UN tackles 'climate harm' ships

UN tackles 'climate harm' ships By Roger Harrabin BBC environment analyst
Link to full article below



The United Nations is discussing rules to cut the soaring emission of greenhouse gases from shipping.

The environment committee of the International Maritime Organisation is drawing up recommendations for design standards to make ships more efficient.

It includes working on operating standards so that ships save fuel.

To read the full article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8153136.stm

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Energy Contributing To Massive Bird Decline

Energy contributing to birds' decline
Buzz UpSendSharePrint
By DINA CAPPIELLO
Associated Press Writer

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090320/ap_on_go_ot/energy_birds

WASHINGTON – Energy production of all types — wind, ethanol and mountaintop coal mining — is contributing to steep drops in bird populations, a new government report says.
The first-of-its-kind report chronicles a four-decade decline in many of the country's bird populations and provides many reasons for it, from suburban sprawl to the spread of exotic species to global warming.
It shows that birds in Hawaii are more in danger of becoming extinct than anywhere else in the United States. In the last 40 years, populations of birds living on prairies, deserts and at sea have declined between 30 percent and 40 percent.
But in almost every case, energy production has also played a role.
Environmentalists and scientists say the report should signal the Obama administration to act cautiously as it seeks to expand renewable energy production and the electricity grid on public lands and tries to harness wind energy along the nation's coastlines.
"We need to go into these energies with our environmental eyes open," said John Fitzpatrick, the director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which helped draft the report along with nonprofit advocacy groups. "We need to attend to any form of energy development, not just oil and gas."
Many of the bird groups with the most rapid declines in the last 40 years inhabit areas with the greatest potential for energy development.
Among the energy-bird conflicts cited by the report:
• More than half of the monitored bird species that live on prairies have experienced population losses. These birds, such as the lesser prairie chicken, are threatened by farmers converting grasslands into corn fields to meet demand for biofuels.
• In the Arctic, where two-thirds of all shorebirds are species of concern, melting ice brought about by climate change could open up more areas to oil and gas production. Studies show that trash near drilling rigs attracts gulls that prey on other species.
• Mountaintop coal mining in Appalachia clears patches of forest contributing to the decline of birds like the cerulean warbler that breeds and forests in treetops.
The U.S. State of Birds report, released by the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on Tuesday, was requested in October 2007 by President George W. Bush.
The report did not indicate whether one form of energy production is more detrimental than the other.

Ethanol is a disaster, but what about other biofuels?

Ethanol Is a Disaster, But What About Other Biofuels?
By Jenna Scatena, AlterNet
January 12, 2009

http://www.alternet.org/module/printversion/118436
http://www.alternet.org/water/118436/
http://www.alternet.org/story/118436/

A recent television ad features an animated corn stalk saying in a nasally, child-like voice: "Ethanol decreases carbon emission by a lot -- that's good for the environment and the air we breathe. Hey, if those Indy race cars are usin' it, there must be somethin' to it! Ethanol: good for your car, the environment and America!" The ethanol industry seems to have a lot to brag about these days: Corn, one of the U.S.' largest commodities, is a staple food for many countries and has been a hope for many wishing to relieve America's dependence on foreign oil with "green" biofuel.

The National Corn Growers Association calls corn-based ethanol the "greatest success story in modern agriculture." And why would they not be likely to make such a claim? With all the hype that corn ethanol is receiving from the media and politicians, ethanol seems to promise a panacea for many of the important issues our nation (and world) is facing. Ethanol enthusiasts boast that farming corn will provide thousands of jobs, will allow America to gain energy independence and decrease carbon emissions.

But recently critics have argued that corn ethanol's "green" image is only a façade and the conviction that it can alleviate our energy problem is a false hope, blown out of proportion by the media and America's eager desire for a cure-all. The idea that a single resource -- and moreover, one we have a surplus of -- could single-handedly fix the economy, our dependence on foreign oil and global warming itself is an alluring, but elusive, promise.

