Urban Arcadia

Biofuels: Ethanol and Biodiesel

greenerman — Wed, 05 May 2010 20:03:54 +0000

“Biofuels” are transportation fuels like ethanol and biodiesel that are made from biomass materials. These fuels are usually blended with the petroleum fuels — gasoline and diesel fuel, but they can also be used on their own. Using ethanol or biodiesel means we don’t burn quite as much fossil fuel. Ethanol and biodiesel are usually more expensive than the fossil fuels that they replace, but they are also cleaner-burning fuels, producing fewer air pollutants.
What Is Ethanol?
Ethanol is an alcohol fuel made from the sugars found in grains, such as Corn, Sorghum and Barley. Switchgrass can yield almost twice as much ethanol as corn, estimates geneticist Ken Vogel, who is conducting breeding and genetics research on switchgrass to improve its biomass yield and its ability to recycle carbon as a renewable energy crop.
Other sources of sugars to produce ethanol include: Potato skins, Rice, Sugar cane, Sugar beets, Yard clippings, Bark and Switchgrass.
Most of the ethanol used in the United States today is distilled from corn, gving rise to concerns over world food shortages, as biofuels demand increases. Scientists are working on cheaper ways to make ethanol by using all parts of plants and trees rather than just the grain. Farmers are experimenting with “woody crops,” mostly small poplar trees and switchgrass, to see if they can be grown cheaply and abundantly.
Ethanol Is Blended With Gasoline: About 99% of the ethanol produced in the United States is used to make “E10″ or “gasohol,” a mixture of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline. Any gasoline powered engine can use E10, but only specially made vehicles can run on E85, a fuel that is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.

Ethanol Is Nontoxic and Biodegradable. Using ethanol means that we use less oil (a nonrenewable fuel) to make gasoline. Unlike gasoline, ethanol is nontoxic (safe to handle) and biodegradable; it quickly breaks down into harmless substances if spilled.
Ethanol Can Reduce Pollution. When small amounts of ethanol are added to gasoline, usually less than 10%, there are many advantages. Ethanol reduces carbon monoxide and other toxic pollution from the tailpipes of vehicles, making less air pollution. It also keeps engines running smoothly without the need for lead or other chemical additives.

Ethanol is made from crops that absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. So growing crops for ethanol may have the potential to balance out carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere. The impact of greater ethanol use on net carbon dioxide emissions depends on how ethanol is made and on whether or not indirect impacts on land use are included in the calculations.

What Is Biodiesel?

Biodiesel is a fuel made from vegetable oils, fats, or greases — such as recycled restaurant grease. Biodiesel fuel can be used in diesel engines without changing them. It is the fastest growing alternative fuel in the United States. Biodiesel, a renewable fuel, is safe, biodegradable, and produces lower levels of most air pollutants than petroleum-based products; below is a video of the backyard version of the process of making biodiesel:

Of course all this uses up land that could be used for food. This practice is better run at small-scale local levels, using waste products exclusively.

Compost your old sofa

greenerman — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:16:19 +0000

: Image via Wikipedia

Your old sofa – and much more – could be composted, say University of Manchester scientists

22 Feb 2010

Polyurethane plastics used to make a host of products from furniture fillings to shoe soles, cable insulation and paints – and which can be difficult to recycle – could soon be degraded in compost heaps, thanks to a study at the University of Manchester.

Dr Geoff Robson and his team at the Faculty of Life Sciences have found that certain fungi can degrade the plastic in soil. Furthermore the rate of degradation increases when the volume of these fungi is increased or nutrients are added to the soil to boost the fungi’s activity.

They are now carrying out further studies to make sure the degradation of polyurethanes does not adversely affect the composting process or its products.

Dr Robson, whose Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) funded study is published in the Applied and Environmental Microbiology, said: “This is a significant finding. Polyurethanes are used to make many, many products and can take up a large amount of volume in landfill sites, which are rapidly running out of space. This makes it a major environmental pollutant.

“This study opens the possibility that fungi could be used to degrade these materials instead of dumping them into landfill sites.”

The team placed polyurethane pieces in soil containing fungi and bacteria. As the polyurethane, which is made from petroleum, degraded, the number of fungi increased as they digested the byproducts, showing that it was indeed the fungi that were breaking down the plastic.

