Sunday, February 26, 2006
Friday, February 24, 2006
Biodiesel Micro-Reactors
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ncs/newsarch/2006/Feb06/microreactors.htm
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/02/microreactor_fo.html
This will change the energy industry. These reactors utilize what I call the "stackability" design. A single reactor will only produce a trickle, but when a bunch of them are used together in parallel, the array becomes capable of producing an exponential amount of fuel. Further research is going into the metallic catalyst, eliminating the need for a dissolved catalyst (lye) Therefore, the only two products required are alcohol and vegetable oil. Ethanol (the most easily produced alcohol) can be used without any additional guesswork. ¶ Posted By Anonymous 2:00 PM 0 comments
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ncs/newsarch/2006/Feb06/microreactors.htm
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/02/microreactor_fo.html
This will change the energy industry. These reactors utilize what I call the "stackability" design. A single reactor will only produce a trickle, but when a bunch of them are used together in parallel, the array becomes capable of producing an exponential amount of fuel. Further research is going into the metallic catalyst, eliminating the need for a dissolved catalyst (lye) Therefore, the only two products required are alcohol and vegetable oil. Ethanol (the most easily produced alcohol) can be used without any additional guesswork. ¶ Posted By Anonymous 2:00 PM 0 comments
Chrysler Diesels in America
Article Here
Daimler-Chrysler is on the right track with diesel vehicles in the United States. Apart from their extremely clean cars, they are also planning to offer every single car and truck they sell in a diesel version. A diesel viper? A diesel half ton truck? I could see the future getting much more awesome. ¶ Posted By Anonymous 1:50 PM 0 comments
Daimler-Chrysler is on the right track with diesel vehicles in the United States. Apart from their extremely clean cars, they are also planning to offer every single car and truck they sell in a diesel version. A diesel viper? A diesel half ton truck? I could see the future getting much more awesome. ¶ Posted By Anonymous 1:50 PM 0 comments
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Not a diesel, but
Still badass. Someday, parhaps this '65 Impala Small-block with less than 60k miles will be mine. I only ever drove it once, and I'll say this: It's a landshark, it's a slushbox, it's got 4-wheel drum brakes, but by God, it's fucking butter. And you could have a menage-a-trois in the driver's seat, comfortably.
¶ Posted By james 4:12 PM 0 comments
¶ Posted By james 4:12 PM 0 comments
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Project
I have a 1990 F-350 Diesel thats sitting in my front yard right now. I'm thinking of pulling the engine, rebuilding it, and then building a diesel/grease powered generator set out of it. Generator heads are availiable online, and I think that International engines are pretty standard prime movers in the generator industry, so mating a generator head to that engine wouldn't be a problem. That engine can easily pump out 125 kilowatts of three phase electricity. Thats enough to run a few houses or maybe even a small machine shop. Another idea: I could build my own exhaust gas heat exchanger to go along with the genset. Around 600,000 BTU (conservative estimate) of hot water could be recovered from that engine that would normally be wasted. I could build an entire cogeneration plant for under 5000 dollars. My house could be excessively heated and powered on 3 gallons of grease per hour. We're talking every appliance in the house on full blast with the heat cranked up to 95 degrees. God bless America... and our energy gluttony.
¶ Posted By Anonymous 6:14 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Another Blast From The Diesel Past
Here's another history lesson with Professor DZA.
The Lister Diesel engine was first manufactured in 1929 by The R A Lister & Co. It was a small, air cooled, hand cranked diesel engine. They were available in either one or two cylinder versions. The rated horsepower of the two cylinder version was around 15 hp. I have personally used one while at dive school. It was powering a Quincy 390 compressor. I had the joy of starting it by hand every single day when we were on dive ops. It started with out glow plugs or electricity of any kind, ran for 12 hours on 2 gallons of diesel fuel, and supplied breathing air for a hyperbaric chamber and 7 divers. I've been told that big dive companies like Caldive still use them every day on their dive boats. There's a reason for that. Reliability. They need their oil changed every 250 hours, and they need to be kept full of fuel. Thats it. There's very little to go wrong, and in the rare event that something does go wrong, its either the injector or the injector pump. There's a bunch of people who have made generators for them to run their houses during power outages, and yes, they will run on B100 very nicely.
Heres a picture of one:
¶ Posted By Anonymous 6:19 PM 4 comments
The Lister Diesel engine was first manufactured in 1929 by The R A Lister & Co. It was a small, air cooled, hand cranked diesel engine. They were available in either one or two cylinder versions. The rated horsepower of the two cylinder version was around 15 hp. I have personally used one while at dive school. It was powering a Quincy 390 compressor. I had the joy of starting it by hand every single day when we were on dive ops. It started with out glow plugs or electricity of any kind, ran for 12 hours on 2 gallons of diesel fuel, and supplied breathing air for a hyperbaric chamber and 7 divers. I've been told that big dive companies like Caldive still use them every day on their dive boats. There's a reason for that. Reliability. They need their oil changed every 250 hours, and they need to be kept full of fuel. Thats it. There's very little to go wrong, and in the rare event that something does go wrong, its either the injector or the injector pump. There's a bunch of people who have made generators for them to run their houses during power outages, and yes, they will run on B100 very nicely.
