AutoblogGreen http://green.autoblog.com AutoblogGreen http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/%SiteURL%/media/feedlogo.gif AutoblogGreen http://green.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Chris Shunk, Sam Abuelsamid and Dan RothThe podcast by the people who obsessively cover the auto industry.<![CDATA[UK climate secretary: renewable energy pays off when oil exceeds $100 barrel]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2011/02/24/uk-climate-secretary-renewable-energy-oil-barrel-price/http://green.autoblog.com/2011/02/24/uk-climate-secretary-renewable-energy-oil-barrel-price/http://green.autoblog.com/2011/02/24/uk-climate-secretary-renewable-energy-oil-barrel-price/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Chris HuhneRecently, the UK's energy and climate change secretary, Chris Huhne, spoke of his country's ambitious low-carbon energy plans, telling conference-goers at the Royal Geographic Society that the billions invested in renewable energy will pay off economically. There's a caveat, though: this only happens if oil exceeds $100 a barrel. As Huhne predicts, consumers will see reduced utility bills from low-carbon energy investments when oil soars above what he calls "the break-even point" of $100 a barrel. Huhne worded it like this:

If we relied on oil and gas, and the price stayed relatively low at $80 a barrel then consumers will pay more under our policies - about an extra 1% on their bills by 2020.

At the oil price reached this month - $100 a barrel or more - consumers will pay less through the low carbon energy policies than they would pay for fossil fuel policies.

And if the U.S. administration is right, and the price is $108 a barrel in 2020, then our consumers are winning hands down.
We know that accurately predicting future oil prices is next to impossible, but with price up to $95 right now, doesn't investing in alternative seem like the smart bet?

[Source: Guardian.co.uk | Image: David Spender - C.C. License 2.0]

UK climate secretary: renewable energy pays off when oil exceeds $100 barrel originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 11:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>100 barrel100 oilbarrel priceChris Huhneclean energyoiloil priceoil pricesrenewable energyThu, 24 Feb 2011 11:56:00 EST http://green.autoblog.com/feed/19852392/article-comments.xml http://green.autoblog.com/feed/19852392/article-comments.html http://green.autoblog.com/feed/2011/02/24/uk-climate-secretary-renewable-energy-oil-barrel-price/19852392/article-detail.xml 19852392 http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2011/02/huhne_thumbnail.png http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2011/02/huhne.png <![CDATA[Report: Roads laced with titanium dioxide could help us breathe easier]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2010/07/09/roads-laced-with-titanium-dioxide-could-help-us-breathe-easier/http://green.autoblog.com/2010/07/09/roads-laced-with-titanium-dioxide-could-help-us-breathe-easier/http://green.autoblog.com/2010/07/09/roads-laced-with-titanium-dioxide-could-help-us-breathe-easier/#commentsFiled under: ,



Researchers at the Eindhoven University of Technology (EUT) may be on the brink of discovering a breakthrough that will lead to reduced pollution and cleaner air for all. According to the EUT, a roadway made of concrete blended with titanium dioxide can effectively remove up to 45 percent of the nitrogen oxides that it comes in contact with. The titanium dioxide, a photocatalytic material, captures airborne nitrogen oxides and, with the aid of the sun, converts it to nitrates that are harmlessly washed away by the rain.

The EUT conducted real-world studies on a 1,000-square-meter section of repaved road in the Netherlands. Such testing showed that the laced pavement could reduce nitrogen oxides by 25 to 45 percent more than traditional concrete. As Jos Brouwers, professor of building materials at the EUT remarked, "The air-purifying properties of the new paving stones had already been shown in the laboratory, but these results now show that they also work outdoors."

Additional testing is still underway and although the pavement laced with titanium dioxide does cost some 50 percent more than regular cement, overall road-building costs only increase by a marginal ten percent. Costs aside, the advantages of the titanium dioxide are readily apparent, but the implementation of such a product requires repaving our roadways, a time and cost consuming endeavor.

[Source: Eindhoven University of Technology]

Report: Roads laced with titanium dioxide could help us breathe easier originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>emissionemissions reductionsEmissionsReductionsnitrogen oxide reductionnitrogen oxidesnitrogen reducing pavementNitrogenOxideReductionNitrogenOxidesNitrogenReducingPavementnitrogren oxide titanium dioxideNitrogrenOxideTitaniumDioxideNOxnox reducing concretenox reducing pavementnox reductionNoxReducingConcreteNoxReducingPavementNoxReductiontitanium dioxidetitanium dioxide cementtitanium dioxide pavementTitaniumDioxideTitaniumDioxideCementTitaniumDioxidePavementFri, 09 Jul 2010 19:01:00 EST http://green.autoblog.com/feed/19545773/article-comments.xml http://green.autoblog.com/feed/19545773/article-comments.html http://green.autoblog.com/feed/2010/07/09/roads-laced-with-titanium-dioxide-could-help-us-breathe-easier/19545773/article-detail.xml 19545773 http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2010/07/3492394997f08942234b_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2010/07/3492394997f08942234b.jpg <![CDATA[New report concludes carbon sequestration "profoundly unfeasible"]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2010/04/30/new-report-concludes-carbon-sequestration-profoundly-unfeasible/http://green.autoblog.com/2010/04/30/new-report-concludes-carbon-sequestration-profoundly-unfeasible/http://green.autoblog.com/2010/04/30/new-report-concludes-carbon-sequestration-profoundly-unfeasible/#commentsFiled under:



