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| Headline |
Author |
Published |
Section |
A Bottle of Red, a Gas Tank of White
France's wine glut turned into biofuel |
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17 Nov 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| A Bottle of Red, a Gas Tank of White France's wine glut turned into biofuel It was the best of times for French drivers; it was the worst of times for French oenophiles. Beset by fierce international competition and flattened domestic sales, France's vintners this year will distill about 133 million bottles' worth of surplus wine into ethanol, which will be added to gasoline -- part of an overall European effor ... |
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| Topics: France, news, placemaking, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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Hot Hot Heat
On waiting for warm water |
Umbra Fisk |
07 Nov 2005 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, You know how, when you turn on the hot water in an old building, it usually takes a while for it to kick in? Well, my question is, if I turn on the tap full blast, will the hot water come sooner? Is it the amount of water you let run, or the amount of time you leave the tap running? I've talked to my landlord, but in the meantime, can I save water by letting it run slowly? Sincerely, (No) Hot (water) and bothered Deare ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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Put a Turkey in Your Tank
Biofuels from odd sources gain new fans |
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28 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Put a Turkey in Your Tank Biofuels from odd sources gain new fans Just about anything organic, from turkey entrails to cow dung, can be used to make biofuel, and with oil over $60 a barrel, just about everything is. Changing World Technologies' refinery uses the feathers, bones, fat, and other bits from a nearby turkey-processing plant to make up to 500 barrels daily of bird diesel, which it sells to a nearby industrial ... |
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| Topics: news, placemaking, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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Shake, Rattle, and Bankroll
Hillary calls for Big Oil to fund a cleaner energy future |
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26 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Shake, Rattle, and Bankroll Hillary calls for Big Oil to fund a cleaner energy future Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) says the oil industry should pony up for a multibillion-dollar "Strategic Energy Fund" that would invest in clean-energy technologies and help folks struggling with spiking heating costs. At the Cleantech Venture Forum in D.C. yesterday, Clinton called for Big Oil to ... |
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| Topics: energy, Hillary Clinton, news, oil, politics, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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Exhaust in Translation
Green cars all the rage at Tokyo Motor Show |
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21 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Exhaust in Translation Green cars all the rage at Tokyo Motor Show The most buzzworthy attractions this week at the 39th Tokyo Motor Show weren't the biggest or the most powerful but the most eco-friendly. Hoping to dazzle drivers battered by high gas prices, automakers debuted a dizzying array of low-pollution, high fuel-efficiency vehicles -- some electric, some powered by hydrogen fuel cells, some ... |
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| Topics: business, Japan, news, placemaking, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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Covert Ploperations
CIA investing in 'plug and play' clean power generator |
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19 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Covert Ploperations CIA investing in "plug and play" clean power generator Warning: this blurb will self-destruct in five seconds. It seems clean energy has a spooky new backer. The CIA is investing, via a venture capital firm, in a Virginia start-up called SkyBuilt, which has developed a clean electricity generator for use in the field. The Mobile Power Station uses solar panels and wind turbines to generate up to ... |
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| Topics: energy, news, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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Watts On, Watts Off
Japanese manufacturing leads the world in energy efficiency |
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07 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Watts On, Watts Off Japanese manufacturing leads the world in energy efficiency When oil supplies contract, oil-dependent economies suffer -- and Japan prospers. Investors are bullish on Japan's manufacturing sector, which has been investing in energy efficiency since the oil crisis of the early 1970s. Faced then with few domestic energy sources and near total dependence on foreign oil, the nation's industrial ... |
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| Topics: energy, Japan, news, oil, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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Hybrid Anxiety
Ford plans to hybridize half its models by 2010 |
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21 Sep 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Hybrid Anxiety Ford plans to hybridize half its models by 2010 Reeling from recent profit declines and concerned about stiff competition from Japanese automakers, Ford Motor Co. today announced a big expansion of its hybrid strategy, including plans to offer gas-electric hybrid versions of half its models by 2010. Its current hybrid offerings are limited to SUVs -- the Mercury Mariner and Ford Escape. Ford pl ... |
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| Topics: business, news, placemaking, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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Swedes aim to phase out fossil fuels by 2020
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Lisa Hymas |
16 Sep 2005 |
Gristmill |
| To counteract today's totally bummer crop of news, a cheery development from my peeps, the Swedes: Prime Minister Goran Persson announced this week that Sweden will try to end its dependency on fossil fuels in 15 years by, among other things, ramping up use of wind power, boosting research into renewable-energy technologies, and providing incentives for renewable power and clean cars. Swede dreams are made of this ... |
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| Topics: energy, fossil fuels, renewable energy, Sweden (all these topics) |
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Big Dreams for the Big Easy
