Friday, April 20, 2007
Getting Gold Out of Green - Corporates and Environment
Getting Gold Out of Green - Corporates and Environment
April 19, 2007
Mainstream corporate giants in markets spanning consumer products, banking, airlines and chemicals have sweeping programs to shrink their companies' impact on the environment -- and cash in on consumers' desire to go green.
Many see doing so as a virtual necessity as regulators consider limits on greenhouse gas emissions and consumers demand environmentally friendly products, says this article.
Read the full report from here @ Hispanic Business
April 19, 2007
Mainstream corporate giants in markets spanning consumer products, banking, airlines and chemicals have sweeping programs to shrink their companies' impact on the environment -- and cash in on consumers' desire to go green.
Many see doing so as a virtual necessity as regulators consider limits on greenhouse gas emissions and consumers demand environmentally friendly products, says this article.
Read the full report from here @ Hispanic Business
Labels: advocacy, environment, society
PermaLink - Getting Gold Out of Green - Corporates and Environment posted by Ecacofonix : 1:36 PM
0 Comments
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Driving and Kayaking for Biofuels in Americas
Driving and Kayaking for Biofuels in Americas
Press release
Washington -- You might think that driving on restaurant fryer grease will not get you far. Think again. Grease got two enthusiasts of alternative fuels from the northern reaches of Alaska to Argentina.
Seth Warren, 28, a conservationist and world-class kayaker, and kayaking champion Tyler Bradt, 18, decided to prove that they can drive their truck across the two Americas -- through 16 countries -- without using a drop of gasoline or emitting much greenhouse gas.
As they developed what they call the ?Oil and Water Project,? they said, they committed to sharing their enthusiasm for and knowledge about biofuels with local communities and educating youth about alternative energy as an anchor of sustainable lifestyles.
The two set up the Biofuels Education Coalition ( BEC ), a nonprofit organization, to do just that and to use their and their sponsors? money -- about $70,000 -- to demonstrate what they believe in.
On the platform of an old Japanese fire truck converted to run on 100 percent biodiesel or vegetable oil, engineers installed containers for fuel and an oil press and equipment to process waste fryer oil and animal waste oils. The vehicle is meant to demonstrate how ordinary diesel vehicles easily and inexpensively can be modified to operate effectively on biofuels produced locally from local resources such as seeds, plants and used cooking oil.
?What we are trying to promote is self-reliance -- that farmers and other people essentially can grow their own fuel in their backyards,? Warren told USINFO from Bolivia. ?That gives people a lot of power.?
They set out in June 2006 from Dead Horse, Alaska, home to the largest oil field in the United States. By the beginning of March, they had reached Argentina.
Warren and Bradt plot their itinerary one month in advance and then try not to use maps as they follow it.
?The idea is to interact with people first by asking directions,? Warren said. ?We talk to everybody we come across.?
A broad range of people they have met on the road -- students, farmers, car mechanics, scientists and government officials -- has been receptive to their message.
?And why wouldn?t they be?? asked Warren rhetorically. ?What we are showing them is how to take trash or waste and make it into money.?
But learning is mutual, Warren said. In Colombia they were impressed by an inventive way some coffee farmers, with the help of a research group, make bioethanol from byproducts of the coffee industry, such as bean shells.
Whenever they stop, they first try to talk to local newspapers and TV stations to advertise their local demonstrations and educational meetings.
Initially, with their limited Spanish-language skills, this proved difficult. Now, after several months in Spanish-speaking countries, they are doing much better.
As a result of media attention, the two men often are treated as celebrities -- mobbed by young girls and invited to visit government officials, including the Peruvian minister of energy.
?What?s really cool about it is that, rather than sitting and talking about kayaking, we have things to say that can actually benefit the places we go to,? Warren said.
Not that they have forgotten completely about kayaking. They use every bit of free time and some weekends to seek out local rivers and paddle along them.
Back on the road, despite enthusiastic backing from local people and U.S. Embassy personnel, driving an experimental plant on the wheels can be challenging at times, Warren said.
?A lot of fuels we are using haven?t been scientifically tested and in some cases haven?t been tried at all,? he said.
For example, an African palm oil donated in Colombia solidified at high elevations in Bolivia, forcing them every morning for few days to take apart the whole system and purge all hoses.
There have been other challenges: living together in the small quarters of the truck, for example. And they have had some mishaps: Warren got malaria and was attacked and bitten by a pack of wild dogs; Bradt jumped into the water and hurt his feet when he landed on sea urchins.
