Domestic Fuel

This coming Thursday marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, and media giant NBC Universal is taking the whole week to mark the occasion. Part of this sixth green-themed Earth Week by the network includes biodiesel as part of the effort.

This NBC press release has details:

“NBC Universal’s green-themed weeks continue to drive consumer awareness around the environment,” said Beth Colleton, Vice President, Green is Universal. “On the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, we are particularly honored to continue contributing to the green conversation, helping to activate both consumers and employees around this important issue.”

Focusing on green behind the cameras, NBCU is making strides on green production efforts. Industry-leading green production guides for both our television and film production units are available to the entire industry, and crews have put knowledge into action on set. A recent example was on the set of “It’s Complicated,” starring Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. The production used biodiesel generators and vehicles, conducted on-set recycling, donated food daily to a local soup kitchen, and diverted over a ton of potential waste away from a landfill. The film’s DVD, due out on April 27th, uses packaging with 20% less plastic and 100% recycled paper inserts.

More information is available on NBC’s “Green is Universal” Web site.

President Obama gave a speech this morning from a hanger at Andrews Air Force Base reiterating our country’s need for energy independence. This will be done, he says, through energy initiatives and the government will “lead by example.” In the background, a Navy Green Hornet jet that will fly on a mix of 50 percent biomass on earth day next month.

I believe the only group that will be truly happy after today’s speech is our frenemy Big Oil. Obama said, “So today we’re announcing the expansion of offshore oil and gas exploration, but in ways that balance the need to harness domestic energy resources and the need to protect America’s natural resources. Under the leadership of Secretary Salazar, we’ll employ new technologies that reduce the impact of oil exploration. We’ll protect areas that are vital to tourism, the environment, and our national security. And we’ll be guided not by political ideology, but by scientific evidence.”

They will be guided by scientific evidence? Whose scientific evidence? If we developed policy that was based on sound science, we wouldn’t have two pieces of legislation, the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2) and California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard that are shamelessly based on the misguided and not scientifically supported theory of indirect land use.
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Another approach and discussion is emerging surrounding messaging and education of global climate change. Green communication specialists will gather in May for a summit to refine the cause that clean energy and sustainable business practices are good policy and good business.

The first-ever Green PR summit rEnergize Communications Summit will be held May 23-25 to discuss how corporate brands, products and initiatives will be best positioned for success in the new era of climate change and sustainability. Communication experts from corporations, organizations, trusts, foundations, and local and state government will be working together to create a unified messaging strategy that will prepare people for the global changes already under way to alleviate the destruction of climate change.

“There is a disconnect between the importance that people place on the environment and what sustainability actions they are willing to adopt,” said Joanna Schroeder, APR and Principal of 4R Communications, the company spearheading the summit. “Now that the world has embraced the issues surrounding climate change, and policy is underway to mitigate potential damage, we need a concerted communications effort that will help educate and prepare the public for these inevitable changes.”

Conference speakers include Cara Pike, Director of Our Social Capital Project and author of Climate Crossroads: A Research-Based Framing Guide; Autumn Salamack, Aveda; Greensburg, Kansas Mayor Bob Dixson; Brian Davis, CleanBiz Horizons; Jim Lane, Biofuels Digest; and Greg Pahl author of The Citizens Energy Handbook.

Register by March 15 to receive free registration to the webinar, “5 Key Barriers to Environmental Engagement,” as well as for conference registration discounts. For a full list of speakers, and to register, visit www.rEnergizeMedia.com. You can also follow news about the conference on Twitter at #GRPR.

If you want to talk to a cheerleader for biodiesel then you need to meet Ramiro Lopez, Direct of Intergovernmental Services, Irvine, TX. He’s in charge of fleets and fuels and he was our guide today when we went to the media ride and drive and biodiesel plant tour.

Ramiro says that in Irvine he’s implemented a program to utilize biodiesel in their equipment. He is very big on tank maintenance and quality. He says it has allowed them to green their fleet overnight and save some money in the process.

You can listen to my interview with Ramiro below.

