Biomass

Microbes may be to thank for BP oil spill cleanup

Humans may have naturally occurring nanotechnology to thank for partially cleaning up the oil spill from BP's Deepwater Horizon rig.

Researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have found that previously undiscovered ocean floor microbes have literally risen to the occasion and begun degrading the giant underwater oil plume in the Gulf of Mexico.

While there was belief that some ocean microbes might aid in the degradation of the oil spill, the process has happened more aggressively than anyone predicted it would, according to a report from environmental biotechnologists at the Berkeley Lab.

One of the giant oil plumes that formed … Read more

Georgia biofuel plant open for business

An energy plant in Soperton, Ga., has perfected a process for commercialization that can produce both biodiesel and ethanol from non-food biomass.

Range Fuels announced Wednesday it has a commercially viable cellulosic biofuel plant. It yields methanol that can be made into biodiesel, as well as ethanol and other gases.

The first phase of the process consists of using heat and pressure to convert non-food biomass--currently Range Fuels is using wood waste from nearby timber plants--into a synthetic gas. That syngas, which the company says is made up of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, is then put through a second process … Read more

Geneco's VW Beetle gets pep from poop

We've seen cars powered by some crazy things in the past. electricity, chip fat, water, air, hydrogen--as of today, you can add farts to that list.

Engineers from Geneco, a sustainable-energy company owned by Wessex Water, have unveiled a modified Volkswagen Beetle that runs on compressed methane gas extracted from human waste. A Dung Beetle, if you will.

Biogas is generated when filth from Wessex Water's sewage works is put into a decomposition container, where oxygen-starved bacteria break it down to produce methane. The methane is then harvested and placed in tanks inside the boot of the … Read more

Study finds biomass power not carbon neutral

Forested regions around the world are pursuing biomass as a renewable energy source but a study finds that the carbon footprint from burning biomass can be worse for global warming than coal.

The Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences on Thursday published the findings of a six-month study to measure the greenhouse gas impacts of using biomass, which, in many cases, does not meet claims of being "carbon neutral" over short periods of time.

The report was commissioned by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, which said it will revise its regulations in response. "We can begin the … Read more

Using a dairy farm to power your server farm

What do 10,000 cows and diesel generators have in common?

Both have the ability to power a 1-megawatt data center. Diesel generators are already used for this purpose at some data center sites, though the energy source is not very environmentally friendly. On the other hand, 10,000 cows grazing a dairy farm produce 20,000 metric tons of manure each year that can be turned into methane gas and eventually electrical power.

That's according to researchers from HP Labs, who are presenting a paper on these findings at the ASME International Conference on Energy Sustainability in Phoenix … Read more

Our cars are 85 percent recyclable, Ford says

Ford Motor announced Wednesday that 85 percent (by weight) of each Ford vehicle made now is recyclable.

Apparently, CEO Bill Ford's misspent youth carousing with "known and suspected environmentalists" back in the day has paid off. And it seems to be the little things that count, according to Ford Motor.

In addition to the usual car parts that have been recycled for years, Ford has also been adding sustainable raw materials or recycled materials for components in select cars.

Ford's use of components like splash shields and engine covers made from post-consumer recycled plastics has prevented an estimated 25 million to 30 million pounds of plastic from going into landfills, according to company statistics.

The 2010 Ford Taurus, for example, will be the 11th Ford vehicle to have seat cushions, seatbacks, and headrests made from soy and biomass-based foam. Ford-produced vehicles that already have this include: the Ford Mustang, F-150, Focus, Flex, Escape, Expedition, Econoline, Mercury Mariner, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln Navigator.… Read more

A forest epidemic turns into energy opportunity

Fuel start-up Cobalt Technologies has figured out a way to use trees poisoned and killed by pine beetles to make biobutanol, the company announced Wednesday.

Cobalt develops biofuels that can be mixed with gas, diesel, or jet fuel, as well as used to make plastics. Up until now, the company has used forestry byproducts that originated from healthy trees to make its n-butanol. The result is a gasoline blend made up of 12 percent biobutanol, which the company has claimed can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85 percent when compared to conventional gasoline. It's been touting the … Read more

While biofuels sputter, green chemicals attract cash

After betting big on biofuels with little success, investors appear to be switching gears to focus more on making chemicals from plants.

Chemical company Genomatica on Thursday said that it has raised $15 million in series C financing, which was led by TPG Biotch, a venture capital arm of private equity company Texas Pacific Group. With the money, Genomatica plans to start building a demonstration facility later this year to produce the industrial chemical 1,4-butanediol, or BDO, from sugar and to expand its product line.

Genomatica is one of several biotechnology companies using genetically modified organisms to make fuels … Read more

Green plastic breakthrough from Big Blue, Stanford

A group of scientists from IBM and Stanford University announced Wednesday a chemistry breakthrough that could change the nature of plastics and plastics recycling.

Using organic catalysts, the team has developed a new method for producing and breaking down plastic polymers.

"Additionally, the team has developed a new strategy for the synthesis of high molecular weight cyclic polyesters and the generation of new families of biocompatible polymers for biomedical applications," according to IBM.

In terms of real-world application, the science could lead to plastics becoming endlessly recyclable rather than junk in a landfill.

As IBM points out, many … Read more

Guilt-free plastic for composting in your yard

A new sugar-based polymer could be used to make common food containers compostable at home right alongside your potato peels and egg shells.

A team of engineers and scientists at the Imperial College London led by Charlotte Williams in partnership with BioCeramic Therapeutics have created a degradable material from sugars derived from the breakdown of lignocellulosic biomass.

Williams noted in the group's announcement that while they're not the first to come up with a "biorenewable plastic," many of those have previously been made from sugar beet- or corn-based biomass.

It's a fairly accurate estimate.

In … Read more