Denver to Fort Collins or Denver to Colorado Springs, you have undoubtedly noticed it.  The irony of vast corn fields and pastures surrounded by construction sites and tract housing.  Productive pastures once grazed by livestock replaced by …

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Inspiring a Nation- The Full Text of Obama’s Victory Speech

In case you missed it or want to read it again, here is the full text of the speech as prepared for delivery Tuesday night in Chicago by President-elect Barack Obama: “If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream …

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Green Muck Has Biofuel Investors Chomping at the Bit

When you visit the Khosla Ventures website, you are greeted with a quote that articulates the spirit of the movement that we are trying to capture at the Inspired Economist.  It reads, “Innovative bottom up methods will solve problems that now seem intractable- from energy to poverty to disease. Science and technology, powered by the …

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Mr. Buffett’s Buying American, How About You?

The economy is in crisis, unemployment is on the rise, and there is a general feeling of fear in the market.  Where some see despair, Warren Buffett sees opportunity.  In a recent Op-Piece in the New York Times, Mr. Buffett explains his reasons for investing in US Equities and urges others to do the same.  He …

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Mo Money, Mo Mileage

Advantage Capital Partners, a venture capital and small business finance firm, has made an investment in SOMS Technologies LLC, the manufacturer of the microGreen vehicle engine oil filter.  The microGreen filter  utilizes a patented filter technology designed to keep engine oil cleaner, extending the oil life up to 30,000 miles.  Advantage’s investment will be used to support …

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I Wish They Could Figure Out a Way to Make Biofuels From Candy Corn. I Hate Candy Corn.

In response to my previous post, Growing Food to Feed Cars Will Continue to Drive Up the Price of Food, one reader responded, “I wish they could figure out a way to make fuel out of Candy Corn.  I hate Candy Corn.”  Well said reader, that is one hell of an idea.    Fueled by my own …

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Growing Food to Feed Cars Will Continue to Drive Up the Price of Food

As the demand for biofuels increases, so too will food prices around the world.  The U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization’s recent report notes that “the historic linkages between agriculture and the energy sector are becoming stronger and are changing in character.  Biofuel demand will continue to exercise upward pressure on agricultural prices for considerable time to …

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Creating Jobs and Reducing Our Dependency on Foreign Oil

In a time when the domestic economic news is nothing but dismal, it is nice to have a bit of good news.  This news come from Mariah Power, a company that recently announced its first high volume manufacturing site in partnership with MasTech of Manistee, Michigan.  The plant is expected to begin production within the next 15 …

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