Ever since the idea of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) was first proposed, everyone from politicians to Big Oil lobbyists have spoken of the technology as already up and running successfully and ready for large scale implementation. Well, a new report in the Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering thinks that CCS' success is anything but a sure thing.

First, a definition of terms. When the report says "sequestration," it's referring to geological sequestration of carbon dioxide, essentially injecting the stuff into underground wells. There have been many other methods of carbon sequestration suggested, everything from feeding it to algae to sucking it from the air with giant, artificial trees, but the report doesn't go into those methods. So let's stick with the topic at hand - burying it. The crux of the study's argument is that we've drastically underestimated the amount of space we'll need to do so:
Published reports on the potential for sequestration fail to address the necessity of storing CO2 in a closed system. Our calculations suggest that the volume of liquid or supercritical CO2 to be disposed cannot exceed more than about 1 percent of pore space. This will require from 5 to 20 times more underground reservoir volume than has been envisioned by many, and it renders geologic sequestration of CO2 a profoundly non-feasible option for the management of CO2 emissions.
So, let's assume the study is correct and we need between 500 to 2000 percent more space for geologic CCS. No problem, if there's one thing the U.S. has, it's space a plenty, right? Not so fast. The study concludes:
In applying this to a commercial power plant the findings suggest that for a small number of wells the areal extent of the reservoir would be enormous, the size of a small U.S. state. Conversely, for more moderate size reservoirs, still the size of Alaska's Prudhoe Bay reservoir, and with moderate permeability there would be a need for hundreds of wells. Neither of these bodes well for geological CO2 sequestration and the findings of this work clearly suggest that it is not a practical means to provide any substantive reduction in CO2 emissions, although it has been repeatedly presented as such by others.
The size of a small state? Holy Delaware! As the country moves toward more and more plug-in vehicles, we'll be slowly moving away from carbon-rich liquid fuels, but if the nation continues to get a large portion of its grid power from burning coal, and if CSS really is as unfeasible as this report suggests, start looking for those giant, carbon dioxide-sucking trees to start popping up like dandelions.

[Source: Treehugger | Image: americaspower - C.C. 2.0]

New report concludes carbon sequestration "profoundly unfeasible" originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 30 Apr 2010 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>carbon capturecarbon capture and coalcarbon capture and sequestrationCarbonCaptureCarbonCaptureAndCoalCarbonCaptureAndSequestrationCCSGeologic SequestrationGeologicSequestrationgreenhousegreenhouse emissionsgreenhouse gasgreenhouse gas emissionsgreenhouse gasesgreenhouse gassesGreenhouseEmissionsGreenhouseGasGreenHouseGasEmissionsGreenhouseGasesGreenhouseGassesJournal of Petroleum Science and EngineeringJournalOfPetroleumScienceAndEngineeringoiloil productionOilProductionsequestrationFri, 30 Apr 2010 10:55:00 EST http://green.autoblog.com/feed/19457442/article-comments.xml http://green.autoblog.com/feed/19457442/article-comments.html http://green.autoblog.com/feed/2010/04/30/new-report-concludes-carbon-sequestration-profoundly-unfeasible/19457442/article-detail.xml 19457442 http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/ccs2_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/ccs2.jpg <![CDATA[Volvo Trucks start field tests of methane-diesel engines]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2010/01/26/volvo-trucks-start-field-tests-of-methane-diesel-engines/http://green.autoblog.com/2010/01/26/volvo-trucks-start-field-tests-of-methane-diesel-engines/http://green.autoblog.com/2010/01/26/volvo-trucks-start-field-tests-of-methane-diesel-engines/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Volvo trucks has announced new field tests of bi-fuel methane-diesel engines in partnership with seven different Swedish companies, adding a new technology to the brand's at-fuel tests with DME and hybrid engines. The new engines, which are based on the Euro-V compliant 7-liter model, reduce fuel consumption by 25 percent compared to standard diesels thanks to methane's lean combustion. The system still uses a small amount of diesel fuel which is injected and ignited by the compression, which in turn ignites the methane gas/air mixture. This saves wear and tear on the spark plugs and allows Volvo to reuse the current emission systems, saving costs. Using methane also guarantees that these trucks keep the same usability as other versions. Methane, or natural gas, can also be obtained from renewable sources. Full press release after the jump.

