Archive for April, 2011
Can Algae Oil Save the Earth?
In our green real estate section we usually try to focus on environmentally friendly tips for our homes. But this article will be focused on an interesting research, which may lead to helping us if we are feeling guilty because of our cars eat up too much gas. Oil is an crucial part of our everyday lives. People in the developed countries often cannot think of a life without a car, it is just so common to own one. As most of the realtors whose job includes driving around a lot, I do the same. Imagine a life without a car – isn’t it almost impossible? The prices of oil are driven up and down by the unsound oil supplies and our nature is suffering from carbon dioxide emissions and fuel burning. These are the well-known crucial problems of driving.
Craig Venter is an American biologist and also a successful enterpreneur who established The Institute for Genomic Research. Genetic engineering is the main topic of his work, that has caused a great deal of heated debate by his most recent project.
We already know that algae are able to create natural oil. This has been the topic of several experiments with biofuels. Venter has ambitions to go further. He is trying to explore if it’s possible to adjust the genomic structure of algae in order to make them create oil of almost the same composition as the traditional crude oil. If that works out, we would be able to use the current refineries and other oil industry infrastructure already available. Also plastics could be produced the same way as from crude oil refining, using the current production plants. It doesn’t shock us that one of the companies producing the most oil on the planet, Exxon Mobile, contributed $600 million for Ventor to go on with his research.
Now your concern might be, where is the ecological benefit? Well, right here. The oil created by algae might well contribute to dealing with one of the most serious problems of our world. Plants take the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, utilize it in a photosynthesis process to create the oil and then the oil is burned and turned into oxalates. It will of course take more time to figure all this out, this promising solution won’t be available this or next year. But for sure it is a hopeful way to try, and Craig Venter with his team have made the first steps towards a success on a field where others have already tried and failed. There are plenty of people in Canada and elsewhere that would love to go easy on the environment, but due to their occupation, it is very difficult for them to stop using cars, just like so many of my fellow Toronto realtors can’t.
Incoming search terms for the article:
algae oil venter,why is algae able to create oil,save earth working models,oil save,oil from algae,oil algael engine,how does algea save people,how can biofuels save earth,can algae save the engine,workiing model on save the earthBio-Ethanol – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
A debate has erupted over the movement toward-and heavy subsidization of-biofuels in general, and ethanol in particular. Key issues include the diverting of food crops to produce ethanol rather than food, the economics of production of ethanol as a fuel, the net energy gained, and the greenhouse gas emissions caused. Let’s look at some of these pros and cons in more detail.
Here is The Good. Ethanol is a fuel we can produce now with existing technology, and there are some valid reasons to produce it. One cited benefit is that ethanol is a domestically produced fuel, decreasing our dependence on foreign oil. This is indisputable. Every gallon of fuel ethanol replaces a something less than a gallon of gasoline that otherwise would come from Middle Eastern oil. Irrespective of net energy arguments, importing less oil is a good thing for the USA. A second touted benefit is economic. While ethanol is not competitive with oil at under $40 per barrel, it does put a cap on the price of oil as long as we have a sufficient supply of ethanol to use. This would support an argument for some subsidies so that ethanol is maintained as a credible substitute for oil, thus representing a constant economic threat to the oil cartel.
But then there is The Bad. The main problem currently is that most ethanol used in the USA is derived from corn. Thus, there is upward pressure on food prices due to diverting corn to produce fuel ethanol rather than food and diverting land from any food production to cultivate more of that corn. This should only be a temporary condition, however. Virtually everyone realizes that producing ethanol from corn is not a tenable long-term strategy, but rather, is a stop-gap measure to be used to provide ethanol until the cellulose-based technology has been sufficiently developed. Within 2-5 years, the displacement of corn by cellulose-based technology should be taking place, and upward pressure on food prices due to fuel ethanol production will abate.
Economics are different matter. Ethanol has only about 60% the fuel value of gasoline; thus, based on energy content measurements, we need about 1.6 gallons of ethanol to equal one gallon of gasoline. Based on current production methods, the cost of glucose (derived from corn) to produce 1 gallon of ethanol is about 0.80-1.00. Adding costs to isolate and refine the ethanol, the overall cost rises to about $1.40/gallon, which after adjusting for the lower fuel value translates to about $2.24 per gallon equivalent of gasoline, and a bit higher cost once it gets to the pump. Improvements will be made, but ethanol is not yet on an economic par with petroleum-derived gasoline as a transportation fuel. Ethanol does, however, place an upward limit on what gasoline can cost as long as ethanol is readily available to substitute for gasoline. Regardless of what the ethanol producers claim, I would estimate that, realistically, ethanol can be competitive only when gasoline is at or above $2.50 per gallon at the gas station.
Finally, there is The Ugly. Ethanol is also not as easily transported as gasoline due to its tendency to absorb water from the atmosphere and to be corrosive. It is, in fact, illegal as well as unworkable to use ethanol as an aviation fuel for this reason, and car engines require modification to use ethanol in blends higher than about 15%. Existing pipeline infrastructure cannot be used. This increases the impracticality of ethanol as a transportation fuel, and argues for other fuel compounds that do not have these problems-higher alcohols or hydrocarbons, all of which can also be produced by the fermentation of sugars derived from cellulose (or corn). The significant drawbacks lead to the inescapable conclusion that that ethanol will be substantially replaced as a fuel as soon as efficient processes to produce alternative materials from cellulosics, such as butanol or hydrocarbons, have been developed.