Heres a picture of one:
¶ Posted By Anonymous 6:19 PM 4 comments
Sunday, February 12, 2006
The Big Three are getting pissed
Another article I found. It seems that there is a patent dispute over the toyota hybrids (the Prius and Highlander). I wonder if Detroit and its fledgling automakers have anything riding on this.
U.S. to probe Toyota hybrid patents
Trade body to investigate whether automaker infringed on patent held by Solomon Technologies.
February 10, 2006: 10:28 AM EST
TOKYO (Reuters) - A U.S. trade body is to investigate a complaint that Toyota Motor Corp.'s popular Prius and Highlander hybrid models infringed a patent, according to the body's Web site.
The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) will look at a claim that the patent is owned by Florida-based Solomon Technologies Inc., it said.
Toyota's Highlander hybrid
Toyota's Highlander hybrid
Toyota (up $0.78 to $103.29, Research) shares edged higher in morning trading in New York.
Solomon Technologies filed a complaint with the panel last month saying the hybrid transmission in the two popular vehicles infringed its patent related to motor and transmission systems.
If the ITC agrees with Solomon, Japan's top auto maker could be banned from importing the systems and the Prius and Highlander hybrid models that they power. The ITC said opening a case does not mean it has made any decision on the merits.
A Toyota spokesman said it cannot comment on ongoing cases.
In September, Solomon applied to a Florida federal district court for an injunction against Toyota barring infringement and damages for unauthorized use of its patented technologies.
Toyota sold 110,000 Prius models and 18,800 Highlander hybrid SUVs in North America last year. ¶ Posted By Anonymous 11:08 AM 0 comments
U.S. to probe Toyota hybrid patents
Trade body to investigate whether automaker infringed on patent held by Solomon Technologies.
February 10, 2006: 10:28 AM EST
TOKYO (Reuters) - A U.S. trade body is to investigate a complaint that Toyota Motor Corp.'s popular Prius and Highlander hybrid models infringed a patent, according to the body's Web site.
The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) will look at a claim that the patent is owned by Florida-based Solomon Technologies Inc., it said.
Toyota's Highlander hybrid
Toyota's Highlander hybrid
Toyota (up $0.78 to $103.29, Research) shares edged higher in morning trading in New York.
Solomon Technologies filed a complaint with the panel last month saying the hybrid transmission in the two popular vehicles infringed its patent related to motor and transmission systems.
If the ITC agrees with Solomon, Japan's top auto maker could be banned from importing the systems and the Prius and Highlander hybrid models that they power. The ITC said opening a case does not mean it has made any decision on the merits.
A Toyota spokesman said it cannot comment on ongoing cases.
In September, Solomon applied to a Florida federal district court for an injunction against Toyota barring infringement and damages for unauthorized use of its patented technologies.
Toyota sold 110,000 Prius models and 18,800 Highlander hybrid SUVs in North America last year. ¶ Posted By Anonymous 11:08 AM 0 comments
Another Pimpmobile for Sale
I found this car on ebay motors. I don't think I have ever seen a diesel s-class in the states past the 1991 model year. This is a '94, and I must say, I would definitely not mind driving around in one.
¶ Posted By Anonymous 11:00 AM 0 comments
¶ Posted By Anonymous 11:00 AM 0 comments
Sweden Knows Where Its At
Sweden has announced plans to make itself and its economy oil-free by 2020. Again, these articles are taken from the Journey To Forever mailing list. Check It.
Sweden plans to be world's first oil-free economy
15-year limit set for switch to renewable energy
Biofuels favoured over further nuclear power
John Vidal, environment editor
Wednesday February 8, 2006
The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/oil/story/0,,1704954,00.html
Sweden is to take the biggest energy step of any advanced
western economy by trying to wean itself off oil completely
within 15 years - without building a new generation of nuclear
power stations.
The attempt by the country of 9 million people to become the
world's first practically oil-free economy is being planned by a
committee of industrialists, academics, farmers, car makers,
civil servants and others, who will report to parliament in
several months.
The intention, the Swedish government said yesterday, is to
replace all fossil fuels with renewables before climate change
destroys economies and growing oil scarcity leads to huge
new price rises.
"Our dependency on oil should be broken by 2020," said
Mona Sahlin, minister of sustainable development. "There
shall always be better alternatives to oil, which means no
house should need oil for heating, and no driver should need
to turn solely to gasoline."
