Which Stove to Choose?

Selecting the type of stove for your home can also be a difficult task especially if you have never had one before.
The stoves differ on the type of fuel they use: wood, wood pellets, natural gas, propane gas, coal, fuel oil or electricity.

On stoves-only.com website I found very good comparison of different types of stoves based on fuel type and cost of fuel used to produce 1,000,000 BTU. This information can help any homeowner to make the best decision while choosing the best cost-effective or environmentally friendly stove.

I will give you only part of information which is posted on their website so you can see which type of stove is the best for your home and your needs.

Fuel Type~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cost to Produce
______________________________ 1,000,000 Btu

Electricity................................... $29.31

Propane Gas................................ $27.00

Natural Gas................................. $18.75

Fuel Oil...................................... $18.00

Wood Pellets............................... $17.60

Wood........................................ $14.40

Coal......................................... $10.00

From this table you can easily see that the cheapest fuel is coal. Still, the coal makes the biggest impact on environment, and requires most maintenance.

The next least expensive fuel is wood and wood pellets. This website is recommending the wood pellets as the most optimal type of fuel because they are affordable enough and very efficient.

The most expensive fuel types are propane, natural gas and electricity. The electric stove is the most convenient one that is clean and doesn't require buying fuel and delivering it home. Whether electric stove is environmentally friendly or not depends on how that electricity is produced: using coal, hydro dam, nuclear reactor, solar panels or wind turbines.

In case of emergency, wood, wood pellets or coal stoves would be the best choice.
My friend has natural gas stove down in his basement and he used it during two day power outage last winter.

To read the whole article about different stoves comparison you can go to:

http://www.stoves-only.com/fuel-comparison-table

-Peter Y.

Gas, Electric, Oil or Solar Water Heater?

Often homeowners need to choose between water heaters based on fuel type and costs.
In order to make a wise dicision we need to look at several factors, such as:

1. Availability of fuel: gas, electric, oil or solar
2. Installation Cost
3. Annual Operational and Energy Cost
4. Efficiency

Here is the table where all of these costs are added over 13 years of life:


Water Heater Type ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Installed Cost~~~~~Total Cost
___________________________________________(Over 13 Years)

Demand gas (tankless)................. $1,600 .............$5,008

Condensing gas storage................. 2,000 ...............5,170

High-efficiency gas storage ............ 1,025 .............. 5,220

Conventional gas storage ................. 850 .............. 5,394

Electric heat pump water heater ....... 1,660 ............. 4,125

High-eff. electric storage ................. 820 ............. 6,528

Minimum eff. electric storage ............ 750 ............. 6,769

Solar with electric back-up .............. 4,800 ............. 7,072

Conventional oil-fired storage .......... 1,400 ........... 11,299


If you look at all of the gas water heaters you can see that they are the cheapest ones based on total cost including installation. Only electric heat pump water heater is cheaper that gas ones, but usually gas water heaters are more efficient and cheaper. It usually takes less time to heat the water using gas fuel than electricity.

Solar water heaters have the cheapest yearly energy costs but also - the highest installation costs.
Solar water heaters are usually installed where there is a lot of sun available and gas lines are far away.

Oil-fired water heaters are the most expensive ones and if possible, should be replaced with gas or electric water heater.


To read more about different water heaters and to see the whole table with all of the information such as annual costs and efficiency, please go to the following website:

http://www.aceee.org/Consumerguide/waterheating.htm

-Peter Y.

Hydrokinetic Power Turbine is Successfully Installed

I read a Reuters article about the first Hydrokinetic Power Turbine, that was successfully installed in January of 2009 at the existing hydropower plant on the Mississippi River in Hastings, Minnesota.
It was the nation's first-ever commercial hydrokinetic power project.

The City of Hastings, MN now owns and operates a 4.4 MW hydropower project at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Lock & Dam No.2.

Hydrokinetic Power Turbine is a special turbine that is submerged or partially submerged into the river and is connected to a floating barge. This turbine is generating electricity by using river currents without the harmful impacts associated with dams.

The article says that the hydrokinetic turbine will send clean, environmentally-friendly, renewable electricity to the Minnesota electric power grid.

"With the successful installation of our first turbine, Hydro Green Energy has taken another historic step and has strengthened its status as the industry leader," said Wayne F. Krouse, Chairman and CEO of Hydro Green Energy.

Once the project is operational, extensive water quality and fish survival studies and monitoring will be performed by Hydro Green Energy.

To read more about the project you can go to:
http://hgenergy.com/hastings.html

To read the Reuters article:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS142130+05-Jan-2009+PRN20090105

-Peter Y.

Earth friendly plastic on the way

Plastic water bottles. One of the biggest problems that we are facing today is the lack of recycling of these bottles. We see them as quick and easy for on the go travel but the planet see's them as toxic. Our land fills are filling up with these bottles just because most are too lazy to recycle them at the proper facility.

I recently found an article that directly relates to this problem and has a solution to it! This article (Koreans make plastics without fossil fuel chemicals) was posted on the front of cnn's website and caught my attention.

It seems that these Korean scientists have found a way to produce the polymer that is used in everyday plastic products like water bottles without using fossil fuel chemicals. This means that these plastic polymers are planet friendly and biodegradable! Currently, these types of polymers are being made from fossil fuel chemicals which of course are hurting the planet.

Although the article did not mention when these new polymers will start to be mass produced, it will be a huge defeat over the traditional plastics we are using today. I can't wait for the day when water bottles are actually not hurting the environment!

Are Americans ready to downsize their vehicles?

When pulling into the parking lot at the local grocery store the other day, I looked around and realized I was in a sea of SUV's. These 'sport utility vehicles' are massive! I thought to myself, who needs a car with three rows of seats and a huge trunk?

After getting into the store I answered my question, simply put American families. We have become so reliant on these oversized cars to support our growing families. With the average family having 2 or 3 children, I began to realize why these cars have become such a necessary thing in our lives.

On that note, the Detroit automakers are banking on the idea that Americans will start to buy small to mid size cars in order to save on fuel. In a recent article in Newsweek, General Motors has been using the tag line of "Compact cars are the sweet spot" when refering to their decision to make much smaller vehicles than in the past.

What is in it for us Americans? Soon we will be able to buy these micro cars and save on fuel. These cars will not be able to transport a family and will most likely be used as a commuter car instead of the main family vehicle. Either way, we all win by saving money on fuel and helping the environment.

A Simple Guide to Alternative Fuels

In some of my previous posts I have blogged about alternative fuels and the growing need for viable options. I have come to realize that a simple list of different alternative fuels would be helpful and informative. Alternative fuels come in several different forms from ethanol to natural gas. The goal in using alternative fuel is to become less dependent on foreign petroleum and to be better stewards of our environment.


Go to www.fueleconomy.gov for more specific information.

Zero Energy Home GE project

While doing some research on Internet, I came across a very interesting article written by Martin LaMonica "GE: Smart grid yields net-zero energy home". In his article LaMonica was saying that on July 14, 2009, General Electric unveiled a project at its research labs that will let homeowners cut annual energy consumption to zero by 2015!
I have heard about a Zero Energy Home projects before, but never heard about such a big project planned to be implemented around the country!

A Zero Energy Home or (ZEH) is a new or specially remodeled home that is very energy efficient, and also can produce its own power. Zero Energy Home is called this way because it can produce enough energy during the year to offset the amount purchased from the utility, and as a result the electricity bill will equal zero or almost zero at the end of the year.

Net-zero of Zero Energy Home is producing electricity using solar panels and wind turbines. It also saving a lot of energy by great weatherization and by using energy efficient appliances. On cloudy days or at night, it uses energy from the electric utility. During sunny or windy days when a lot of electricity is produced from renewable resources, an excess power is then sent back into the utility grid. Electric utility company can install the smart electric meter which can be reversed when power is going back into the grid and as a result the homeowner will get zero or very small energy bill.

For this project, GE will be using a special Home Energy Manager, or a device with which consumers will get detailed energy data and would be able to control appliances. This device is expected to cost between $200 and $250. This control unit could evaluate electricity rates and see, for example, that running a dishwasher when the solar panels are producing is cheaper than running the load at off-peak times. Or a clothes drier can go into "conservation" mode during peak times where it will operate at a lower temperature and take longer to run.

To read more about this project go to website:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10286278-54.html

To read about seven steps to ZEH, go to: http://www.toolbase.org/ToolbaseResources/level4CaseStudies.aspx?ContentDetailID=2472&BucketID=2&CategoryID=58

-Peter Y.

