Panda Poop A Source For Making Renewable Biofuels ?

Posted on August 30, 2011 by quest

Panda poop contains bacteria with potent effects in breaking down plant material in the way needed to tap biomass as a major new source of “biofuels” produced not from corn and other food sources, but from grass, wood chips and crop wastes, scientists reported today at the 242nd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

“Who would have guessed that ‘panda poop‘ might help solve one of the major hurdles to producing biofuels, which is optimizing the breakdown of the raw plant materials used to make the fuels?” said study co-author Ashli Brown, Ph.D. “We hope our research will help expand the use of biofuels in the future and help cut dependency on foreign oil. We also hope it will reinforce the importance of wildlife conservation.”

Brown pointed out that bacteria from the giant panda are particularly promising for breaking down the super-tough plant material known as lignocellulose in switch grass, corn stalks and wood chips. That advance could speed the development of so-called cellulosic biofuels made from these tough plant materials in a way that doesn’t rely on precious food crops such as corn, soybeans and sugar now used for making biofuels, she noted.

Scientists have long known that giant pandas — like termites and cattle — have bacteria in their digestive systems to break down the cellulose in plants into nutrients. Bamboo constitutes about 99 percent of the giant panda’s diet in the wild. An adult may eat 20-40 pounds of bamboo daily — leaves stems, shoots and all. Until the energy crunch fostered interest in biofuels, however, scientists never thought to parse out exactly what microbes in the giant panda gastrointestinal system were

Volkswagen Plans $1.45 Billion Renewable Energy Investment

Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit Heading To Hawaii

Posted on August 15, 2011 by quest

Leaders and experts at the forefront of the global clean energy movement will be convening at the Hawai’i Convention Center for the 3rd Annual Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit and Expo, to be hosted by the State of Hawai’i on September 13-15 in Honolulu. An estimated 1,200 industry and government participants from more than 20 countries will attend the conference, which aims to enable exchanges of ideas and partnership opportunities with global corporations, start-ups, investors, policy makers, and utilities involved in clean energy transformation.
To showcase global best practices and new business opportunities, the Summit program will open with venture capitalist and energy and security expert R. James Woolsey. Woolsey, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, is now chair of a Washington D.C. based private equity fund specializing in energy and security issues. He serves on the National Commission on Energy Policy.

Panel discussions will focus on accelerating the use of various renewable energy resources such as biomass, wind, solar, hydroelectric, ocean thermal, geothermal, and waste-to-energy; financing and incentivizing energy efficiency; and developing public policies, resources, and workforce training programs to build a clean energy industry.

Keiko Matsui

This year’s program is offering a full conference track on the U.S. Department of Defense’s clean energy programs. Representatives from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines will be presenting key military initiatives, technology priorities, and practical guidance on developing partnerships and contracts. CTSI is also coordinating a new technology identification program focused on bringing innovative military-targeted clean energy solutions. The Summit’s Expo will offer exhibits, services and the latest energy technologies. Summit co-sponsors include the University of Hawai’i, Hawaiian Electric Company, Lockheed Martin, AECOM, Phycal, Sempra Generation, Aerovironment, General Atomics, SAIC, ALSTOM, FirstWind, GM, The Gas Company, Pacific Biodiesel, etc.

DiCaprio A Global Green Activist

Supertrees of Singapore Elevate Renewable Energy

Posted on July 31, 2011 by quest

Supertrees are uniquely designed vertical gardens rising to over160 feet in height, with emphasis placed on the vertical display of tropical flowering climbers, epiphytes and ferns. They are made of concrete and steel with designs to accept living skin. Developed for the Gardens by the Bay project in Singapore, they are projected to cost over $800 million dollars. The Gardens by the Bay project will set new standards for using sustainable and renewable energy in a ground up systems approach. Part of of a massive ecological project the size of 177 football fields the project will also incorporate environmentally friendly technology, such as the ability to harvest and reuse water and solar panels.

