Wednesday, June 08, 2005

[Urban environment] Mayors sign urban environmental accords Mayors from around the world on Sunday signed an international treaty calling for increased use of public transportation and drastic cuts to the amount of trash sent to landfills. [Salon.com] 2:31:17 PM Google It!    [Climate change] Al Gore's midnight ride The former vice president sounds the alarm on global warming. [Salon.com] LB Note: Watch a 15 second ad to get a Day Pass to the Salon.com site. 2:30:37 PM Google It!    [Recycling] Apple Announces iPod Recycling at US Retail Stores Apple Computer, Inc. today announced a free recycling program for iPod, the world's most popular digital music player. [ENN Business Headlines] 2:27:05 PM Google It!    [Floral industry] International Experts Tackle Sustainability Issues in Floral Sector "Flower Power" took on a whole new meaning Friday as an international panel of experts gathered to discuss advances in addressing environmental and social issues in the floral industry, and to launch a new American eco-label for sustainably produced floral products. [ENN Business Headlines] 2:26:32 PM Google It!    [Nuclear fusion] Coming in out of the cold: nuclear fusion, for real Scientists initiate a cold fusion reaction that works in repeated experiments on a small scale. [Christian Science Monitor | Sci/Tech] 2:25:09 PM Google It!    [Biomass fuels] DOE and USDA to Cooperate on Producing Hydrogen from Biomass A new agreement between DOE and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will further the goal of producing cost-effective hydrogen fuel from biomass resources. Ethanol, crop and forest residues, and dedicated energy crops are all potential sources of hydrogen. [EERE Network News] 2:23:59 PM Google It!    [Energy efficiency] DOE Offers Energy-Saving Tips to Cut Summer Cooling Bills Looking for ways to save money this summer? Some easy energy-saving tips from DOE could help you cut your cooling bills by as much as 50 percent. Along with a simple list of tips to help keep you cool, DOE also offers a variety of booklets, CDs, and Web sites to help you save energy at home. [EERE Network News] 2:23:30 PM Google It!    [Sustainable product design] Sustainable Products, Sustainable Companies Good piece on sustainable product design by Gil Friend. 2:22:07 PM Google It!    [Alternative fuels] Green Diesel From Plants to Power Cars Via Gil Friend: Green Diesel From Plants to Power Cars. [Roland Piquepaille]: Making diesel-like liquid from carbohydrates found in plants has been done before by fermenting glucose into ethanol added to gasoline. But this process was inefficient and expensive because the ethanol needed to be separated from water at the end of the fermentation process. Now, a team of chemists at University of Wisconsin-Madison has found a new way to create green diesel from plants which avoids this costly separating phase. Still developmental, but interesting. This in particular caught my eye: According to the University, this process is very energy-efficient compared with the production of ethanol. About 67 percent of the energy required to make ethanol is consumed in fermenting and distilling corn. As a result, ethanol production creates 1.1 units of energy for every unit of energy consumed. In the UW-Madison process, the desired alkanes spontaneously separate from water. No additional heating or distillation is required. The result is the creation of 2.2 units of energy for every unit of energy consumed in energy production. [Gil Friend] 2:17:40 PM Google It!    [Hybrid cars] Driving hybrids home in Congress Fifteen members of Congress drive hybrids. Now how about some legislation on fuel economy? [Salon.com] LB Note: Sit through a 15 second ad to get a free Day Pass to the site. It's worth it. 2:15:01 PM Google It!    [Patents] Renewable energy system Abstract: A renewable energy system comprising: a cylindrical closed circulated wind tunnel, an electric turbine engine is mounted on the inside wall of said wind tunnel, numerous wind electric generators are mounted on the inside wall of said wind tunnel, also numerous aerodynamic air fins are mounted on the inside wall of said wind tunnel. An electric motor is coaxially mounted on said electrical turbine engine. A solar cells panel is provided to supply the said electric turbine engine with solar electricity. Also an air compressor is provided to supply compressed air into said closed circulated wind tunnel.  [FreshPatents.com: Notable Patent Applications - 05/26/2005] 2:13:51 PM Google It!    [Thomas Register] Thomas Register Print Edition Nixed Reference Tools--Thomas Register Source: ClickZ News Thomas Register Print Edition Nixed "The Thomas Register of American Manufacturers has been a mainstay on industrial buyers' desks, and in manufacturers' media plans, for more than 100 years. The first part, at least, is about to change. Following the 2006 edition, Thomas Industrial Network will cease publication of the 'Big Green Books' and Regional Buying Guides, instead making the database available exclusively online."  [ResourceShelf] 1:49:16 PM Google It!    [Communicating science] Athenaweb -- a portal for audiovisual information on science is launched by the European Commission Science--Multimedia Source: eGov Monitor Athenaweb -- a portal for audiovisual information on science is launched by the European Commission "The European Commission, in association with a number of professional media and science organisations, is launching an innovative web portal designed for audiovisual and scientific communities in Europe, to support their work in promoting and communicating about science. Functions of this new platform include an electronic library of science programmes, an online agenda of key events, a European science news service and a forum for co-productions and partnerships." See Also: Direct to AthenaWeb  [ResourceShelf] 1:45:36 PM Google It!    [Sustainable agriculture] Innovative Farming Methods Save Money, Spare the Environment Bedding calves at Dave and Pam Bolin's farm is yesterday's news. In an effort to help the environment and control costs, the Clarksville dairy farmers shred old newspapers to keep young heifers comfortable. [ENN Business Headlines] 1:40:11 PM Google It!    [Textile industry] Bamboo Fabric May Be 'Next Big Thing' in Textiles As the U.S. textile market struggles in the face of foreign competition, a fledgling South Carolina clothing company is hoping to weave its own niche in the industry. To do so, it's pinning its hopes on a nontraditional material: bamboo. [ENN Business Headlines] 1:37:48 PM Google It!    [Statistics] Annual Survey of Manufacturers, Geographic Area Statistics: 2003 Business--United States--Statistics Source: U.S. Census Just Released, Annual Survey of Manufacturers, Geographic Area Statistics: 2003 153 pages; PDF [ResourceShelf] 1:29:06 PM Google It!    [Energy efficiency] Food and Paper Industries Pursue Energy Savings A number of food processing plants in California and Massachusetts are turning to combined heat and power systems for their energy supply, while Ocean Spray is preparing to use landfill gas at its Wisconsin Rapids plant. But for paper mills, avoiding waste is a good way to save energy. [EERE Network News] 1:26:12 PM Google It!    [Biofuels] New Process Converts Sugars Into Diesel-Fuel Substitute While today's ethanol plants ferment corn-derived sugars into alcohol, which is purified through distillation, a new process reacts biomass-derived sugars with hydrogen to convert them directly into a diesel-like fuel. The new biofuel consists entirely of long carbon-chain molecules called alkanes. [EERE Network News] 1:25:34 PM Google It!    [Lighting] Study Finds Huge Potential for White LEDS in the Developing World Candles and kerosene lamps may seem like cheap light sources, but in fact their constant fuel expense and weak light make them quite expensive for the amount of illumination they deliver. A new study suggests that battery-powered white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) would be cheaper. [EERE Network News] 1:24:49 PM Google It!    [Green lifestyle] "Cool Biz" Via Z+ Blog: Last week, Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told all his Cabinet ministers and central government bureaucrats to embrace the "business casual look" between June 1 and Sept. 30 (except during official functions) as a means of reducing air conditioner use. The Environment Ministry dubbed this initiative "Cool Biz" in an effort to make the idea more palatable to highly conformist bureaucrats. The Kyoto Protocol has added a new sense of urgency to government protocols calling for a reduction in air conditioner use. Japan must bring greenhouse emissions down 6 percent by 2012 and it's still far behind target: fiscal 2003 emissions were 8 percent higher than they were in 1990. The Energy Conservation Center