According to the energy committee of the Royal Swedish
Academy of Sciences, there is growing concern that global oil
supplies are peaking and will shortly dwindle, and that a
global economic recession could result from high oil prices.
Ms Sahlin has described oil dependency as one of the
greatest problems facing the world. "A Sweden free of fossil
fuels would give us enormous advantages, not least by
reducing the impact from fluctuations in oil prices," she said.
"The price of oil has tripled since 1996."
A government official said: "We want to be both mentally and
technically prepared for a world without oil. The plan is a
response to global climate change, rising petroleum prices and
warnings by some experts that the world may soon be running
out of oil."
Sweden, which was badly hit by the oil price rises in the
1970s, now gets almost all its electricity from nuclear and
hydroelectric power, and relies on fossil fuels mainly for
transport. Almost all its heating has been converted in the past
decade to schemes which distribute steam or hot water
generated by geothermal energy or waste heat. A 1980
referendum decided that nuclear power should be phased out,
but this has still not been finalised.
The decision to abandon oil puts Sweden at the top of the
world green league table. Iceland hopes by 2050 to power all
its cars and boats with hydrogen made from electricity drawn
from renewable resources, and Brazil intends to power 80%
of its transport fleet with ethanol derived mainly from sugar
cane within five years.
Last week George Bush surprised analysts by saying that the
US was addicted to oil and should greatly reduce imports
from the Middle East. The US now plans a large increase in
nuclear power.
The British government, which is committed to generating
10% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2012, last
month launched an energy review which has a specific remit
to consider a large increase in nuclear power. But a report by
accountants Ernst & Young yesterday said that the UK was
falling behind in its attempt to meet its renewables target.
"The UK has Europe's best wind, wave and tidal resources
yet it continues to miss out on its economic potential," said
Jonathan Johns, head of renewable energy at Ernst & Young.
Energy ministry officials in Sweden said they expected the oil
committee to recommend further development of biofuels
derived from its massive forests, and by expanding other
renewable energies such as wind and wave power.
Sweden has a head start over most countries. In 2003, 26%
of all the energy consumed came from renewable sources -
the EU average is 6%. Only 32% of the energy came from oil
- down from 77% in 1970.
The Swedish government is working with carmakers Saab
and Volvo to develop cars and lorries that burn ethanol and
other biofuels. Last year the Swedish energy agency said it
planned to get the public sector to move out of oil. Its health
and library services are being given grants to convert from oil
use and homeowners are being encouraged with green taxes.
The paper and pulp industries use bark to produce energy,
and sawmills burn wood chips and sawdust to generate
power.
01 October 2005
Mona Sahlin, Minister for Sustainable Development
Sweden first to break dependence on oil! New programme presented
http://www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/3212/a/51058
In recent weeks we have read about and anguished over the devastation in the United States. These natural
disasters have also reminded us how vulnerable we are to the forces of the weather. A hurricane that puts a
number of oil rigs out of action affects the availability of oil, the economies and the price of petrol around the
world.
We have seen the consequences in every country. In light of the oil supply disruptions, the Swedish
Government recently decided to allow withdrawals from the country's emergency stocks of petroleum
products. The whole world is now dreading the problems brought about by dependence on oil. In a situation
where President Bush speaks to the nation about using cars less - and where Ford and Toyota demand that
the President takes steps to reduce dependence on oil - each and every one of us can see how the devastation
created by the hurricanes rapidly changes the attitude towards fuel. It is as though the idea that oil is a finite
resource is only now seriously having an impact on the debate. But there is reason to believe that this
awareness will also remain on the agenda in the slightly longer term.
Climate change is the greatest and most important environmental challenge of our time. Most of the world's
climate researchers agree that the Earth's climate system is changing - and in order to slow down these
changes, emissions of greenhouse gases must be reduced. The Government is therefore setting a new policy
target: the creation of the conditions necessary to break Sweden's dependence on fossil fuels by 2020. A
Sweden free of fossil fuels would give us enormous advantages, not least by reducing the impact from
fluctuations in oil prices. The price of oil has tripled since 1996! Old oil price records are now being beaten at
a rapid rate.
It is already a major competitive advantage for Sweden's industry and the economy that, by international
standards, the country has such a small dependence on oil. Swedish policy instruments such as investment
grants, norms for energy use, loans with interest subsidies and information drives have formed the basis of a
conscious policy to gradually reduce oil use. Since 1994 the use of oil in the housing and services sector has
decreased by 15.2 TWh. The use of oil in industry has remained largely unchanged - although industrial
production has increased by 70 per cent! Measures to increase energy efficiency and to promote the
development of district heating continue to be politically important tools. An increasing number of households
are taking advantage of the benefits of district heating and heating pellets; car industry order books are being
filled with hybrid and ethanol cars. This trend must be speeded up. The Government is therefore presenting a
national programme against dependence on oil with the following main features.