Dr Robson added: “Fungi which naturally occur in soils have a remarkable capacity to degrade dead plants and animals, playing a pivotal and essential role in nutrient cycling in the environment. This study demonstrates some of these fungi also have the ability to degrade man-made polyurethanes.

“We demonstrated increased degradation of polyurethanes when buried in soil either by enhancing the activity of fungi already present by adding nutrients to the soil or by adding specific fungi to the soil that had previously been isolated from the surface of degrading polyurethane.”

The team is now investigating how best to apply their findings to polyurethane waste management. One possible method would be to spray fungi onto the polyurethane but another method would be to compost polyurethane along with other compostable materials – using already existing facilities.

Dr Robson, a biochemist and plant biologist who has studied fungi for many years, said: “Fungi are the classic underdogs. If we didn’t have fungi, we wouldn’t be here – we would be buried under mountains of stuff that they break down for us. They are also a treasure chest of pharmaceutical products, producing not just penicillin but also other antibiotics and immunosuppressant drugs. They are used to make arachadonic acid, the fatty acid essential for brain development in babies and used in baby milk formula, and their enzymes are used to turn milk into cheese, make bread dough rise better, clean our clothes in detergents and make fruit juice amongst many, many other applications.

“There is very little research on fungi compared to other microorganisms and only a fraction of them are actually known – around 20% have been identified.

“This latest finding just shows what amazing organisms they are.”

Notes for editors

The paper ‘Effect of Biostimulation and Bioaugmentation on Degradation of Polyurethane Buried in Soil’, in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, is available.

For more information, a copy of the paper or an interview with Dr Geoff Robson contact Media Relations Officer Mikaela Sitford on 0161 275 2111, 07768 980942 or Mikaela.Sitford@manchester.ac.uk.

via Your old sofa – and much more – could be composted, say scientists (The University of Manchester).

Secret Life of the Motorway

greenman — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 04:27:19 +0000

The End of the Affair: Watch on BBC iPlayer

Part 3 of the BBC series documenting the history of the British motorway, looking at how we began to question the promises made by the motorway and along the way found our voice of protest. After the first 1,000 miles or so had been built, the impact of motorways on both town and country was becoming apparent and Middle England rose up and disrupted public inquiries to voice its frustration, and showing the extent of public protest which has spanned generations, long before Swampy.

How Many Lightbulbs?

greenman — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:54:39 +0000

Cambridge University physicist, David Mackay, in a passionate, personal analysis of the energy crisis in the UK, in which he comes to some surprising conclusions about the way forward. The film is based on his new book Sustainable Energy without the hot air, in which Prof Mackay has calculated the numbers involved for the alternatives to fossil fuels like coal, gas and oil.

He debunks some myths about energy saving – unplugging our phone chargers, does not make any appreciable difference. After showing us what won’t work – he goes on to show what will make a difference at home, like turning your thermostat down.

But, his big point is that this will not be enough – individual efforts are not enough. Instead we need to make sweeping national changes to our energy production, and we can’t reject everything available to us. If we are going to follow the advice of climate scientists, and get off fossil fuels by 2050, which currently provide 90% of our energy, Britain’s main options are wind power and nuclear power. But to make this huge change in our power supply, Mackay says that we have to get building now!

For more information go to David Mackays website
www.withouthotair.com

Home farming unit

greenman — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:19:32 +0000

Find more videos like this on Design Probes

Off the Grid;Sustainable Habitat 2020

greenman — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:27:24 +0000

Today, our habitat is very dependent on the international grid of energy &water. Energy crisis, clean water shortage, global warming and environmental pollution are worldwide problems. Understanding cities as dynamic and ever-evolving eco-systems can help us to formulate strategies for a sustainable urban future. This film is based on the the brief to develop sustainable housing for urban megalopolis in China in 2020. Check out www.design.philips.com/probes for more information…

Raw Honey and its Many Uses

James Martin — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 21:35:22 +0000

by James Martin

Raw honey is one of the most sought after products on the market to date. Although it can be gathered from certain flowers and other insects the main source of honey is bee keeping. Bee keepers will have acres of large bee colonies in order to meet the consumption demands of the world. Everyone loves honey with breakfast, but it has many medical uses as well.