The problem is finding a more accessible, economical and sustainable solution to corn. The potential for cellulosic biofuel has been acknowledged for years, but there hasn't been enough funding available to develop it because too much energy has been directed at promoting the corn craze. Cellulosic (nonfood) forms of ethanol such as perennial grasses and woodchips emit two to three times less carbon than corn ethanol. Now we just need to redirect or focus.

It might lessen our environmental guilt to say we're using "green" biofuel (life fuel!). But the reality is the end product of corn ethanol releases only slightly less carbon than gasoline (less than two percent) and consequences such as soil erosion and increased food price are drastic. But at least our intention is good: America has -- finally -- reached a consensus that we are in an energy and environmental crisis, which is undoubtedly a giant step in the right direction after years of denial.

Unfortunately, we're discovering that dramatic inflation of corn production is having numerous negative effects on the environment. The monoculture corn is cultivated in requires immense amounts of herbicides, fungicides, pesticides and petrochemicals. And the fertilizers used contain high levels of nitrogen, contributing to mass soil erosion and "dead zones," such as the one in the Gulf of Mexico. Here, the Mississippi River dumps so much agricultural waste into The Gulf that the concentration of nitrogen restricts oxygen levels in the water so nothing can live there. This particular dead zone is expanding beyond the size of New Jersey and more are popping up where there's excessive agricultural runoff.

Aside from the destruction nitrogen causes soil, many experts are concerned that using corn for ethanol instead of food will perpetuate our world's hunger problem. Using farmable land to feed our energy-hungry nation rather than hungry people is not in anyone's interest. Vic Smith, a biologist at the Naturalist Center of the California Academy of Sciences and environmental science instructor at College of Marin in Northern California, says, "It is a legitimate concern to worry about the possibility of increased food shortages, higher food prices and increased world hunger if the world's focus is to concentrate on creating energy from edible biomass [food]."

The U.S. supplies approximately 70 percent of the world's corn, so in 2005 when America began using most of its corn crops for ethanol production, other countries experienced dramatic price increases for an essential staple food. We saw a sobering example of this in Mexico in late 2006: Mexico receives 80 percent of its corn imports from the U.S., so when corn prices went from $2.80 to $4.20 a bushel because more U.S. corn was being used for ethanol, the price of the tortilla doubled. The increase drastically affected the 53 million people living in poverty in Mexico. In a dramatic response, riots broke out and President Felipe Calderon put a cap on corn prices. Though this is likely to be the most dramatic example we've seen of increased corn prices affecting the food market, it's probably not the last: The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has projected that global corn prices could rise 20 percent by 2010 and 41 percent by 2020.

Although the extent of corn ethanol's affect on the global food market is still being debated, one thing is known for sure: The price of fuel directly affects the cost of ethanol. Because producing corn ethanol requires fuel (mainly gas and coal), the costs are linked so when the price of gas increases, so does the cost of producing ethanol. This doesn't make for an economically sustainable fuel alternative.

Since corn ethanol cannot yet be transported via tubing systems like gasoline can (due to its extremely dense nature), it requires trucks, railroads or barges for distribution -- using yet more fuel and emitting more greenhouse gases. All things considered, the net energy balance of harvesting, transporting and converting corn into ethanol is less than two percent -- barely making it more "environmentally friendly."

Fuel, no matter the kind, requires consumption of resources and energy in order to be produced. The costs of harvesting and transporting any kind of material and converting it into a viable product will inevitably affect some parts of ecology, society and the economy.

The problem now is finding the most accessible, economical and sustainable solution we have -- and it's not corn. The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects that by 2030, carbon emissions per capita will decrease by five percent due to the increased use of biofuel. However, despite our using 15 billion gallons of corn ethanol, energy-related carbon emissions in the U.S. will still increase by 16 percent. This is mainly because they're factoring in the U.S.'s plans to increase the use of coal by 49 percent, making us the world's largest coal emitters second to China. It simply does not make sense to use a resource that possesses the highest carbon content (coal) to produce a so-called "green" biofuel. This is why some researchers are looking at the possibilities of cellulosic ethanol -- biofuel derived solely from nonfood plants like perennial grasses and algae.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory recently estimated that 1.3 billion tons of cellulosic ethanol has the potential to replace over half of the transportation fuel burned each year -- emitting 40 percent less greenhouse gases than corn ethanol when used in a flexible fuel vehicle.