What New Orleans could look like the second time around |
Timothy Lange |
15 Sep 2005 |
Soapbox |
| I heard that George Bush told New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin the city could be remade into "a shining example for the whole world." If Bush did say that, it surely wasn't an environmentally sound renaissance he had in mind. But that is precisely what is needed. Call it Eco New Orleans. It should encompass not just the city, but the other places blasted by Katrina and by FEMA ... |
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| Topics: environmental planning, Louisiana, placemaking, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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Feline Groovy
German inventor denies using dead cats to make biodiesel |
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15 Sep 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Feline Groovy German inventor denies using dead cats to make biodiesel German inventor Christian Koch says he's patented a way to convert trash into eco-friendly, high-quality biodiesel fuel that costs one-fifth the going price of diesel in his home country. To produce the alternative fuel, Koch claims he uses waste including paper, textiles, and plastics -- but no dead cats. Got that? Koch is ... |
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| Topics: animal welfare, Germany, news, placemaking, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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All's Well That Ends Wells
Investors bullish on clean energy technologies |
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14 Sep 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| All's Well That Ends Wells Investors bullish on clean energy technologies The clean-energy sector is experiencing a post-Katrina bounce. Petroleum stocks are looking less attractive after the storm damaged Gulf Coast oil rigs and refineries, and many investors seem to think pre-Katrina high fossil-fuel prices are here to stay, making renewable-energy investments more attrac ... |
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| Topics: business, energy, news, oil, renewable energy, solar voltaic power, wind power (all these topics) |
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Hog Heaven
Indiana burg to become 'BioTown' |
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13 Sep 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Hog Heaven Indiana burg to become "BioTown" The small farming community of Reynolds, Ind., is gearing up to take advantage of its ripest renewable resource: vast amounts of stinky hog poop. Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) and the Indiana Department of Agriculture have designated the one-traffic-light burg as the world's first "BioTown." The plan is for i ... |
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| Topics: food and agriculture, Indiana, news, renewable energy, solid waste treatment and disposal (all these topics) |
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Price Guys Finish First
Toyota plans to cut price of its hybrids |
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13 Sep 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Price Guys Finish First Toyota plans to cut price of its hybrids Aching for a Toyota Prius hybrid, but wilting at the thought of shelling out $3,500 or more over the price of a conventional car? Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe is thinking of you: He's directed the company's engineering chief to halve the price difference between a hybrid and its gasoline-only equivalent. Spea ... |
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| Topics: business, cars, electric vehicles, hybrids, news, Prius, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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School Daze
On why we shouldn't waste energy |
Umbra Fisk |
07 Sep 2005 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I am doing a big geography project at school on saving energy and recycling. My part is to comment on what will happen if we keep wasting energy. I know the basic information, but I am not sure what to write, as it is to be given out to adults (and I'm only 12!). Please send me some useful information because I am really stuck! Laura Heartfordshire, U.K. Dearest Laura, There are a few things that happen as we kee ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, education, energy, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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China Pattern
China may boost use of renewables, efforts to fight climate change |
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06 Sep 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| China Pattern China may boost use of renewables, efforts to fight climate change Recent developments show China making concerted efforts to boost its use of clean energy and engage the world community in efforts to battle global warming. Late last week, China and the European Union announced a deal that would have the formidable economic powers sharing technology and techniques to mitigate carbon-dioxide emissions. And Monday ... |
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| Topics: China, news, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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Thirst-Case Scenarios
Shortages of safe water a growing global problem |
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23 Aug 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Thirst-Case Scenarios Shortages of safe water a growing global problem About 1.1 billion people worldwide can't get clean drinking water and 2.4 billion lack access to basic sanitation, the International Herald Tribune reports in a series on the looming global problem of freshwater scarcity. The U.N. wants to halve these numbers by 2015, but current progress suggests that target won't be met -- it would effectively mean hooking up mo ... |
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| Topics: news, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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The Pledge of Reason
Dispatches from a student-run clean-car campaign |
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23 Aug 2005 |
Dispatches |
| The Road to Detroit campaign is run by 11 student organizers from around the U.S., one big, beautiful biodiesel and veggie-oil bus, and many friends and allies. Road to Detroit is a campaign of Energy Action, a student and youth clean-energy and global-warming coalition. Dispatch: 1 | 2 | 3 Tuesday, 23 Aug 2005 DETROIT, Mich. Yesterday evening, the Road to Detroit team of organizers joined up with our brave Drive the Future we ... |
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| Topics: biofuels, cars, Dispatches, education, energy, fuel efficiency, grassroots activism, Michigan, placemaking, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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What's All the Bus About?