They also have shared exhilarating experiences. In Bolivia they took a mountain road that steeply drops from the elevation of almost 4,600 meters to around 1,500 meters.
?We spent four hours driving down this crazy, one-lane road edged in the cliff with no room for two cars to pass,? Seth said.
After finishing their current trip, the two kayakers plan to replicate their project in Australia and New Zealand, southern Asia, Africa, Europe and the former Soviet Union, which they estimate will take the next 10 years.
With fast-food restaurants thriving in most of these regions and many farmers growing oil-producing plants, Warren and Bradt are sure they will not lack grease to fuel their adventures.
Additional information about the Oil and Water Project can be found on its Web site.
See also ?Green Bus Tour Promotes Environmental Awareness.?
For more information on U.S. policies, see Environment.
( USINFO is produced by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov )
By Andrzej Zwaniecki
USINFO Staff Writer
Additional Information
Publisher: http://usinfo.state.gov
Press release
Washington -- You might think that driving on restaurant fryer grease will not get you far. Think again. Grease got two enthusiasts of alternative fuels from the northern reaches of Alaska to Argentina.
Seth Warren, 28, a conservationist and world-class kayaker, and kayaking champion Tyler Bradt, 18, decided to prove that they can drive their truck across the two Americas -- through 16 countries -- without using a drop of gasoline or emitting much greenhouse gas.
As they developed what they call the ?Oil and Water Project,? they said, they committed to sharing their enthusiasm for and knowledge about biofuels with local communities and educating youth about alternative energy as an anchor of sustainable lifestyles.
The two set up the Biofuels Education Coalition ( BEC ), a nonprofit organization, to do just that and to use their and their sponsors? money -- about $70,000 -- to demonstrate what they believe in.
On the platform of an old Japanese fire truck converted to run on 100 percent biodiesel or vegetable oil, engineers installed containers for fuel and an oil press and equipment to process waste fryer oil and animal waste oils. The vehicle is meant to demonstrate how ordinary diesel vehicles easily and inexpensively can be modified to operate effectively on biofuels produced locally from local resources such as seeds, plants and used cooking oil.
?What we are trying to promote is self-reliance -- that farmers and other people essentially can grow their own fuel in their backyards,? Warren told USINFO from Bolivia. ?That gives people a lot of power.?
They set out in June 2006 from Dead Horse, Alaska, home to the largest oil field in the United States. By the beginning of March, they had reached Argentina.
Warren and Bradt plot their itinerary one month in advance and then try not to use maps as they follow it.
?The idea is to interact with people first by asking directions,? Warren said. ?We talk to everybody we come across.?
A broad range of people they have met on the road -- students, farmers, car mechanics, scientists and government officials -- has been receptive to their message.
?And why wouldn?t they be?? asked Warren rhetorically. ?What we are showing them is how to take trash or waste and make it into money.?
But learning is mutual, Warren said. In Colombia they were impressed by an inventive way some coffee farmers, with the help of a research group, make bioethanol from byproducts of the coffee industry, such as bean shells.
Whenever they stop, they first try to talk to local newspapers and TV stations to advertise their local demonstrations and educational meetings.
Initially, with their limited Spanish-language skills, this proved difficult. Now, after several months in Spanish-speaking countries, they are doing much better.
As a result of media attention, the two men often are treated as celebrities -- mobbed by young girls and invited to visit government officials, including the Peruvian minister of energy.
?What?s really cool about it is that, rather than sitting and talking about kayaking, we have things to say that can actually benefit the places we go to,? Warren said.
Not that they have forgotten completely about kayaking. They use every bit of free time and some weekends to seek out local rivers and paddle along them.
Back on the road, despite enthusiastic backing from local people and U.S. Embassy personnel, driving an experimental plant on the wheels can be challenging at times, Warren said.
?A lot of fuels we are using haven?t been scientifically tested and in some cases haven?t been tried at all,? he said.
For example, an African palm oil donated in Colombia solidified at high elevations in Bolivia, forcing them every morning for few days to take apart the whole system and purge all hoses.
There have been other challenges: living together in the small quarters of the truck, for example. And they have had some mishaps: Warren got malaria and was attacked and bitten by a pack of wild dogs; Bradt jumped into the water and hurt his feet when he landed on sea urchins.
They also have shared exhilarating experiences. In Bolivia they took a mountain road that steeply drops from the elevation of almost 4,600 meters to around 1,500 meters.