Cellulosic biofuel is something that has held this sort of promise for a long time, but has only been actualized in a handful of small operations around the U.S. However, Cornell University is in the final stages of developing its new Cellulosic Biofuels Program. The laboratory was initiated by a $10 million grant from the Empire State Development Corporation and is set to open in January 2009.

Tucked in the hills of Ithaca, N.Y., next to the Cornell dairy barn, is the site of the 11,500-square-foot biofuel facility. Larry Walker, a professor of biological and environmental engineering, directs the Biofuels Research Laboratory. With $6 million of brand new state-of-the-art equipment, Walker and his multidisciplinary team are preparing to research the development of converting cellulosic materials (mainly perennial grasses and woody biomass in this case) into biofuel that is more economically feasible and environmentally friendly than corn ethanol.

"We're not hung up on [only] cellulosic material," Walker explained. But you do get a "better carbon footprint with perennial grasses than with corn. Nitrogen usage is less and water usage is less." He pointed out that, "when you work with cellulosic materials you get two sugars instead of one," making the biofuel more efficient. Cellulosic ethanol emits 82 to 85 percent fewer greenhouse gases than gasoline (compared to 12 percent fewer with corn ethanol). It also doesn't harm the soil or interfere with the food market as much as corn does.

One of the main challenges in maintaining a successful program, Walker said, is going to be finding ways to develop biofuel in an economic and sustainable way and also to find additional funding. Another barrier he points out is, "being able to produce this material, handle it, store it -- to make it available throughout the year. . . [and] cellusloic material is not very dense, which makes it harder [than corn ethanol] to transport."

According to Walker, "What we tend to do is distill the challenges down into a few sound bites, when we really need to look at the complete system ... It's not enough to look at the individual components. Bioenergy systems are complex enterprises." This is why monoculture systems (such as he current corn production system) are shortsighted: Monoculture takes one material that is considered economical and sustainable and hyper-focuses on cultivating that one resource, leaving all other potentials out of the picture. This is why it's important to expand our vision to encompass a more diverse system for our fuel problem. By diversifying production inputs for biofuel, we can expand production of alternative fuels while diffusing detrimental effects on the environment and the economy.

Walker recognizes that Cornell's new program alone cannot solve the problem of finding accessible and sustainable biofuel: "I can make ethanol out of newspapers, apples -- a lot of different things. But the bottom line is: Is it economically and environmentally sustainable?" Developing biofuels and making it a successful reality is going to take more than just one system. Walker believes that, "science, engineering and good policy is going to allow us to develop renewable energy systems broadly that will help us sustain human development." When weighing out the many options we have to use for biofuel, maybe we'll finally see that the grass really is "greener."

Obama Cites Global Warming, Renewable Energy as Top Priorities

We already knew that President elect Barack Obama is serious about tackling climate change and switching this country to renewable energy as quickly as possible. Tuesday, in a surprise video appearance at an international conference on climate change convened by California Gov. Schwarzennegger, Obama reconfirmed his dedication to both issues.

Obama addressed the audience in taped remarks repeating his campaign promises to reduce greenhouse gases by 80% by 2050, and invest $150 billion in new energy-saving technologies. Watch the video below:

From The New York Times:

“Now is the time to confront this challenge once and for all,” Mr. Obama said. “Delay is no longer an option. Denial is no longer an acceptable response.”

“My presidency will mark a new chapter in America’s leadership on climate change that will strengthen our security and create millions of new jobs in the process,” Mr. Obama said.

State officials and environmental advocates were cheered that Mr. Obama choose to address climate change as only the second major policy area he has discussed as president-elect. In a press conference and television interview last week he said that his first priority as president will be to revitalize the economy.