5 really cost-effective fule savers.

CNNMoney.com asked analysts at Intellichoice.com, a Website that specializes in tracking auto ownership costs, to find the the most fuel-efficient vehicles in various classes, then figure out which of those are really the most cost-effective once total value and ownership costs are factored in.

Only cars that delivered at least 10% better fuel economy than the average vehicle in their class were considered. In some categories, only one vehicle delivered that kind of fuel economy advantage. (For instance, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid among mid-sized SUVs and the Chevy Tahoe/GMC Yukon Hybrid among full-sized SUVS.) The five vehicles featured here represent categories where there was a choice of fuel-efficiency stand-outs.

Instead of just comparing ownership costs directly, which would always favor the cheapest car, IntelliChoice.com scores vehicles based on computed "expected ownership costs" for a given type of vehicle at that price, then compares those scores. That keeps the playing field even since, to be fair, someone who pays $50,000 for a new car instead of $20,000 is getting something -- features, quality,comfort and performance, for instance -- for that money. Any measure of "cost effectiveness" has to take that added value into account

In the end, the most fuel-efficient car isn't always the most cost effective to own. But in many cases, it actually is, as rising gas prices have made fuel costs a bigger factor in auto ownership.

What makes a city green?

by Paul McRandle and Sara Smiley Smith

.
Photograph Courtesy Shutterstock Images

When looking at the strengths of environmental programs across the country for our green cities survey, we settled on twelve criteria that affect all cities regardless of geography or age. Below is our list.

Air Quality: Exposure to polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from fuel exhaust and cigarette smoke has been reported to increase the risk of breast cancer by 50 percent, as noted in the 2002 Long Island Breast Cancer Study. In order to measure air quality, we based our score on the EPA's Air Quality Index (AQI) and smoking bans noted on the Smoke Free World website. About 60 percent of cities surveyed have passed a smoking ban. AQI values are broken into five different ranges with lower values indicating less polluted air (Good 0-50, Moderate 51-100, Unhealthy for Sensitive Individuals 101-150, Unhealthy 151-200, Very Unhealthy 201-300 and Hazardous 301-500). Anchorage, Alaska, had the best median AQI at 19 while the worst was a 79 in Saint Louis. The average value was 43.5 for cities participating in this study.

Electricity Use and Production: Close to 40 percent of U.S. emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) comes from electric utilities. Since coal accounts for over 90 percent of these emissions, we asked survey respondents to note each city's energy mix from resources including coal, oil, biomass, geothermal, hydroelectric, nuclear, oil, solar and wind. Also included were incentives for the home use of solar or wind power, such as rebates or property tax exemptions.

Environmental Perspective: City administrators were asked to rank from 1 (highest) to 9 (lowest) nine issues in order of importance to city residents—education, employment, environmental concerns, health care, housing costs, public safety, reliable electricity and water service, property taxes and traffic congestion. Scores were assigned depending on the ranking given to environmental concerns. Out of a total of nine, the average ranking for the importance of environmental concerns was 5.4.

Environmental Policy: In our survey, we asked city officials whether the city has an environmental policy, a specific indication of concerted effort at the municipal level to better the environment. Thirty-six cities, or 58 percent of respondents, had such statements.

Green Design: The resource-conserving, non-toxic standards of USGBC's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program have become the basis for many cities' green building projects. Recognizing this, we based scores not only on survey responses about policies and incentives for green design but also on LEED projects listed on the USGBC's website. While we collected data on the degree of LEED certification (Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum) buildings achieved, this did not affect scoring. Additional points were given to cities reducing sprawl. A total of 29 cities, or 46.8 percent of participants, reported having a policy to encourage green design. Forty cities, or 64.5 percent of respondents, reported having a city policy to help prevent sprawl.

Green Space: Survey respondents were asked to identify the variety of green spaces, including athletic fields, city parks, public gardens, trail systems and waterfronts, along with any additional spaces. This question was designed to elicit the variety of outdoor amenities available and was scored on the total number of different types of green spaces present. Scoring also considered the percentage of overall city area occupied by green space.

Public Health: Scores were based on Robert Weinhold's rankings of the 125 healthiest U.S. cities as published in the March 2004 Organic Style.

Recycling: Survey respondents were asked to indicate which items their city recycles from a list that included aluminum, cardboard, glass, hazardous materials, paper, plastic, tin and other. Cities that had more then seven categories of recyclable items were given the highest scores.

Socioeconomic Factors: Cities scored well for having less than the national average of families and individuals earning below the poverty rate. Participants also gained points for having a city minimum wage and for the availability of housing affordable to families earning the area's median income according to the National Association of Home Owners' Housing Opportunity Index.

Transportation: Wishing to recognize efforts to get people out of their cars (reducing greenhouse gases, traffic congestion and smog), we asked survey respondents about the transportation options available, including bicycle paths, bus systems, carpool lanes, dedicated bicycle lanes, light rail, sidewalks/trails and subways. As a follow up to this, we also asked about the percentages of residents who used public transportation, rode bicycles to work and carpooled.

Water Quality: In order to assess this complicated factor, we drew on data from the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and noting violations of the Safe Water Drinking Act, with the greatest weight given to health violations.

Each of these factors was equally weighted, with a maximum score of 1 point per criterion, to create an overall maximum possible score of 11 points, though only one city we looked at, Eugene, Oregon, scored 9 or better.

Alternative Fulels

Transportation is the major source of U.S. dependence on imported oil and the sector that has had the fastest growth in greenhouse gas emissions over the past two decades. Yet the efficiency of our light duty vehicle fleet is at a 20-year low and efforts to promote alternative fuel vehicles in the marketplace have largely failed. Nonetheless, the urgent need to reverse the business-as-usual growth path in greenhouse gas emissions in the next two decades to avoid serious if not catastrophic climate change necessitates action to make our vehicles cleaner.

The pathways most widely discussed for reducing or replacing oil while significantly reducing transportation greenhouse gas emissions are efficiency (such as hybrid vehicles), hydrogen, grid-connectable or plug-in hybrid-gasoline vehicles, ethanol from cellulosic biomass, and synthetic diesel fuel (with carbon sequestration). Most alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) pathways, however, are unlikely to be cost-effective strategies for reducing gasoline consumption and emissions for the foreseeable future, according to most studies.

In the near- and medium-term, by far the most cost-effective strategy for reducing emissions and fuel use is efficiency. Hybrid vehicles in particular offer the possibility of breaking the political logjam on higher fuel efficiency standards because they can reduce gasoline consumption and greenhouse gas emissions 40% to 50% with no change in vehicle class and hence no loss of jobs or compromise on safety or performance. If we are to achieve significant fleet-wide efficiency gains by 2025, some form of marketplace intervention by the federal government is virtually inevitable.

All of the AFV pathways will require technology advances and strong government action to succeed.1 Hydrogen is the most challenging of all alternative fuels, particularly because of the enormous challenge required to change our existing gasoline infrastructure. It is the least likely to be a cost-effective solution to climate change by 2035. Cellulosic ethanol has significantly less infrastructure challenges since it can be blended into gasoline. It is a very promising strategy if costs can be reduced and productivity increased. If carbon sequestration on a large scale proves practical, synthetic diesel fuel from coal and biomass gasification (such as Fischer-Tropsch or dimethyl ether) may also become a viable strategy.

Plug-in or grid-connectable hybrids may be the most promising AFV pathway. These hybrids can be plugged into the electric grid and run in an all-electric mode for a limited range between recharging. Plug-in hybrids will likely travel three to four times as far on a kilowatt-hour of renewable electricity as fuel cell vehicles. Unlike most AFVs, plug-ins hold the potential of being cost-competitive at current gasoline prices. They deserve at least as much attention from policymakers and car companies as hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have received. We believe that the most plausible vehicle of the future is a plug-in hybrid running on a combination of low-carbon electricity and a low-carbon biomass-derived fuel. 1

One of the few recent studies to compare different alternative fuels including plug-in hybrids is the August 2003 joint report of the California Energy commission and the California Air Resources Board, Reducing California's Petroleum Dependence.2 The two agencies looked at the direct economic benefit of various AFVs and alternative fuels, including Fischer-Tropsch diesel made from natural gas, a mixture of 85% Ethanol and 15% gasoline (E85) for flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs), a future low-cost FFV fuel, a hybrid zero emission vehicle with a 20-mile all electric range (Hybrid-ZEV 0), and a direct hydrogen fuel cell.

