Another municipality has discovered the potential of small-scale biodiesel production. Utah State University (USU), in conjunction with the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), has decided to experiment with growing oil-seed crops in the grassy medians dividing I-15.

The unusual idea came from Dallas Hanks, a 44-year-old biologist who is working on his doctoral degree at USU. With an initial $50,000 boost fromUDOT , Hanks aims to prove the 2,500 miles of state-owned highway right-of-way could yield an annual average of 500,000 gallons of 100 percent biodiesel, also known as B100.”

Maintaining those ubiquitous, out-of-place strips of lawn comes at a surprising price – over a million dollars each year in mowing costs alone – and keeping that grass weed-free (as if that was really necessary) generally involves considerable herbicide applications. In the spirit of turning liabilities into assets, converting that sod into a renewable fuel source would have substantial benefits. USU and UDOT's researchers plan on starting out with a 1 mile test strip of various oil-seed crops, which will later be compared on a productivity basis to a flat, fertile farm plot.

Hanks, a former Utah Valley State College biology instructor, said he conservatively estimates planting swaths of safflower, camelina, canola and perennial flax will save about $1.6 million per year in mowing costs. UDOT officials said they wouldn't know the total taxpayer savings until the project's first-year experiment is finished.”

"It's really a great opportunity to show some leadership," said UDOT Executive Director John Njord.
By addressing efficiency, energy development and climate-change concerns, the project "has it all," said Laura Nelson, Huntsman's energy policy adviser."

State agencies in Utah recently began pushing for innovation and conservation under the Governor's order to increase energy efficiency 20% by 2015. If this experiment is successful, UDOT plans on using biodiesel produced from the freeway crops (or FREE-Diesel) in government vehicles.

For more information, see the Salt Lake Tribune.

 

My personal take:

This is about as cool as San Francisco's recent decision to start making biodiesel from the city's used restaurant oil. Depending on how much energy is used in the production of the crops, UDOT has the potential to reduced CO2 emissions by several million tons each year.

Has your city started producing its own biodiesel? If so, I'd be interested to hear and/or write about it.

Filed under: Biodiesel, Ethanol

The sanctioning body for Formula One racing, the FIA, is currently examining options for new engine rules for 2011 and beyond. Over the past year they’ve been throwing out various proposals including hybrid powertrains. The latest proposal is a switch from the current 2.4L V-8 formula to 2.2L turbocharged V-6s.

The current engines have no rpm limit and many are thought to run at speeds approaching 20,000 rpm although the new proposal would limit that to 10,000 rpm. The new engines would also switch from running on 102 octane “gasoline” to some kind of biofuel. The FIA wants to reduce costs and make the engines more environmentally friendly. Since a switch to ethanol could end up with even more powerful engines due to the turbocharging, maybe they will make the jump to biodiesel instead. Formula One could have some very interesting times ahead.

[Source: F1-Live]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Imagine growing up, going to school, graduating, going to college for a couple years and then getting that magical phone call: "Son, it's time to change the light bulb." You rush home in flurry of excitement and anticipation as your parents show you how to change a light — something you yourself may not do until your own kids are in college. Those times are coming.

Well actually, they're here. But until prices coming down, most of us will simply rely on compact fluorescents to bridge the gap between changing a bulb one a year to once every couple decades. I spied a new entry into the LED fold over at MetaEfficient with a cool looking bulb called "The EcoLED". According to the stats, this long-lasting, efficient beast will last about 50,000 hours. In scale, that's about 11 years at 12 hours a day. Since I would never leave a light on for that long, you can expect this bulb to shine well into your midlife crisis.

The bulb mimics a 100-watt incandescent but only uses 10 watts of power. According to the site, that's good for $450 in savings and a reduction of more than 9,000lbs of CO2. You'll also want to use this bulb a little differently than the standard light,

"Remember: LED lights are directional (like a spotlight). This EcoLED light has a beam angle of 100 degrees, which is equivalent to a wide spotlight. It is not appropriate for use in lamps with lamp shades or other lighting applications where light needs to be emitted in all directions at once. (However, it can be aimed at a wall or ceiling to produce radiant ambient light that radiates through the entire room.)"

It should be noted that work is underway (especially by GE) to create LED lights that do in fact mimic the light radiance of incandescent and CFL bulbs. The color of LED lights (which is a brilliant, pure white light) is also different from the yellow glow of an incandescent. So far, that hasn't marred their label as "the bulb of the future".