Incoming search terms for the article:
cost to produce ethanol -filetype:pdf -filetype:ps -filetype:dwf -filetype:kml -filetype:kmz -filetype:xls -filetype:ppt -filetype:doc -filetype:rtf -filetype:swf,what does it cost to produce 1 gallon of ethonol,cost to produce ethanol,cost to make ethanol -filetype:pdf -filetype:ps -filetype:dwf -filetype:kml -filetype:kmz -filetype:xls -filetype:ppt -filetype:doc -filetype:rtf -filetype:swf,what does bioethanol derived mean,cost to refine ethanol,ethanol fuel cost to refine,ethanol substitute for gasoline,how to make a good ethanol,how much does it cost to make one gallon of e85,oil price to make bioethanol economic,how much does it cost to produce ethanol,how much does it cost to refine a gallon of ethanol,make ethanol at home cost per gallon,how much does it cost to refine ethanol,is it good to use ethanol,is ethanol fuel good or bad,is ethanol derived from corn a good use of this food source,HOW SOON WILL E85 BE READILY AVAILABLE,how to refine ethanol,is bioethanol fuel a good fuel or bad fuel?,Sugars AND corn AND cost AND ethanol,www mean of a constant in iol,why is it good to use bioethanol,why ethanol would make a good fuel,where does gasoline derived,what\s ethanol gas mean,what is the economic disadvantage of making ethonol fuel from plants rather than crude oil,what does it mean when the gasoline has ethanol,What does it cost to produce one gallon of ethanol?Alternative Energy Jobs – What Prospective Employees Can Expect
Today unlike earlier days when there were limited opportunities for jobs, there are innumerable fields one can choose from. One such field is Alternative energies. People who take up jobs in this field which is research oriented take relatively lower pay at least at the start of their careers.
People who decide to take up jobs in this will not be making lot of money at least at the beginning in spite of the fact that lot of brain work is involved in research and developing new technologies. Though making money is very important, because people who do not get paid well, may lose interest in their work sooner or later and may not be as productive as they aught to be. On the other hand there are people who give preference to job satisfaction over and above the remuneration they get and get the satisfaction of helping mankind or the society or earth herself.
In reality, what most people want is position that they can enjoy thoroughly and at the same time receive high pay for lesser time. The field of alternative energy needs wide range of different positions. People who work in this are mechanics or plant operators who would keep power plant in perfect running condition. Others are engineers and scientists who develop new techniques for further improvement. These people not only have a satisfying and interesting career, but they help making the earth a better place to live in.
The industry of alternative forms of energy is growing very fast as it is getting the backing of many governments. So naturally investors are coming forward eagerly to put in their money in to this field of alternative energy industry because they know that it is the need of the future as well as get the backing of government support. Sky rocketing oil prices further reassure investors the importance of alternative energies.
As investors interest rises more funds are made available at the disposal of the companies to start up or expand thus leading to availability of greater job opportunities.
The government is categorically promoting the idea of new job opportunities as being available in the alternative energy sector. As per the President, to make use of “home grown” renewable fuels in the United States, research needs to be done to develop ethanol from plant fibres? biomass, which is treated as waste material.
The US government of course, is vigourously promoting the new job opportunities in the field of alternative energy sector. As said by the US President, in order to achieve a greater use of “homegrown” and renewable fuels present in the United States, research to develop advance technologies is very much needed as to be able to produce ethanol from plant fibres? biomass, which at the moment is treated as waste material.
The President?s 2007 Federal Budget includes $150 million(a $559 million increase over the Federal Budget for 2006) to help with the developing biofuels derived totally from agricultural waste and products like wood chips, corn stalks, and switch grass. Researchers feel that technology can be cost effective by 2012 with further research into cellulose based ethanol, thus probably displacing 30% of the nations’ current fuel consumption.
Incoming search terms for the article:
WHAT DOES PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYEE MEAN,Prospective Employee mean,alternative energies and jobs,what does it take to get in the alternative energy field,what does prospective employee mean?,what does prospective employees,what does renewable energy mean to our federal budget,what does the term prospective employees mea,what job develops alternative energy,what jobs are there in the alternatve fuels field,what does it mean to be a prospective employee,what does green energy jobs mean?,how many people does alternative energy employee,prospective employee what does it mean?,the mean prospective career,what can I do to further alternative energy,what could be done to develop renewable,what do jobs expect for green engineers,what do jobs in renewable / green energy entail?,what does a PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYEE do,what jobs can alternative energy majors takeWhat Can We Do About Gas Prices? – Useful Advice
The cost of gasoline today is outrageous. Everyone seems to know it. This is why recreational boats are seen sitting by the handful on roadside corners with ‘for sale’ signs taped to the side. These boats are a sign that the owners have given up all hope that gas prices will recover. So what can we do about gas prices?
