Ethanol and the law of unintended consequences
Fuel or folly?
Cinnamon Stillwell
Wednesday, April 2, 2008In the pantheon of well-intentioned governmental policies gone awry, massive ethanol biofuel production may go down as one of the biggest blunders in history. An unholy alliance of environmentalists, agribusiness, biofuel corporations and politicians has been touting ethanol as the cure to all our environmental ills, when in fact it may be doing more harm than good. An array of unintended consequences is wreaking havoc on the economy, food production and, perhaps most ironically, the environment.
150 MPG (Equivalent): XH-150 and XH250 Hybrids
At the Detroit 2008 Car show… Details over at Autobloggreen…
AFS Trinity Power Corporation is displaying a new hybrid SUV (actually a converted Saturn Vue) that gets more than 150 mpge thanks to something AFS calls the Extreme Hybrid (XH). The SUV recently achieved “more than 150 miles per gallon of gasoline based on the EPA Combined Urban/Highway Driving Cycle with 6 days per week of 40 miles per day in all electric mode and one day at 100 miles with assistance of the gas engine.” The test reportedly returned mpge numbers of around 170, but AFS wants to use 150 so as not to leave people disappointed if they drive more aggressively or under different circumstances than the test was run in.
Air Force Secretary to DARPA: Free Us from the Oil Cartels
From DANGER ROOM -Â Â
Developing an alternative to today’s petroleum-based fuels would obviously translate to big cost savings for the military, but according to Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne, it would have a geo-political advantage as well. Speaking today at the DARPA conference here in Anaheim, Wynne told the audience to “think of the withdrawal of leverage it [alternative fuels] would bring from petty dictators or cartels.”Â
If anyone can do it, DARPA can.
As the largest consumer of oil in the federal government, the Air Force has an obvious interest in alternative fuels. Every $10 increase in the price of a barrel of oil costs the Air Force another $600 million, according to Wynne. The Air Force is also thinking about worst-case scenarios. “In the event of another war, those costs could double again,” Wynne told the audience here. The question, he says, is “how to hedge your bet,” both against the rising cost of petroleum as well as a disruption in supply.
PopSci: More Pond Scum
 In the July issue of Popular Science, an article related to the previous post about Algae-based Bio-Diesel. Requiring only (an exact balance) of sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water - the search is on for the most productive variety of algae.
Algae has some important advantages over other oil-producing crops, like canola and soybeans. It can be grown in almost any enclosed space, it multiplies like gangbusters, and it requires very few inputs to flourish—mainly just sunlight, water and carbon dioxide. “Because algae has a high surface-area-to-volume ratio, it can absorb nutrients very quickly,†Sears says. “Its small size is what makes it mighty.â€
There are plans to use the pollutant carbon dioxide of various industrial process as the “food” for large algae farms, growing algae while “absorbing” the pollutant at the same time.
 The proof is in the numbers. About 140 billion gallons of biodiesel would be needed every year to replace all petroleum-based transportation fuel in the U.S. It would take nearly three billion acres of fertile land to produce that amount with soybeans, and more than one billion acres to produce it with canola. Unfortunately, there are only 434 million acres of cropland in the entire country, and we probably want to reserve some of that to grow food. But because of its ability to propagate almost virally in a small space, algae could do the job in just 95 million acres of land. What’s more, it doesn’t need fertile soil to thrive. It grows in ponds, bags or tanks that can be just as easily set up in the desert—or next to a carbon-dioxide-spewing power plant—as in the country’s breadbasket.
Aviation Bio-Fuel Being Evaluated in New Zeland
Reportedly the worlds-first project under consideration by an airline.
Air New Zealand and airliner manufacturer Boeing are secretly working with Blenheim-based biofuel developer Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation to create the world’s first environmentally friendly aviation fuel, made of wild algae.
If the project pans out the small and relatively new New Zealand company could lead the world in environmentally sustainable aviation fuel.
It’s understood Air NZ is undertaking risk analysis. If everything stacks up it will make an aircraft available on the Tasman to test the biofuel…
Basically, it’s pond scum.
…The fuel is essentially derived from bacterial pond scum created through the photosynthesis of sunlight and carbon dioxide on nutrient-rich water sources such as sewage ponds.
Air NZ would most likely test the fuel on one engine while normal aviation fuel would drive the other engine. Fuel is held in cells on the aircraft that can be directed to a specific engine…
Key to Modern Life: Energy Ignorance
A good (long) article about a group of people who are eeking out a living in the wilderness of North Carolina, attempting to create a sustainable lifestyle where they live peacefully off the grid, and as efficiently as possible… What follows are some of my favorite bits from this comprehensive article.
By Joel Achenbach
Sunday, November 19, 2006;…THE KEY TO MODERN LIFE IS STRATEGIC IGNORANCE. There are so many things we don’t know about our lives and that, frankly, we don’t want to know. We don’t know much about the basic things that sustain us. We are clueless “end users” in elaborate industrial supply lines. Energy comes from distant power plants and oil refineries and pipelines and electrical grids, but we don’t think about them when we flick on a light or turn the key in the ignition. We live in a world we didn’t make, by rules and customs and laws we didn’t invent, using tools and technologies we don’t understand…
Next X PRIZE= High-efficiency automobiles that people will actually buy!
Part of the reason I’m developing this FuelClinic.com application is because I’m tired of waiting for things to change. While I believe that I can help people use what they already have in more efficent ways, I also know that I can’t reach as many people as I would like. So the announcement that the next big X PRIZE will be focusing on developing commercially viable high-efficiency automobiles is very exciting.
Why an Automotive X PRIZE?
- Because today’s oil consumption is not sustainable – our current use of oil endangers our health, our economy, and the political and social stability of the world.