Raw honey is one of the best sweeteners available at the moment, and has been for centuries. It is unburdened by processing, and needs no additives to achieve its sweetness. It is mainly 38 percent fructose, and 31 percent glucose. People love to use it as an alternative sweetener and the demand for it makes bee keeping a very profitable industry. Bees store the honey as a form of food to use during the winter months when other sources run low. A typical beehive has one queen, a few hundred males, and up to forty thousand female workers. There are many types of honey and the taste is determined by the flower the nectar came from. Most common honey that you buy in stores is a blended variety coming from several different flowers.

Raw honey is taken from most modern bee hives simply by pulling out a wooden slide which has a cell structure built into it. This structure is employed by the bees to store the honey so all one has to do is drain it and reinsert it. This leaves the colony intact and only the additional honey is taken. After all taking all of the honey would leave none for the bees and a dead bee hive would be bad for bee keeping.

Another application that some believe raw honey has is allergy relief. Some folks believe that consuming honey that has not been filtered and still has traces of the wax and other materials can increase allergy resistance. Food agencies have yet to figure out if this basically works or not. In any case bee keeping is a particularly busy job, and shielding oneself is critical.

Honey is also useful as an antiseptic on small cuts or wounds.

Bee keepers will wear complete screen suits when they walk around their bee hives. Although they are not at once threatening the bees there’s still the likelihood of being stung. Naturally even with the use of the newest protection 1 or 2 stings still manage to get thru. Most bees are not very aggressive, but if you threaten their colony you could have a problem on your hands. When making an attempt to get raw honey from a natural hive in the badlands you run 2 risks. Number one you are climbing a tree so you might break your neck. Number 2 if you bug the hive when most are home you may not make it out alive. This is the reason why bee keeping is a safer alternative option to natural gathering.

Regardless of if you want raw honey for food, or for medical purposes chances are you’re not going to get it out of a tree. Most honey that is in stores now is made via bee keeping and is perfectly safe to eat. It’s good on everything from biscuits to pancakes, and makes a great sweetener for hot drinks. Some people have even used it to treat burns in emergency cases.

About the Author:

To learn more about modern raw honey equipment and to extract raw honey with out disturbing Bee colony visit http://www.beekeepingtoday.com

Save Chorlton Meadows

greenman — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:13:45 +0000

Historic Hardy Farm, part of Chorlton Meadows in the Mersey Valley, is under threat from development. A company called West Didsbury and Chorlton Grounds Ltd, fronted by Rob Turley who is also vice chairman and CEO of West Didsbury and Chorlton AFC (a separate entity), and formerly of Turley Associates planning consultancy, has purchased all the land shown green on the map, with the immediate intention of building 8 new football pitches including an astroturf pitch, Exempla style fencing and 15 metre (49ft) high floodlights for 2 pitches.

Clicking the map should open a PDF in a new window (Adobe Reader requ’d) in which can be seen the extent of the proposal.

Some of this land has been purchased from Manchester University; who owned the rest is not known.

The area is rich in wildlife and biodiversity; it is the only wild open space in South Manchester and there are already too many under-used football facilites See Google map close by. Floodlights and fencing will completely change the character of the area, and the lights may disturb bats, which are already on the decline in England. Once it is gone it is gone.

A Planning Application has already been submitted for the floodlit pitches; planning already exists for the other pitches, dating from UMIST’s ownership

Objections deadline was Oct 1st 2009, however if you missed the deadline please keep submitting objections. Generally, the dept. will still include ones that are in when they are collating their report. Objections, even as late as the day before committee are included in late representations.

Links: Friends of Chorlton Meadows (biodiversity, photos) | In the News | Contact your Councillor or MP

UPDATES : For more information, posters, leaflets and to see what is happening and what you can do, visit:

WWW.SAVECHORLTONMEADOWS.CO.UK

Introduction to Permaculture Design DVD Trailer

greenman — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:13:51 +0000

Introduction to Permaculture Design with Geoff Lawton. Based on the Bill Mollison Permaculture Manual and the 72 hour Permaculture Design Certificate course, Geoff Lawton explains the theory and takes you through a number of Permaculture designed projects that are patterned on Nature. An ideal introduction for anyone interested in learning more about Permaculture. More info at www.permaculture.org.au

Practical Permaculture in Britain – Pt1

greenman — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 04:55:03 +0000

Practical Permaculture in Britain documentary by Malcolm Baldwin. For more information about permaculture visit www.permacultureplanet.com