Whiskey By-Products Could Power Cars in Scotland

Biofuels have been criticized for taking away agricultural food production land, but Scottish researchers have found one solution using the by-products of whiskey. Care2 reports:

Scotland produces large quantities of whisky, enough that there are 1,600 million liters of pot ale and 187,000 tons of draff left over. These waste products can now be used to create biobutanol, which is said to produce 30 percent more power than ethanol. The university has filed a patent for the new biofuel and envisions a commercial operation to produce and sell it. Biobutanol can be used in ordinary cars, and requires no adaptions. The plan is to have the new biofuel available at petrol pumps already in use. Presumably it would be blended with conventional petroleum fuel to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. It could also be offered in a pure form.

Image:   Some rights reserved by duluoz cats

Schoolhouse Rock Parody: The Energy Bill and the Oil Spill

Remember this classic from Schoolhouse Rock! about how a bill becomes a law?

Check out this parody off the BP oil spill and the energy bill:

Greenpeace UK Responds to BP CEO Change by Closing 50 Gas Stations

Google Buys 20 Years of Wind Power

Google has been putting their money into sustainable wind power. Three months ago, the company invested $38.8-million in two North Carolina wind farms. Now, the internet giant has "has entered into a deal to buy wind power from NextEra Energy Inc for the next 20 years to power data centers". Globe and Mail reports:

Google Energy LLC will begin buying wind power from July 30 from NextEra's facility in Iowa at a predetermined rate, Urs Hoelzle, Google's senior vice president of operations, said in a blog on Google's website.

"Incorporating such a large amount of wind power into our portfolio is tricky, but this power is enough to supply several data centers," Hoelzle added...

The often-quirky company said in late 2007 that it would invest in companies and do research of its own to produce affordable renewable energy - at a price less than burning coal - within a few years.

The company's Google Energy unit, formed in December, allows the company to buy large volumes of renewable energy from the wholesale power market.

Now, perhaps, those internet searches won't be contributing to your carbon footprint.

Really Natural Books: Off the Grid: Inside the Movement for More Space, Less Government, and True Independence in Modern America

I live off the grid, which if you are not familiar with the term, refers to homes that are independently powered by solar, wind, and/or hydro and is not connected to the utility power grid.

Off the Grid: Inside the Movement for More Space, Less Government, and True Independence in Modern America is a new book that will be released on July 27, 2010.

In OFF THE GRID: Inside the Movement for More Space, Less Government, and True Independence in Modern America (Penguin Original; On-Sale: August 2010; ISBN 978-0-14-311738-4; $15.00) award-winning documentary filmmaker and part-time off-gridder, Nick Rosen, takes readers on a fascinating and complex journey through a seemingly simple lifestyle. Nick traverses the US, encountering both luxury hideaways and harsh environs, to investigate the growing trend for off-the-grid living. His adventures take him from one overlooked part of the country to another, in rented cars that often double as hotels and on public transit when his subjects demand it. He spends time with all sorts of individuals and families striving to live the lives they want-- bathing in hot springs, forgoing municipal power and amenities--in the ultimate search for freedom from government and its far-reaching grasp.

The stories in this book are really fascinating, but I have to take offense with the cover. Picturing a half-painted shack with a vicious dog caged in the front yard pushes the stereotype that to live off the grid you have to be a little whacky and primitive. Sure some of the people in the book are those types, but already many mainstream folks believe you can't have a normal home off the grid. The text of the book addresses these concerns:

The people featured in OFF THE GRID, as within the movement at-large, are not always the into-to-the-wild recluses that one might expect, although a few such are profiled, including the rustic character made popular through Elizabeth Gilbert's The Last American Man and gun-toting novelist Carolyn Chute as well as cult author Alan Weisbecker. To the contrary, many of those living off-the-grid have built communities of like-minded people, often families with young children who are committed to helping one another. There are groups of devoted environmentalists who see this lifestyle as the only responsible way to counteract the massive energy consumption prevalent in ordinary American life. Others live this way rather unexpectedly, after finding urban and suburban lifestyles in conflict with their personal ethics, and still others were forced into their situations by economic factors beyond their control.

I've shown the cover to other people that live off the grid, and their reaction is the same. In fact, one person said they wouldn't buy the book because of the picture. I know you aren't suppose to judge a book by the cover, but it's hard not to.

Solar Company Offers Obama Free Solar Panels for White House

Not since the Carter administration has the White House benefited from photovoltaics. Solar company Sungevity is offering President Obama free solar panels for the White House rooftop, including installation. Eco Geek reports:

Sungevity is offering the 102-panel, 17.85 kW solar system, installation and warranty as a free donation, at no cost to the Obamas, the government or tax payers. The only costs associated with the panels would be the upkeep and maintenance. In case the president isn't comfortable with the $107,900 donation, they're also offering a 10-year lease of the equipment at $537/month with maintenance and monitoring included.

Obama would be a fool not to take Sungevity up on their generous offer.

Message to Obama: Put Solar Panels Back on the White House

It's time solar panels returned to the White House. The Carter administration installed solar panels to power the White House; however, Republican president Ronald Reagan promptly removed the panels when taking office. It's time for Obama to restore renewable energy to the White House. Renewable Energy World writes:

I have no idea why the President has not acted to put solar back on the White House proper. The last news source I can find says he was "considering it." Clearly, he and Energy Sec. Chu are supporters of renewable energy. Nevertheless, as Stephen Lacey noted in his excellent podcast, the German parliament's Reichstag building now uses passive solar, solar PV, solar thermal and other RE technologies to offset almost all of its energy needs. What's taking so long with the relatively smaller White House?