- Because 40% of world oil output fuels the automotive industry – and, in the U.S., 65% of oil consumption is in the transportation sector.
- Because automotive emissions contribute significantly to global climate change.
- Because there are no mainstream consumer choices for clean, super-efficient vehicles that meet market needs for price, size, capability, image, safety and performance.
- Because the automotive industry is stalled – legislation, regulation, labor issues, manufacturing costs, legacy costs, franchise laws, obsolete technology, consumer attitudes, and many other factors have combined to block breakthroughs.
- Because increases in engine efficiency have been “spent” on increased vehicle power, acceleration, and weight, rather than on increased fuel economy.
- Because we believe there is great opportunity for technological change.
Goals of the PrizeOur goal is to stimulate automotive technology, manufacturing and marketing breakthroughs that:
- Radically reduce oil consumption and harmful emissions
- Result in a new generation of super-efficient and desirable mainstream vehicles that people want to buy
Funny how a giant cash reward has a way of motivating people to come up with great inventions…
What is E85?
E85 is an alternative fuel for many of todays production cars. It’s 85% ethanol that is created from crops, and 15% gasoline. There are many cars on the road in America today that can burn either gasoline or E85 – these are “flex-fuel” cars. You may own one of these cars, and not even know it.Â
From: http://www.e85fuel.com/e85101/faqs/e85.php
E85 is the term for motor fuel blends of 85 percent ethanol and just 15 percent gasoline. E85 is an alternative fuel as defined by the U.S. Department of Energy. Besides its superior performance characteristics, ethanol burns cleaner than gasoline; it is a completely renewable, domestic, environmentally friendly fuel that enhances the nation’s economy and energy independence.
You can find out if your car is a flex-fuel car by contacting the dealer where you bought you car and asking them if your’s is a flex-fuel car, or by checking this resources at this site about E85 fuels.
If your car is a flex-fuel car, you can find a service station in your area that sells E85 fuel. Hopefully there is one close enough to you to be convienent.
E85 has one major drawback, it’s that you won’t go as far per gallon. E85 may cost you as much as 30% in MPG, although this can be offset by lower pump prices, with a net gain of going farther for less money.Â
E85 is a step in the right direction for drivers who want to help reduce our dependence on foreign oil and at the same time curb the amount of emissions you personally contribute to the global pollution problem.Â
Research Finds Biodiesel Performs Well in Harsh Environments
Here’s the take-away for the attention challenged:
“Yellowstone National Park, serving as the soy biodiesel testing ground for the National Park Service, has a pickup truck that is still running on 100% biodiesel after 10 years and 181,000 miles in this high-altitude extreme environment.”
From Farm Futures
September 13, 2006
Soy biodiesel has stood up to the test of time and harsh environment conditions, according to decade-long look at use in national parks including Yellowstone and Grand Teton.In 1995 Yellowstone National Park began serving as the soy biodiesel testing ground for the National Park Service. The park boasts over 300 pieces of machinery operating on soy biodiesel, the centerpieces being the park’s well-known yellow buses and a 1995 Dodge pickup. Yellowstone’s trademark yellow tour buses have evolved into a high tech, biodiesel-powered riding experience including on-board electronic and communications gear. The pickup has been running on 100% biodiesel for over 10 years and 181,000 miles. This is no small feat, with an elevation of 6,241 ft., the mountainous region surrounding the park experiences a variety of extreme weather throughout the year, the United Soybean Board says…
Made in USA: Soy-based Biodiesel
A fledgling fuel company, Milagro Biofuels of Memphis LLC, has actually started processing soy bean oil into diesel fuel, in a “micro-brew” facility nestled in a historic building in Memphis.
While they are getting interest in their products from around the country, they expect to sell most of their production locally, providing their community with a locally brewed and renewable alternative fuel… cool!
The “micro-brew” facility will be followed up with more substantial production plants already in the works…
From Biodiesel Magazine
Memphis biodiesel plant begins production
by David Nillis
September 12, 2006An idle cotton oil mill in a downtown redevelopment zone in Memphis, Tenn., is now home to a biodiesel producer. Milagro Biofuels of Memphis LLC produced its first biodiesel Sept. 11, according to President Diane Mulloy.
The 5 MMgy [ed: MMgy = "million gallons per year"] plant was expected to start-up in late August, but minor start-up glitches pushed production to this week. Mulloy said test batches have been conducted and samples sent to the U.S. EPA for certification. “I’m hoping that process is quick,†she told BiodieselMagazine.com. “We hope to sell biodiesel by the end of September.â€
Jeep Liberty Diesel w/ 21% better fuel economy
What do you think of when you hear the word “diesel”? The newer diesel powerplants might surprise you if you thought of noisy trucks spewing black smoke. Using new technologies, diesel engines for smaller vehicles are efficient, quite, and powerful – and create the opportunity to use bio-diesel fuels to replace or compliment your use of petro-diesel.
Source: Green Car Congress
…
The 2005 Jeep Liberty CRD, equipped with a 2.8-liter, four-cylinder, turbo common-rail diesel engine, offers 21% better fuel economy compared to a comparable gasoline-powered Liberty (3.7-liter, V-6 engine).
VM Motori provides the engine, an enhanced version of the four-cylinder diesel engine currently offered on this vehicle in Europe. VM Motori is owned in part by Detroit Diesel, a DaimlerChrysler company. VM has been supplying the Chrysler Group diesel engines since 1992 for minivans and Jeep products sold in Europe.
The 2.8-liter CRD engine delivers 160 hp (120 kW) and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque at 1,800 rpm, with 22 mpg city, 26 mpg highway, for a combined EPA rating of 23 mpg.
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