National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (997.3KB)

I’m writing this review as I fly on a plane and I’m feeling guilty about the amount of CO2 that is emitted when flying – on average, flying contributes about 10 times as much carbon dioxide to the atmosphere as a similar journey by train. And no, I didn’t buy carbon offsets for this trip….

The guilt is being fostered by this week’s read, a Green Series, published by Chelsea Green Publishing. I read four in the series, all co-written by Jon Clift and Amanda Cuthbert: Energy; Water; Greening Your Office; and Climate Change. Also in the series: Reduce Reuse Recycle; Composting; and Biking to Work.

I liked how easy the series is to read, many bullets points and quick facts, as well as their, “If you do one thing” pointers and the way they have the, “spend nothing save less,” and spend little, save more.” On the negative side, the books don’t have any real background on the issues, but the authors do have a list of resources at the end of each book.

I’m going to leave you with this thought, since many who are pushing environmental responsibility often go to far as they live further and further off the grid. (Let’s get a grip. It is not in our country’s best interest to revert back to the pioneer days).

“We can take control of the situation and reduce our energy and reduce our consumption. We don’t have to live shivering in an unheated room with no modern appliances; we’re just talking about being more energy efficient – reducing the need for so much power.”

To read these books or any I review, click here, and if you have a book you’d like me to review, email me at jomschro2071@gmail.com.

Wind energy has received another gust with the announcement from U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu that three universities have been given investments for wind energy research. An Illinois Institute of Technology (IITT) led consortium has been selected for up to $8 million to support the research and development programs that include private industry, state and local governments, and other universities as partners. The other two benefactors are University of Minnesota and University of Maine.

“Illinois Institute of Technology’s consortium is pleased to have been chosen to help advance wind energy for the nation,” said IIT President John Anderson. “The combination of research and academic opportunities at IIT and its academic consortium partners, in conjunction with industry, will help the United States be at the forefront of this technology.”

The wind projects, guided by “20% Wind Energy by 2030 Report,” will focus on the improvement in current land-based and offshore turbine technology and also provide educational opportunities for college and graduate students in the field of wind energy technologies. The three projects selected are in support of President Obama’s focus on creating clean energy and green jobs. The funds are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“Wind power has the potential to provide 20 percent of our electricity and create hundreds of thousands of jobs,” said Secretary Chu. “We need to position the United States as the clear leader in this industry, or watch these high-paying jobs go overseas. The investment we’re making today will help ensure that America has both the talent and the technology we need to compete.”

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued final regulations for the nation’s first greenhouse gas reporting system to begin in 2010, but ethanol plants have been removed from the initial list of facilities required to report emissions.

The regulations require large emitters of heat-trapping emissions to begin collecting greenhouse gas (GHG) data under the new program which will cover approximately 85 percent of the nation’s GHG emissions and apply to roughly 10,000 facilities. Ethanol plants were on the list when it was first proposed in March.

According to EPA, the new reporting system will provide a better understanding of where GHGs are coming from and will guide development of the best possible policies and programs to reduce emissions. The data will also allow businesses to track their own emissions, compare them to similar facilities, and provide assistance in identifying cost effective ways to reduce emissions in the future. This comprehensive, nationwide emissions data will help in the fight against climate change.

Among the facilities that are included in the program are extractors of crude petroleum and natural gas, coal and oil refineries, industrial landfills, and wastewater treatment plants.

Summer is officially here and with it summer driving season (and high gas price season). As people pack their bags and head to the gas station to fill up for summer vacation,  EcoDriving USA, a campaign from the Auto Alliance, is encouraging people to become “EcoDrivers.” EcoDrivingUSA claims that practicing “green driving” produces the highest miles per gallon, regardless of size or age of your car–and can reduce gas use and carbon emissions by as much as 15 percent or more.

You can be on your way to better fuel-efficiency and a smaller carbon footprint by following three simple steps from EcoDrivingUSA and two simple steps from me.

1.  Turn off the engine when waiting at a curb. This can save more than half a gallon of fuel for every hour that the car would otherwise have been idling.

2. Maintain proper tire pressure. Tire pressure changes an average of one PSI for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit change in temp. By keeping your tires properly inflated, you can improve gas mileage by approximately 3 percent earning drivers a “free” tank of gas every year.

