Filed under: Carbon Offset, Legislation and Policy

The Energy Information Administration has reported the carbon dioxide emissions in the United States actually dropped by 1.3 percent in 2006 compared to the previous year. That’s the first actual decline since 2001 and the first time since 1990 that it has dropped during a year of economic growth. Emissions dropped in 2001 largely due to a shrinking economy that resulted from recession.

As expected, the president took the opportunity to brag about how his policies and regulations have started to have an impact on climate change. He claimed that among other factors that contributed to the drop of 78 million tons were whether conditions that allowed for reduced use of heating and air conditioning and higher gas prices that caused customers to conserve more. More likely, any reduction in heating and cooling use was due to rising prices causing people to adjust their thermostats.

Any reduction in gasoline use was probably a combination of some older cars wearing out and reduced consumption due to high gas prices. Although a one year reduction is a good first step if it is indeed real, we need sustained reductions in fossil fuel use across the board to address both environmental and national security concerns. Given this administration’s history with manipulating data it remains to be seen if these numbers are accurate and whether it is the start of a real trend or just a statistical blip.

[Source: Washington Post]

 

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

Filed under: Emerging Technologies

Well, not exactly. After a history of getting maximum power out of whatever engine he could, inventor Bruce Cower is refocusing his talents onto fuel efficiency. He has spent a modest $1,000 over 1.5 years to reinvent our combustion cycle. He’s taking the opposite route of Gary Smyth researching the efficiency potential of two-cycle ICEs, and perfecting a six-cycle engine. The basic idea is that the combustion chamber wastes a lot of energy in heat, so you can recapture some of that heat by squirting water into the 1500 degree chamber after the fourth stroke removes the exhaust gas. The water instantly vaporizes, producing a 1600 fold expansion in volume, powering the fifth stroke. On the final upward stroke, the steam is sucked out into a condenser to be reused as more injection water.

Cower estimates that using this method could increase fuel efficiency of gas engines by 40 percent, and diesels 5 (because they’re already more efficient). The best part is, this technology can be implemented using existing parts right now, instead of waiting for other technologies to mature. Cower is tight-lipped about details on his invention while he waits for an answer on his patent application, but does have a working prototype in the form of a single-cylinder, blistering 8 horsepower diesel engine, which he has dubbed the Steam-o-Lene engine (from gas-o-line, I assume). If he gets his approval, he plans on selling the technology to whatever automaker can implement it.

[Source: Popular Science via Instapundit, Thanks for the tip, dcfw!]

 

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

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Manufacturing/Plants

Bovinos de Valencia, an industrial farm in Vilamarxant (Valencia, Spain) has started building a plant that will transform animal manure from the farm into biogas. The plant will start working at the beginning of 2008 and will use a manure depuration system to extract gas that will be used in a co-generative power plant to obtain electric power and heating. The remains of the manure will be used to produce fertilizers (that’s what my grandpa always did with that).

With this process, the pollution hazards and the odour will be reduced drastically. Spain has a long history of problems with industrial farms, ranging from phosphate pollution in most rivers to aggressive council campaigns against odour.

The plant is expected to deal with 35,000 tons (metric) of manure per year, coming from their own farm and will generate round 4 million kWh per year, which is the equivalent of the energy used by 1,142 average Spanish homes.

Bovinos de Valencia has a capacity of 5,400 animals (beef cows) and not only includes this innovative (at least for Southern Europe) plant but photovoltaic and windmill generators to complement the output, which allows full energy independence for the farm.

[Source: Generalitat Valenciana]

 

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

Filed under: Diesel, MPG, Ford

With high numbers of drivers expected on the road this weekend, the auto industry would like to remind you once again how to save money and fuel by following a few simple tips. These tips aren’t exactly new discoveries, but people can’t seem to learn how to follow them consistently, so companies like Ford are distributing them to drivers at rest stops in parts of the U.S. this weekend. We’ve listed all 12 of Ford’s tips after the break, so you know about them before you drive to the rest area.