[Source: Volvo Trucks]

Continue reading Volvo Trucks start field tests of methane-diesel engines

Volvo Trucks start field tests of methane-diesel engines originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>methanemethane dieselMethaneDieselvolvovolvo bi-fuelvolvo methanevolvo trucksVolvoBi-fuelVolvoMethaneVolvoTrucksTue, 26 Jan 2010 10:02:00 EST http://green.autoblog.com/feed/19331054/article-comments.xml http://green.autoblog.com/feed/19331054/article-comments.html http://green.autoblog.com/feed/2010/01/26/volvo-trucks-start-field-tests-of-methane-diesel-engines/19331054/article-detail.xml 19331054 http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2010/01/250110vt-_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2010/01/250110vt-.jpg <![CDATA[Coal plants could emit 90% less CO<sub>2</sub> thanks to chilled ammonia]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/10/09/coal-plants-could-emit-90-less-co2-thanks-to-chilled/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/10/09/coal-plants-could-emit-90-less-co2-thanks-to-chilled/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/10/09/coal-plants-could-emit-90-less-co2-thanks-to-chilled/#commentsFiled under: , ,



"But what about the long tailpipe?"

Critics of plug-in vehicles often use the "long tailpipe" argument - the fact that CO2 emissions are generated at a power plant somewhere instead of coming from the vehicle - to show that all the "zero emission" cars aren't as clean as they seem. Plug-in advocates can then counter that, well, an EV is more efficient than an ICE car and we can use solar or wind to power our rides. But the fact remains that when plug-ins become more and more popular, they will be powered to a large extent by coal plants.

While coal has its own issues (mountain top removal? No, thanks), there is good news to report about a pilot carbon capture project running at the Pleasant Prairie coal-fueled power plant in Wisconsin. We Energies, Alstom and The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) have used, since early 2008, a patented chilled ammonia process that is able to remove over 90 percent of the carbon dioxide from the plant's flue stream. The carbon is then "compressed, pipelined, and injected into two different saline reservoirs" that are about 8,000 feet beneath the plant. The test runs through the end of this year, and the operators have already begun scaling up the system to work on larger plants that produce tons more emissions.

[Source: We Energies]
Photo by Rennett Stowe. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

Continue reading Coal plants could emit 90% less CO2 thanks to chilled ammonia

Coal plants could emit 90% less CO2 thanks to chilled ammonia originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>coal co2coal plantcoal plantscoal plug incoal powercoal power plantCoalCo2CoalPlantCoalPlantsCoalPlugInCoalPowerCoalPowerPlantwe energiesWeEnergiesFri, 09 Oct 2009 14:57:00 EST http://green.autoblog.com/feed/19190868/article-comments.xml http://green.autoblog.com/feed/19190868/article-comments.html http://green.autoblog.com/feed/2009/10/09/coal-plants-could-emit-90-less-co2-thanks-to-chilled/19190868/article-detail.xml 19190868 http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/3518071026_f4744f3090_b_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/3518071026_f4744f3090_b.jpg <![CDATA[Newsflash: Dumping iron filings into ocean won't reduce CO<sub>2</sub>]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/05/08/newsflash-dumping-iron-filings-into-ocean-wont-reduce-co-sub-2/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/05/08/newsflash-dumping-iron-filings-into-ocean-wont-reduce-co-sub-2/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/05/08/newsflash-dumping-iron-filings-into-ocean-wont-reduce-co-sub-2/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It had been proposed sometime ago that geoengineering might help fight global warming. One plan in particular that drew a lot of attention was the dumping of hundreds of tons of iron filings into the ocean. Through wave action, the seas absorb CO2 from the atmosphere and the theory went that iron dumping would encourage phytoplankton population growth which would, in combination with zooplankton, take in CO2 and deposit it on the bottom of the briny deep. The originator of the idea, John Martin (1935-1993) once famously declared, "Give me a half tanker of iron, and I will give you an ice age." Apparently many people were impressed by that and so studies were undertaken and now, after many years, the results from one of those are in. The results imply that (surprise!) it doesn't really work so well.

While it seems that impressive bio-blooms could be created, much of the zooplankton poop and other carbons bits didn't create the strong sedimentation effect expected on the briny bottom. Perhaps, if we really want to reduce atmospheric, and dangerously rising oceanic, CO2 levels, a more straight forward approach like, say, stopping needless burning of carbon would have a more positive effect. For more scientific details about the "Iron Hypothesis" and the experiments findings, hit the jump for a press release.