You can pick up the EcoLED for $99 from BetterLifeGoods. While this may seem like ridiculous change for a light bulb, the experience of replacing it in the year 2027 will be simply priceless.

More info after the jump.

Filed under: Biodiesel, Ethanol

The sanctioning body for Formula One racing, the FIA, is currently examining options for new engine rules for 2011 and beyond. Over the past year they’ve been throwing out various proposals including hybrid powertrains. The latest proposal is a switch from the current 2.4L V-8 formula to 2.2L turbocharged V-6s.

The current engines have no rpm limit and many are thought to run at speeds approaching 20,000 rpm although the new proposal would limit that to 10,000 rpm. The new engines would also switch from running on 102 octane “gasoline” to some kind of biofuel. The FIA wants to reduce costs and make the engines more environmentally friendly. Since a switch to ethanol could end up with even more powerful engines due to the turbocharging, maybe they will make the jump to biodiesel instead. Formula One could have some very interesting times ahead.

[Source: F1-Live]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Filed under: Honda, Toyota

I imagine that if you were to ask just about anybody on the street what car manufacturers they think of when you say green cars, the answer would most often be Toyota. Honda would be my guess as the second most often heard manufacturer. That could change if GM does in fact produce the Volt, or maybe not if Honda produces their new hybrid and Toyota continues to refine their Prius. I don’t imagine that Honda or Toyota are just waiting for competition from other companies either. Well, if I am right about people’s perceptions regarding Honda and Toyota, they are backed up by The Union of Concerned Scientists. As we have mentioned before, Honda has won the award of the greenest manufacturer of automobiles a few years running now. According to Treehugger, the award is not just based on their fleets of vehicles, but on all of their manufacturing facilities and overall practices.

[Source: The Union of Concerned Scientists via Treehugger]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

A little candle light can go a long way in creating a nice atmosphere for any occasion, but many candles are made with paraffin, a petroleum-based product. Brighten up your party with beeswax or vegetable oil based candles instead.

The main problem with paraffin and synthetic fragrances is the fact that they're made from oil (you know, that stuff we're addicted to.) It pollutes when burned, just like other fossil fuels. This candle soot can result in black marks on walls and ceilings, and can even be harmful to your health. A study by the Environmental Protection Agency found a random selection of petrol based candles contained twenty different chemicals, compounds and particulate matter.

The good news is there are a lot of alternatives to choose from. Beeswax and soy based candles abound in a variety of scented and unscented options.

Seattle-based Big Dipper Wax Works has a wide selection of hand-dipped beeswax candles in all shapes and sizes. Bluewick has decorativley (and responsibly) packaged, fragrant, soybased candles. Other candle makers include companies include Bluecorn Naturals and Vermont based Way Out Wax.

Of course this tip should include the obvious candle disclaimer: don't leave a burning flame unattended, and use caution if you're taking the flame outdoors, especially if it gets a little windy. (I line my backyard area with votives for summer gatherings.)

Amy says: Candles make great housewarming or thank you gifts, and they travel well. When presenting a soy or beeswax candle to my host I always make sure to explain the benefits of the paraffin alternative.

Filed under: Diesel, Land Rover

Already, 95 percent of the vehicles that Land Rover sells in the UK are diesels, so why not just go the whole ten yards? That move is not on the board quite yet, but the possibility has been discussed, according to Land Rover’s UK managing director John Edwards, speaking to Just-Auto (subs req’d). One of the benefits would be a “more effective production process,” he said. The other big plus is the nice, pro-green publicity such a move would create. As Edwards told J-A, “People have this idea that Land Rover just makes gas-guzzlers, but it’s not true. The average fuel consumption of our fleet in the UK is over 30mpg. However, moving to diesel-only in the UK would obviously be a very strong message in terms of the environment.”

Edwards said the only diesels it sells in the UK right now are pretty much for special orders. Gasoline versions for the US and other markets would continue unchanged.