The results can be seen in the following figure. FIGURE ONE -4-3-2-1012345Cumulative (2002-2030) Direct Net Benefit Billion 2001 $Direct H2 FuelCellHybrid-ZEV 20Low-cost FFVfuelE85 for FFVsFischer-TropschDieselDirect Net Benefit of Fuel Substitution Options

The results are very dependent on the assumptions. Gasoline prices were assumed to be from $1.47 a gallon to $1.81 a gallon, for instance, and they are currently higher than that and could be even higher in the future. No environmental benefits were calculated, although they could be significant in some cases. No economic value was assigned for the possibility of using the plug-in hybrids to provide grid services (such as spinning reserve) when the vehicles were not being driven, even though this is a plausible scenario. The incremental cost of fuel cell vehicles ranged from $1800 to $5000 although current incremental costs are several hundred thousand dollars.

Nonetheless, the results show that in a detailed apples-to-apples analysis comparing a wide variety of alternative fuel vehicles, plug-in hybrids hold the potential for significant direct net economic benefits. They also make clear that alternative fuels can be attractive when they approach the price of gasoline and underscore the need for some way to value the environmental benefits of alternative fuels. The same study also showed that most of the pure fuel-efficiency options, including hybrids, had a positive direct net benefit.

Synthetic diesel fuel from coal

Any U.S. energy and environmental policy effort must come to grips with transportation. Some two-thirds of U.S. oil consumption is in the transportation sector, the only sector of the U.S. economy wholly reliant on oil. The energy price shocks of the 1970s helped spur growth in natural gas use for home heating, and drove the electric utility sector and the industrial sector to reduce their dependence on petroleum. But roughly 97% of all energy consumed by our cars, sport utility vehicles, vans, trucks, and airplanes is still petroleum-based.

The transportation sector remains one of the largest sources of urban air pollution, especially the oxides of nitrogen that are a precursor to ozone smog and particulates that do so much damage to our hearts and lungs. Vehicle emissions of such pollutants, however, have been declining steadily, and by 2010, federal and state standards will make new U.S. cars exceedingly clean.

Yet, even as new internal combustion engine vehicles dramatically cut the emissions of noxious urban air pollutants by automobiles, their contribution to global warming has begun to rise. In the 1990s, the transportation sector saw the fastest growth in carbon dioxide emissions of any major sector of the U.S. economy. And the transportation sector is projected to generate nearly half of the 40% rise in U.S. carbon dioxide emissions forecast for 2025.3

Internationally, the situation is equally problematic. As Claude Mandil, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), said in May 2004, “In the absence of strong government policies, we project that the worldwide use of oil in transport will nearly double between 2000 and 2030, leading to a similar increase in greenhouse gas emissions.”4 If by 2050 the per capita energy consumption of China and India were to approach that of South Korea, and if the Chinese and Indian populations increase at currently projected rates, those two supergiant countries by themselves would consume more oil than the entire world used in 2003.5 It is being acknowledged that a global problem is arising and will affect all countries if something is not done. Next year, a convention is being held in London with all major countries attending to discuss the problems that we are all facing.

Since oil is a finite, non-renewable resource, analysts have attempted to predict when production will peak and start declining. Some believe this will occur by 2010. In his 2001 book, Hubbert’s Peak: The Impending World Oil Shortage, Princeton geophysicist Kenneth Deffeyes, writes “There is nothing plausible that could postpone the peak until 2009. Get used to it.”6 Royal Dutch/Shell, a company itself downgrading reserve estimates, adds only a few years to this forecast. According to Shell, “A scarcity of oil supplies—including unconventional sources and natural gas liquids—is very unlikely before 2025. This could be extended to 2040 by adopting known measures to increase vehicle efficiency and focusing oil demand on this sector.

Whether we will adopt these known measures or not remains to be seen. The purpose of this paper is to discuss and compare the various measures. Shell’s other hedge, “including unconventional sources and natural gas liquids,” is environmentally problematic. Making liquid fuels out of unconventional sources of oil (such as Canadian oil sands) is relatively energy-intensive, and relying on these sources will significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions. Indeed, Canada's increasing use of natural gas to extract its heavy oils is one reason that its exports of natural gas to United States are projected to shrink in coming years.

Both the U. S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and the National Petroleum Council (NPC) project a sharp decline in net imports of Canadian natural gas by 2025.8 Making conventional liquid fuels out of natural gas is also a questionable use of natural gas from an environmental perspective. In particular, for those who are concerned about global warming, it is critical that whatever strategy the United States adopts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the vehicle sector does not undermine Two-Thirds of World Coal Capacity in 2030 is NOT Yet Built our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the electricity sector.

The nation has been sprinting to build new natural gas power plants. As of 2003, the U.S. had more than 800 gigawatts (GW) of central station electric power generation. “Of the 144 gigawatts added between 1999 and 2002, 138 gigawatts is natural-gas-fired,” as EIA noted in 2002.9 Rising demand coupled with supply constraints has led to soaring natural gas prices. Remarkably, in its most recent Annual Energy Outlook 2004, EIA concludes that in the electricity sector, "the share from coal is projected to increase from 50 percent in 2002 to 52 percent in 2025 as rising in natural gas prices improved the cost competitiveness of coal-fired technologies.

AEO2004 projects that 112 gigawatts of new goal-fired generating capacity will be constructed between 2003 in 2025." At the same time, utilization of existing coal plants is projected to rise, so that by 2025, coal consumption by electric generators will be 50% higher than today.10 EIA projections are made assuming no change in U.S. policies, such as a cap on carbon emissions, and as such are often wrong. Yet, they underscore the critical need for a different energy policy and for using any incremental natural gas production/imports or renewable energy for

Displacing new coal fired generation, rather than for making alternative fuels for at least the next two decades. Both the EIA and NPC project that far more of this country’s growing demand for natural gas will be met from imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) than from increases in production. Thus, we should start thinking of the natural gas resource base as a global one when we contemplate using natural gas for purposes other than displacing increased coal generation. That’s especially true because projected growth in global coal consumption is an even bigger greenhouse gas problem than projected US growth in coal consumption.

By 1999, the world had just over 1000 gigawatts of coal-fired electric generating capacity, of which about one third was in United States. Between 2000 and 2030, over 1400 GW of new coal capacity will be built according to the International Energy Agency, of which 400 GW will replace old plants (see Figure). 105664814420500100015002000250019992030GW CoalNew CapacityBuilt After1999Pre-1999CapacitySource: IEA, WEO 2002

These plants would commit the planet to total carbon dioxide emissions of some 500 billion metric tons over their lifetime, unless “they are backfit with carbon capture equipment at some time during their life,” as David Hawkins, Director of Natural Resources Defense Council’s Climate Center told 4 the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce in June 2003.11 Hawkins continued: “To put this number in context, it amounts to half the estimated total cumulative carbon emissions from all fossil fuel use globally over the past 250 years!”

So again, it is critical that whatever strategy the world adopts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the vehicle sector does not undermine our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the electricity sector. With this caveat in mind, we will explore the five pathways most widely discussed for reducing or replacing oil while significantly reducing transportation greenhouse gas emissions: efficiency, electricity (particularly plug-in hybrid-gasoline vehicles); ethanol from cellulosic biomass; synthetic diesel fuel; and hydrogen. To achieve greenhouse gas reductions, one or more of these pathways may require permanently sequestering carbon dioxide underground.

Storing Hydrogen Fuel using Chicken Feather

I read this intersting post about storing Hydrogen Fuel using tanks made of carbonized chicken feathers. As much as it was interesting, it is sad. We are going to great extent to push the idea of protecting the planet just to find out that we are kiling animals for the same purpose. read the article and share your insights.

Article : http://cleantechnica.com/2009/06/24/hydrogen-fuel-tanks-made-from-chicken-feathers-could-save-55-million/


Mohammed Al Saif

Coffe for your Car...!

"It's a very simple two-step process," said Susanta Mohapatra, a chemical engineer at the University of Nevada, Reno. "We can definitely make a big impact on our environment with fuel made out of nature." The idea of using another "Crop" to fuel our cars might not be a bad idea, but would it be efficient and effective?

It is a known fact among scientist that Coffe beans contain oil but Mohapatra and her colleagues are the first to analyze Coffe grounds to pursue the idea of harnessing energy out of Coffe. the idea is not very different then the biodiesel idea but at least it is considered thinking outside the box.