Dispatches from a student-run clean-car campaign |
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22 Aug 2005 |
Dispatches |
| The Road to Detroit campaign is run by 11 student organizers from around the U.S., one big, beautiful biodiesel and veggie-oil bus, and many friends and allies. Road to Detroit is a campaign of Energy Action, a student and youth clean-energy and global-warming coalition. Dispatch: 1 | 2 | 3 Monday, 22 Aug 2005 DETROIT, Mich. In the madness of classic cars and signs reading "Burn Out," "Light Her Up," a ... |
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| Topics: biofuels, cars, Dispatches, education, energy, fuel efficiency, grassroots activism, Michigan, placemaking, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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Mind Over Motor
Dispatches from a student-run clean-car campaign |
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19 Aug 2005 |
Dispatches |
| The Road to Detroit campaign is run by 11 student organizers from around the U.S., one big, beautiful biodiesel and veggie-oil bus, and many friends and allies. Road to Detroit is a campaign of Energy Action, a student and youth clean-energy and global-warming coalition. Dispatch: 1 | 2 | 3 Friday, 19 Aug 2005 DETROIT, Mich. We know you know about fuel-efficient cars. You may even own one. Peak oil, the rising price at the pump, an ... |
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| Topics: biofuels, cars, Dispatches, education, energy, fuel efficiency, grassroots activism, Michigan, placemaking, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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Bio Logic
Rob Elam, biodiesel buff, answers readers' questions |
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19 Aug 2005 |
InterActivist |
| Rob Elam, Propel Fuels. I hear a lot about how biodiesel is better for the environment, but I'd like to hear some specifics. How do emissions from biodiesel vehicles compare to conventional emissions? -- Rachel Gross, Olympia, Wash. A number of studies show biodiesel's emissions improvements. There are variables: emissions depend on feedstock and application; light-duty vehicles will differ from heavy-duty vehicles; an ... |
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| Topics: InterActivist, interview, placemaking, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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Changes of Engine
On biodiesel vs. straight veggie oil |
Umbra Fisk |
17 Aug 2005 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I have the opportunity to convert a 1979 non-turbo Mercedes into a non-diesel. The question I have is: to which should I switch, biodiesel or vegetable oil? I can't seem to find out which one is best, just that these two are better than any petroleum-based fuels, which we already know (thanks for your earlier column on hybrids vs. veggie oil). Also, is it possible to switch from biodiesel to veggie oil, ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, biofuels, cars, placemaking, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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We Wuz Rob'd!
Rob Elam, biodiesel buff, answers Grist's questions |
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15 Aug 2005 |
InterActivist |
| Rob Elam. What work do you do? I'm a cofounder of Propel Fuels, a biodiesel services and distribution firm. Biodiesel is a vegetable-oil based fuel for diesel engines. Using it significantly reduces greenhouse-gas and particulate-matter emissions. What does your organization do? Our mission is simple: fill tanks with biodiesel. We're approaching this in three ways: 1) helping retail station owners get biodiesel pumps u ... |
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| Topics: InterActivist, interview, placemaking, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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Nein Lives
Germany says auf Wiedersehen to nuclear power, guten Tag to renewables |
Michael Levitin |
12 Aug 2005 |
Main Dish |
| For a people as addicted to order as the Germans, this country is floundering in uncertainty. The economy has sputtered to a post-World War II record 5 million unemployed. Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's exhausted left-of-center coalition is close to coughing up the fall elections to conservatives. And soccer fans aren't even sure if their team can defend the country's pride when it hos ... |
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| Topics: Germany, nuclear power, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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Hybrid Fidelity
Toyota plans 10 new hybrids, invites automakers to eco-summit |
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04 Aug 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Hybrid Fidelity Toyota plans 10 new hybrids, invites automakers to eco-summit Toyota is developing 10 new hybrid models and aims within the next few years to be selling 1 million of the gas-electric vehicles annually worldwide. That, says the company's U.S. head, Jim Press, will mean about 600,000 new Toyota hybrids each year on American roads, including hybrid versions of nearly every model it offers. The auto honcho p ... |
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| Topics: news, placemaking, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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