If you’ve got a diesel engine, then you might already know the fuel-saving power that the Diesel Technology Forum is reminding people of this weekend. Their list, also available after the jump, isn’t so much about how to drive but things to keep in mind the next time you’re car shopping. Reenacting their homey example of a family driving from D.C. to Atlanta on one tank of diesel should be attempted by people with strong bladders only.

[Source: Diesel Technology Forum, Ford]
Ford Motor Company EcoDriving Tip Card

Studies have shown that by using the following tips average drivers can reduce the amount of fuel they use by as much as 25 percent:

1. Slow down. Driving 55 mph instead of 65 saves fuel.
2. Change lead foot to light foot. Accelerate smoothly from a stop and brake gradually.
3. Relax. Aggressive driving and weaving in and out of traffic wastes fuel and wears out components.
4. Check your tires. Inflate them to the recommended pressure.
5. No idling. Today’s engines don’t need a warm-up.
6. Travel light. Avoid piling luggage on the roof rack or storing heavy items in the trunk.
7. Get cozy. Close the windows at higher speeds.
8. Be a maintenance maniac. Keep the engine tuned and the wheels aligned.
9. Let your vehicle breathe easy. Replace air filters as recommended.
10. Choose the right oil. Use good quality oils.
11. Use cruise control or maintain constant speed.
12. Minimize use of heater and air conditioning.

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Clean Diesel Offers Substantial Savings at the Pump this Memorial Day

Lower diesel prices and greater fuel efficiency compared to gasoline save drivers on average $6.15 per tank

WASHINGTON, May 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — As more than 38 million Americans take to the roads this Memorial Day weekend, diesel drivers will see significant savings at the pump due to lower diesel prices and greater fuel efficiency compared to gasoline.

“Diesel’s inherent fuel efficiency translates into cash savings for consumers — without sacrificing the power or performance Americans demand,” said Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum. “And while gasoline prices are approaching an all-time record high, the price of diesel is dropping — meaning additional savings for drivers.”

Diesel cars, trucks and SUVs provide 20% to 40% better mileage than comparable gasoline vehicles, and clean diesel fuel is currently priced 41 cents less per gallon than regular gasoline — a national average of $2.80 for the new ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel compared to $3.21 for regular gasoline — according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Consider the following:

— Filling a 15-gallon tank with clean diesel currently costs $42.00 compared to $48.15 for regular gasoline. That’s an immediate savings of $6.15 or nearly 15% per tank.

— A family driving from Washington, DC to Atlanta, GA can make the entire trip on one tank of diesel fuel. That same family driving a gasoline vehicle would have to refuel in Charlotte, NC — four hours shy of Atlanta.

— According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, America could save up to 1.4 million barrels of oil per day — an amount equivalent to the oil we currently import from Saudi Arabia — if one-third of U.S. cars, pickups and SUVs were diesels.

— There are 4.8 million diesel cars on the road today according to the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.

— J.D. Power and Associates predicts that diesel sales will triple in the next 10 years, growing to more than 10% of U.S. sales by 2015 up from 3.6% in 2005.

— Diesel drivers can also fill up with blends of biodiesel — a domestically produced, renewable fuel.

Schaeffer continued, “Hybrids and flex-fueled ethanol vehicles aren’t the only environmentally-friendly choices on the roads today. The expanded use of clean diesel technology would help the U.S. reduce petroleum consumption, improve energy security and decrease greenhouse gas emissions.”

Numerous manufacturers, including Dodge, General Motors, Ford, BMW Group, Mercedes, Jeep, Audi, Volkswagen, Honda, Nissan, Hyundai and Mitsubishi are planning to introduce new clean diesels in the next two to three years. The nationwide availability of ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel in October 2006 provided 97 percent cleaner diesel fuel, enabling manufacturers to engineer the cleanest diesel cars, trucks and SUVs ever.

“Drivers who have not yet experienced the new generation of clean diesels are in for an awakening,” Schaeffer concluded. “Today’s diesels are clean, quiet and performance oriented — plus they deliver 20% to 40% better fuel economy — so consumers can spend their summer vacation money somewhere other than at the pump.”