The experiment carried by Mohapatra and her colleagues started with drying Coffe grounds in an oven. They mixed the resulting powder with a combination of solvents that caused the oil to separate from the solution. They extracted the oil, saving the solvents for the next round of processing. The remains could still be used as compost, ethanol feedstock, and fuel pellets.

The idea sounds interesting, if this goes through, most people might fuel their morning and their cars at Starbucks!

Source: http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/01/20/coffee-biofuel.html

Mohammed Al Saif

Mrine Energy...!

Marine energy is another name for Ocean energy. Oceans contain vast amount of energy that can be utilized and used to harness today's world. Ocean energy comes from the movements within (tides and waves). It is very ineresting how much energy exist within 70% of the face of the planet! An interesting video from Oregon State University researches to harness this energy shows the principles on how this energy can be extracted: http://www.livescience.com/common/media/video/player.php?videoRef=LS_091120_Wave-Energy

Mohammed Al Saif

Simulating "Green" for a Greener Planet

Green lifeforms on our planet are able to create energy utilizing sunlight and CO2 in order to survive and thrive. Scientists are researching the ability to create an artificial Photosynthesis that can be used to produce liquid fuel from CO2 and water. The goal has become closer when the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawerence Berkeley National Laboratory made a discovery that nano-sized crystals of cobalt oxide can effectively carry out the crucial Photosynthesis reaction of splitting water molecules.

The following video shows an aqueous solution contains silica particles that have been embedded with photooxidizing cobalt oxide nanocrystals plus a sensitizer to allow the water-splitting reaction to be driven by visible light. When laser light hits the solution it turns from gold to blue as the sensitizer absorbs light. Bubbles soon begin to form as oxygen gas is released from the spilt water molecules.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei4mwyjG3Vg&feature=player_embedded

To read more about the Subject, check the link: The Berkeley Lab Views

Infrared Scanning helps reduce heating costs

We all want to reduce our home energy costs. But sometimes, we don't know that one of the best ways to do it is to check our house for missing and damaged insulation in walls and ceilings.

Today I watched on TV about interesting way to save the energy costs in your house.
Northwest Infrared LLC company located in Olympia, WA, uses infrared scanning to take a thermal picture of your walls and ceilings to show exactly where insulation is damaged and where air is coming through the walls. They say that it is good to have a scan done even before purchasing a house because even new houses can have defects in their thermal envelopes. So, before buying a house you may wish to include a clause in the contract requiring a thermographic scan of the house.

Thermography measures surface temperatures by using infrared video and still cameras. These tools see light that is in the heat spectrum. Images on the video or film record the temperature variations of the building's walls, ranging from white for warm regions to black for cooler areas. These images help the auditor determine whether insulation is needed. They also serve as a quality control tool, to ensure that insulation has been installed correctly.

If you wish to do the thermal imaging of your house you can call this company and they will send out one of their Thermographers or inspectors directly to your home. They will do the thermal scanning, prepare the thermography report and give recommendations for needed repairs. Using the completed report of your houses' thermal picture you can hire contractors or do the needed repairs yourself to save even more money on heating or cooling costs.
(If you live in a different state, you can find similar infrared company in your area).

Fees include the thermography report, all thermograms, the inspection and recommendations for repair start at $299.00. But I think that these money will be worth spent because in a few years you will be able to save even more each year on your heating and cooling bills.

To read more about this money saving procedure and to watch film how the infrared scanning is performed you can go to: http://www.northwestinfrared.com/

- Peter Y.

Keeping up with the news

So I have been looking around at different sites on alternative energy and found a nice news site that has articles, news and environmental tips for those who want to stay up to date in environmental and energy alternatives.

http://www.energyrefuge.com/

This is a great site with a lot of really interesting articles.

-Jared J.

More about Air-Powered Cars

A small French company Moteur Development International produced an air-powered car which will be driven by compressed air stored in carbon-fibre tanks. These tanks are built into the chassis and are filled with air from a compressor in only 3 minutes - quicker than a battery car. These air compressors can be installed at each gas station.

When the car reaches 35 miles per hour its internal air compressor will start working to add more speed. The motor for compressor will run on small amount of fuel (eco-friendly or fossil fuel).
The driver would be able to choose between fossil or biofuels.
The designers say that on long journeys the air car will do about 120 m.p.g. And in town, it will be even cheaper.
One tank of gas will be enough to travel from Los Angeles to New York.
Of course, it sounds great - to have such a little fuel expense for your car.

And it is only a matter of time when first cars will be available for sale for about $5,000 to $15,000 which is an important consideration during our volatile gas prices.

These cars will also be good for the environment - they will produce almost zero emissions.

Air cars are designed to be much more lighter than conventional cars which will make them fuel efficient and help them go faster for longer periods of time.

You can watch very interesting YouTube movie about the air-powered car.



Guy Negre, an engineer and inventor of the first compressed-air engine has been working on it for the last decade. Still, the problem is in finding individual entrepreneurs to set up factories and to find investors to produce more air-powered cars. With just a few alterations, inventor Negre claims a hybrid version of his new engine could even be used to power aircraft.

To read more about air-powered cars go to http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/may/14/air-powered-car-hybrid-france.

-Peter Y.

NASA's sustainable energy source

NASA has developed a clean energy alternative by creating an algae-photo bioreactor, which grows algae in wastewater to produce biofuel.

read more here
http://www.physorg.com/news177780192.html

-Jared J

Wave Power!

Wave energy is produced when electricity generators are placed on the surface of the ocean. The energy provided is most often used in desalination plants, power plants and water pumps. Energy output is determined by wave height, wave speed, wavelength, and water density. To date there are only a handful of experimental wave generator plants in operation around the world. Oregon State University is in on the experimental technology.

In 2007/2008, Oregon State University, in collaboration with Columbia Power Technologies (CPT) and the U.S. Navy, evaluated 18 different direct-drive technologies, and down-selected to five promising designs. OSU and CPT built each of those prototypes at the 200W peak level and tested them on OSU's new wave energy linear test bed. OSU and CPT also comprehensively simulated each of the designs, and scaled the simulations up to 100kW, including full 100kW designs with costs, maintenance, operations etc., to give estimates for total costs of energy for each. This has been a tremendous collaboration enabling the zeroing in on optimum designs, and based on this work, in September 2008, OSU and CPT completed a series of very successful bay and ocean testing. CPT is now driving these efforts to commercialization, and OSU will continue to partner with them in a supporting/research role.

Visit the site http://eecs.oregonstate.edu/wesrf/ for more information about Oregon State University research of wave energy. There are also some cool posters about wave energy that can be accessed full size for print on this site.

For more information about wave energy, see the Alternative Energy News site.

Shelley H

Clean Coal Technology

According to the U.S.Department of Energy, coal is likely to remain one of the nation's lowest-cost electric power sources for the foreseeable future, and the United States has pledged a new commitment to even more advanced clean coal technologies.

Building on the successes of the original program, the new clean coal initiative encompasses a broad spectrum of research and large-scale projects that target today's most pressing environmental challenges.

The Clean Coal Power Initiative is providing government co-financing for new coal technologies that can help utilities cut sulfur, nitrogen and mercury pollutants from power plants. Also, some of the early projects are showing ways to reduce greenhouse emissions by boosting the efficiency by which coal plants convert coal to electricity or other energy forms. Information from U.S. Department of Energy at: http://www.fossil.energy.gov/programs/powersystems/cleancoal/

There is no "perfect" solution for energy sources. Sometimes we must use current technology and perfect it as much as we can.

"Coal is an abundant resource in the world...It is imperative that we figure out a way to use coal as cleanly as possible. "

Dr. Steven Chu, Secretary of Energy
Senate Confirmation Hearing
January 13, 2009

Shelley H

Animal Waste to Valuable Power

Beef, dairy cattle, hogs and poultry manure, also known as feedlot biomass, can be put to practical use as a renewable energy source, with dry manure and liquid manure producing different types of energy. Manure can be used for gas, electricity and fuel for a boiler, or it can be burned directly for cooking or lighting.

The best approach to using animal wastes for power depends on the amount of moisture and non-biodegradable solid materials that are contained in the manure. Both methods solve a manure disposal problem while mitigating odors and negative environmental effects.