This is great news for people who feared that the need to focus on the economy would, by necessity, put global warming and renewable energy on the back burner. Those of us in favor of the Green Collar Economy idea, however, are well aware that finding a solution to these three issues means addressing all at once. Now, we’re just waiting for Obama to offer a high-level position in his administration to Van Jones,

Link [The New York Times]

The Indian Bicycle Taxi Goes Motorized with Solar Engines

Source: http://planetsave.com/blog/2008/10/13/the-bicycle-taxi-of-india-goes-motorized-with-solar/
Written by Meg Hamill

Published on October 13th, 2008

Posted in International, Transport

The Soleckshaw, a new solar powered, motorized version of India’s humble rickshaw, has been unveiled this month in Delhi, and is being touted as a solution to traffic jams, pollution woes, and backbreaking human labor.

BuzzLogging its first miles in Delhi, the soleckshaw can be pedaled normally or powered by a 36-volt solar battery. Developed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, (CSIR) the new solar-powered taxis have hit the streets for a test drive. The soleckshaws include FM radios and the ability to power up cell phones while driving. The battery allows the taxi to travel 15 km per hour (9.3 mph) for up to 42 miles.

CSIR director Sinha said: “In the age of global warming, the soleckshaw, with improvements, can be successfully developed as competition for all the petrol and diesel run small cars.”

There are about 8 million rickshaw drivers in India. It is hoped that the new, solar power rickshaws will enhance the vehicle’s image, and allow it to become an even more favorable mode of transportation. It is thought that the new powered rickshaws will attract an entirely new middle class clientele.

Most importantly however, it’s thought that the rickshaw will improve the quality of life for rickshaw drivers, and encourage a sense of self worth. Bappa Chattarjee migrated to Delhi from West Bengal and is one of the 500,000 pullers in the city.

“Pedaling the rickshaw was very difficult for me,” said Bappa Chatterjee, “I used to suffer chest pains and shortage of breath going up inclines. This is so much easier. Earlier, when people hailed us it was like, ‘Hey you rickshaw puller!’ Police used to harass us, slapping fines even abusing us for what they called wrong parking. Now people look at me with respect.”

With clogged streets and greenhouse gas emissions on the rise in India, the soleckshaw is a welcome development for passengers, drivers, and environmentalists alike.

Source: AFP

Photo Source: Flickr under a Creative Commons License

Algae fueling the green revolution

Algae fueling the green revolution
Big bucks behind the search for new power
By LISA STIFFLER
206-448-8042 or lisastiffler@seattlepi.com
P-I REPORTER
Monday, October 6, 2008

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/printer2/index.asp?ploc=t&refer=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/381932_superalgae06.html

If Bill Gates and Boeing are right, pond scum could be the salvation for our nation's energy woes.

They've joined the race to find a cost-effective, environmentally friendly way to turn algae into the fuel needed to power cars, trucks, airplanes and boats.

The amount of money being invested in algae-to-fuel research by venture capitalists is skyrocketing. New businesses are snapping up graduate students knowledgeable about the aquatic plants before they've even finished their degrees, and they're hustling to form alliances with algae academics who for years toiled without much notice.

Scott Eklund / P-I
Dr. Rose Ann Cattolico, a University of Washington botanist and algae expert, is growing dozens of different kinds of algae at her UW lab to find the right ones for turning into different kinds of fuels that can power cars, trucks, airplanes and boats.
"Industry is coming to us," said Shulin Chen, a Washington State University biological engineering professor working on algae power.

"We have new ideas in all the areas that we're working on," he said. "They're promising, but we can't say it's economical at this point."

With oil at $100 a barrel or higher and worries about making biofuels out of crops such as corn and soybeans driving up food prices, it's little wonder that there's a rush for algae-based fuels.

"This is an exciting time," said Rose Ann Cattolico, a University of Washington algae expert.

And while research in this field is occurring globally -- scientists in New Zealand are trying to grow the plants on sewage waste; an Israeli company is using power-plant pollution to feed algae -- the West is a hot spot for research.

"A lot of the innovation is happening on the West Coast," said Darrin Morgan, The Boeing Co.'s director of business analysis/environmental strategy. "We have a long history of being early adopters and thinking out of the box."

Morgan is co-chairman of the Algal Biomass Organization, the world's first algae trade group. In October, the organization is hosting the second annual biomass summit in Seattle -- a meeting expected to attract experts and investors from around the world.