?We spent four hours driving down this crazy, one-lane road edged in the cliff with no room for two cars to pass,? Seth said.
After finishing their current trip, the two kayakers plan to replicate their project in Australia and New Zealand, southern Asia, Africa, Europe and the former Soviet Union, which they estimate will take the next 10 years.
With fast-food restaurants thriving in most of these regions and many farmers growing oil-producing plants, Warren and Bradt are sure they will not lack grease to fuel their adventures.
Additional information about the Oil and Water Project can be found on its Web site.
See also ?Green Bus Tour Promotes Environmental Awareness.?
For more information on U.S. policies, see Environment.
( USINFO is produced by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov )
By Andrzej Zwaniecki
USINFO Staff Writer
Additional Information
Publisher: http://usinfo.state.gov
Labels: advocacy, animal-waste, wvo
Monday, March 26, 2007
Slovakia Government will earmark Sk100 million for solar energy
The Government will earmark Sk100 million for solar energy
Slovak Economy Minister Ľubomír Jahnátek wants to submit a proposal, through which homes that decide to buy solar panels will be entitled to state subsidies.
Homes in Austria and the Czech Republic have been receiving such subsidies for several years already.
The Economy Ministry thinks solar energy has the biggest potential out of all renewable energy sources in Slovakia.
Slovak Economy Minister Ľubomír Jahnátek wants to submit a proposal, through which homes that decide to buy solar panels will be entitled to state subsidies.
Homes in Austria and the Czech Republic have been receiving such subsidies for several years already.
The Economy Ministry thinks solar energy has the biggest potential out of all renewable energy sources in Slovakia.
Labels: advocacy, incentives, slovakia, solar
PermaLink - Slovakia Government will earmark Sk100 million for solar energy posted by Ecacofonix : 9:29 AM
0 Comments
NextEnergy Biodiesel Summit Set Goals for Biodiesel Research
NextEnergy Biodiesel Summit Set Goals for Biodiesel Research
Press release
Detroit, MI - Manufacturers, policy makers, regulators and biodiesel industry representatives met on Monday, March 12, for a Biodiesel Summit to identify and remove barriers to widespread acceptance of biodiesel blends of up to 20 percent by volume (B20) by engine and vehicle manufacturers.
DaimlerChrysler, a sponsor of the B20 Summit, challenged the group to come up with a viable fuel standard for the B20 finished blend.
"Biodiesel represents a huge opportunity to address some of our nation’s toughest energy, environmental and economic challenges,” said Deborah Morrissett, DaimlerChrysler’s VP of Regulatory Affairs.
“We know this is the right thing to do – so the goal now is to develop a national B20 standard that can be universally applied to all diesel vehicles, both on road and in production, to confidently support higher blends of biodiesel such as B20.”
A major step towards full B20 support is finalization of a defined B20 American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specification.
The ASTM B20 specification moved closer to reality in recent months when the group approved new limits in ASTM D 6751, the existing standard for pure (B100) biodiesel, for oxidation stability and other parameters needed for 2007/2010 diesel engines.
“The B100 standard has been designed so that it is protective of B20 and lower blends,” said Steve Howell, NBB Technical Director and Chairman of the ASTM Task Force on biodiesel standards, “but regulators need us to approve a finished blend standard to hold people to, and engine makers need something they can design to.”
The multi-industry Biodiesel Summit group met at the NextEnergy Center, Michigan’s alternative and renewable energy business incubator, located in Detroit’s TechTown district.
Beyond the final approval of the B20 finished fuel standard, participants identified several areas that need additional study and funding to bolster full B20 support, including:
>Long-term effects of B20 on emissions control and after-treatment devices .
>Long-term engine durability testing .
>Greater fuel quality monitoring efforts to ensure the fuel standards are being met.
“If we want to increase our economic competitiveness, strengthen energy security and help protect the environment, we have to provide customers with more clean, domestically-produced energy options,” said Jim Croce, NextEnergy CEO.
“Biodiesel has the most immediate potential to succeed. It’s sustainable, renewable and doesn’t require new invention."
The biodiesel industry is already looking to the future with the next generation of biodiesel.
“Our goals for next generation biodiesel are to optimize biodiesel’s fatty acid profile for cold flow and stability, optimize agriculture for higher production of oils and fats from traditional crops, and to develop non-traditional additional crops like micro-algae for biodiesel, or even crops that can be grown on marginal land or using brownfield sites,” said Donnell Rehagen, NBB Chief Operations Officer, who spoke at the summit.