Gas prices follow the laws of supply and demand. With a struggling dollar and emerging nations like China placing a higher demand on gas supplies, the price of gas has risen sharply over the past year. So what can we do? We can choose greener alternatives. We can convert our cars so that they can use ethanol and biofuel. We can trade in our gas-guzzlers for hybrid cars. There are even larger-model cars coming out such as the Sierra hybrid.
Another option is to carpool and use mass transit systems. By sharing rides with co-workers you can cut your gas expenditure in half. Using mass transit systems like the buses, trains, and metro systems will also help to cut our country’s use of the world’s limited oil supply. You may even find that it’s pleasant starting the day with a nap on the train, or reading your morning paper instead of navigating traffic jams.
We can investigate switching from oil heating to gas heating. The government is even offering rebates for people who are buying fuel efficient cars and changing their heating venues. If we demand less fuel it will make the value of oil fall.
The truth is, when faced with big crises in the past we have come out stronger because of the battle. Hopefully the current gas crisis will result in a wide variety of renewable energy sources that don’t require the use of the earth’s limited oil supply. What can we do about gas prices? We can look to ourselves and make sure that we’re using as little gas as we can get by with right now.
Incoming search terms for the article:
what can we do about gas prices,gas prices what can we do,What can we do to help gas prices,what should we do about gas prices?,what do we do about gas prices,what can we do help gas prices,what can we do about the price of gas,what can we do about the gas prices,what can the public do about gas prices?,wha prices gas,wha do the gas prices mean,switching from oil to gas home heating,high school project on gas prices,what to do about gas pricesWhat is a Biofuel Plant?
A biofuel plant is a manufacturing facility that processes alternative fuels. The two most commonly recognized fuels are ethanol and biodiesel. In order to reduce the carbon footprint on the surrounding area, the facilities are most often located next to, or in the middle of, a large corn or soybean field. Corn and soybean are the two food sources most often used when creating alternative energy sources.
There are three main processes that take place in order for natural food sources to be converted into fuels that can be used in planes, trains and automobiles – growing / harvesting, preprocessing and conversion.
Growing / Harvesting – The farmer will often sign a contract with a biofuel plant to buy the produce grown on the land. This farmer will take care of growing and harvesting the produce. The term for this produce is biomass.
Preprocessing – After caring for the biomass, the farmer will harvest the plants and push them through the preprocessing stage of biofuel production. Preprocessing involves extracting the cellulose from the biomass that will be used in the conversion process.
Conversion – Chemical process are very interesting and the production of alternative energy does not disappoint. Cellulose is treated with microbes and chemicals and the result is biofuel.
In most cases, the production of biodiesel and ethanol takes more energy than these fuels put out after production. For this reason, research has been focusing more on new sources of oils that can be more efficiently and quickly converted into useable energy.
Incoming search terms for the article:
What Chemicals are used in a Biofuel manufacturing plants?,what is a biofuel plantClean Coal and Business As Usual
The difficulties we face in weaning ourselves off fossil fuels are immense. Renewable energies are still small players in the global power scene and biofuels have their own inherent problems. None of these energy sources are yet poised to rescue us from our fossil addiction.
No wonder then that the concept of so-called “clean coal” is appealing to both industries and governments. It holds the promise of clean electricity without the need for a massive change in infrastructure. In other words, it can be business as usual without the damaging emissions.
The problem with clean coal is that the technology is not yet a commercially proven solution. In a move likely to be mirrored around the world, the Australian government recently ditched its support for solar energy in favor of pursuing the development of clean coal technology. For any other form of energy supply still in development such backing from government would be seen as ludicrous.
This approach is dangerous. Solar and wind are proven energy generating technologies that are ready to be implemented NOW. Commercial production of these technologies could easily be ramped up to meet new energy demands and replace existing power stations. Ignoring these in favor of a method that does not yet exist and that may not even work is foolhardy.
If climate change is not addressed the economic losses alone are beyond imagination. They will make the amount of money saved by continuing with coal instead of solar power look like a drop in the ocean. Once the environmental damage is done, the cost of fixing the problem will be vastly more than preventing it in the first place. Add to this the fact that coal is still a finite resource and the foolishness of proceeding with clean coal becomes even clearer.
We have the technology and ability to implement solar and wind power on a large scale. It is time for political leaders of developed nations to make decisions based on what is good for the Earth and our future on it rather than pandering to the mining sector in an attempt to secure themselves another term in office.
Incoming search terms for the article:
e-cofueling australia,meaning of clean coal is a green business,what does the clean coal commerical mean,what does clean coal is a green business mean?,money saved by clean coal,what does clean coal mean,what are the objectives of e-cofeuling,Weaning ourselves from fossil fuels,government grant to e-cofueling,ecomomical forces on e-cofeuling,e-cofueling in the futre,e-cofueling GRANTS,e-cofueling business,e-cofueling australian grant,company history of e-cofueling,clean coal model ideas,Clean coal is a green business! meaning,clean coal grantYou are currently browsing the Mean Green blog archives for April, 2011.