3. Avoid rapid starts and stops. This can save more than $1 per gallon according to the EPA while improving fuel economy by up to 33 percent.

4. Use biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel when available. Not only are biofuels less expensive at the pump and can save an average family up to $500 per year, but using a 10 percent ethanol blend (E10) can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 20 percent over traditional gasoline and it can increase to more than 80 percent reduction if you use an 85 percent ethanol blend (E85).

5. When your travels require renting a car, choose a vehicle from the rental company’s “green collection.” The green collection features flex-fuel vehicles, hybrid vehicles and in some locations electric cars. These technologies help reduce your carbon footprint and can help increase your fuel economy.

And remember, by following the driving green tips, you can save also save some green.

What a rollercoaster couple of years it has been for Seattle-based Imperium Renewables. Back in August, 2007, I was telling you about how Imperium was opening a 100-million-gallon-a-year biodiesel plant in the Pacific Northwest, representing 30 percent of all U.S. biodiesel production. A year later, the company was in trouble, canceling long-term contracts, cutting production and laying off almost all of its workforce. The latest move by the European Union to impose trade protection tariffs against American biodiesel has all but shuttered the once mighty company. But as the man in the Monty Python movie said, “I’m not dead yet!”

This story from the Seattle Times says Imperium could re-start its biodiesel plant next year… IF the government doesn’t de-rail its latest efforts:

[Imperium founder and CEO John Plaza] hopes to resume operations next year, but that depends on what happens in a lengthy federal rule-making process to guide the future of biofuels.

But the final rules are still awaited, and the EPA has launched an extensive review to address a hotly contested issue: how to accurately compare the greenhouse-gas impact of biofuels compared with petroleum fuels.

Maybe they should ask for a federal bailout. Isn’t it funny that an industry that has a product that is popular with the public gets government interference while another one that produces unpopular cars gets all the help it could want? Talk about providing a disincentive for hard work!

It’s appropriately named Independence Station because it’s located in Independence, Oregon. But it could be named for the independence from foreign energy sources, as the “world’s greenest building” will be fueled with biodiesel.

Biodiesel Magazine reports that the $15 million building is halfway finished with completion scheduled early next year. The article says along with the power from biodiesel, the building will feature rainwater collection and reuse, use sunlight, and be built from recycled and reclaimed building materials:

The 57,000 square-foot building is also expected to be awarded the highest rating recorded by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System, according to main project developer and owner Aldeia LLC.

Besides residential and business space, the building will also house facilities for biofuel production, education and research. Aldeia plans to collect yellow grease from local restaurants in order to produce biodiesel on site, which will fuel seven Cummins Inc. generators. “We have plans to work with the chemical engineering department at Oregon State
University, so our personnel plans are small,” said Steven Ribeiro, Aldeia principal developer. “I will be involved in the production personally, and have purchased a 3,000-gallon retired home heating oil delivery truck that has been logoed up as ‘Energy for Independence’.”

Arrangements have been made to collect local used cooking oil, and B99 will be purchased from SeQuential-Pacific Biofuels in Portland, Oregon.

As we head into the weekend, some of you may be planning a trip to an auto mile to buy a new car. When you drive away in your new vehicle, you’ll be helping the world get one car closer to the two billion mark. Today there are one billion cars on the road and within the next 20 years, there will be two billion cars on the road. And this is the premise of this week’s book, “Two Billion Cars” written by Daniel Sperling and Deborah Gordon.

“Two Billion Cars” details America’s love affair with cars, the rise and fall of the American auto industry and the rise of foreign auto makers, and discusses how the world will survive the environmental impact of two billion cars. According to the authors, “Cars are arguably one of the greatest man-made threats to human society.”  Using past and current California legislation as a guide and current and future technologies, the authors make suggestions on how the world can develop a sustainable transportation industry through “eco-cars”.