The price of diesel fuel tends to fluctuate independently compared to the price of gasoline and is not always cheaper. U.S. EIA has developed a comprehensive “Primer on Diesel Fuel Prices” that is linked from the DTF website.

The Diesel Technology Forum is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about the economic importance and environmental progress of diesel engines and equipment. Forum members represent the three parts of the modern clean diesel system: advanced engines, cleaner diesel fuel and effective emissions control systems. For more information, including a list of diesel vehicles available for sale in the U.S. and links to diesel fuel locators, visit http://www.dieselforum.org/.

 

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

The biodiesel community has always been marked by spirited enthusiasm, a clear sense of mission, and the dream that biodiesel could one day play a significant role in our energy future. That dream may soon be a reality. Researchers at Utah State University say that farming algae, with reported oil yields of 10,000 gallons per acre, could become an economically feasible biodiesel feedstock by the end of the decade.

This is the Holy Grail of biodiesel: an oil source that could make a serious dent in our fossil fuel consumption. Our most productive feedstock today, the oil palm, doesn't even come close with yields of 635 gallons/acre, and is followed distantly by the U.S. standard, soy, at 48 gallons of oil/acre.

Producing biodiesel from algae isn't a new concept, and it's easy to see why: algae grow voraciously (measured by the day), algae can proliferate in heinous growing conditions (saltwater or extreme temperatures), and certain species contain up to 60% oil (by weight).

Put quite simply, microalgae are remarkable and efficient biological factories capable of taking a waste (zero-energy) form of carbon (CO2) and converting it into a high density liquid form of energy (natural oil). This ability has been the foundation of the research program funded by the Office Fuels Development."

Between 1978 and 1996, the Department of Energy (DOE) funded research into technologies that could have significant impacts on the consumption of fossil fuels. The focus of this research became the Aquatic Species Program (ASP), which investigated renewable fuel production (biodiesel) from high-oil algae species, fed by the waste CO2 from coal-fired plants. Researchers whittled down over 3,000 strains of microorganisms into the most productive 300, and constructed 1000 sq. meter test ponds outside of Roswell, NM. The ponds were set up as sort of algae 'race-tracks', where algae were circulated around shallow, oval-shaped ponds as carbon dioxide bubbled through the mixture. Results were successful and encouraging, but the program fizzled out after almost 2 decades (a lot of which had to do with a budget crunch and allocating more resources to researching ethanol). Researchers noted that one obstacle to large-scale algae production may be the high cost, which was estimated to be double the price of diesel at the time. (I wonder what they would say now.)

Utah State may finally take this research to the next level. Scientists there plan to produce algae in a grid of indoor bioreactors, with light captured by parabolic dishes on the roof and fed inside via fiber-optic cables. Put several thousand of these bioreactors together and you have an algae farm:

The solar bioreactor utilizes single cell algae, nature’s most efficient means to convert sunshine to biomass, which contain up to 60% oil by weight.[4] To minimize land and water resources, an enclosed bioreactor is used to grow algae on proprietary vertical membranes that resemble library newspaper racks. Harvesting of algae is achieved by periodically flushing water down the membrane from holes in the top ‘rack’. Mature algae are dislodged and collected in a bottom trough while immature algae cling to the membrane and continue to grow. Sunlight is collected and distributed to vertical panels that are sandwiched in close proximity between the growth membranes, much like alternating plates in a car battery. Oil extracted from mature algae can be converted to biodiesel using well established technologies."

The program has been funded by $6 million in seed money from the Utah Science and Technology Research Initiative, and plans on building the first commercial plant in Utah. USU researchers say algae-biodiesel could become economically feasible by 2009.

Needless to say, this is an exciting project that I will be watching closely.

Resources:
USU Biofuels Initiative
A Look Back at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Aquatic Species Program: Biodiesel from Algae NREL 1998
Wikipedia: Algaculture

Widescale Biodiesel Production from Algae

This story was originally reported in January, 2007.
Pond Scum Offers Promise for Biodiesel

Photo Credit: KSL News, Bien Stephenson

Posted by Dave (in Anchorage, Alaska)

Here’s a beautiful animation by director Yamamura Koji that recently appeared on the Whale Love Wagon website.

