ACE Conference 2026

Book Review – The Gort Cloud

Joanna Schroeder

The Gort CloudHey all you marketers out there – listen up! This week I reviewed a book on how to successfully market your environmentally friendly product through the “Gort Cloud”.  What is the Gort Cloud you ask? “The vast but invisible community that has the power to make or break green brands and much of this community and interaction is done online. The Gort Cloud is the discovery of marketing and branding expert Richard Seireeni who is the author of this week’s book, The Gort Cloud: The Invisible Force Powering Today’s Most Visible Green Brands.

The book consists mainly of a number of case studies from varying industries including energy, that detail the marketing and branding strategies green companies have taken to become powerful brands. Most of these brands have never used traditional advertising such as print ads and TV ads, but have used the power of public relations and the immense network of green adopters who have created communities on the web.

gort-012809Some components of the Gort Cloud include providers, provider support, rule makers and watchdogs, advocacy groups, special – interest authorities, information disseminators, green search engines, social networks, lifestyle movements, reuse, recycle, in-person exchange, competitions, campaign and fundraisers, education and career. Seireeni talks in detail about these components and how to tap into them.

The Gort Cloud is one of the best marketing books I’ve read with regards to developing a green brand and marketing it. As more and more traditional media disappear and the internet becomes an even more powerful medium, this book will help you navigate the web to better reach your target audience.

You can buy this book or any book I read by visiting “Joanna’s bookstore“. In addition, if you have a book that you would like me to review, email me at jomschro2071@gmail.com.

book reviews

Phibro’s Process Optimization Seminar Successful

Joanna Schroeder

With today’s economic climate, everything an ethanol plant can do to increase efficiencies helps the bottom line. As a plant changes constantly due to inputs and environmental shifts, its important for employees to understand how process aids  including Enzymes, Yeast, Antimicrobials, and Water Treatment function alone and in conjunction with other inputs. Another area of focus was to learn about situations that can occur before, during and after fermentation.

100_0002To help the ethanol industry, Phibro Ethanol Performance Group along with Fremont Industries, Fermentis, and Novozymes held a hands on seminar in Minneapolis on July 29-30. Participation was limited to ensure the ability for one-on-one instruction and the seminar was sold out with 78 participants. The particpants are giving the seminar rave reviews.

Sponsor and participate Steve Rust, the director of marketing for Fremont Industries said of the seminar, “The first Process Optimization Seminar was very successful. The four companies that sponsored the event provided knowledge that was relevant and useful. The goal of providing training for plant personnel to more effectively do their jobs was met. Fremont Industries is committed to providing support for the ethanol industry.”

Phibro is planning on having another seminar before the year is out. Tom Slunecka, VP of Marketing for Phibro Ethanol Performance Group noted, “The agenda was packed with education and everyone learnd a lot. Participants have told us numerous times that the seminar was a tremendous value. We look forward to announcing the next meeting soon.”

Ethanol, Ethanol News

California Biodiesel & Ethanol Co. Patents Algae Dredger

John Davis

CircleBioA maker of parts for biodiesel and ethanol operations says it has been awarded a “Notice of Allowance” by the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a device that is supposed to make it easier to harvest algae to make biofuels.

This press release from San Marcos, California-based Circle Biodiesel & Ethanol Corporation says the company received the notice for its Suction Dredge System and Method:

The most important step in making biofuels from algae a successful business is the recovery of the algae from its environment. Until now nobody had a safe, environmentally-friendly and economical way of recovering the algae. Circle Biodiesel & Ethanol Corporation has solved the issue of feedstock recovery by developing a dredge system that can recover algae in massive volumes in a continuous fashion without the need for human swimmers to handle or clear the dredge. The patented dredge head has an automatic obstacle-clearing feature. When an obstacle blocks the intake, it is automatically and immediately cleared by the dredge head itself, and then immediately the dredge head goes back to dredging again. That means there is no need to shut down and clear the dredge head. The process is nonstop.

“We have solved the issue of feedstock recovery by developing a dredge system that can recover the algae in massive volumes. The cost savings are from the lower labor headcount and continuous dredging of higher volumes of algae than were previously possible before our invention. The increased safety for operating personnel who can now stay completely onboard is also a consideration,” said [CEO Peter] Schuh.

