FYI: New Path to Produce Butanol
A team of researchers headed by an environmental engineer at Washington University in St. Louis has developed a new techniques to produce butanol, a biofuel superior to ethanol. It can be derived from lignocellulosic materials, which are plant biomass parts that range from woody stems and straw to…
Sourse: FYI: New Path to Produce Butanol
Renewable Energy Source - Introduction
The future of energy resources lies in renewable energy.
Renewable energy sources:
- Wind - Wind have been used for centuries as a source for energy. Wind mills were used all over the world centuries ago.
- Solar - The sun provides endless energy in the form of sun rays. Special technology (photo voltaic cells) can convert the sun’s energy to electricity.
- Geothermic energy - already used in many places around the globe, geothermic energy can be harnessed to produce electricity.
There are many reasons why renewable energy will dominate the future :
- Endless sources - renewable energy sources are being constantly re-generated.
- Clean - transferring these naturally occurring energy sources to energy forms consumable by us (e.g. electricity) does not harm the environment.
- Freely available - current energy sources are difficult to trace and process. Large amounts of money and expertise are required to take part in the energy markets. Regular people act only as consumers in that market. Some renewable energy sources are easily accessible and as technology progress, the means to become your own supplier of energy will be available.
Sourse: Renewable Energy Source - Introduction
News: Australian Petroleum Production Surges to 7-year High
Australian petroleum production reached a seven-year high in 2007 and petrol sales topped more than 19 billion litres, despite high prices at the pumps.A key report - issued by energy economics group, EnergyQuest - revealed that Australian petroleum production for 2007 was 467 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMBOE), a 4.6% jump on the previous year and just short of the all-time record of 474 MMBOE in 2000. …”
Sourse: News: Australian Petroleum Production Surges to 7-year High
Little nation has big green ideas
P’rtugal may become a real-life test case for renewable energy. The country has no coal, no oil. Though Portugal is heavily agricultural there’s no corn lobby, no rapeseed industry, no huge dependence on fertilizer, no local auto companies. Chief exports for Portugal include wine, fish, beef, olive oil, cork. A major […]
Sourse: Little nation has big green ideas
New U.S. Biofuels Target Poses Risks and Rewards for Fuel Marketers, Refiners, According to OPIS (Centre Daily Times)
Faced with skyrocketing crude oil and petroleum product prices, the U.S. has adopted its most aggressive plan yet for the increased use of ethanol and biodiesel. The job of implementing these new federal blending targets falls to refiners, importers, biofuels producers and fuel marketers who are now working through how they can comply with the new law and maintain a profit.
Read full original post by yahoo.com
Nebraska Ethanol Producers Form New Association
Nebraska.tv reports that the Association of Nebraska Ethanol Producers was recently formed to support pro-ethanol legislation and increase public awareness of ethanol. Members of the association hope the new group will help give them the power to grow the ethanol industry.
Sourse: Nebraska Ethanol Producers Form New Association
Virgin Atlantic Flies Biofueled Commercial Jet
Today Virgin Atlantic made the first commercial aircraft flight powered by biofuel. The trip went from London to Amsterdam. This trip was to show Virgin is making an effort to cut down on carbon emissions produced by their jets.
Virgin’s President, Richard Branson, said “This breakthrough will help Virgin Atlantic to fly its planes using clean fuel sooner than expected.”
He also noted the flight would provide “crucial knowledge that we can use to dramatically reduce our carbon footprint.”
Sourse: Virgin Atlantic Flies Biofueled Commercial Jet
Deal struck on Idaho wind power
Idaho’s utilities, wind developers and state regulators have reached consensus on how much it costs to add wind power to utilities’ transmission grids.
Three orders issued this week by the Idaho Public Utilities Commission established the amount of discounts utilities can assess against wind developers to account for the cost of integrating wind into their systems.
The […]
Sourse: Deal struck on Idaho wind power
Emissions for the poor, tax breaks for the wealthy
The Harper government is sometimes accused of favouring the rich while ignoring the poor – even cozying up to wealthy oil barons at the expense of regular Canadians.
It would be nice if Harper could say it wasn’t so. Unfortunately, there’s enough evidence in the climate change file alone to make the case.
Soon after coming to office, the Harper government abruptly eliminated a $500 million program, the Energuide for Low Income Households, designed to help poor families do home retrofits to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. In stark contrast, the government’s last budget effectively assured wealthy oil and gas corporations that all of the federal tax breaks they currently enjoy, amounting to about $1.4 billion each year, would remain in place until at least 2010.
Read the entire story here:
http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/306147
Alternative energy from methane hydrates
I recently learned about methane hydrates, deposits rich in methane. Popular Mechanics reports that “Methane bound in hydrates could provide the world with an astounding amount of natural gas–if it could be safely extracted.”
The article states that “100,000 to 300 million trillion cu. ft. (tcf) of methane exists globally in hydrate form–most of it in the ocean floor.” The trick is extracting it safely. If it’s not harvested properly, it will release into the atmosphere and speed up global warming.
The process needs Carbon Dioxide to make it work. And the best source of CO2 is from Fischer-Tropsch, which produces diesel from coal, with CO2 as a byproduct.
Sourse: Alternative energy from methane hydrates
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