Dry manure has long provided heating and cooking fuel for rural societies. If the water content of manure is low enough (less than 20%), dry manure can be burnt directly. Solid, dry manure includes manure from beef feedlots and dairy dry lots. Burning dry manure can also release energy for the production of biogas. While supplying its own energy needs, a cattle feedlot operation could also solve its manure disposal problem, reduce odors, provide jobs, and increase the local tax base - all by installing a manure-to-energy generator on site.

The environmental benefits to processing manure into fuel include cleaner air and water. Tillamook, Oregon, the land of Cheese, Trees and Ocean Breeze is in on the cutting edge of the biogas to electricity technology with their MEAD Project.

In 2003, the Port of Tillamook Bay in Tillamook, Oregon constructed a centralized methane digester to biologically process the manure from 4000 of the county's 30,000 dairy cows. The project was 14 years in development as MEAD (Methane Energy and Agricultural Development). The facility, owned and managed by the Port, utilizes simple, proven cost-effective digester, solids separation and biogas-to-electricity technology currently being employed at over a dozen sites nationally.

Manure is picked up by facility personnel, treated, and a portion returned to participating farms. Transportation costs are offset by sale of electricity as "green power" and by sale of fiber recovered for use by a potting soil manufacturer. System benefits to the Tillamook community include: reductions in odors, pathogenic organisms, weedseeds, manure quantities and nutrients to be land-applied.

For more information on the Tillamook MEAD Project, visit http://www.potb.org/methane-energy.htm

Shelley H

Air Car

New and expected to be in US by 2010 is the Air Car. What is it, well a company named Zero Pollution Motors is designing a car that will run on air. Yes, that is right air. Using air to manipulate the pistons instead of traditional gasoline combustion the car will create zero emissions. While at high speeds with the combined use of air and gasoline to create heat to meet the required pressure to move the pistons, the car still has a greatly reduced emission than the typical gas powered automobile, topping out at 96 mph. This new technology allows the car to travel an estimated 848 miles on a meagerly eight gallons of gas. Guy Negre, an F1 racecar engineer first originated the idea. The MDI Group developed the Air Car, receiving funding from Tata Motors, based in India.

The Air Car body is made of fiberglass and foam, seats six, and uses an in dash computer to display speed and RPM. An on board compressor allows the air tank to be filled by plugging it into an electrical outlet. To learn more
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-9876428-48.html

Good Clean Tech

Goodcleantech.com is a really cool site to view the latest breakthroughs in green technology. This site puts an emphasis on news on alternative fuels/energy--from solar energy to new kinds of batteries to the the most efficient Christmas lights--it covers all technological advances that would improve the environment and make the world a better place.
-Eric M.

Energy Saving Tips

Heating water in your home is a big expense, and typically accounts for 12% of your utility bill. Here are a few ways to cut your water heating bill. One way is to simply use less hot water-either by installing a low flow shower head or taking shorter showers. You can make sure you don't have any leaky faucets-a little drip can add up to gallons of water wasted. Also, don't leave hot water running when brushing your teeth or washing dishes.You can lower the temperature on your hot water heater, wrap it in insulation or replace it with an Energy Star water heater. The US Department of Energy( estimates you can save 3-5% of energy costs for every ten degree reduction of your water heater temperature.http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/water_heating/index.cfm/mytopic=13090

Rock Port, Missouri

Rock Port Missouri in 2008 announced that it was the first city in the United States to become a 100% wind powered city. Rock Port is a small city in Atchison County. It has a small population of 1,300 people.

The entire city is receives its electricity from just 4 wind turbines. These 4 turbines produce 16 million kilowatt hours of electricity, which is just over the 13 million the city uses each year.

Northwest Missouri is being looked into for more turbines, as it is a great place to capture this wind energy. Landowners also profit from leasing their land for wind power. They say its easier then growing crops, both ways they profit from it.

Please check out Science Daily for more info.

Carbon footprint of household appliances

I found an interesting site that compares various different household appliances and shows the energy usage, cost of usage, and the CO2 output.

http://www.carbonfootprint.com/energyconsumption.html

-Jared J

LCD vs Plasma T.V. Power Consumption

If you are considering a new television, you are probably wondering whether to get an LCD or plasma set. You may have personal reasons for choosing one over the other, but in terms of energy consumption LCD uses less electricity than a plasma. An average plasma uses 338 watts compared with 176 watts for the average LCD. Of course, size does matter when it comes to power consumption-the larger the television, the more it costs financially and environmentally. CNET Reviews has a power consumption comparison chart to help you decided between brands and styles at http://reviews.cnet.com/green-tech/tv-consumption-chart/?tag=contentMain;contentAux.

Rejected Watermelons: The Newest Renewable Energy Source

Science Daily (August 27, 2009). "Watermelon juice can be a valuable source of bio-fuel, researchers have shown that the juice of reject-watermelons can be efficiently fermented into ethanol". This is a pretty cool source of energy. It works in a lot of ways for us the people. It creates a natural source of energy and cuts back on waste. "About 20% of each annual watermelon crop is left in the field because of surface blemishes or because they are misshaped". Wow, this is pretty cool. It seems to me that this is something that occurs every year and with that we will not run out of this source, and not to mention is is earth friendly. If you want to find more information on this subject you can go to www.sciencedaily.com. C.Kempton......

Dryer Savings

To complete my two-part series on the cheapest way to clean clothes we’ll again look at Michael Bluejay’s recommendations.

It’s clear that gas prices are a few cents cheaper than electric (on average) but the cost of putting in a pipe and switching over to natural gas is so expensive, you probably wouldn’t see savings for about 20 years.  That being said, if using gas is an option, as I've stated, gas is generally cheaper and for this purpose it might be good to switch.

That being said there are if we continue to use our 11 cents per kWh (again in with PGE it’s about 9 cents), dryers for the most part use about 3.3 kWh bringing us to about 36 cents for a dry time of 45 minutes. One doesn’t see the true cost until it’s added up throughout the year.  At the average of eight loads a week the yearly costs comes out to around 150 bucks.  If we add in our previous figure for washing clothes our number comes to $400 a year just for cleaning clothes.  Not buying, not mending, not ironing, not dry cleaning, just a standard wash and dry.

In order to keep the drying costs down there are a few ideas that we can incorporate (either fully or even just partially).  First is the purchase of a spin dryer.  This machine spins clothes extremely fast to “suck” out the remaining water before the clothes are put into your regular dryer.  They run about $130 but save about $97 and would pay for themselves in less than a year and a half. 

Next is line drying.  Line drying used to be the only way to dry clothes and again I’ll reference foreign countries where to this day clothes hanging from lines that span across buildings adds to the character of the place.  Line drying is free and although it may take a little longer in wetter climates can still be accomplished with relative ease.  Also, Michael notes that you don’t have to dry the clothes all the way if you plan on ironing them.  Electricity costs for the iron go up a little, but not much.

I’ll conclude by saying that even in your home there are simple ways to change energy dependency.  This is just one example and there are a host of others that can drastically reduce your energy bills and help you live a more green existence.  

Read more about this and other cost cutting techniques a michaelbluejay.com

Clean Savings

The washing of clothes is a time-honored tradition stretching back to ancient agrarian societies.  If you go to Italy today there are still remnants of communal clothes washing areas.  And placed above these areas are inscriptions that strike our modern sensibilities as comical if not misogynistic as they warn passersby that if “they distract the washing women they will be fined.”

Today in America even a child of 13 washes his or her clothes and sometimes it’s difficult to think of it as an energy waster.  But if you’re not careful, the bill can add up quickly.  Michael Bluejay a writer and an activist has informed my research regarding the prices associated with washing our clothes and for a later blog about drying them.

To begin, according to his research the modern American top-loading washing machine uses about .256 kWh per load while the national average cost of electricity runs at about 11 cents per kWh.  This means that for electricity one may pay about 3 cents a load plus the price of water, which is generally around 11 cents per load, bringing the grand total to 14 cents. (*Note* PGE charges about 9 cents per kWh) 

Although this may not seem like much, one needs to understand that this is the base operation cost and that costs such as heating up the water can exponentially increase the amount you’ll pay in your energy bill.  For example, if you use Hot/Hot for every load, then according to these figures you’re paying about 70 cents a load.  If you then multiple this number by eight (the number of loads done per week by a typical American family) then multiply that number by 52 (for the number of weeks in a year) you’re looking at a difference of about 250 dollars a year!

Front loading washers are much better savers.  They use less water and less energy.  Unlike top loading washers they generally have an energy star rating and even leave clothes dryer when they’re finished which saves on drying costs.