“In my 40-plus years as an agricultural scientist and administrator, I have never experienced such exciting times in agriculture,” said Gale Buchanan, USDA Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics.
“The era of bioenergy and bioproducts is clearly agriculture’s “Grand Challenge” for the 21st Century.”
All major OEMs support B5 and lower blends, provided they are made with biodiesel meeting ASTM D 6751, the existing ASTM standard for pure biodiesel (B100).
Use of blends higher than B5 will not necessarily void existing warranties. A growing number of OEMs are also recommending that users purchase biodiesel from BQ-9000 certified companies.
BQ-9000 is the biodiesel industry’s quality program for biodiesel producers and marketers.
While full B20 support is the goal, several auto and equipment manufacturers have recognized that the market may not be willing to wait years for it to happen.
DaimlerChrysler was the first auto manufacturer to approve the use of B20 by government, military and commercial fleet customers in its 2007 model year Dodge Ram pickup truck.
New Holland has also approved the use of B20 in all of its equipment using New Holland engines, becoming the first OEM to announce full formal support for B20 in the engines it produces.
For more information, call Mark Beyer, NextEnergy at 313-833-0100.
See Related Websites/Articles:
National Biodiesel Board
Press release
Detroit, MI - Manufacturers, policy makers, regulators and biodiesel industry representatives met on Monday, March 12, for a Biodiesel Summit to identify and remove barriers to widespread acceptance of biodiesel blends of up to 20 percent by volume (B20) by engine and vehicle manufacturers.
DaimlerChrysler, a sponsor of the B20 Summit, challenged the group to come up with a viable fuel standard for the B20 finished blend.
"Biodiesel represents a huge opportunity to address some of our nation’s toughest energy, environmental and economic challenges,” said Deborah Morrissett, DaimlerChrysler’s VP of Regulatory Affairs.
“We know this is the right thing to do – so the goal now is to develop a national B20 standard that can be universally applied to all diesel vehicles, both on road and in production, to confidently support higher blends of biodiesel such as B20.”
A major step towards full B20 support is finalization of a defined B20 American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specification.
The ASTM B20 specification moved closer to reality in recent months when the group approved new limits in ASTM D 6751, the existing standard for pure (B100) biodiesel, for oxidation stability and other parameters needed for 2007/2010 diesel engines.
“The B100 standard has been designed so that it is protective of B20 and lower blends,” said Steve Howell, NBB Technical Director and Chairman of the ASTM Task Force on biodiesel standards, “but regulators need us to approve a finished blend standard to hold people to, and engine makers need something they can design to.”
The multi-industry Biodiesel Summit group met at the NextEnergy Center, Michigan’s alternative and renewable energy business incubator, located in Detroit’s TechTown district.
Beyond the final approval of the B20 finished fuel standard, participants identified several areas that need additional study and funding to bolster full B20 support, including:
>Long-term effects of B20 on emissions control and after-treatment devices .
>Long-term engine durability testing .
>Greater fuel quality monitoring efforts to ensure the fuel standards are being met.
“If we want to increase our economic competitiveness, strengthen energy security and help protect the environment, we have to provide customers with more clean, domestically-produced energy options,” said Jim Croce, NextEnergy CEO.
“Biodiesel has the most immediate potential to succeed. It’s sustainable, renewable and doesn’t require new invention."
The biodiesel industry is already looking to the future with the next generation of biodiesel.
“Our goals for next generation biodiesel are to optimize biodiesel’s fatty acid profile for cold flow and stability, optimize agriculture for higher production of oils and fats from traditional crops, and to develop non-traditional additional crops like micro-algae for biodiesel, or even crops that can be grown on marginal land or using brownfield sites,” said Donnell Rehagen, NBB Chief Operations Officer, who spoke at the summit.
“In my 40-plus years as an agricultural scientist and administrator, I have never experienced such exciting times in agriculture,” said Gale Buchanan, USDA Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics.
“The era of bioenergy and bioproducts is clearly agriculture’s “Grand Challenge” for the 21st Century.”
All major OEMs support B5 and lower blends, provided they are made with biodiesel meeting ASTM D 6751, the existing ASTM standard for pure biodiesel (B100).
Use of blends higher than B5 will not necessarily void existing warranties. A growing number of OEMs are also recommending that users purchase biodiesel from BQ-9000 certified companies.
BQ-9000 is the biodiesel industry’s quality program for biodiesel producers and marketers.
While full B20 support is the goal, several auto and equipment manufacturers have recognized that the market may not be willing to wait years for it to happen.
