Practical Eco

Corn Ethanol 10-15% better than Gasoline for GHGs

I've been a bit distracted with project Lucia for the past few days. But as I get back to reading and chatting this study caught my eye, partly because it's from my old school, partly because it's about biofuels which are a special interest of mine since doing the business plan for EcoTrip the green taxi company.

There has been a lot of conflicting information about the benefits of Ethanol and while I'm not sure if this will truly settle any debate it does at least say Ethanol is actually better. Though I'm surprised it was only by 10-15%.  They do note however that there are technologies in development that could significantly improve that margin.

Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate

Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (AP-6) concluded their inaugural two-day meeting in Sydney earlier today.

Ministers from the Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and the USA, as well as over 100 executives from big businesses were gathered to discuss new tactics to flight climate change. However they said they would neither sacrifice economic growth nor reduce their use of fossil fuels.

"We recognised that fossil fuels underpin our economies, and will be an enduring reality for our lifetimes and beyond," the six nations, who together generate about half of the world's greenhouse gasses, said in a statement.

Critics have said the conference was designed purely to divert attention from the US and Australia's refusal to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. Some have said it is nothing more than a trade pact.  The Ministers from China and India seemed to corroborate that assertion when they said that technology transfer would be the most important element of the agreement.

So what ARE they doing? They said they want to "...work together to develop, demonstrate and implement cleaner and lower emissions technologies that allow for the continued economic use of fossil fuels while addressing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions...." 

The group announced they would form eight public-private sector task forces covering cleaner fossil energy, renewable energy, power generation, steel, aluminium, cement, coal mining and buildings and appliances.  They will study anti-pollution technologies and develop action plans "for cooperation, and wherever possibile, ambitious and realistic goals".

Well it does seem a lot more like hot air than action. Particularly their refusal to cut fossil fuel use or to assign any hard targets.

Whole Foods in record green energy credits purchase

Whole Foods Market (WFMI) is probably the largest health foods supermarket in the US. They also own one of the UK's major health food chains, Fresh and Wild. In a widely reported move they recently purchased renewable energy credits to offset 100% of their use across all of their stores and administrative offices. They are the first Fortune 500 company to take such a step and they claim the move is the equivalent to taking 60,000 cars off the road in terms of Carbon Dioxide emission reductions.

The move has also generated a lot of positive press. My hope is that other companies will take similar steps in other industries. But I've been dismayed to read a few comments that seem to downplay the importance of the decision on the basis that Whole Foods is using Wind Energy Credits in place of building their own wind turbines. It may be indirect, but it's just as effective at reducing CO2 emissions and displacing non-renewable power generation.

I recently came across a very similar myopia among very intelligent people here in the UK. A few months ago the Ecologist magazine ran a cover article declaring that some renewable energy suppliers weren't as "green" as others because they were using a similar offset purchasing mechanism in place of building and running their own wind farms. Of course, I wrote a letter (read it here), though much to my dismay, it was never published.

Perhaps my modest mathematical and logical abilities make it all to obvious to me, but in the end the different contributions of those who build wind turbines, those who run then and those who promote the green energy is all more or less equivalent. Each of these roles is needed to create a greener future.

So I'm very pleased that Whole Foods has taken this high-profile decision and I believe it will do a great deal to stimulate interest in renewable energy in the US.

Sunday Times Greener Lifestyle story

The Sunday Times today had a piece in their Health section with numerous tips for a greener lifestyle and links to a variety of products and sources. Anna Shepard reminds us that packaging waste is bad and composting is good as are energy efficient appliances, organic cosmetics and clothes made from organic cottons.  For some there won't be a lot of surprise but there are certainly several excellent links for finding good products.

I was disappointed that while she mentioned solar panels, she didn't point out the easier solution for urbanites like me which is to go with a green energy supplier like Good Energy. Remember, if you sign up to their supply to mention my name and post code (E8 1DN) and you'll get a free bottle of organic wine - and so will I!

Full article in the Sunday Times

Indoor Air Pollutants

I've been meaning to write on this subject for a while now, but I noticed The Green Guide just ran an article entitled Cleaning The Air: How To Avoid Indoor Air Pollutants.

It's an excellect summary of the risks we face today and I support what they say until they get to what you can do about it. While they make some good remedial suggestions, they've overlooked one outstanding technology for cleaning air. It's made by RGF and is a very sophisticated approach at the cutting edge of that science.  They call it Photohydroionization, or PHI, and it applies the same principals that nature uses to clean the air, a combinatio of UV, Ozone and Ions.

If you live in the States, RGF don't sell directly to customers, so Jochum Industries can help you choose the right solution and implement it. Their site also gives an understandable and brief description of the technology. Or, if you live in Europe you can contact me to find a supplier.

Next Generation competition for Big Ideas

  I'm a bit late with this one but for any designers out there with big ideas, Metropolis magazine is offering a $10,000 prize for its Next Generation competition. They're looking for a Big Idea that will make our designed environment better, safer, and more sustainable.  The deadline fortunately has been extended to the 20th of January. Click here for the entry forms and other details.

"Super Green Me" article in today's Guardian

It may be a bit off-piste but I enjoyed this article in today's Guardian newspaper. It's about Morgan Spurlock's (Supersize Me) girlfriend and her new book "The Great American Detox Diet".  The article alone is a worth read making excellent points about the modern Western diet and our unhealthy reliance on dairy and meat products. 

See the full article in the Guardian here.

Grow your own and save

Why is it hardly anyone grows their own vegetables any more?  My grandmother used to grow loads of things and can them every year. Her pickles were legendary. And of course, the fresh picked corn on the cob was a delight.  No, she didn't live on a farm, it was a typical suburban house in Tulsa with less than half an acre plot.  And my friend Mag grows fantastic tomatoes, beans, peas, berries and more on a much smaller plot here in London.

Just about anyone can grow their own veg and delight in its freshness and knowing exactly what went into it.  It doesn't take much land, just a bit of time and attention.  The current issue of Back Home magazine includes an article about growing your own food on a small suburban plot. Read it here.

Floating power generator

I've seen lots of interesting ideas for better ways to generate power from wind, but here's a clever new idea. The Magenn Power Air Rotor System (MARS) is a lighter than air tethered device that generates power as it rotates on a horizontal axis in response to wind.  Electricity is transferred down the tether to a transformer at a ground station and then on to the power grid. The rotor is filled with Helium to lift it to the altitude for best winds.

The fist units will be 4 kW and are due to go into production this fall and are expected to cost US$ 9,999. The company aim to start taking orders this coming April. Larger units up to 1.6 MW are planned for the future.

See the Magenn website for further details.

Planting Trees May Do More Harm Than Good

A report published in Science magazine on 23rd December suggests that where fast growing conifer plantations have been planted there is often significant damage to local water supplies.  Sometimes that damage can be long-term reducing local water supplies, and making them saltier and more acidic.

I've long been suspicious of tree planting schemes as a way of supposedly offsetting Carbon emissions.  Wouldn't many of those trees have been planted anyhow? I have too often seen these offsets used as a means of greenwashing a business and easing consciences. Well here's another good reason to steer clear of tree-planting schemes and focus on real measures that genuinely reduce greenhouse gas emissions.   

Read the full story in Science