The company also has a separate utility patent application for its method of removing algae oil from the green microbe.

algae, Biodiesel, Ethanol, Ethanol News, News

New Biodiesel Plant Opens in East Tennessee

John Davis

TennBiodiesel1A new biodiesel plant in East Tennessee is the first of its kind for that part of the state.

This article from the Southeast Farm Press says officials with the University of Tennessee, as well as state and local officials and members of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy were on hand for the ribbon cutting of the facility that will produce the green fuel and clean up used kitchen grease:

Built with an Alternative Fuels Innovations Grant from TDEC in partnership with SACE, the community-based biodiesel production unit aims to convert waste fryer oil from local restaurants into useable fuel. The production unit, which is located on the University of Tennessee agricultural campus, will also be a research center for other ag fuels like soybean oil and oilseed crops.

“We are excited about participating in another effort to provide the region and state with affordable, sustainable biofuels,” said DiPietro. The UT Institute of Agriculture is well known for partnering with DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol to produce cellulosic ethanol from switchgrass at a biorefinery in Vonore. That plant is under construction and expected to be operational by the end of the year. “The answers to our energy problems lie in a combination of sustainable, affordable, homemade and homegrown fuels, both cellulosic ethanol and biodiesel,” he said.

TDEC Commissioner Jim Fyke agreed. “Making cleaner-burning fuels more readily available while providing additional education and research capacity is an important step toward a clean energy future in Tennessee,” he said. “The biodiesel production unit on the Knoxville campus will increase use of alternative fuels and create public health benefits for area communities.”

When fully operational, the plant will be able to produce 380,000 gallons of biodiesel a year, fueling the university and the community and recycling the grease of at least 30 local restaurants.

Biodiesel

Wind Company Getting Into Biodiesel Biz

John Davis

NatWindSolutionsA Texas wind energy company is getting into the bioidesel business.

The Houston Business Journal says National Wind Solutions Inc. has just bought a biodiesel plant for $3 million:

The plant, located in Atascosa County just south of San Antonio, produced biodiesel for commercial transportation uses before being mothballed due to high soybean oil prices.

Houston-based National Wind intends to modernize the plant to reduce processing costs and retrofit it to process less expensive feed stocks such as algae and jatropha.

National Wind Solutions is also in the fuel cell business with a wholly owned subsidiary, Zero Emissions Energy.

algae, Biodiesel, Wind

Feds to Give $2.4 Bil for Battery-Powered Vehicles

John Davis

ObamaElkhartFederal grants totaling $2.4 billion will be handed out for the development of fuel-saving, battery-powered vehicles.

CNN reports President Barack Obama made the announcement at an RV plant in Elkhart County, Indiana:

“For too long, we’ve failed to invest in this kind of innovative work, even as countries like China and Japan were racing ahead,” he said.

“With these investments, we’re planting the seeds of progress for our country and good-paying, private-sector jobs for the American people.”

Obama made the announcement during a visit to a recreational vehicle manufacturing plant in Elkhart County, Indiana, which has been hard hit by the economic downturn.

The president said the plant, which makes recreational and hybrid vehicles, will receive a $39 million grant to build 400 advanced-battery electric trucks.

Elkhart has been a popular destination for the president. He’s been there four times in the last 15 months, with his last appearance in February to garner support for the economic stimulus package.

Car Makers, Electric Vehicles

DF Cast: Pure Energy Goes on the Air

John Davis

df-logoThere’s a new radio show in town… and its focus is something near and dear to the hearts of many of you who read this blog.

On this edition of the Domestic Fuel Cast we’ll talk to Sean O’Hanlon, Executive Director of the American Biofuels Council and host of “Pure Energy,” a new radio show on Miami’s 880 AM WZAB, Monday nights from 6-7 EDT.

pure-energy-web-2O’Hanlon says while most people focus on clean, green and sustainable, his show will feature the economic side of it – job creation, cost savings, cost competitiveness and the opportunity to invest in various technologies and companies in renewables.

During the recent debut show, O’Hanlon welcomed Dr. Robert Zubrin, author of the book Energy Victory. Zubrin makes the case that the only way we can break the control foreign oil has on this country and the world is to require more vehicles to be flex-fuel… burn a variety of fuels from ethanol to biodiesel to other renewable products. In addition, in this Domestic Fuel podcast, Zubrin berates the concept of Indirect Land Use as just a crazy idea.