[Source: Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory]

Continue reading Newsflash: Dumping iron filings into ocean won't reduce CO2

Newsflash: Dumping iron filings into ocean won't reduce CO2 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 08 May 2009 14:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Iron HypothesisIronHypothesisJohn MartinJohnMartinphytoplanktonzooplanktonFri, 08 May 2009 14:11:00 EST http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1540520/article-comments.xml http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1540520/article-comments.html http://green.autoblog.com/feed/2009/05/08/newsflash-dumping-iron-filings-into-ocean-wont-reduce-co-sub-2/1540520/article-detail.xml 1540520 http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2009/05/oceanographers-from-doe-lbnl_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2009/05/oceanographers-from-doe-lbnl.jpg <![CDATA[World's first green speed bumps?]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/12/13/worlds-first-green-speed-bumps/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/12/13/worlds-first-green-speed-bumps/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/12/13/worlds-first-green-speed-bumps/#commentsFiled under: , ,



How can a speed bump be green? Simple. If it does its job right and rewards low speed driving and punishes speeding, it can reduce gas consumption and exhaust emissions. That's exactly what these new smart speed bumps aim to do. Sprung from the fertile minds of designers Jae-yun Kim and Jong-Su Lee, they use an inner damper to detect vehicle speed and if it is slow enough, the bump flattens. If the car is going too fast it remains upright and does what any good speed bump should. It punishes the driver and tells him or her to slow down for the next one.

The designers say their goal was to encourage drivers to maintain a constant slow speed, reducing the amount of stops and starts made, and thereby the amount of fuel consumption and exhaust pollution from the car. The worlds first green speed bumps? These new smart speed bumps are just a concept for now, but hopefully they will be put into production soon.

[Source: Autoblog]

World's first green speed bumps? originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 13 Dec 2008 10:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>jae-yun kimJae-yunKimJong-Su LeeJong-suLeesmart speed bumpsmart speed bumpsSmartSpeedBumpSmartSpeedBumpsspeed bumpspeed bumpsSpeedBumpSpeedBumpsSat, 13 Dec 2008 10:49:00 EST http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1399840/article-comments.xml http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1399840/article-comments.html http://green.autoblog.com/feed/2008/12/13/worlds-first-green-speed-bumps/1399840/article-detail.xml 1399840 http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/12/smartspeedbumps2_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/12/smartspeedbumps2.jpg <![CDATA[First carbon capture plant starts up in Germany]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/09/12/first-carbon-capture-plant-starts-up-in-germany/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/09/12/first-carbon-capture-plant-starts-up-in-germany/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/09/12/first-carbon-capture-plant-starts-up-in-germany/#commentsFiled under: ,


Swedish company Vattenfall has announced that its carbon plant with an incorporated CO2 capture facility in Stemberg, Germany, started working this week. The plant, which features proprietary technology to reduce pollutants, stores the CO2 inside an abandoned gas field in Altmark, Germany. How does this power plant work? With a so-called Oxyfuel process: Lignite and hard coal burn in a mixture of oxygen and re-circulated CO2, which also contains water vapor. The flue gas is then treated to remove pollutants. Finally, the water is condensed and the concentrated CO2 is compressed into a liquid and stored 600 meters (about 900ft) underground. Other carbon storage projects use abandoned coal mines (like this one in Spain) or keeps the CO2 under the sea (with Ariel, apparently).

Vattenfall has invested more than €70 million in this plant, which produces 30 MW of electricity. This company expects to make the technology ready to sell by 2015, when two additional 30 MW plants will be ready in Germany and Denmark. According to the company, the Stemberg plant will have reduced its carbon emissions by 40 percent in 2020.

[Source: El Mundo via Madri+d]

First carbon capture plant starts up in Germany originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 12 Sep 2008 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>abandoned gas fieldsAbandonedGasFieldsaltmarkoxy fueloxy-fuelOxyFuelstembergvattenfallFri, 12 Sep 2008 09:33:00 EST http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1311488/article-comments.xml http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1311488/article-comments.html http://green.autoblog.com/feed/2008/09/12/first-carbon-capture-plant-starts-up-in-germany/1311488/article-detail.xml 1311488 http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/09/vattenfall_plant_esquema_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/09/vattenfall_plant_esquema.jpg <![CDATA[Australian study shows that planted trees capture less CO<sub>2</sub>]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/08/09/australian-study-shows-that-planted-trees-capture-less-co-sub-2/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/08/09/australian-study-shows-that-planted-trees-capture-less-co-sub-2/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/08/09/australian-study-shows-that-planted-trees-capture-less-co-sub-2/#commentsFiled under: , ,



A report issued by the Australian National University shows that unspoiled natural forests capture more carbon than artificially planted trees. The report states that this fact wasn't considered when planning counteracting actions against global warming by the IPCC. However, according to our source article, the report didn't consider the capture capacity of relatively young trees, whereas the IPCC did. IPCC calculations considered a tree a plant over 2 meters with 110 percent diameter crown, whereas the Australian report considers a tree over 10 meters with 120 percent diameter crown. Regardless of the actual calculation methods, the Australian report calculated 1 hectare of wild unspoiled forest in the SE of the country could store 640 tons of CO2 , whereas the same surface of artificially planted trees stored 217. Take also in consideration that planted trees are usually cut for the use of its wood regularly and new trees are planted afterwards. The result: 25 trees planted every 4 years store less carbon than 1 tree planted for 100 years.