Related:

• Land Rover going aluminum for next generation Range Rover
• Land Rover to show driveable hybrid prototype this year
• Geneva Motor Show: Details of Land Rover’s new CO2 Offset program
• Geneva Preview: carbon neutral Land Rover’s new diesel engines

[Source: Just-Auto]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Filed under: Honda, Toyota

I imagine that if you were to ask just about anybody on the street what car manufacturers they think of when you say green cars, the answer would most often be Toyota. Honda would be my guess as the second most often heard manufacturer. That could change if GM does in fact produce the Volt, or maybe not if Honda produces their new hybrid and Toyota continues to refine their Prius. I don’t imagine that Honda or Toyota are just waiting for competition from other companies either. Well, if I am right about people’s perceptions regarding Honda and Toyota, they are backed up by The Union of Concerned Scientists. As we have mentioned before, Honda has won the award of the greenest manufacturer of automobiles a few years running now. According to Treehugger, the award is not just based on their fleets of vehicles, but on all of their manufacturing facilities and overall practices.

[Source: The Union of Concerned Scientists via Treehugger]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Well, if you’re reading this, you probably are.

LOHAS stands for Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability. Representing an estimated 50 million American adults, the name LOHAS is now synonymous with the “Cultural Creatives” segment of the population originally identified in 1996 by sociologist, author, and market researcher Paul Ray, Ph.D. Ray, along with psychologist Sherry Ruth Anderson, described the segment in their 2000 book, The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People Are Changing the World.

So what’s so special about the LOHAS segment? Usually, market segments are identified using things like lifestyle, buying behavior, and demographics. But here’s where the LOHAS consumers diverge: they are distinguished solely by their values, as they care strongly about issues like the environment, social justice, sustainability, and health. Is this starting to sound familiar?

As the segment grows, more and more businesses have begun to take notice – the marketplace for LOHAS consumers is now valued at over $220 billion. This means that more products and services, meant to serve our needs, will be coming to the market. Good news for anyone tormented over having to buy a product that is no friend of the environment, due to the lack of an alternative.

I got to learn about and even sample some of these alternatives this week at the 11th annual LOHAS Forum, held in Marina del Rey, CA. Though some established brands, like Burt’s Bees, were in attendance in the exhibit hall, many were new to me. I especially liked Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate and VeeV, a spirit made from Brazil’s açai fruit and billed as “a better way to drink.” Count me in!

Of course, the Forum wasn’t all about food and drink. The program featured a variety of speakers and break-out sessions designed to educate and inform LOHAS companies. My favorite session, “Giving Sustainability More SIZZLE”, focused on the shift of the LOHAS segment from a small niche to the mainstream, and some of the keys to making that jump as a company. Not surprisingly, communicating with authenticity was at the top of the list. LOHAS consumers can see through greenwashing a mile away…even through a chocolate haze.

For those unable to attend the conference, session videos will be posted on the website: www.lohas.com

Earlier this week, an article in the local paper noted that a local school had been recognized as one of 18 "Green School certified" schools in the state of Michigan. I wasn't familiar with the program (in part because this is the first year of the program), but I quickly found that rather than a building program, it is instead an educational program for the students.

The Green School program requires a degree of involvement from the school's students in a variety of green projects in order to obtain the certification. A school is eligible for this certification if it completes at least 10 criteria from a list of programs including such obvious green steps as recycling paper, reusing magazines from the library, and holding an Earth Day event. But the list also includes more ambitious projects such as establishing a natural Michigan garden project with native plants, holding solar power presentations or experiments, such as a solar cookout, doing energy audits of their classrooms, and even making improvements to their classrooms as a result of the energy audits.

Participating in a printer cartridge recycling program or a cellular telephone recycling program (both of which can also help the school to earn money) are also suggestions on the list.

All of these programs help to bring environmental awareness to the classroom, and provide practical examples the students can learn from. Students take leadership in getting the programs adopted in their schools.

"With all the environmental stuff that has been going on, all the rising problems, I just wanted to chip in and do my part for the community,'' Pendleton said. Individual efforts, such as recycling plastic, can add up, he said. "It's all the small things that people could do but sometimes just don't take the time to do.''

For Donahue, global warming is the thing to worry about. "We need a big focus on global warming – anything that can help that,'' Donahue said.

The state webpage with information about the program (PDF) is less than two pages long but has a list of 20 programs for students to participate in. Teachers looking for ideas for introducing some green programs to their classes may find this a useful list to work from. There are also a list of resources attached. A number of them are specific to Michigan, though corresponding sites (such as state conservation districts, state endangered plants, etc.) for other states should be easy enough to find.