The take home message?  If you want to save money (and the earth) scrap the old top-loader, buy a front-loading washing machine and wash your clothes on Cold/Cold.  In the long run it will save you hundreds of dollars in water and electricity.

 For more information on this subject and many others go to michaelbluejay.com

Amazon Sludge the Secret to Success

Sludge. Slime. Goop. Whatever you call it, it is not pretty. While the Amazon dark soil might not win a beauty contest, it could be our ticket to solving some of Earth's biggest problems. Known as Terra Preta, this dark soil is on the cutting edge of technology to stop and even correct our massive carbon footprint.

In a story I found on CleanTechnica.com, A German company is the first to create a facility on a large scale to produce this soil. It is a man-made soil that was developed thousands of years ago in the Amazon that we have just recently seen the benefits of. Being called the 'Carbon Sink' of soil, this ancient marvel can remove carbon from our atmosphere and trapping it.

While this strange soil might not be the full answer to our planet's rising problems, it has the potential to make a huge dent. This about this, using this soil in something as simple as a backyard garden could remove an individuals daily carbon footprint.

If this soil sparks your interest, you can check out the manufacture PalaterraGmbH&Co.

Veterans for change

When you think of our United States Veterans, what comes to mind? I think of war, battles and older men telling stories of their time of duty. The last thing I expected to read about was veterans pushing for a greener tomorrow.

On this past Veteran's Day, certain veteran groups were calling for change in the way in which our miltary approaches the green movement. Sustainable fuels was the hot topic. We are a nation that is reliant on fossil fuels including the military. In order to run the fleet of millions of military vehicles, our government is dependent on foreign oil. Currently, our military is looking at alternative forms like solar and wind.

It is nice to see our government making some positive changes in the battle over sustainable fuels. Just taking small steps will lessen the carbon footprint of our military.

Wind Power

I came across an article that I found extremely interesting. The article went in depth of how "wind energy" is one of the largest sources of energy at this time. In 2003 wind power made up only 5% of the total U.S. electrical output. In 2003 it increased by 21%, and the DOE reports that wind could contribute 20% of the total U.S. electricity by the year 2030. Around ten years ago only a few states had the equipment for energy. At this time over 34 states have the equipment to generate wind into energy. I thought that this was very cool and it seems to be growing very rapidly at this time. The thing I like the most is that it is extremely earth friendly and a natural energy source..C.Kempton, more info can be found at www.gijobs.com....

Is PDX Going Green?

The people at Portland International Airport are concerned about the environment too. According to this article PDX is moving towards using alternative fuels. "The Portland International Airport (PDX) in Oregon has become a dedicated user of alternative fuel vehicles in almost every aspect of operation from baggage loading vehicles to shuttle buses, police vehicles, and street maintenance equipment". Alternative fuels like biodiesel play an important role in lowering emission and vehicle longevity.

Go to this blogger post to learn more about what PDX is doing to go green.

cnet Green Car Buying Guide

Deciding which car to buy can be a hard decision to make. However, if you have fuel efficiency and the environment on your mind when choosing your next set of wheels, you need to check out cnet's Green Car Buying Guide. It gives the reviews of the growing number of alternative-fuel powered cars. It not only shows hybrid cars, but natural gas, fuel cell, hydrogen and concept cars that will come out in the future, just to name a few categories that are featured. This is the direction that we headed in personal transportation. Click here to view this site. -Eric M.

What can I do right now??

I was wondering what someone, who wasn't sure how to start might be able to get motivated to having an impact. While considering what to do, and how to switch to something else, one might be able to reduce impact and save money just by conserving gas. Here's a sight I found on driving tips to conserve fuel.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Fuel-Conservation-Tips&id=194964

-Jared J.

What Drives the price for Propane?

I was thinking about Propane and was wondering exactly where it comes from, what it is made of and why is it the price it is currently. I started looking into what influences the price of Propane? It started out that products that are common such as petroleum and others that are unique to Propane. The one important thing to keep in mind is that the Propane gas is easy and for the most part, safe to transport. It serves many different types of equipment, barbecues all the way to producing "Petrochemicals." The cost of Propane in these different consumer categories is influenced by prices of other types of fuels in this market. We also need to remember that where ever this refinery is located and the distance and the quantity ordered plays into the price fluctuation as well.

Propane is produced from crude oil and oil refinery of natural gas. Most of the cost comes from refining the crude oil. But, most of the increase or decrease is based on supply and demand. If it is a colder then normal winter, the prices will rise. If it turns out being a warmer winter then normal, then price lowers. You can find more info on this topic at: EnergyInformationAdministrator or www.energyexplained.com

Consumer Survey

Please take this survey and help us evaluate general energy concerns

Is Walking Fuel Free?

While comparing fuels I found an interesting comparison that I had never even considered. Is walking and bicycling truly better for the environment? Does it use less fuel? Produce fewer emissions? Of course I naturally answered yes, very quickly, but I learned I was very wrong.

I found several different websites comparing the amount of fuel used in walking, biking and driving. When walking and cycling I had not considered that the fuel used is the food that was eaten by the person traveling. Not only is this considered a fuel, but I also had to realize that, if it was meat, the animal had eaten fuel (grain and such) before the human ate the animal. There is also the processing and transportation of the animal, which uses more fuels.

“David Pimentel of Cornell University calculates that it takes nearly twice as much fossil energy to produce a typical American diet than a pure vegetarian diet.” (Michael Bluejay) Mr. Pimentel considers the typical American diet one that contains red meats and such – the average American diet. On Bicycleuniverse.info, Michel Bluejay explains that beef requires 200 times more fossil fuel to produce then veggies and grains do. This is because cattle eat 14 times more grain they produce as meat.

Chris Goodall author of ‘How to live a low-carbon life’ estimates that if a human walks 1.5 miles and replace those calories burned with 1 cups of milk the emissions are about equal to a normal car trip.

In the end meat eaters’ use about 200 more gallons of fossil fuels per year then a vegetarian does. In driving terms this equates to 14 extra miles per day.

For more information please visit:

Bicycle universe

NY Times

Hawaii is getting greener

I read an interesting article online about the energy situation in Hawaii. I agree with the author Shermakaye Bass who says that Blue Hawaii needs to go green in order to be energy self-sustaining state.
Currently, Hawaii gets 90 percent of its energy from imported oil, while its isolation makes it vulnerable to frequent power outages. Price for electricity here is from 25 to 55 cents per kilowatt hour which is - three to five times the national average. Gas prices are the highest in the US..

On the other hand, Hawaii has some of the best wind, some of the best solar, some of the best access to the ocean to use wave power, a lot of waste-biomass, and one of the most volcanic activity to use for geo-thermal power.
All of these sources can and will be used to produce alternative energy for the island, says Kimura, solar-tech pioneer and the founder of clean-energy/eco-friendly Sopogy company. His company recently introduced a new rooftop Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) collector which are about 30 percent cheaper than traditional solar collectors.
These new solar power collectors represent one of nearly $1 billion in clean energy projects which will be implemented in Hawaii during the next two decades.

The article says that in January 2008, during her State of the State address, Gov. Linda Lingle told constituents she would make energy a priority. Within a few days after her speech, Honolulu had signed the historic Clean Energy Initiative with the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), whereby America’s 50th state would shift from a fossil-fuel driven economy to one that buzzed with power from wind, sun, water (and biofuel and geothermal tech and hydrogen fuel…) by 2030. Specifically, the plan calls for Hawaii to get 70 percent of its power from clean energy – 40 percent from actual renewable power, 30 percent from energy efficiency and consumer conservation.

To read the rest of the article you can go to this website: http://www.greenrightnow.com/kabc/2009/10/28/blue-hawaii-getting-greener-every-day/
-Peter Y.

Small Investments Can Pay Off Big

There are many small things you can do to save money and be environmentally friendlier. These projects are inexpensive (or free) but can make a dent in your home energy bill or reduce your fuel consumption in the long term. Here are 10 of my favorite projects for the home.
These are all easy to do and the materials and instructions are available at most home improvement stores.

1. Wrap your water heater in an insulating cover.
2.Weather strip around your windows and doors.
3.Clean or replace the filters in your furnace or air conditioner as recommended.
4.Set your washing machine temperature to warm or cold.
5.Hang clothes to dry if weather permits.
6.Use a low flow shower head.
7.Run your dishwasher only when full-your washing machine too.
8. Use your microwave rather than the oven when possible.
9.Lower the temperature on your water heater.
10.Insulate your water pipes.