[Source: Cesefor via Agroinformacion]

Australian study shows that planted trees capture less CO2 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 09 Aug 2008 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artificially-plantedaustraliaforest-preservationnatural-forestsSat, 09 Aug 2008 13:32:00 EST http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1278958/article-comments.xml http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1278958/article-comments.html http://green.autoblog.com/feed/2008/08/09/australian-study-shows-that-planted-trees-capture-less-co-sub-2/1278958/article-detail.xml 1278958 http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/08/rain_forest_daintree_australia_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/08/rain_forest_daintree_australia.jpg <![CDATA[Blade Your Ride: cut emissions and save gas]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/08/01/blade-your-ride-cut-emissions-and-save-gas/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/08/01/blade-your-ride-cut-emissions-and-save-gas/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/08/01/blade-your-ride-cut-emissions-and-save-gas/#commentsFiled under: ,

While much of the green car field is devoted to developing technology of new vehicles, what about the 800 million vehicles already on the road today? What if the technology existed to green your existing vehicle at a low cost and minimal effort to you?

I recently had the opportunity to learn about Blade, a small attachment that fits to your tailpipe to increase gas mileage and trap dirty particulates. It fits most cars, but works best on 4-cylinder vehicles. It is reported that Blade can increase gas mileage on these types of vehicles by up to 34 percent. The promoters also say the Blade reduces emissions of carbon dioxide (6 percent), nitrous oxide (34 percent), methane (33 percent), hydrocarbons (57 percent), and carbon monoxide (14 percent). At $199, it has an average payback period of less than six months. You can install it yourself with the help of their how-to videos online, or take your car to an authorized installer near you.

"The worst thing that you do to the environment everyday is turn the key of your car...This is something that individuals can do to really make a difference," Bill O'Brien (CEO) told AutoblogGreen in an interview. The Crystal Method DJs agreed. Before their performance at a recent demonstration event about the Blade in Venice, CA, they added that they liked the filter because it made their car look like a "James Bond mobile."

Continue reading Blade Your Ride: cut emissions and save gas

Blade Your Ride: cut emissions and save gas originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bladeemissionsemissions reductionsemissionsreductionsgas efficiencyGasEfficiencyFri, 01 Aug 2008 14:52:00 EST http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1286189/article-comments.xml http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1286189/article-comments.html http://green.autoblog.com/feed/2008/08/01/blade-your-ride-cut-emissions-and-save-gas/1286189/article-detail.xml 1286189 http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/08/bladeresized_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/08/bladeresized.jpg <![CDATA[Pilot commercial algae to biofuel plant announced in Israel]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/pilot-commercial-algae-to-biofuel-plant-announced-in-israel/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/pilot-commercial-algae-to-biofuel-plant-announced-in-israel/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/06/19/pilot-commercial-algae-to-biofuel-plant-announced-in-israel/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Inventure Chemical and Seambiotic have announced a joint venture to create a pilot commercial plant which will use algae to produce an array of chemicals and biofuels. The plant uses CO2 as feedstock for the algae. Inventure Chemicals comes into the partnership with knowledge about second-generation biofuel manufacturing, as it has facilities in operation in Seattle, and Seambiotic brings its newly developed strains of microalgae.

These microalgae were developed a process that they call "algae CO2 sequestering" in which the strains were fed with exhaust fumes from their power generator's fumes, giving important yields in algae rich in carbohydrates and fatty acids. The carbs can be used to produce ethanol while the fatty acids can be made into biodiesel. This allows Seambiotic to state that their process not only produces biofuels but also can help coal-fired power generators to meet CO2 reduction mandates. This method could potentially use the self-generated biofuel to make these generators work, closing the loop.

[Source: Seambiotic]

Pilot commercial algae to biofuel plant announced in Israel originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>algaealgae-biofuelInventure ChemicalInventure-ChemicalInventureChemicalisraelmicroalgaeseambioticThu, 19 Jun 2008 17:53:00 EST http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1230090/article-comments.xml http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1230090/article-comments.html http://green.autoblog.com/feed/2008/06/19/pilot-commercial-algae-to-biofuel-plant-announced-in-israel/1230090/article-detail.xml 1230090 http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/06/main_pic_in_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/06/main_pic_in.jpg <![CDATA[Trees can capture 20 percent of a country's carbon emissions]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/06/03/trees-can-capture-20-percent-of-a-countrys-carbon-emissions/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/06/03/trees-can-capture-20-percent-of-a-countrys-carbon-emissions/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/06/03/trees-can-capture-20-percent-of-a-countrys-carbon-emissions/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Figure of the day: In a country where half of the surface is covered by forests (such as Spain), trees capture 20 percent of that country's CO2 emissions. This nice information masks two facts: we still have 80 percent of those emissions still to reduce and that the group that is currently spreading this information, the FBYCC (Forum of Forests and Climate Change) is asking for forest owners to be compensated. Seventy percent of Spanish forestsare held in private hands.