. Tax relief for conversion from oil. It is unacceptable that many owners of single-family homes are dependent
on oil for their heating and are thus hard hit by high oil prices. In the next few weeks I will be presenting a
Government Bill on financial support for the owners of single-family homes and multi-dwelling buildings in
order to encourage conversion from oil heating to renewable energy heating, beginning next year. The public
sector must take the lead and set a good example. For some time now, therefore, special support has been
available to libraries, public swimming baths and hospitals, for example, that become more fuel efficient by
converting to renewable energy.
. More renewable energy. Oil and coal are finite fuels. The target must be that we base our entire energy
supply on renewable fuels. The EU trading system represents an important step towards improved
competitiveness in renewable energy at European level. In our country, renewable electricity has increased by
approximately 4.5 TWh since 2002, not least by means of the green certificate system. We will give a longer
term perspective on electricity certificates in a Government Bill to be presented next spring. The level of
ambition has been set very high - by 2016, renewable electricity production will have increased by 15 TWh
from the 2002 level. A directive to state-owned Vattenfall means the company will be responsible for major
investments in renewable energy for the future. A new inquiry will submit proposals to the Government on how
also agricultural production of renewable energy can be increased.
. Measures for renewable fuels. Breaking dependence on oil in the transport sector will be a great challenge
and the Government therefore has an ambitious policy to increase the percentage of renewable fuels. For the
individual, it will pay to choose an environmentally friendly car. Carbon dioxide neutral fuels will be cheap -
they are exempt from both carbon dioxide tax and energy tax for a five-year period. Environmental cars will
be exempted from the Stockholm Trial with environmental charges and will have access to free parking in
some municipalities. Cars that are classified as a taxable benefit and run on environmentally friendly fuel will
continue to enjoy tax relief. The Government will give priority to purchasing environmentally friendly cars.
Sweden is also working actively in the EU for us to permit a higher blend of ethanol in petrol, a measure which
would quickly have a great positive effect. The readjustment of the transport sector requires both international
and national efforts with broad contributions by researchers, industry, users and the state.
. Research and new knowledge for a renewable society. Resources for energy research will now be increased
substantially - the level advised in the budget amounts to some SEK 815 million per year. Next year the
Government will therefore present a new Bill in this area. The purpose of these measures is to achieve more
renewable energy production and more efficient energy use. Special research projects in areas such as energy
use in built environments, biofuels, gasification of biomass, and commercialisation and risk capital provision
may also be called for.
. Continued investment in district heating. District heating has increased radically in Sweden in recent years and
the Government wants this trend to continue. The Government will thus offer clear financial incentives where
biofuels and environmentally friendly heating will be economically advantageous. New money for climate
investment programmes in all the municipalities in the country will also be significant in reducing dependence on
fossil fuels.
Along with high oil prices and climate change, an increasing number of countries are recognising the problem
with fossil fuels. Sweden has the chance to be an international model and a successful actor in export markets
for alternative solutions. But this requires conscious investments - not a reactionary policy that obstructs the
transition to alternative energy sources and investments in the environment of the future. Breaking dependence
on oil brings many opportunities for strengthened competitiveness, technological development and progress.
The aim is to break dependence on fossil fuels by 2020. By then no home will need oil for heating. By then no
motorist will be obliged to use petrol as the sole option available. By then there will always be better
alternatives to oil.
Mona Sahlin
Minister for Sustainable Development
Now if only The US could catch up. The JZA might be interested in one of their diesel Saabs.
-The DZA ¶ Posted By Anonymous 10:53 AM 0 comments
Sweden plans to be world's first oil-free economy
15-year limit set for switch to renewable energy
Biofuels favoured over further nuclear power
John Vidal, environment editor
Wednesday February 8, 2006
The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/oil/story/0,,1704954,00.html
Sweden is to take the biggest energy step of any advanced
western economy by trying to wean itself off oil completely
within 15 years - without building a new generation of nuclear
power stations.
The attempt by the country of 9 million people to become the
world's first practically oil-free economy is being planned by a
committee of industrialists, academics, farmers, car makers,
civil servants and others, who will report to parliament in
several months.
The intention, the Swedish government said yesterday, is to
replace all fossil fuels with renewables before climate change
destroys economies and growing oil scarcity leads to huge
new price rises.
"Our dependency on oil should be broken by 2020," said
Mona Sahlin, minister of sustainable development. "There
shall always be better alternatives to oil, which means no
house should need oil for heating, and no driver should need
to turn solely to gasoline."
