Nebraska Congressman Lee Terry is calling on his fellow lawmakers to approve a package that would promote hydrogen as a viable alternative to fossil fuels. According to this story in the Omaha World-Herald, Terry testified on Capitol Hill that his hometown zoo, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, is making good use of hydrogen: Hydrogen fuel cell technology provides power and heats …
It’s a Dirty Job, But…
OK, in full disclosure, I am a huge fan of the Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs.” For those unfamiliar with the show, host Mike Rowe travels the country showing, and doing himself, some of the dirtiest jobs you can imagine… cleaning out septic tanks, gutting fish, you name it. Apparently, in one episode (one I have to admit I have not …
NBB Fights Tax Incentive Abuse
The National Biodiesel Board is vowing to fight what it considers abuse of the biodiesel tax credit. According to a release from the NBB, the original intent of the credit was to help the biodiesel industry get off the ground, but big oil companies now are trying to take advantage of it: The NBB has been advised of a potential …
New Wind Project in Iowa
If the Iowa Utilities Board approves it, an expansion by a major wind energy producer in Iowa will nearly double that state’s wind power generation capacity. According to this story on RenewableEnergyAccess.com, MidAmerican Energy wants to add 540 megawatts of wind energy production. “In addition to the environmental benefit of adding new wind energy production in Iowa, customers of MidAmerican …
States Adopting Biodiesel Standards
New Mexico is the latest state to adopt a biodiesel standard as Governor Bill Richardson signed into law a measure that requires all diesel sold in the state to have at least a five percent blend by 2012. State vehicles would have to use 5% biodiesel by 2010. According to this story in Land Line Magazine, several other states have …
Biodiesel for Frisco Buses
San Francisco becomes the largest city in the nation to switch to a 20% biodiesel blend for all of its city vehicles. This comes as the area’s first public biodiesel pumps open (see my post from April 19th). Check out this release from the National Biodiesel Board: “Every city bears responsibility for taking local action to address our global climate …
Earth Day on Baffin Island
The latest update from explorer/environmentalist Will Steger comes from Earth Day (this past Sunday) on Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic. As you might remember from our previous posts, Steger is leading a team of three other explorers and educators and four native Inuits on a four-month-long, dog-sled expedition across the island. Listen to Steger’s Earth Day audio update: “This …
New Biodiesel Plant in Cleveland
A new biodiesel refinery will open in downtown Cleveland in two weeks, and according to this article in the CantonRep.com, they’ll use soybean oil to make the biodiesel: Center Alternative Energy, a subsidiary of St. Louis-based Center Oil Co., will produce the biodiesel fuel in a storage terminal along the Cuyahoga River near downtown, refining soybean oil and blending it …
Crow Wraps Up Stop Global Warming Tour
Singer Sheryl Crow and environmentalist Laurie David (in the center of the picture above) wrapped up their nationwide tour in a biodiesel bus at a stop in Washington, DC today, Earth Day. The Washington Post featured some posts from Crow’s and David’s blogs along the way on the Stop Global Warming College Tour: David (4/10, Dallas): I am jogging outside …
First 100% Biodiesel Tractors in UK
Four New Holland tractors are the first tractors that run on 100% biodiesel to arrive in the United Kingdom to work at Cornwall’s Eden Project, “an environmentally-focused attraction all about man’s relationship with plants and the environment.” According to this story in the Farmers Guardian, not only will the tractors be good for the environment, they’ll be good for the …