estimates that if all offices in Japan increase summer temperatures to 82, it could save 81 million gallons of oil in one summer. The greatest challenge, however, is convincing highly conformist and tradition-bound bureaucrats to set their inhibitions aside and let those sleeves go! Ergo "Cool Biz"... In an effort to lead the initiative, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi recently showed up in a newspaper advertisement wearing a half-sleeve shirt with no tie, urging his Cabinet to follow suit. "If the ministers are wearing a tie, their subordinates would feel uneasy about not wearing it," he said a few weeks ago. "So the ministers should not wear a tie." To rally the troops and reassure nervous bureaucrats unfamiliar with "cool", new laid-back looks, the Environment Ministry released an official guide to "dressing down". It offers hints like matching the colors of your belt and shoes. Stores are also cashing in on the effort. Some of the hottest selling men's shirts now feature hidden snaps and extra buttons so the collar can stay upright without a tie. Pretty cool huh... [Z+Blog!] 1:17:36 PM Google It!    [Patents] Waste sensor for a disposable container Abstract: A system for disposing of medical waste is generally configured to sort waste items into a plurality of disposable containers according to applicable rules and regulations governing the handling and/or disposal of such items. In some embodiments, a system comprises sorting stations, each of which houses a number of disposable containers. Each station can identify an item of waste, determine the most appropriate container for the item, and facilitate disposal of the item in the appropriate container. [FreshPatents.com: Notable Patent Applications - 05/26/2005] 1:10:25 PM Google It!    [Biodiesel] Bloomington and Monroe County, Indiana to Use B20 Biodiesel in Public Vehicles Soyatech. Beginning 1 August  2005, the City of Bloomington, the Bloomington Transit System, the Monroe County Highway Department, the Monroe County Community Schools, and the Indiana University Campus Bus Service will all use a B20 soy biodiesel blend (20% biodiesel)... [Green Car Congress] 12:55:48 PM Google It!    [Climate change] US Private Sector Take Lead on Climate Change Via sustainablog: Found a number of interesting articles that deal with the US government's failure to take the lead on global warming, and how others are responding to this failure. TriplePundit points us to a brief article at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development's website that demonstrates how the private sector is recognizing the long-term benefits of addressing climate change even if their lackies in the White House and Capitol don't. In fact, a range of businesses are getting downright impatient with the Bush administration's head-in-the-sand approach, and are asking for "a clear federal standard on emissions of so-called greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, saying the administration's current approach provides little guidance on how to map strategies for expansion." And Dubya's good buddy Tony Blair is even feeling confident that he can get the President to join talks with China and India about climate change initiatives. Good luck, Tony...! [sustainablog] 12:54:39 PM Google It!    [Alternative fuels] Green Energy Squared Via Sustainablog:   From the Santa Cruz Sentinal via Green Car Congress, news of the opening of what may be the country's first solar-powered biodiesel filling station: "This is a fuel for everyone, not just the hippies," said co-owner Jorah Roussopoulos, 25, who opened Mountain Feed and Farm Supply four months ago with his business partner and girlfriend of 10 years, Andi Rubalcaba, 26. The pair got the government certification they need to sell biodiesel behind their shop Monday. "Our dream is an old-style country store," Roussopoulos said, powered by solar power and biodiesel. They already filled up their forklift and vehicles with the fuel, he said. This is not only a great example of individual initiative to promote clean energy, but also of the power of public-private ventures. If you're in the Santa Cruz area and drive a diesel, you know where to stop...[sustainablog] 12:53:45 PM Google It!    [Biodiesel] One Downside to Biodiesel.... Via Sustainablog: One word: bears. From Newsday.com via theWatt. 12:51:57 PM Google It!

© Copyright 2005 Laura L. Barnes. Last update: 10/25/2005; 12:10:45 PM.