The FBYCC states that trees play a very important role in fighting combat change. Species such as eucalyptus and pine trees are the fastest growing, so they capture carbon more efficiently. Also, if you have some spare land available, bear in mind that you can offset a compact car's annual carbon emissions with the following: 0.39 ha of beech trees (about 1 acre), 0.14 ha of poplars (0.34 acre) or 0.19 ha of pines (about half an acre).

[Source: FBYCC via Madrid+d]

Trees can capture 20 percent of a country's carbon emissions originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 03 Jun 2008 09:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>carbon-capture-treesFBYCCforest-carbonspaintreesTue, 03 Jun 2008 09:21:00 EST http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1213120/article-comments.xml http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1213120/article-comments.html http://green.autoblog.com/feed/2008/06/03/trees-can-capture-20-percent-of-a-countrys-carbon-emissions/1213120/article-detail.xml 1213120 http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/06/bosc_pins_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/06/bosc_pins.jpg <![CDATA[Tyca reveals lamps that could absorb CO<sub>2</sub> in parking lots]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/05/22/tyca-reveals-lamps-that-could-absorb-co-sub-2-sub-in-parking-l/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/05/22/tyca-reveals-lamps-that-could-absorb-co-sub-2-sub-in-parking-l/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/05/22/tyca-reveals-lamps-that-could-absorb-co-sub-2-sub-in-parking-l/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



French company Tyca, which usually works on aquarium and aquiculture projects, has announced the development of lamps that could capture CO2. The lamps are actually a sort of aquarium made of transparent walls that hold microscopic algae that eat CO2 and use solar light to produce O2, like plants. These algae are bioluminescent, which means they produce light. According to the company, one kilogram of these microalgae capture two kilograms of CO2, which means that one of these lamps, which holds 1.5 m3 of these algae could capture up to one ton of CO2 per year. They can even work under artificial light, which makes them suitable for parking lots. Science fiction? Only time will tell.

[Source: Tyca via Planet Forever]

Tyca reveals lamps that could absorb CO2 in parking lots originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 22 May 2008 10:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Bioluminescentfluorescencefrancemicro-co2-capturemicroalgaetycaThu, 22 May 2008 10:34:00 EST http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1202312/article-comments.xml http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1202312/article-comments.html http://green.autoblog.com/feed/2008/05/22/tyca-reveals-lamps-that-could-absorb-co-sub-2-sub-in-parking-l/1202312/article-detail.xml 1202312 http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/05/lampe_co2_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/05/lampe_co2.jpg <![CDATA[British scientists develop CO<sub>2</sub> to natural gas process]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/05/09/british-scientists-develop-co-sub-2-sub-to-natural-gas-process/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/05/09/british-scientists-develop-co-sub-2-sub-to-natural-gas-process/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/05/09/british-scientists-develop-co-sub-2-sub-to-natural-gas-process/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

What if we found a system to transform one of our big "enemies" into a fuel again, and then, when produced, re-transformed again? This is the aim of a project made at University of Nottingham's Centre for Innovation in Carbon Capture and Storage (CICCS), in the UK, directed by Mercedes Maroto-Valer. They have successfully completed a cycle of transforming CO2 into natural gas (CH4). This could lead to making most carbon capturing processes obsolete while also powering cars we already have. According to Ms. Maroto-Valer, the CICCS group tacked the problem by studying what plants do - capturing CO2, water and solar light and transforming it into carbohydrates - and then replicated the process to create methane instead of carbs. However, it's still unknown what the energy balance the system is - we can't defeat the laws of Thermodynamics, after all.

[Source: Agencia Efe via Madrid+d]

British scientists develop CO2 to natural gas process originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 09 May 2008 19:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>carbon-dioxyde-to-methaneCICCSco2-to-ch4nottinghamFri, 09 May 2008 19:37:00 EST http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1190876/article-comments.xml http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1190876/article-comments.html http://green.autoblog.com/feed/2008/05/09/british-scientists-develop-co-sub-2-sub-to-natural-gas-process/1190876/article-detail.xml 1190876 http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/05/co2-diagram_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/05/co2-diagram.jpg <![CDATA[Greenpeace: Carbon capture is not going to save our climate]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/05/07/greenpeace-carbon-capture-is-not-going-to-save-our-climate/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/05/07/greenpeace-carbon-capture-is-not-going-to-save-our-climate/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/05/07/greenpeace-carbon-capture-is-not-going-to-save-our-climate/#commentsFiled under:



Greenpeace is quite unhappy with recent proposals to use carbon capture technology (CCT) at power plants that burn coal. According to the environmental group, CCT is like burying money. Their reasons? First and foremost, the technology is not yet 100 percent ready, and won't be until 2030. Meanwhile, the need to reduce carbon emissions is quite immediate. Secondly, Greenpeace claims that CCT wastes energy: about 10 to 40 percent of the energy produced by the power plant where carbon is captured is used to store that carbon. This offsets 50 years of development in power plants, Greenpeace says, and guess who is going to pay for that? Final users. Of course, Greenpeace states that this can be fixed if we all change to renewable sources of energy, like solar or wind turbines.