According to the energy committee of the Royal Swedish
Academy of Sciences, there is growing concern that global oil
supplies are peaking and will shortly dwindle, and that a
global economic recession could result from high oil prices.
Ms Sahlin has described oil dependency as one of the
greatest problems facing the world. "A Sweden free of fossil
fuels would give us enormous advantages, not least by
reducing the impact from fluctuations in oil prices," she said.
"The price of oil has tripled since 1996."
A government official said: "We want to be both mentally and
technically prepared for a world without oil. The plan is a
response to global climate change, rising petroleum prices and
warnings by some experts that the world may soon be running
out of oil."
Sweden, which was badly hit by the oil price rises in the
1970s, now gets almost all its electricity from nuclear and
hydroelectric power, and relies on fossil fuels mainly for
transport. Almost all its heating has been converted in the past
decade to schemes which distribute steam or hot water
generated by geothermal energy or waste heat. A 1980
referendum decided that nuclear power should be phased out,
but this has still not been finalised.
The decision to abandon oil puts Sweden at the top of the
world green league table. Iceland hopes by 2050 to power all
its cars and boats with hydrogen made from electricity drawn
from renewable resources, and Brazil intends to power 80%
of its transport fleet with ethanol derived mainly from sugar
cane within five years.
Last week George Bush surprised analysts by saying that the
US was addicted to oil and should greatly reduce imports
from the Middle East. The US now plans a large increase in
nuclear power.
The British government, which is committed to generating
10% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2012, last
month launched an energy review which has a specific remit
to consider a large increase in nuclear power. But a report by
accountants Ernst & Young yesterday said that the UK was
falling behind in its attempt to meet its renewables target.
"The UK has Europe's best wind, wave and tidal resources
yet it continues to miss out on its economic potential," said
Jonathan Johns, head of renewable energy at Ernst & Young.
Energy ministry officials in Sweden said they expected the oil
committee to recommend further development of biofuels
derived from its massive forests, and by expanding other
renewable energies such as wind and wave power.
Sweden has a head start over most countries. In 2003, 26%
of all the energy consumed came from renewable sources -
the EU average is 6%. Only 32% of the energy came from oil
- down from 77% in 1970.
The Swedish government is working with carmakers Saab
and Volvo to develop cars and lorries that burn ethanol and
other biofuels. Last year the Swedish energy agency said it
planned to get the public sector to move out of oil. Its health
and library services are being given grants to convert from oil
use and homeowners are being encouraged with green taxes.
The paper and pulp industries use bark to produce energy,
and sawmills burn wood chips and sawdust to generate
power.
01 October 2005
Mona Sahlin, Minister for Sustainable Development
Sweden first to break dependence on oil! New programme presented
http://www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/3212/a/51058
In recent weeks we have read about and anguished over the devastation in the United States. These natural
disasters have also reminded us how vulnerable we are to the forces of the weather. A hurricane that puts a
number of oil rigs out of action affects the availability of oil, the economies and the price of petrol around the
world.
We have seen the consequences in every country. In light of the oil supply disruptions, the Swedish
Government recently decided to allow withdrawals from the country's emergency stocks of petroleum
products. The whole world is now dreading the problems brought about by dependence on oil. In a situation
where President Bush speaks to the nation about using cars less - and where Ford and Toyota demand that
the President takes steps to reduce dependence on oil - each and every one of us can see how the devastation
created by the hurricanes rapidly changes the attitude towards fuel. It is as though the idea that oil is a finite
resource is only now seriously having an impact on the debate. But there is reason to believe that this
awareness will also remain on the agenda in the slightly longer term.
Climate change is the greatest and most important environmental challenge of our time. Most of the world's
climate researchers agree that the Earth's climate system is changing - and in order to slow down these
changes, emissions of greenhouse gases must be reduced. The Government is therefore setting a new policy
target: the creation of the conditions necessary to break Sweden's dependence on fossil fuels by 2020. A
Sweden free of fossil fuels would give us enormous advantages, not least by reducing the impact from
fluctuations in oil prices. The price of oil has tripled since 1996! Old oil price records are now being beaten at
a rapid rate.
It is already a major competitive advantage for Sweden's industry and the economy that, by international
standards, the country has such a small dependence on oil. Swedish policy instruments such as investment
grants, norms for energy use, loans with interest subsidies and information drives have formed the basis of a
conscious policy to gradually reduce oil use. Since 1994 the use of oil in the housing and services sector has
decreased by 15.2 TWh. The use of oil in industry has remained largely unchanged - although industrial
production has increased by 70 per cent! Measures to increase energy efficiency and to promote the
development of district heating continue to be politically important tools. An increasing number of households
are taking advantage of the benefits of district heating and heating pellets; car industry order books are being
filled with hybrid and ethanol cars. This trend must be speeded up. The Government is therefore presenting a
national programme against dependence on oil with the following main features.