You can check out Pure Energy on WZAB’s Web site and soon to come to Pure Energy’s Web site. And you can listen to our conversations with O’Hanlon and Zubrin here: [audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/domesticfuel/DFCast-8-07-09.mp3]

You can also subscribe to the DomesticFuel Cast here.

Audio, biofuels, Domestic Fuel Cast

PERC Launches National Consumer Propane Campaign

Joanna Schroeder

F150Propane_NMall_340The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) launched a new campaign today to promote the ways propane can help cut greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, lower energy costs, and reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil. In fact, greenhouse gas emissions can be cut immediately, says PERC by using more propane and expanding its uses.

Roy Willis, president and CEO of PERC said, “Significant and swift progress toward environmental goals is within reach. The key is to more fully embrace the clean alternative energies, like wind, solar, natural gas, ethanol, and propane, that are already used across the country.”

Propane which is most commonly used for home and water heating in rural areas, is a low-carbon alternative fuel that emits significantly lower amounts of greenhouse gases and smog-producing hydrocarbons than conventional fuels emit. PERC says that its environment-friendly profile also makes it extremely appealing to people looking for clean energy options for transportation, commercial and agricultural uses. And according to the organization, propane also boasts the most robust nationwide infrastructure of any alternative fuel, meaning it is immediately ready for expansion beyond rural households.

Major supporters of propane include T. Boone Pickens who highlighted propane as an important part of the Pickens Plan, citing propane’s environmentally friendly profile and ample production in the United States. In partnership with Pickens, PERC will be rolling out a national advertising and public relations campaign that will extend through the end of 2009.

I will be spending a week driving an F-150 that has been converted to run on propane by Roush Manufacturing. You will be able to follow my trip via my video journal beginning August 16th on www.Gas2.org as well as here on DomesticFuel.

News, Propane

National Clean Energy Summit 2.0 to be Streamed Live

Joanna Schroeder

CLEAN-SKIES-NEWS-LOGOThe National Clean Energy Summit 2.0: Jobs and the New Economy is taking place in Las Vegas on August 10th. If you can’t participate in person, you’re not out of luck. The event will be streamed live via Clean Skies. The summit convenes top energy and environment newsmakers from across the country where they will be discussing ‘green’ jobs, energy efficiency, energy independence, and more. The event was created by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev) in conjunction with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

Event speakers are a group of “who’s, who” including U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu, along with Van Jones, Special Adviser, White House Council on Environmental Quality; General Wesley Clark, Chairman, Growth Energy; Denise Bode, CEO, American Wind Energy Association, T. Boone Pickens, Pickens Capital Management, and U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis.

They will  participate in the roundtable session: “Building the Clean-Energy Economy”. The speakers will engage in discussions on the case for clean-energy investment, bringing energy-efficiency retrofits to scale and how to promote the market for renewable energy and energy infrastructure. Also on hand will be former Vice President Al Gore who will be participating in the “Clean-Energy Policy Community Town Hall,” also broadcast live.

The event starts at 1:00 p.m. EDT on Monday, August 10, 2009. You can register for the onsite event on the National Clean Energy Summit website. The event will be broadcast live at www.cleanskies.com.

conferences, Energy, Environment, Growth Energy, News

Biodiesel Vehicles Get Boost from Cash for Clunkers

John Davis

CARSNew cars that run on biodiesel have gotten a boost from the federal government’s Cash for Clunkers program.

Biodiesel Magazine reports that portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has helped encourage the sale of clean diesel vehicles, which, of course, run on biodiesel:

“It’s completely exceeded our expectations,” said Sean Maynard of Volkswagen U.S. “Clean diesels have been 30 percent of our total sales over the past month.”

“We’re running out of stock of TDI clean diesels,” Maynard told Biodiesel Magazine. “We can’t sell these models fast enough.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported, however, that the program’s funds could be exhausted because of overwhelming consumer demand. Regarding this situation, Dave McCurdy, CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers made the following statement. “Alliance members urge the Administration to increase funding to this important program,” he said. “The very fact that we’re at this point just days into the program shows how effective these incentives have been. In addition to seeing an increase in sales of more fuel efficient vehicles with the latest safety enhancements, we’re seeing an increase in dealer traffic that will contribute to the wellbeing of automakers and the entire supply chain.”

The U.S. Senate is to vote on whether to renew the program tomorrow (Thursday).

Biodiesel, Car Makers