Today the typical American household, which owns and drives two cars, is spending over $15,000 per year (and this number was calculated before last summer’s very high gas prices). “…cars are multiplying faster than people in America and almost everywhere else. In the United States, the increase is vehicle registration has outpaced U.S. population growth by more than 50 percent since 1970.” Houston, we have a problem. 
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There is an advantage to self publishing because you can truly say what you want to say. And Ronald H. Bowman, Jr. does just that in his book, “The Green Guide to Power Thinking Outside the Grid”. I originally thought the book was going to be about the development of the “Smart Grid“. It wasn’t. Although he did talk a little about the “Green Grid“. However, the book was actually about, “the state of technology…their maturity to the marketplace, reliability, financial feasibility, interoperability with incumbent utility, and ecological impact.” His energy alternatives include: wave, solar, biomass, biowaste, geothermal, tidal, wind, and fuel cell (hydrogen). He also spends time on coal and nuclear energy.

Electric energy usage is projected to go up 50% by 2031 and 100% by 2050. With the current pace of increasing energy needs and slow adoption of renewables to the marketplace, Bowman argues that we won’t have enough power to meet our demands in 2031. Like most others, he believes that there needs to be more tax credits and incentives to spur the growth of alternative energy to market. I know, I know, everyone hates energy subsidies, right? Well, apparently people don’t hate oil subsidies. Just subsidies that are designed to make our country a cleaner, greener place powered by domestically produced renewable energy.

• Federal subsidies for ethanol in 2006 – $6 billion
• Federal subsidies for coal in 2006 – $8 billion
• Federal subsidies for oil and gas in 2006 – $39 billion

Bowman touches on the carbon caps and carbon trading –it won’t work the way it is currently set up (I agree) and like most uniformed people, hates ethanol. BTW in case you can’t hear, see or read, the food versus fuel debate was a complete sham. Overall, he does a decent job of assessing feasiblity of the renewable energy options. Want to learn more?  Buy the book or any book that I review on DomesticFuel.

Need a job to make some green? Well, then, think GREEN!

SustainLane.com, which bills itself as the leading Web guide for green living, is now offering a green collar job board: www.sustainlane.com/green-jobs.

A company press release says the board has hundreds of job listings from across the U.S., including alternative energy jobs:

“Green collar jobs are on the rise, thanks to a growing national consciousness on environmental issues, the rapid growth of the alternative energy industries and President Obama’s pledge to generate new green jobs during his term,” says James Elsen, SustainLane Media CEO. “For those currently in green jobs—or looking to enter the industry—the time has never been better. Through SustainLane.com’s green collar job board, we hope to simplify the job search and provide the ultimate green job resource.”

Employers and job seekers can use the SustainLane.com green collar job board for free. Just go to www.sustainlane.com/green-jobs or call (415) 392-LANE for more information.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced with a press release that The Pace Energy and Climate Center has been selected to develop a renewable fuels roadmap and sustainable biomass feedstock study that will help guide New York State policy on renewable fuels. The Roadmap was one of several recommendations from Governor David Paterson’s Renewable Energy Task Force report issued in 2008. The project is co-sponsored by the New York State Departments of Environmental Conservation and Agriculture and Markets; who along with NYSERDA will oversee the development of the Roadmap.

The Roadmap is scheduled for completion in September, 2009.

I’m sitting in artic Tennessee and feel like I’m an extra in the movie “The Day After Tomorrow” depicting the world in turmoil due to global warming. Well, maybe I’m exaggerating a bit, but the bitter cold, along with low gas prices, is a perfect combination to lull me into energy and environmental complacency.

I just finished reading, “Living Like Ed” by Ed Begley, Jr. His book is a “guide to the eco-friendly life.” I read it mostly out of curiosity to see how this long-time environmentalist and celebrity viewed biofuels. It was actually quite surprising in that he is very much in favor of ethanol, specifically E85, even more than biodiesel.

Most celebrities are out tooling around in their vegetable cars touting biodiesel, and rarely out in their flex-fuel vehicle (FFV) touting E85. (Maybe its because driving with grease is sexier than driving with corn.)

His book has some good tips that don’t border on the extreme – Ed is known to recycle EVERYTHING. But since this is an alternative energy blog, I’ll give you a brief run-down on his “transportation hierarchy.

1. Walking
2. Riding his bike
3. Public Transportation
4. Electric Car
5. Hybrid Car
6. Fly

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