Democrats had been boasting that the Denver convention would be the "most sustainable" in the history of conventions, and in some ways they may have accomplished their goal. CNET News says there were certainly separate trash containers for recycling waste, including biodegradable drinking straws. On the other hand, there were plenty of SUVs idling while waiting to ferry delegates around, and recycling all those signs is going to take energy.
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by Shawn Zeller, CQ Staff Writer
Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com
Click on the image to see a slideshow about the "Green" convention
If the biodegradable coffin business ever takes off, its executives can point to this year's Democratic convention as the brea kout moment.
The convention organizers' goal of making the gathering the greenest political hobnob in history has unleashed a wave of pitches and promotions surrounding organic foods, renewable fuels, carbon offsets and consumer goods made from recyclable materials.
Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com
Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com
By borrowing a technique used in wastewater treatment plants, scientists from Washington University say they can make ethanol production more efficient. The technique involves mixing waste from the ethanol plant into an oxygen-free vat of bacteria, which digest the waste and produce methane gas, according to Technology Review. Capturing the methane and burning it as fuel could allow the production facility to cut its use of natural gas in half.
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Students at the Royal College of Art have designed a series of "concept cards" that not only look like some futurist's deam but are supposed to run on everything from electricity to algal fuel. Although practicality is not quite a hallmark of concept cars, Wired Magazine presents a gallery of 10 of them, noting that many Royal College alums have gone on to be top designers at major auto companies.
Synfuels International, of Dallas, TX, says it has developed a cheaper, cleaner method to convert natural gas into gasoline. Technology Review reports that the company says its technology will allow the U.S. to tap smaller reserves of natural gas that hadn't been considered economical before. The process relies on high temperatures and a catalyst.
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General Motors has "essentially finished" the design of its first plug-in hybrid and expects to have prototypes ready for production within 10 days, the New York Times reports. GM is scheduled to start selling the Volt in 2010, and before then will have to significantly improve the batteries that store its power, as well as improve other technology. But the carmaker says completing the design is a milestone in its move toward greener automobiles.
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Expect to be getting a lot of your electricity out of thin air by the year 2020. A report from the research firm Emerging Energy Research projects that wind will produce 150 gigawatts of power by then. Earth2Tech points out that, to meet the goal of 20 percent of all electricity from wind power that's been proposed by oil magnate T. Boone Pickens, wind power would need to produce double that amount, 300 gigawatts.
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Criticisms of the current offerings of biofuels like ethanol include the energy costs necessary to produce them and the impact on food prices due to use of crops in their making. Popular Mechanics looks at seven fuels that it says come from more practical feedstocks.
At least one company says it's ready to start making ethanol from cellulose, at least on a small scale. Poet, of Sioux City, IA, which is the country's top ethanol producer, has started building a pilot facility in Scotland, SD, and plans to produce ethanol from crop waste by the end of the year, Reuters reports. The company's hope is to increase the supply of ethanol without driving up food prices.
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Understanding the genomes of the organisms involved could allow scientists to engineer better plants and improve the biofuel-producing microbes that feed on them, according to a paper appearing in the journal Nature. Ars Technica says there's already been a lot of work looking for ways to improve the characteristics of cellulose in plants, which contains more potential for fuel than the less complex sugars in corn kernels. And although researchers know of many bacteria that can break down cellulose, they don't yet understand how they work.
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The Department of Defense, which accounts for 1.5 percent of U.S. energy consumption, wants to get greener, and hopes its efforts will translate into benefits for civilian society as well, Reuters says. The military wants 25 percent of its energy to come from renewable sources by 2025. Among their goals are the development of portable solar and wind power stations.
Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com
Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com
Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com
A California company, Calera, has developed a process in which it captures the carbon dioxide emitted by a natural-gas-burning power plant, pumps it through seawater, and produces the materials needed to make cement. Normally the process of making cement releases at least a ton of carbon dioxide for every ton of cement, but the company says it captures half a ton of C02 for each ton of cement it makes, according to Scientific American. Since cement and its sister material, concrete, are widely used in buildings all over the world, such a change could have a significant impact on global warming.
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Solar mirrors manufactured by Ausra, one of many cleantech companies.
Concerns about the environment are helping to drive up venture investing in cleantech companies, according to a report from Ernst & Young. The report found venture investing in cleantech hit $961.7 million in the second quarter of 2008, says CNET News. A big portion of the increase is coming from large corporations, such as Shell, Chevron, and DuPont.
Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com
Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com
A law enacted this week allows cities and counties in California to make loans to homeowners wishing to install solar panels on their houses or upgrade to energy-saving appliances. According to the Los Angeles Times, the law allows residents to pay back the low-interest loans over decades through their property taxes. Lawmakers hope the program will boost the installation of solar panels, which can cost $15,000 to $30,000 per house.
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In a sign that the era of gas guzzlers may be ending, the Wall Street Journal observes that even in Texas, people are leaving their SUVs in the garage in favor of smaller electric cars. As the paper puts it, "You Know Gas Prices Are High When Texans Start Driving Golf Carts." The story says the tiny vehicles take some getting used to, but people seem willing to switch given how much they save on gas.
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