"We're not in the algae business, but we are a strong proponent of it," Morgan said. "It really holds great promise -- with some technical breakthroughs needing to be made."

Algae-to-fuel puzzle
Cattolico's lab is a treasure trove of algae.

In one of multiple walk-in refrigerators, you can find algae masquerading as brown cotton balls. There are jars of lacy red plants and bright-green algae that look like tapioca. The plants can be so small they simply fill flasks with a murky brown liquid.

Some of the algae like to grow in warm, bright conditions, while others are happier in cooler, darker waters. They like different foods. They make different kinds of fats -- some better for powering a semi; others more suited to jets.

But many share key traits: They can reproduce and grow fast, produce more fats than other plants and can be grown in all kinds of conditions -- concrete pools, sewage ponds or plastic bags and containers. They don't require fertile farm ground or the clearcutting of forests.

Corn and other plant-derived fuels can require significant amounts of energy and other resources to produce, contributing to global warming. But power plants can feed their carbon dioxide emissions into containers holding algae to boost their growth.

Algae fuel is hailed not only for reducing the use of polluting fossil fuels, but also for helping consume greenhouse gases in its production.

That has many of the scientists tackling the algae riddle excited about its potential to help with climate change.

"It's a big-picture problem," said Michael Huesemann, a staff research engineer working on algae at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's marine sciences lab in Sequim. "It's always fun to work on something that's meaningful."

With all of these benefits and interest, why isn't everyone driving around algae-powered vehicles?

Right now it's too expensive to turn algae into fuel in large volumes at a price that's competitive with petroleum-based fuels. Algae needs to be grown densely to yield enough fuel, but that means expending extra energy to mix the plants so they all get enough sunlight. It's tricky to harvest the algae from the water efficiently. Then the sturdy little cells must be cracked open either through mechanical means such as shaking or by chemically dissolving them in order to remove the fat for fuel.

"People don't think about this stuff. They think, 'We're going to grow some algae,' " Cattolico said. "You can see the complexity of it."

Many estimates predict it could be 10 years until algae fuel can be produced on an affordable, large scale.

Venture capital pours in
Whether the 10-year forecast is too grim or too hopeful depends in large part on investments in the work, either from government or private sources -- and those sums are rising.

In 2007, $32 million in venture capital was pumped into businesses working on algae fuel. So far this year, that number has reached $184 million worldwide, according to Cleantech Network, which tracks environmental industries.

In September, Bill Gates' Cascade Investment and three other companies gave a total of $100 million to Sapphire Energy, a San Diego company producing fuel from algae and other microorganisms.

Boeing announced last week the creation of a coalition of aviation fuel users united to encourage the speedy development of algae fuel. The group is requiring that new aviation fuels be sustainable, meaning they produce less carbon dioxide, require minimal land, water and energy to produce, and don't compete for food production. Some terrestrial plants can meet those criteria, though their potential is more limited.

Cattolico herself was recently recruited to start a business to work on algae-derived fuels. The company, called AXI, is a partnership between the UW and Allied Minds, an investment firm. The scientist was sought by the investors for her 30 years of algae expertise and wide-ranging knowledge of species.

"We are going to be one of the prime suppliers (of plants) to the bio-algae industry," boasted Erick Rabins, a vice president with Allied Minds and general manager of AXI.

Cattolico is more conflicted over teaming up with investors, which restricts her ability to share her findings. But she's grateful for an influx of funding that allowed her to hire three researchers and speed up her work.

Students are aware of the promise of algae fuel and eager to join her lab -- but they don't always stick around. Cattolico lost a talented grad student recently when a business snatched him right off the research bench before he'd finished his degree.

Nicholas Bigelow graduated from the UW with a degree in chemistry last year intent on getting a job in this area and landed in Cattolico's lab.

"Other students ask about it -- friends ask about it. I have friends who are very jealous of my job," Bigelow said. "It's a field that's going to be very large."

For now, Cattolico would like to see the field become more collaborative, with less focus on the economic gains in solving the algae-to-energy puzzle.

"Everybody wants the big golden ring. You have to be in it for another reason," she said. "We need to l