Copenhagen's Famous Tivoli Amusement Park Will Be Wind-Powered

It is fitting that the city hosting important climate talks would move towards powering one its most famous attractions with wind power. Tivoli Amusement Park has been open since 1843, and now an offshore wind turbine will power the park. Eco Friend reports:

The park has already made strong efforts at recycling and energy efficiency, and is now looking for ways to go carbon neutral.

Tivoli Amusement Park has partnered with Danish Oil and Natural Gas, and the partnership has resulted in an agreement to install an extra wind turbine off Copenhagen's coast. The turbine is undergoing final tests now, and when installed next year, it will be able to provide all the electricity the park needs.

Earlier this fall, the idea to turn a closed Ford plant in Michigan into an amusement park was scrapped in favor of renewable energy manufacturing plant. Perhaps the park would have won favor if it had been powered by wind like Tivoli Gardens.

England Names 10 New Nuclear Sites

England aims to increase its nuclear power to 40% of energy production by 2025. Ten new sites have been named demonstrating the government's commitment "nuclear electricity generation". Renewable energy will account for 30% of England's energy by 2020 under the new policy. The Telegraph explains:

Mr Miliband said: "The threat of climate change means we need to make a transition from a system that relies heavily on high-carbon fossil fuels to a radically different system that includes nuclear, renewable and clean-coal power.

Similar moves to approve new nuclear sites are occurring in the United States with Florida endorsing its first nuclear power plant in 33 years.

Florida Approves First Nuclear Power Plant in 33 Years

Bad news for opponents of nuclear power: the state of Florida has just approved its first nuclear power plant in 33 years. The Miami Herald describes criticism of the project:

Critics have complained about the site the company picked. In many places, the water table on the site is above ground for half the year or longer, according to documents the company filed with the NRC. Most of the site lies in the 100-year floodplain, meaning after heavy rain, it is likely to remain inundated for some time...The board also found that the utility may have underestimated the impact of building the plant in a floodplain. That will require filling in and paving over hundreds of acres of wetlands, which may hurt both the underground aquifer and the Withlacoochee River, not to mention the wildlife species that depend on them, the board found.

The nuclear power plant would not be up and running until 2018, but taxpayers have already begun footing the bill. Ironically, Florida is the number two producer of solar energy in the United States.

Renewable Energy Output Exceeds Nuclear Power in the US

The July 2009 "Monthly Energy Review", issued by the US Government Energy Information Administration, states renewable energy output has exceeded nuclear power accounting for 11.1% of domestic energy production. The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) reports:

For the first four months of 2009, U.S. renewable energy production was comprised of hydropower (34.6%), wood + wood wastes (31.2%), biofuels (19.0%), wind (9.3%), geothermal (4.7%), and solar (1.2%). Most of these sources grew compared to the first third of 2008 with wind expanding by 34.5%, biofuels by 14.1%, hydropower by 8.2%, and geothermal by 2.6%. The contribution from solar sources remained essentially unchanged while wood + wood waste declined by 4.9%.

The report also states energy usage in the US has declined by 5.7% compared to 2008.

Green Blog Recommendations: Ecofriend.org

We've discovered a new green blog we'd like to recommend to you! Ecofriend.org features many great posts on environmental trends. From Eco Homes to Eco Cars, Ecofriend has you covered. Recent posts include:

• Eco Homes: Solar-powered houseboat can survive the harshness of the ocean
• Eco Cars: Hydrogen-powered Circulus can turn 360-degrees on a dime
• Eco Tech: Toyota installs solar energy generating flowers to promote Prius

Ethanol-Based Charcoal Reduces 99% Carbon Monoxide Compared to Charcoal

Warm weather and the upcoming Memorial Day weekend means it's outdoor barbecue time. On the Fourth of July alone, Americans burn enough charcoal to power 20,000 households for a year! There is a cleaner alternative to traditional charcoal: ethanol-based charcoal. FlameDisk Charcoal Alternative reduces 99 percent of carbon monoxide and has 91 percent lower VOC than regular charcoal. Ethanol-based charcoal alternative is an eco-friendly option for all your grilling needs.

Energy Costs More to Blame than Ethanol for Rising Food Costs

Ethanol has gotten a bad rap for causing the price of food to rise but also to blame is the rising cost of energy. Ethanol is not without fault, as a Congressional Budget Office report stated that ethanol production was responsible for 10 to 15 percent increase in food prices between April 2007 and April 2008; however, between 22 and 36 percent of the increase in food prices are due to the increase in the cost of energy sources. Tom Buis, chief executive of Growth Energy, an ethanol-industry association, explains:

The report released by the Congressional Budget Office confirms what we've known for some time - the impact of ethanol production on food prices is minimal, and that energy was the main driver in the rise of food prices

The Grocery Manufacturers Association, the American Meat Institute, the National Turkey Federation and the National Council of Chain Restaurants responded in kind:

Today's Congressional Budget Office numbers once again remind us of the unintended negative consequences associated with our nation's current policies which promote and mandate the conversion of massive amounts of corn and other food crops for biofuels production.

Whomever is to blame, rising food costs have hurt Americans during this economic recession.

Via: San Francisco Chronicle