DaimlerChrysler was the first auto manufacturer to approve the use of B20 by government, military and commercial fleet customers in its 2007 model year Dodge Ram pickup truck.
New Holland has also approved the use of B20 in all of its equipment using New Holland engines, becoming the first OEM to announce full formal support for B20 in the engines it produces.
For more information, call Mark Beyer, NextEnergy at 313-833-0100.
See Related Websites/Articles:
National Biodiesel Board
Labels: advocacy, biodiesel, events
PermaLink - NextEnergy Biodiesel Summit Set Goals for Biodiesel Research posted by Ecacofonix : 7:32 AM
0 Comments
Improving Geothermal Plants - Promoting Geothermal Energy
Improving Geothermal Plants - Promoting Geothermal Energy
17 Mar 2007
In the debate over alternative energy resources, geothermal technology has received scant media attention. Advocates call it one of the cleanest, sustainable energy resources available. However, steep construction, equipment and drilling costs have prevented more widespread development of geothermal technology. An Ohio University hydrothermal systems expert Dina Lopez is working to change that.
The Pacific "Ring of Fire" provides some of the hottest spots on the planet for geothermal power. Because of this, Central America is a prime building area for geothermal power plants and draws researchers such as Lopez.
Read the full report here @ Tech News
17 Mar 2007
In the debate over alternative energy resources, geothermal technology has received scant media attention. Advocates call it one of the cleanest, sustainable energy resources available. However, steep construction, equipment and drilling costs have prevented more widespread development of geothermal technology. An Ohio University hydrothermal systems expert Dina Lopez is working to change that.
The Pacific "Ring of Fire" provides some of the hottest spots on the planet for geothermal power. Because of this, Central America is a prime building area for geothermal power plants and draws researchers such as Lopez.
Read the full report here @ Tech News
Labels: advocacy, geothermal
PermaLink - Improving Geothermal Plants - Promoting Geothermal Energy posted by Ecacofonix : 2:59 AM
0 Comments
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Nine Vermont (USA) towns urge more micro-hydroelectric projects
March 10, 2007
The strangulation of government beauracies and regulations have killed the development of small hydroelectric projects.
Nine Vermont (USA) towns urge more micro-hydroelectric projects.
Voters at eight town meetings called on state government to clear the way for rapid development of small hydroelectric projects, but prospects for action appear poor.
By one estimate, Vermont has more than 1,000 dams, many of them abandoned 19th century mill sites. Activists say some of those dams could be used to generate small amounts of electricity without harming the environment.
Complex, lengthy, state and federal permitting processes make those projects financially impossible, according to complaints
Read the full report here @ Burlington Free Press
The strangulation of government beauracies and regulations have killed the development of small hydroelectric projects.
Nine Vermont (USA) towns urge more micro-hydroelectric projects.
Voters at eight town meetings called on state government to clear the way for rapid development of small hydroelectric projects, but prospects for action appear poor.
By one estimate, Vermont has more than 1,000 dams, many of them abandoned 19th century mill sites. Activists say some of those dams could be used to generate small amounts of electricity without harming the environment.
Complex, lengthy, state and federal permitting processes make those projects financially impossible, according to complaints
Read the full report here @ Burlington Free Press
Labels: advocacy, hydroelectricity, micro-hydroelectric-projects, usa
PermaLink - Nine Vermont (USA) towns urge more micro-hydroelectric projects posted by Ecacofonix : 11:02 AM
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Advocates Push for Geothermal Energy
Advocates push for geothermal energy
Gazette Washington Bureau
Geothermal resources could provide a significant share of Montana's and the country's energy needs, but only if state and federal policies begin supporting it, advocates of the clean, renewable technology said Thursday.
Karl Gawell, executive director of the Geothermal Energy Association, said the U.S. could triple its geothermal capacity in the next decade but only if research and development funding levels and government incentives put it on a level to compete with other emerging energy technologies.
Read the full news report from Billings Gazette, Mar 2007
Gazette Washington Bureau
Geothermal resources could provide a significant share of Montana's and the country's energy needs, but only if state and federal policies begin supporting it, advocates of the clean, renewable technology said Thursday.
Karl Gawell, executive director of the Geothermal Energy Association, said the U.S. could triple its geothermal capacity in the next decade but only if research and development funding levels and government incentives put it on a level to compete with other emerging energy technologies.
Read the full news report from Billings Gazette, Mar 2007
Labels: advocacy, geothermal, usa
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