Singapore has a population of 4.6 million people and a land area of about 3.5 times the size of Washington DC. Gardens by the Bay comprises three gardens around the Marina Channel in the southern part of Singapore. The Gardens will be built on land that was reclaimed from the sea some 30 years ago. The new downtown Marina City is being developed around Marina South. In January 2006, an international master plan design competition for the Gardens was launched. Some 70 teams comprising 170 firms, from over 24 countries, including 35 from Singapore , participated in the competition. An 11-member Jury comprising local and international experts shortlisted eight teams and two winners were announced in September 2006; namely Grant Associates for Bay South and Gustafson Porter for Bay East, both from the United Kingdom. Bay Central will be developed later.

Gardens by the Bay Singapore

Utilizing the latest in biomass renewable energy technology the Gardens by the Bay in the downtown Marina City will actually be producing enough energy to reduce Singapore’s carbon footprint. After close to two years of construction, the Flower Dome was fitted with the last panel of glass by Minister for National Development Mr Mah Bow Tan, marking the completion of its façade. Exterior works for its sister structure, the Cloud Forest which will replicate the cool-moist climate of the Tropical Montane region, will be completed later this year. The conservatories will be an amalgamation of architectural, environmental engineering, and horticultural excellence in the heart of Singapore’s new downtown, Marina Bay. Designed with the environment in mind, they will apply cutting-edge technologies that provide energy-efficient solutions in cooling.

A Green Career Path Taken

Sugarcane to Supply Rio Buses with Renewable Energy

Posted on July 29, 2011 by quest

Amyris Brasil Ltda., a subsidiary of Amyris, Inc. has announced that it will supply renewable diesel during a 12-month fleet test involving 20 city buses in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The renewable fuel derived from sugarcane, known locally as Diesel de Cana, will be blended at a 30 percent rate with petroleum-derived diesel and used in Mercedes-Benz buses operated by Viação Saens Peña, a Rio-based bus operator. The Rio transportation federation, FETRANSPOR, will use the data collected during this fleet test to evaluate the engine and environmental benefits of Amyris’s renewable diesel. The results of the fleet test will be presented at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) taking place in Rio in June 2012.

“We are ready to meet the growing demand for cane-derived renewable fuels in Rio as the city prepares to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games.”“We are thrilled to expand the use of our renewable diesel to Brazil’s second-largest city. This will be the first large-scale use of our Diesel de Cana at a blend of 30 percent in Brazil,” said John Melo, CEO of Amyris. “We continue to see strong demand for our renewable fuels, particularly as more engine suppliers and transport operators validate their performance.”

Lady on the Bus Sonia Braga

The city of Rio de Janeiro has more than 8,000 buses consuming about 280 million liters of diesel per year. The Rio fleet test is expected to validate the significant reduction of nitrogen oxide and particulate matter emissions evidenced in recent Mercedes-Benz engine tests with a 30 percent blend of Amyris’s renewable diesel. “Rio’s government and public transportation authorities are committed to leading by example in addressing climate change, and Amyris—along with our partners Mercedes-Benz, Petrobras, Michelin and BNDES—is honored to play a role in addressing Rio’s transportation needs,” said Paulo Diniz, president of Amyris Brasil. “We are ready to meet the growing demand for cane-derived renewable fuels in Rio as the city prepares to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games.”

Elektra One A New Solar Powered Plane

Lufthansa Schedules Sustainable Biofuel Flights

Posted on July 21, 2011 by quest

Last week, Lufthansa launched a six-month biofuel trial on regular scheduled flights. Christoph Franz, Chairman and CEO of the Lufthansa Group, said: “Lufthansa is the first airline worldwide to use biofuel in scheduled daily flight operations. We are thus continuing to steadily implement our proven and successful strategy for sustainability.” A Lufthansa Airbus A321 with the registration D-AIDG will fly the Hamburg-Frankfurt-Hamburg route four times daily. One of its engines will run on a 50/50 mix of regular fuel and biosynthetic kerosene. The biofuel for jet engines has been approved by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). During the six months test run period, the use of biofuel will reduce CO2 emissions by up to 1,500 tonnes.