[Source: Econoticias]

Greenpeace: Carbon capture is not going to save our climate originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 07 May 2008 19:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anti-carbon-captureCCTgreenpeaceWed, 07 May 2008 19:50:00 EST http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1189374/article-comments.xml http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1189374/article-comments.html http://green.autoblog.com/feed/2008/05/07/greenpeace-carbon-capture-is-not-going-to-save-our-climate/1189374/article-detail.xml 1189374 http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/05/acci-n-de-greenpeace-activist-2(2)_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/05/acci-n-de-greenpeace-activist-2(2).jpg <![CDATA[New $100 million X-Prizes created to spur development of clean energy]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/05/05/new-100-million-x-prizes-created-to-spur-development-of-clean-e/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/05/05/new-100-million-x-prizes-created-to-spur-development-of-clean-e/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/05/05/new-100-million-x-prizes-created-to-spur-development-of-clean-e/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The X-Prize foundation was established help spur developments in a variety of areas including space travel, medicine and genomics. We've had plenty of coverage here of the Automotive X-Prize where the target is to develop a production viable car that can achieve the equivalent of 100mpg. The foundation is now establishing what it calls the Energy and Environment Prize suite that includes the Automotive Prize. The suite will include a number of prize competitions that go beyond just transportation to include clean energy sources. A Biofuels X-Prize has already been created to inspire breakthroughs in next generation sustainable liquid fuels. The biofuels prize competition will officially launch later this year with a prize of at least $10 million. Other categories that will be attacked in the next couple of years include solar power, water, sustainable housing and carbon capture. In total the energy and environment prizes are will give away up to $100 million.

[Sources: X-Prize Foundation, BusinessWeek]

New $100 million X-Prizes created to spur development of clean energy originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 05 May 2008 07:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>automotive x prizeautomotive x-prizeAutomotiveX-prizeAutomotiveXPrizex-prizeMon, 05 May 2008 07:56:00 EST http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1186265/article-comments.xml http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1186265/article-comments.html http://green.autoblog.com/feed/2008/05/05/new-100-million-x-prizes-created-to-spur-development-of-clean-e/1186265/article-detail.xml 1186265 http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/05/xprizeheader_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/05/xprizeheader.jpg <![CDATA[CO<sub>2</sub> captured to feed biodiesel-producing algae ]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/04/12/co-sub-2-sub-captured-to-feed-biodiesel-producing-algae/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/04/12/co-sub-2-sub-captured-to-feed-biodiesel-producing-algae/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/04/12/co-sub-2-sub-captured-to-feed-biodiesel-producing-algae/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Two companies, Holcim and Aurantia are starting a new project to reuse CO2. They take the CO2 produced by a cement plant in Jerez de la Frontera in Spain and "feed" it to microalgae which then turn around and produce biodiesel. The results of this project will be tested to assess if the carbon dioxide supplied by the cement plant is suitable for the algae. The two companies will also select the best type of algae for the project as well as assessing the viability of the project. The test will be performed on an-almost industrial scale, so once the final green light is given, it could start working immediately.

[Source: Econoticias]

CO2 captured to feed biodiesel-producing algae originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 12 Apr 2008 08:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>algaealgae-biodieselcement-plantsco2Sat, 12 Apr 2008 08:32:00 EST http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1165200/article-comments.xml http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1165200/article-comments.html http://green.autoblog.com/feed/2008/04/12/co-sub-2-sub-captured-to-feed-biodiesel-producing-algae/1165200/article-detail.xml 1165200 http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/cementera_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/cementera.jpg <![CDATA[The emerging skepticism about carbon capture]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/03/24/carbon-capture-skepticism-emerges/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/03/24/carbon-capture-skepticism-emerges/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/03/24/carbon-capture-skepticism-emerges/#commentsFiled under: ,



Despite the drubbing some of us are taking this winter there are still the same CO2-induced global warming predictions being made and so reducing the amount of carbon that's emitted to our skies appears to remain necessary. One of the ways that has been touted as the most promising has been carbon capture and sequestration. While there have been many papers written and plans made for this technology, not a lot has actually been accomplished and so, as with every scheme that takes a substantial period of time between ideation to implementation, skepticism is bound to arise.