. Tax relief for conversion from oil. It is unacceptable that many owners of single-family homes are dependent
on oil for their heating and are thus hard hit by high oil prices. In the next few weeks I will be presenting a
Government Bill on financial support for the owners of single-family homes and multi-dwelling buildings in
order to encourage conversion from oil heating to renewable energy heating, beginning next year. The public
sector must take the lead and set a good example. For some time now, therefore, special support has been
available to libraries, public swimming baths and hospitals, for example, that become more fuel efficient by
converting to renewable energy.
. More renewable energy. Oil and coal are finite fuels. The target must be that we base our entire energy
supply on renewable fuels. The EU trading system represents an important step towards improved
competitiveness in renewable energy at European level. In our country, renewable electricity has increased by
approximately 4.5 TWh since 2002, not least by means of the green certificate system. We will give a longer
term perspective on electricity certificates in a Government Bill to be presented next spring. The level of
ambition has been set very high - by 2016, renewable electricity production will have increased by 15 TWh
from the 2002 level. A directive to state-owned Vattenfall means the company will be responsible for major
investments in renewable energy for the future. A new inquiry will submit proposals to the Government on how
also agricultural production of renewable energy can be increased.
. Measures for renewable fuels. Breaking dependence on oil in the transport sector will be a great challenge
and the Government therefore has an ambitious policy to increase the percentage of renewable fuels. For the
individual, it will pay to choose an environmentally friendly car. Carbon dioxide neutral fuels will be cheap -
they are exempt from both carbon dioxide tax and energy tax for a five-year period. Environmental cars will
be exempted from the Stockholm Trial with environmental charges and will have access to free parking in
some municipalities. Cars that are classified as a taxable benefit and run on environmentally friendly fuel will
continue to enjoy tax relief. The Government will give priority to purchasing environmentally friendly cars.
Sweden is also working actively in the EU for us to permit a higher blend of ethanol in petrol, a measure which
would quickly have a great positive effect. The readjustment of the transport sector requires both international
and national efforts with broad contributions by researchers, industry, users and the state.
. Research and new knowledge for a renewable society. Resources for energy research will now be increased
substantially - the level advised in the budget amounts to some SEK 815 million per year. Next year the
Government will therefore present a new Bill in this area. The purpose of these measures is to achieve more
renewable energy production and more efficient energy use. Special research projects in areas such as energy
use in built environments, biofuels, gasification of biomass, and commercialisation and risk capital provision
may also be called for.
. Continued investment in district heating. District heating has increased radically in Sweden in recent years and
the Government wants this trend to continue. The Government will thus offer clear financial incentives where
biofuels and environmentally friendly heating will be economically advantageous. New money for climate
investment programmes in all the municipalities in the country will also be significant in reducing dependence on
fossil fuels.
Along with high oil prices and climate change, an increasing number of countries are recognising the problem
with fossil fuels. Sweden has the chance to be an international model and a successful actor in export markets
for alternative solutions. But this requires conscious investments - not a reactionary policy that obstructs the
transition to alternative energy sources and investments in the environment of the future. Breaking dependence
on oil brings many opportunities for strengthened competitiveness, technological development and progress.
The aim is to break dependence on fossil fuels by 2020. By then no home will need oil for heating. By then no
motorist will be obliged to use petrol as the sole option available. By then there will always be better
alternatives to oil.
Mona Sahlin
Minister for Sustainable Development
Now if only The US could catch up. The JZA might be interested in one of their diesel Saabs.
-The DZA ¶ Posted By Anonymous 10:53 AM 0 comments
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Mo Preachin'
With all my ranting and raving about the impending energy crisis and the kickass potential of biofuels, you might be wondering why the current alternative energy industry isn't climbing ahead of fossil fuels by leaps and bounds. President Bush announced major Federal investment in ethanol and photovoltaics, namely, in his State of The Union speech. You also might be asking why commercial biodiesel and ethanol are so freaking expensive when compared to conventional fuels.
I'll tell you why.
Along with Big Oil and Big Fast Food, there is also a Big Agriculture. The two biggest commercial producers of biodiesel and ethanol are Cargill and Archer Daniels Midland (ADM). Ethanol is easy for them to make, as it takes old corn and sugarcane stalks and brews it directly into a fuel. Biodiesel is made from virgin soybeans, and after the oil is extracted from them using petroleum based solvents, the meal is sold as animal feed to third world countries. ADM has an abundance of soybeans and corn, and they have little concern of expanding their alternative energy industry, so the price of biodiesel is kept high. ¶ Posted By Anonymous 5:46 PM 0 comments
I'll tell you why.
