President George W. Bush announced today his initiative to curb greenhouse growth in the United States. And according to this White House press release, ethanol and biodiesel are part of the plan: [T]he United States has launched — and the G8 has embraced — a new process that brings together the countries responsible for most of the world’s emissions. We’re …
Imperim CEO Says “Don’t Blame Biofuels”
The food vs. fuel debate is still going strong with the chief executive officer of a major biofuel producer telling a technology summit not to blame his industry for the rise in food prices. This story in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer says that at the Technology Summit in Bellevue, WA today, Imperium Renewables Chief Executive John Plaza told attendees that there’s …
Brewing Green Beer in Paradise
No, I’m not talking about something for St. Patrick’s Day. A brewer in Hawaii is making beer using green methods… including using biodiesel in the process. This story from HawaiiMagazine.com says Maui Brewing Co. has been making up some internationally-recognized beers for several years: But since opening in 2005, Marrero has also worked to make his company one of Maui’s …
GenGreen
Online social networking is looking green… at GenGreen.org. Now, net-savvy Americans who are committed to living a more sustainable lifestyle can connect with other eco-conscious enthusiasts online. Members can share information and ideas and get updates on the latest news and developments in greener living. Biofuels and alternative energy are a big part of the “sustainable living made local” network. …
Report: Government Key to Green Investment
Investing in green technology is still a good investment… with a little help from the government. U.S. News and World Report says a new report by Laurence Alexander, Paul Clegg, and Michael McNamara at Jefferies & Co. says what is being done to be green, such as biofuels, wind, and solar technologies, is very good with demand remaining strong. But …
Auburn Helping Alabama Town’s Biodiesel Efforts
Auburn University, already helping Gadsden, Hoover, Montgomery, and Daphne, Alabama run their cities greener, is offering its help to another city wanting to reduce its dependency on oil. According to this story in the Andalusia (AL) Star News, the town is the latest project for the school’s Natural Resources Management and Development Institute. School representatives were recently in Andalusia to …
HS Team Brews Up Biodiesel Win
A team of high school students is one of the top finishers in a college-level energy competition for its biodiesel project. Merrimack New Hampshire High School’s Biodiesel Crew took second place in the prestigious Global Venture Challenge at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Knoxville, Tennessee. This story in the Merrimack Journal says the students were the only high schoolers …
Fuel Cell and Solar Vehicles Place in Shell Eco-Marathon
Shell is touting its Eco-Marathon Americas race as a success in developing breakthroughs in fuel efficiency. The race also demonstrated the fuel-saving capabilities of alternative fuels, with hydrogen- and solar-powered cars making the top five. “Ladies and gentlemen, start your fuel-efficient engines” were the words that kicked off the 2008 Shell Eco-marathon(TM) Americas; and that’s exactly what more than 300 …
Alternative Wine
Parducci Wine Cellars is harnessing all sorts of alternative energy to produce its wine. The carbon neutral vintner now uses solar power, wind power and biodiesel tractors. Parducci effectively transferred all of its energy needs to non-polluting, renewable sources by supplementing its on-site solar power with Green-E(R) certified wind energy purchased from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. The annual positive environmental …
BASF Podcast Tackles Clean Diesel
This week’s Chemical of Innovations podcast from BASF explores how consumers can make exhaust fumes of their diesel vehicles cleaner through catalysts technology. In terms of design a diesel is much more efficient: It uses less fuel and emits less CO2. To purify diesel exhaust fumes is a challenge and only possible because manufacturers of catalytic converters like BASF Catalysts …