Today, only one country in the world continues to conduct whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary: Japan. There was a time in Japan during the food shortage hardships of the postwar period when whale meat was taken as a valuable source of protein. We are alive today thanks in a very real sense to this gift, so should we not reach out in gratitude to whales now and seek a path of peaceful coexistence? This is the message behind a beautiful new animated work by director Yamamura Koji.

Whale Tale: The Story
A seaside school. In the corridor stands the principal, beloved of the high-spirited youngsters. Gazing at a picture of a whale drawn as a child, the head teacher is swept away with sentiment into a flashback from the past. Just then, on the ocean horizon…

Visit the Whale Love Wagon website
Join the Big Blue March on May 27th to support the whales!

On June 8th, 9th and 10th, Taming the Giant Corportion will be held in Washington, DC. The conference will focus on corporate accountability and will include a variety of speakers from MoveOn.org, the Project on Government Oversight, and more.

“Taming the Giant Corporation” will be an opportunity to learn, debate, meet leading advocates and activists, and grapple with the questions that must be answered if we are to strive for a just and livable world.

Click here to register for the conference.

Filed under: MPG, Nissan

As gas prices hit $3.60 a gallon in southeast Michigan this week the coming onslaught of mini-cars appears to be growing. The latest to jump into the fray appears to be Nissan with plans to bring over three minis from Japan starting in the second half of 2008. First out the chute should be the redesigned version of the Cube which has been on sale in the Japan for several years already.

According the Japanese paper Nikkei, at least one of the minis is likely to be priced under $10,000. The new Cube is evidently being designed for sales in North America and possibly Europe in addition to Asia. We already know that Ford is bringing the US a model based on the Mazda2, GM will likely bring out a model based on one of the Triplets and Chrysler is trying to finalize a deal with Chery to produce a small car in China. With Smart, and possibly Toyota in the mix, we will have all kinds of choices in the next couple of years.

[Source: MotorAuthority]

 

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

Filed under: Etc., Transportation Alternatives

Just yesterday, we ran a post indicating that some people in the United States of America would like to see some better small cars on our side of the pond. Despite what many believe, not all Americans believe that bigger is always better. I know that trucks and SUVs have been all the rage for the last ten years or so, but small cars such as the Mini, New Beetle and even the Smart are proving that small can be cool too. OK, so that covers cars, but what about other forms of transportation. Well, small private jets are certainly considered cool, and scooters are making inroads in the typically huge custom cruiser style motorcycle market, not that I expect most Harley owners to trade their Road Kings in for Vespas or anything. But how about boats? I know that many consider a huge yacht to be the utmost in luxury confines, but then again, I also know some would choose kayaking over pontoon-ing any day. So, why not take a moment to consider a catamaran which is capable of folding down to the size of a large gym bag? Ever dreamed of sailing on the ocean blue but realized that you couldn’t afford to (I’m a poet…)? Try this one out for size.

[Source: Gizmag]

 

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

Filed under: Hydrogen, BMW

The automobile company initially produced a small series of 100 BMW Hydrogen 7s which are being used by selected representatives from industry, politics and society. The first person awarded one is the Board Chairman of Sixt AG, Erich Sixt. Sixt is Germany’s largest car rental company for many years, with some 1,600 rental stations in over 85 countries.

“We have to be open to new engine technologies – after all, we know that fossil fuels are in finite supply,” Sixt said in a statement. “Hydrogen has the potential to surpass petrol and diesel in the long term. BMW is on the right path – and a pioneer in the field. I am pleased to receive the BMW Hydrogen 7 and look forward to finding out about the interaction between hydrogen and petrol operation.”

Dear gentlemen at BMW: Can we ask for one? Although we would have really a hard time looking for a Hydrogen pump station (although the Hydrogen 7 runs on unleaded, too) or a parking spot.

[Source: BMW]

 

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