Along with Big Oil and Big Fast Food, there is also a Big Agriculture. The two biggest commercial producers of biodiesel and ethanol are Cargill and Archer Daniels Midland (ADM). Ethanol is easy for them to make, as it takes old corn and sugarcane stalks and brews it directly into a fuel. Biodiesel is made from virgin soybeans, and after the oil is extracted from them using petroleum based solvents, the meal is sold as animal feed to third world countries. ADM has an abundance of soybeans and corn, and they have little concern of expanding their alternative energy industry, so the price of biodiesel is kept high. ¶ Posted By Anonymous 5:46 PM 0 comments
Hemp as an energy solution
This was taken from the Journey to Forever Website. If you haven't visited it yet, do it. Do it now!
Invisible farming
Industrial hemp is a high-yielding multi-purpose "fuel and fibre" crop that has great potential for biomass energy. Hemp yields four times as much biomass as a forest can yield. An acre of hemp yields 10 tons of biomass in four months, enough to make 1,000 gallons of methanol fuel, with about 300 lb of oil from the seed (about the same as soy).
Hemp is widely grown in many countries but not in the US, where it's illegal because of a stubborn confusion with the plant's cousin, the drug marijuana. Industrial hemp is the same species of plant but without the drug. In fact hemp contains another chemical (CBD) that actually blocks marijuana's drug effect -- hemp is not only not marijuana, it could be called "anti-marijuana".
The US previously acknowledged the distinction and hemp was widely grown there -- the US State Department still acknowledges the difference internationally. But domestically, growing hemp is banned in the US. In Europe it's subsidised, like oilseed rape and flax. Canada, Russia, Japan, China and dozens of other countries grow large quantities of hemp, while Americans pay $25 million a year for imported hemp fibre and oil products.
Meanwhile an estimated 32 million law-breaking Americans smoke marijuana, probably a lot more than that, and that's not counting Canada. Most of the drug is locally produced, not imported. We've no idea what acreage that represents, but it's obviously a major agricultural industry, and it's invisible. How can you hide a crop for 32 million people? It's produced with no extension agencies, no subsidies, no bureaucrats, no chemical corporations, no marketing boards, no Big Agriculture, and with no apparent use of farming land.
How would the Americans who claim there's not enough land to grow biofuels explain that? Could enough bio-energy for 32 million people also be produced that way, from harmless industrial hemp, tucked away out of view off the agricultural map and nobody even notices it?
Of course it's clandestine and hidden because the US marijuana growers are under pressure from the law, but on the other hand the whole human race is under much more pressure than that to find sustainable answers to its energy problems, and so far we're not being very imaginative about it.
However the illegal drug growers might be managing it, it's obvious that people estimating how much land it will take to grow enough biofuels aren't asking the right sorts of questions.
Hemp Biomass for Energy
http://www.fuelandfiber.com/Hemp4NRG/Hemp4NRG.htm ¶ Posted By Anonymous 5:23 PM 0 comments
Invisible farming
Industrial hemp is a high-yielding multi-purpose "fuel and fibre" crop that has great potential for biomass energy. Hemp yields four times as much biomass as a forest can yield. An acre of hemp yields 10 tons of biomass in four months, enough to make 1,000 gallons of methanol fuel, with about 300 lb of oil from the seed (about the same as soy).
Hemp is widely grown in many countries but not in the US, where it's illegal because of a stubborn confusion with the plant's cousin, the drug marijuana. Industrial hemp is the same species of plant but without the drug. In fact hemp contains another chemical (CBD) that actually blocks marijuana's drug effect -- hemp is not only not marijuana, it could be called "anti-marijuana".
The US previously acknowledged the distinction and hemp was widely grown there -- the US State Department still acknowledges the difference internationally. But domestically, growing hemp is banned in the US. In Europe it's subsidised, like oilseed rape and flax. Canada, Russia, Japan, China and dozens of other countries grow large quantities of hemp, while Americans pay $25 million a year for imported hemp fibre and oil products.
Meanwhile an estimated 32 million law-breaking Americans smoke marijuana, probably a lot more than that, and that's not counting Canada. Most of the drug is locally produced, not imported. We've no idea what acreage that represents, but it's obviously a major agricultural industry, and it's invisible. How can you hide a crop for 32 million people? It's produced with no extension agencies, no subsidies, no bureaucrats, no chemical corporations, no marketing boards, no Big Agriculture, and with no apparent use of farming land.
How would the Americans who claim there's not enough land to grow biofuels explain that? Could enough bio-energy for 32 million people also be produced that way, from harmless industrial hemp, tucked away out of view off the agricultural map and nobody even notices it?
Of course it's clandestine and hidden because the US marijuana growers are under pressure from the law, but on the other hand the whole human race is under much more pressure than that to find sustainable answers to its energy problems, and so far we're not being very imaginative about it.