Old energy Sources being Destroyed.

I was watching CNN yesterday and came across some interesting news. In the past we have used dams for a source of energy. It was considered the easier way to generate energy. Now, we have other methods of generating this energy such as solar panels, wind mills etc. The average price to maintain these dams per year is roughly 302 million dollars. The dams also mess with natural habitat. I would imagine over the next ten years we will see these dams be blasted with sticks of dynamite one by one. For more information on this subject go to www.cnn.com. C.Kempton

How much do you know about being energy efficient?

After surfing the web, trying to kill time, I came upon a cool site from National Geographics, which has various quizzes you about different environmental topics and is a very fun way to learn different things about the ways you can save energy and how much energy we are unnecessarily wasting. I only got one question wrong. Go to http://www.thegreenguide.com/quizzes to test and see what you really know about the environment.
-Eric M.

Is Vegetable Oil A Cost Effective Alternative?

Although using vegetable oil as an alternative fuel source is becoming more popular it still has many draw backs and things to improve upon. In the article, "Can I really burn used vegetable oil in my car?", by Ed Grabianowski, answers the question "Is Vegetable Oil Worth the Cost"? The general consensus at this point is no, it is not cost effective. Not only is the oil itself expensive but it is also costly to convert a regular car engine.
The hope is that with more consumers looking for alternative fuel the cost will become more acceptable and cost effective. There are no perfect answers but with education and hard work bio fuels can become a household word.

To read more about cost effectiveness go to this How Stuff Works article.

BioMass: From Waste to Watts.

Chevron over the past years has been trying to find alternative fuel sources. Their goals are intended to find environmentally friendly energy sources. Their newest project is on Biomass which turns trash into biomass which then goes to bio fuel, which then can be used for fuel for transportation. In conclusion, this short and brief reading can help us to understand where the future is intended to go. This invention would take trash out of our cans and then would end up reducing landfill rise, over time. More info on this can be found at none other then www.chevron.com/deliveringenergy/ biofuels/ Author: C. Kempton

Energy Island?

Wow, I just came across this new idea for extracting energy from alternative sources. “The Energy Island Group is a partnership of experts in marine architecture and engineering, infrastructure, project design and management, applied to all forms of energies available at sea: wind, wave and solar, with a particular interest in Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion” (www.energyisland.com)

Energy Island gathers energy from several natural resources all at once. My favorite part of this concept is that this type of station actually releases cooler temperatures as opposed to warmer ones. This is important nowadays because of the global warming issue. Humans still need to gather energy, but the way we are doing it now is adding to the global warming problem, which doesn’t really help in the future.

There are some small environmental impacts that are being addressed right now. This island draws up water from below are uses the temperatures to convert energy. When this machine draws up water all marine life is filtered out harmlessly except for phytoplankton, which are too small to get filtered. This phytoplankton can still be used for fish farming, but what are they effects of removing all these species? This is under consideration now.

Please check out this video, which explains Energy Island as well as shows some pictures that help you to understand the workings of this project.

Last year best for energy efficiency

Last year, 2008, was the best year in the Northwest last year for being energy efficient. According to Northwest Power and Conservation Council, energy usage was cut by an equivalent to 148,000 houses, which is credited mainly to the switching to compact fluorescent lights in households, which contributed to about two-thirds of the reduction.
To view the full article, go to: http://www.kgw.com/environment/stories/kg_103109_green_energy_efficiency.270c78877.html.
-Eric M.

Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency

Now is the time to energize your home. A tax credit of up to $1,500 in 2009 and 2010 is available for many energy efficient projects and purchases for existing homes. These tax credits are available for such items as windows, doors, roofs, and water heaters among others. In addition tax credits for 30% of the cost at no upper limit through 2016 are available for new construction and existing homes for projects such as geothermal heat pumps and solar water heaters. Other rebates may be available for the purchase of Energy Star appliance such as air conditioning units. More information will be available on the Energy Star credits in late 2009 and early 2010. In any case, save your receipts! More information is available at http://www.energy.gov/taxbreaks.htm

Ethanol vs Gasoline

There is a lot of different perspectives when it comes to Ethanol and Gasoline. Ethanol is still being looked into as far as how safe it is to our environment in the long run. Ethanol comes from corn which would seem like it would be better for the environment in a whole. Gasoline on the other hand comes from oil which starts out as a crude oil and then is refined into gasoline. The emissions departments through out the country have raised the bar on a part called an catalytic converter which supposed to cut down on the air pollution but , for the long run we do not know for sure. Just a little few for thought. C. Kempton

What is the Best kind of Wood to Burn?

When the leaves begin to fall shortly after that the temp falls leaving us with a decision to make. How to heat the house? Many of us use wood to fuel our heat source at home. Sometimes we want that hot fire that puts out extreme heat. Other times we just want a cozy fanned fire setting. I did some research on the two types of fires and found out a few tips that I will be using and you may want to check out for your self too. The Oregon State Forrest recommends to use hard wood for those extreme hot fires. The woods in the list consist of oak, ma drone, eucalyptus or walnut. If you are looking for a wood to maintain the heat or just want that romantic fire they suggest to use lighter woods such as pine etc. I hope that this can and will help some of our readers, and remember keep an eye out fore our Web Site coming shortly....C.Kempton......

Food price spike: Is ethanol to blame?

By David Goldman, CNNMoney.com staff writer
Last Updated: June 27, 2008: 7:46 AM EDT

A devastated corn crop is likely to exacerbate costs at the grocer. Some people are pointing a finger at the ethanol production laws.

Living in a dairy farming community and having owned a dairy farm in the past, I pay attention to the price of milk and feed that is used to produce the milk. Although feed prices have come down somewhat in the last six months, in the year before, beginning in 2008, prices spiked like crazy and it became a hardship to purchase cattle feed.

One of the reasons for the high feed costs is that the price of corn - a staple ingredient in a variety of foods from cereals to cola and the main ingredient in animal feed -was selling above $7.50 a bushel, about 119% above the price from 2007.

In 2008, the rising price of corn fueled a movement to reduce the amount of corn ethanol that was added to American gasoline.

Ethanol's primary component is corn, so demand for the crop has soared since the ethanol standard was enacted in 2005 and increased with the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. The government passed the legislation in an effort to support the U.S. farm and ethanol industry, to promote cleaner-burning fuels and to reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil. The backfire of the legislation, was the high price of corn as it became more valuable for fuel than food. Many farmers are barely hanging on as they try to cope with the high feed costs.

To read the entire article, go to http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/27/news/economy/ethanol_food_prices/index.htm

posted by Shelley H

Oil Companies Show Interest in Algae as Fuel

When the oil companies used to be only interested in pumping crude oil from the ground, they are now being heavily invested in using algae as a alternative fuel source. Such companies include Exxon Mobile, which has invested $600 million into this very new tech. Also Indian Oil is teaming up with PetroAlgae to build research facilities, and later, production facilities to harvest this new form of energy. To view the complete article go to:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10391335-54.html?tag=mncol;title.
-Eric M.

Propane VS. Natural Gas

I am sure we have all wondered about the differences between "Propane and Natural Gas?" I have done a little bit of research on the two. The biggest difference I found was one consists of a gas called "Methane" that was the biggest factor in the fundamental capabilities these two can offer you. Natural Gas is the one that consist of Methane and it will only put out 1,012 BTU per cubic foot. The brighter side is the Propane, it gets much hotter doubling the heat in an amazing 2,500 BTU per cubic foot. There is really no comparison in which one is most effective.....C.Kempton 2009.

Renewable Petroleum A Replacement for Crude Oil

I came across a very interesting concept that the company LS9 is developing in the fight for sustainability. Apparently, the acids normally excreted by industrial yeast or nonpathogenic E. coli are only a few molecular stages removed from crude oil. By altering the microorganisms DNA, a process that now only takes weeks and is relatively inexpensive, they excrete renewable petroleum, while feeding on agricultural waste. This product requires much less refining than does crude oil, which is an energy intensive process. Additionally on an environmental note, the process of manufacture is carbon negative, consuming greenhouse gasses rather than emitting them. Theoretically, this could end our dependence on foreign oil, while reducing the cost of gasoline and because the product is interchangeable with oil, a re-engineering of the global infrastructure is unnecessary. LS9 will have a scale plant operating in 2010, while designing a commercial facility to open in 2011.