As air transport is the only mode of transport that will remain dependent upon liquid fuels for the foreseeable future, the aviation industry and the research community must develop and test alternatives. “Fossil raw materials are finite,” Franz cautioned. He added that next to reducing CO2 emissions the main aim of this long-term operational trial, was to examine the effects of biofuel on the maintenance and lifespan of aircraft engines. The biosynthetic kerosene used by Lufthansa is derived from pure biomass and consists of jatropha, camelina and animal fats. The fuel used by Lufthansa is produced by Neste Oil, a Finnish oil company. Neste has extensive experience in the production of biofuels and has been a successful partner of Lufthansa for many years. Suppliers must provide proof of the sustainability of their processes and meet the criteria stipulated by the European Parliament and the Council in the Renewable Energy Directive. Lufthansa guarantees that the production of its biofuel is not in direct competition with food production and that no rainforests are destroyed.

The use of biosynthetic kerosene is one element of the four-pillar climate protection strategy pursued by Lufthansa with a view to reducing overall CO2 emissions in the air transport sector. By combining a range of different measures – for example, ongoing fleet modernization, technology improvements to aircraft and engines, operational measures such as engine washing or the use of lighter materials and an improved infrastructure – Lufthansa aims to achieve the ambitious environmental goals set out in its strategy. The implementation of new technologies has seen Lufthansa improve its fuel efficiency by over 30 per cent since 1991. Source: Valere Tjolle , Sustainable Tourism Report

PRESIDIO GRADUATE SCHOOL ANNOUNCES NEW PRESIDENT

Top Artists To Perform For Solar and Renewable Energy In Japan

Posted on June 28, 2011 by quest

Crosby, Stills & Nash, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Jason Mraz, The Doobie Brothers, Tom Morello, John Hall, Kitaro, Jonathan Wilson, Sweet Honey in the Rock, and special guests are coming together for a special benefit event on Sunday, August 7, at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA. Proceeds from the concert will be distributed to Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE) to support Japan disaster relief efforts, and organizations worldwide working to promote safe, alternative, non-nuclear energy. The presenting sponsor VantagePoint Capital Partners is the leading global investor in energy innovation and efficiency. The show will begin at 3 PM. Children 10 and under admitted free on the lawn with an adult ticket. Tickets are on sale at Livenation

“The disaster in Fukushima is not only a disaster for Japan. It is a global disaster. We come together now across cultural boundaries, political and generational boundaries, to call for changes in the way we use energy, and in the ways we conduct the search for solutions to the problems facing humanity,” says Jackson Browne. “We join with the people of Japan, and people everywhere who believe in a non-nuclear future.” “From solar power plants and next-generation wind turbines to energy-efficient LED lighting and electric vehicles, we see technology innovations solving our most important energy needs,” says Alan Salzman, Managing Partner of VantagePoint Capital Partners, a global leader in funding the transformative energy companies of the 21st century. “We join with the many artists involved in this concert to raise funds for the Japan disaster relief efforts and call for sensible and clean energy solutions.”

It was shortly after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that triggered multiple meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan that the decision was made to coordinate a benefit. Shoreline Amphitheatre was chosen because of its close proximity to the Pacific Rim, Northern California’s history and deep association with Japan. “The MUSE concert will not only be a great show, it will hopefully entice the public to become better informed of the tremendous dangers of nuclear power,” says Graham Nash. “We have to keep real and true information flowing so that people can act on it.” “We’re so lucky to have been able to bring back some of the original MUSE team to collaborate with some new and younger artists for MUSE 2, so that we can immediately help with the Japan relief effort and raise funds and awareness for the no nukes issue,” says Bonnie Raitt. “I’m excited to be a part of this important and truly collaborative effort. It’s going to be a very special, one of a kind event.”

The concert stage will be powered by an integrated system of clean, alternative energy sources, using solar, biodiesel, and wind technologies. The energy-saving GRNLite LED lighting rig for the show has been donated by Bandit Lites, and Schubert Systems has donated the sound rig. In addition, Shoreline is the largest Green certified concert venue in the United States and is a founding member of the Green Music Group. One goal is that the concert will inspire musicians in other areas to organize shows that both employ and promote safe energy alternatives, and that raise funds for disaster relief efforts and for groups—local, regional, national, and international alike—advocating non-nuclear programs and initiatives.