News from May 2006

Government blocks wind farm plans

The U.S. government has ordered work stopped on more than a dozen wind farms, saying the giant turbines might interfere with military radar. But supporters of wind power say the reason for the actions is political and has little to do with national security, the Chicago Tribune reported Wednesday. sciencedaily

Hydrogen Powered Cars the Norm by 2050

Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles will overtake conventional gas powered automobiles in the year 2030, and be the most produced type vehicle on the market by 2050. That’s one point of discussion at the opening day of the Tennessee Valley Corridor National Technology Summit. wdef

Province urged to get serious about geothermal energy

Former governor general Ed Schreyer says it’s time take a major step toward using the earth’s natural energy to heat and cool more buildings in Manitoba. Geothermal systems use underground pipes to moderate the existing heating and cooling systems in buildings. While they can be more expensive to install, they produce virtually no greenhouse gases [...]

Wal-Mart Weighs Selling Ethanol-Based Fuel

AP – Wal-Mart Stores Inc. may offer ethanol made from corn at its 383 U.S. gas stations, a company spokesman said Wednesday. Wal-Mart stressed it is not ready yet to make any announcements, but corn growers said Wal-Mart’s entry into a market now mainly made up of scattered independent gas stations would be a significant [...]

Cleaner energy key to future

The response should include both supply options Ian Lowe is Emeritus Professor of Science, Technology and Society at Griffith University and president of the Australian Conservation Foundation. He is the Earth Champion ambassador for Earth Dialogues Brisbane, July 21-24. couriermail

Oil: black gold

In respect of proven reserves, Peak oil is not far away. Numbers vary but, on average, it is said that the peak will occur in about 40 years from now. This peak could be postponed by 3 things: 1. Finding new reserves – which is becoming increasingly more difficult. 2. A rise in the recovery [...]

Consumer, Environmental Fury Kicks Off Exxon Meeting

Simmering consumer fury over soaring gasoline prices and angst over Exxon Mobil Corp.’s environmental policies converged on a Dallas symphony hall on Wednesday as the company kicked off its annual shareholders’ meeting. A normally raucous affair teeming with protesters, angry shareholders and police officers, Exxon’s meeting has drawn more attention than usual this year. About [...]

New Solutions for World’s Energy Woes

The number is staggering: Approximately 2 billion of the world’s people — nearly one-third of the human population — have no access to electricity. Consequently, they do without many of the amenities that people in the developed world take for granted-everything from air conditioning and refrigeration to television, indoor lighting, and pumps that supply drinking [...]

Researchers Modify Bacterium to Produce Ethanol Directly with High Yield

Researchers from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico have genetically engineered the bacterium Bacillus subtilis to ferment glucose sugar directly to ethanol with a high (86%) yield. This is the first step in their quest to develop bacteria that can breakdown and ferment cellulose biomass directly to ethanol. greencarcongress

How do you make a fuel cell? Print it

The technology that helped make black-light posters and concert T-shirts a cultural mainstay is now being used to make fuel cells, chip packages and PC components. South San Francisco, Calif.-based EoPlex Technologies has come up with a technique for producing mechanical components with industrial printers. Instead of embossing a logo through thin layers of ink [...]