Learn more about it at Times Online http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article4133668.ece

Fuel For Thought

Energy Trust of Oregon in a partnership with Portland General Electric, has created a calendar of events for home owners and those curious about energy savings. Classes and workshops for residential topics are located throughout the Portland area and are generally free to PGE customers (with a small fee for those who aren’t).

This interactive calendar allows users to learn about seminars or workshops that are relevant to them. Among many others listed, the calendar boasts informative lectures on the use and savings associated with solar panels, the hidden electricity costs in one’s home and how to reduce those costs.

If you’re a home-owner, or just curious about how you can save money on electricity this is a good place to start.

http://www.energytrust.org/news-events/calendar-application/

Current Types of Fuels!

There are many types of fuels that are out at this time for one to choose from. It does not matter if you are heating your home, fueling your car, barbecuing or supplying electricity for your home. The main thing is that there is going to be a web site developed by Portland State students that will cover all of these sources in full detail. We will cover all available materials such as, charcoal, coal, corn, electricity, firewood, gasoline, kerosene, natural gas, oil #2 for heating, pellets, propane and wood 15% H20. It seems like a lot of information, but we will sort it all out for you, all you need to do is wait patiently and our site will be up and running soon. The details of this site will include comparing these fuels in there environmentally friendliness, best for your buck, which is best for you and which ones are available according to where you live. Stay tuned for more, it will get exciting!!!!! Thanks C.Kempton

The Most Efficient Ways of Transportation

There is much debate today of what is the best way to get around. We can all walk, but it is not in the cards for most of us. What I mean is, it would be hard to walk the kids to school, grocery shop,and get to work on time. If you have a long commute to work there is no possible way to have enough "energy" you get the point? For some of us, we are able to walk to get to where it is that we need to go. For the ones that this is less realistic, I have a couple of suggestions for the Eco friendly ones. The most efficient type of transportation at this time is the "Electric Car" It is basically powered mostly by electricity and is very nice to our environment! I know that these vehicles are still pretty pricey, but over time it is something that will go down in price. My second alternative for maybe after the kids get dropped off at school is the "good old fashion bicycle" it is probably the most environmentally friendly type of transportation available and it is good for your heart. C.Kempton

The Most "Effcient" Water Heater For You

In this day and age we are all concerned with where our money goes. We all try to make the best buying decisions as possible. Most of us gather our information via sales people, friends, research and our very own instinct. Water heaters come in all shapes and sizes and so due the bills if we are not careful! There are so many choices when it comes to buying anything now days. There are just as many choice when purchasing a water heater. Our questions range from water capacity, watts used, energy efficient, warranty, and Eco friendly "oh" and price. How is one able to get exactly what they are looking for? There are so many tricks and dishonest information out there that it is almost a thing most of us do not like to talk about. Well I am here to tell you that there is a web site that anyone can go to and it has all the true and current information on water heaters. They explain brands, sizes, Eco friendliness, best deals, and it is all to the best of their knowledge. The best part is it is a U.S. Department of energy site. It goes by the title "Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Savings for Consumers and Saving the Environment

Saving energy in the future may be possible with washing machines that use less water.

There is a prototype washing machine that uses 90 percent less water than current washers do, which could make sustainability easier in the future. Nylon beads replace the water. The polarized molecules in the nylon beads attract dirt, then separate enough to allow that dirt to become trapped inside, thus requiring less water than standard washers do.

Less water means less energy to purify, heat, and transport it. Plans are underway to use these machines in commercial laundries sometime during next year and someday they may be available for in home use. This would have a great effect on consumer energy bills.

To learn more, read the entire article in Popular Science at http://www.popsci.com/gadgets/article/2009-10/clean-your-clothes-plastic .

Biodiesel

To make a vehicle work some sort of energy must be used. Gasoline and diesel are the normal sources but other products are coming to the forefront of alternative fuels. As the cost of conventional fuel rises consumers are demanding cheaper and more environmentally friendly ways to run their vehicles.
In the article, “Grease Guzzlers”, by Zachary Gonzalez-Landis we learn about this alternative fuel. Diesel engines are being converted to run on vegetable oil. “Vegetable oils are biofuels, renewable raw materials from which one can extract the same kind of energy as found in fossil fuels, such as natural gas and coal”. The process of converting a diesel engine is actually often less than buying a new car. Besides the cost effectiveness of SVO or straight vegetable oil the benefits to the environment are astounding. “It’s a recycled resource; reduces air pollution and greenhouse gases; biodegrades and is non-toxic; decreases dependence on imported oil; and offers better fuel economy than diesel. Overall, biodiesel presents the lowest carbon footprint of any alternative fuel. And it’s cheaper”.
The only downfall is the lack of diesel vehicles in the United States. According to the article less than five percent of all cars in the U.S. run on diesel. How can we get the U.S. to take advantage of this cost saving environmentally friendly alternative? Any ideas?

Check out inthesetimes.com to read the rest of this informative article.

In Between

It seems that who ever you are and where ever you live you depend on different sources of energy. These sources range from gasoline, diesel, propane, electricity, charcoal and wood. All of these sources are linked to something that we all need or use. The things we need or decide to use have limited options at this point and time. There are those of us that have limited choices depending on our demographic location or economical status. We all would like to see an alternative to fuel. This may be for different reasons like the price, environment or other reasons. What ever the reason may be we are limited to sources as of now. There are the obvious ways to save money on energy. If you are a consumer of fuel you may think drive less, carpool,or find an alternative station with lower prices. All of these products cost money and the supply and demand controls there price.
What if we found ways to utilize and get the most out of the product we need or choose to use? For example, we all use electricity and depend on it for most household objects. The power companies look for more efficient ways to generate power and we as consumers try and manipulate the use as much as we can. We may by products that say more efficient or turn things off when we are done with them, but there is something in between that company and our product. How many of you recycle certain products? What if there was a way to recycle energy? For example, when we use a fan we use energy to run it and when we unplug it, it stops working. When energy is used it feeds something to turn on. What ever the thing be that uses this energy, why couldn't the energy being generated from the product be stored in a module in the product? The energy would be recycled. If we run our fan for three hours and unplug it, the module would have three hours of recycled energy stored for use without being plugged in the wall. What this would do is you would be able to cut your power bill in half. It is just an idea, but with the right engineering it could be a step into the future for us.

Alternative Fuels

When I think about comparing fuels or using alternative fuels I automatically think of cars, and buses. While looking around the Internet I discovered an article about using alternative fuels for airplanes. It makes sense, there are thousands of flights a day and those huge airplanes just fly through fuel, why not use better fuels in the skies as well?

The article Alternative Jet Fuels Put To The Test, we learn that researchers along with NASA are testing 2 types of fuels, both not petroleum based. For these tests the alternative fuels will be used on a DC-8 aircraft. The aircraft will remain on the ground so that the researches can test the exhaust. For these experiments they will use a 50/50 blend of fuels and also a 100 alternative fuel.

I wonder if it would cost more for the airline to use alternative fuels? Would you as a passenger be willing pay more per ticket if your airline was more environmentally friendly? Could it be cheaper to produce these fuels?

NASA/Langley Research Center. "Alternative Jet Fuels Put To The Test." ScienceDaily 1 February 2009. 15 October 2009

Comparing Fuels

According to Alan Boyle’s article Energy Guru says Green needn’t be Grim, Amory Lovins has concluded that America’s future energy needs could actually be met without the use of fossil fuels or nuclear power. Lovins believes that there are more efficient and less costly modes of energy available to us all, but it will take considerable revamping of the current power grid, and revenue. Nevertheless, the results would ultimately produce large returns. Technological advances making consumer products more energy efficient will cut operational expenses for the consumer. Lovins wants to see changes in the way America conducts the business of energy. Rather than relying on current tax breaks, subsidies and other federally mandated economic maneuvers. Lovins wants to see honest and fair prices not biased against technology, location or ownership, thus allowing Americans to produce and save energy.

Thanks for the memories...

I would like to just take a moment to thank all the people who have been a part of this project. We have all worked extremely hard to present an interesting and factual website. I hope that all the people who come to this website and read the Blogs will benefit from this work.
To the people who are going to be reading all of this information, I hope that you not only learn a lot of new and useful things but I hope that it gets you to thinking about how you can put this new information to use. And I hope that maybe this kind of thinking can lead to new and wonderful ideas that go far beyond these steps.
I hope that everyone who has been touched by this project has benefited the way that I have. Thank you to my classmates for making this such a positive experience. And, thank you to everyone else for showing an interest in this very important and interesting subject. Bye.