However the illegal drug growers might be managing it, it's obvious that people estimating how much land it will take to grow enough biofuels aren't asking the right sorts of questions.
Hemp Biomass for Energy
http://www.fuelandfiber.com/Hemp4NRG/Hemp4NRG.htm ¶ Posted By Anonymous 5:23 PM 0 comments
Thursday, February 02, 2006
President Bush May Be Starting To See The Light
This was taken from the Journey To Forever Biofuels Mailing list:
" Here we have a serious problem: America is addicted to oil, which is
often imported from unstable parts of the world" Yes, GWB actually
said that on national TV.
So I admit I didn't watch the speech last night (since watching him
talk makes me want to puke). But I read the text today and found it
very interesting.... and confusing given who said it. Some very
specific energy statements, that I never expected to hear from him.
PV research almost doubles. Cellulostic ethanol gets a big boost.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/01/20060131-6.html
Also
http://www.colorado.edu/news/releases/2006/35.html I can't believe
that Jeff was invited to meet with the president -- this little
student competition may actually be having some small effect on
national energy policy? Apparently Bodman loves the Solar Decathlon
competition, which might just have something to do with the proposed
funding boost PV research is getting?
The relevant exerpt from the speech:
"Keeping America competitive requires affordable energy. And here we
have a serious problem: America is addicted to oil, which is often
imported from unstable parts of the world. The best way to break this
addiction is through technology. Since 2001, we have spent nearly $10
billion to develop cleaner, cheaper, and more reliable alternative
energy sources -- and we are on the threshold of incredible advances.
So tonight, I announce the Advanced Energy Initiative -- a 22-percent
increase in clean-energy research -- at the Department of Energy, to
push for breakthroughs in two vital areas. To change how we power our
homes and offices, we will invest more in zero-emission coal-fired
plants, revolutionary solar and wind technologies, and clean, safe
nuclear energy. (Applause.)
We must also change how we power our automobiles. We will increase
our research in better batteries for hybrid and electric cars, and in
pollution-free cars that run on hydrogen. We'll also fund additional
research in cutting-edge methods of producing ethanol, not just from
corn, but from wood chips and stalks, or switch grass. Our goal is to
make this new kind of ethanol practical and competitive within six
years. (Applause.)
Breakthroughs on this and other new technologies will help us reach
another great goal: to replace more than 75 percent of our oil
imports from the Middle East by 2025. (Applause.) By applying the
talent and technology of America, this country can dramatically
improve our environment, move beyond a petroleum-based economy, and
make our dependence on Middle Eastern oil a thing of the past. ¶ Posted By Anonymous 8:01 PM 0 comments
" Here we have a serious problem: America is addicted to oil, which is
often imported from unstable parts of the world" Yes, GWB actually
said that on national TV.
So I admit I didn't watch the speech last night (since watching him
talk makes me want to puke). But I read the text today and found it
very interesting.... and confusing given who said it. Some very
specific energy statements, that I never expected to hear from him.
PV research almost doubles. Cellulostic ethanol gets a big boost.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/01/20060131-6.html
Also
http://www.colorado.edu/news/releases/2006/35.html I can't believe
that Jeff was invited to meet with the president -- this little
student competition may actually be having some small effect on
national energy policy? Apparently Bodman loves the Solar Decathlon
competition, which might just have something to do with the proposed
funding boost PV research is getting?
The relevant exerpt from the speech:
"Keeping America competitive requires affordable energy. And here we
have a serious problem: America is addicted to oil, which is often
imported from unstable parts of the world. The best way to break this
addiction is through technology. Since 2001, we have spent nearly $10
billion to develop cleaner, cheaper, and more reliable alternative
energy sources -- and we are on the threshold of incredible advances.
So tonight, I announce the Advanced Energy Initiative -- a 22-percent
increase in clean-energy research -- at the Department of Energy, to
push for breakthroughs in two vital areas. To change how we power our
homes and offices, we will invest more in zero-emission coal-fired
plants, revolutionary solar and wind technologies, and clean, safe
nuclear energy. (Applause.)
We must also change how we power our automobiles. We will increase
our research in better batteries for hybrid and electric cars, and in
pollution-free cars that run on hydrogen. We'll also fund additional
research in cutting-edge methods of producing ethanol, not just from
corn, but from wood chips and stalks, or switch grass. Our goal is to
make this new kind of ethanol practical and competitive within six
years. (Applause.)
Breakthroughs on this and other new technologies will help us reach
another great goal: to replace more than 75 percent of our oil
imports from the Middle East by 2025. (Applause.) By applying the
talent and technology of America, this country can dramatically
improve our environment, move beyond a petroleum-based economy, and
make our dependence on Middle Eastern oil a thing of the past. ¶ Posted By Anonymous 8:01 PM 0 comments
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