And risen it has. The Energy Tribune, a publication that bills itself as, "Leading the debate. Beating the streets," has a particular abundance of articles on the subject including one entitled, "Carbon Capture in the U.S. Faces Hard Realities" that focuses on the American experience with particular attention paid to the de-funding of the FutureGen project which was to be, through carbon capture and sequestration, the world's first zero-CO2 emissions coal-fired power plant.

And it's not just The Energy Tribune that is cooling to the future prospects of this tech. Germany's Spiegel Online has just published an article that asks, "Is Carbon Capture a False Hope for Coal Power?" It seems people are coming to the realization that making sequestration work is going to be very expensive.

As I read these articles I can't help but ponder the question, why do we have to spend billions and billions of dollars chasing technology that, even when perfected, is not nearly as perfect as the renewable trifecta (wind, solar, geothermal) in creating energy that gives us the added benefit of saving our environment and, indeed, our lives.

[Source: The Energy Tribune]

The emerging skepticism about carbon capture originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>carbon-capturecarbon-sequestrationco2-sequestrationcoalFutureGensequestersequestrationMon, 24 Mar 2008 08:27:00 EST http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1146873/article-comments.xml http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1146873/article-comments.html http://green.autoblog.com/feed/2008/03/24/carbon-capture-skepticism-emerges/1146873/article-detail.xml 1146873 http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/03/carbon-capture_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/03/carbon-capture.jpg <![CDATA[Repsol fills old oil fields in the Mediterranian with CO<sub>2</sub>]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/03/18/repsol-fills-old-oil-fields-in-the-mediterranian-with-co-sub-2/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/03/18/repsol-fills-old-oil-fields-in-the-mediterranian-with-co-sub-2/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/03/18/repsol-fills-old-oil-fields-in-the-mediterranian-with-co-sub-2/#commentsFiled under:



Repsol, one of Europe's biggest oil companies, has decided to store half a million tons of CO2 under the Mediterranean Sea. The plan is to capture CO2 at its refinery in Tarragona, Spain, and move it 43 km through the pipeline that connects it to an old "Casablanca" oil platform.

This system will not only serve as a carbon capture project but will also help finish the extraction of crude from the old well, which is only producing 2,800 barrels per day.

The method Repsol will use involves capturing the CO2 before it comes out the chimneys, liquefying it and pushing it though the aforementioned pipeline. Once it reaches the offshore rig, it would be pushed 3,000 meters down. According to Repsol, the CO2 becomes stable in liquid form below 800 meters.

[Source: El País]

Repsol fills old oil fields in the Mediterranian with CO2 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>casablancaco2repsolTue, 18 Mar 2008 09:43:00 EST http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1142368/article-comments.xml http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1142368/article-comments.html http://green.autoblog.com/feed/2008/03/18/repsol-fills-old-oil-fields-in-the-mediterranian-with-co-sub-2/1142368/article-detail.xml 1142368 http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/03/plataforma_casablanca_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/03/plataforma_casablanca.jpg <![CDATA[Closed-cycle CO<sub>2</sub> cars might be a reality one day]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/02/21/closed-cycle-co-sub-2-sub-cars-might-be-a-reality-one-day/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/02/21/closed-cycle-co-sub-2-sub-cars-might-be-a-reality-one-day/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/02/21/closed-cycle-co-sub-2-sub-cars-might-be-a-reality-one-day/#commentsFiled under: ,



Do you hate the idea of your car spewing exhaust? There might be a way to stop it without using any expensive batteries or hydrogen fuel cells. According to the New York Times, a pair of scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) are working on a way to trap exhaust fumes (by blowing them over a liquid solution that contains potassium carbonate) and recycle the trapped carbon into either methanol, gasoline or jet fuel. F. Jeffrey Martin and William L. Kubic Jr. have named their process Green Freedom and a press release by the LANL says the recycling could be done on cars or planes. The fuel generation doesn't take place on board - the carbon needs to be brought to a facility where the CO2 would be turned into the fuel - and the carbon transformation process is itself energy-intensive. Kubic and Martin are working on a way to streamline this step of the dream (possibly using nuclear reactors), but they're not there yet. Oh, and what is the dream? Recycled gasoline that costs $1.40 a gallon to make. Can't hate that.

[Source: New York Times, LANL, h/t to Ideno]

Closed-cycle CO2 cars might be a reality one day originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>carboncarbon-capturegreen-freedomjeffrey-martinSimone-Ramellawilliam-kubicThu, 21 Feb 2008 19:02:00 EST http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1120757/article-comments.xml http://green.autoblog.com/feed/1120757/article-comments.html http://green.autoblog.com/feed/2008/02/21/closed-cycle-co-sub-2-sub-cars-might-be-a-reality-one-day/1120757/article-detail.xml 1120757 http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/02/simone-ramella_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/02/simone-ramella.jpg -1 2