The production of biofuel to replace oil and natural gas is in active development.  There are some amazing discoveries,  like the possibility of grass being used as an alternative to oil.

We use oil for so many things.  Oil comes from fozzilized remains of ancient marine plants and animals that take ten million years to become crude oil.  We use more oil and faster than it is created.  Eventually we will run out.  Petroleum plays a big role in our daily lives and we need to find alternatives to gasoline.   The next fuel has to be clean and affordable.  Ethanol is one form of fuel derived from complex carbohydrates in plants.  It has the potential as a fuel but researchers still need to figure out how to produce ethanol inexpensively and efficiently.  A new discovery is a grass called switchgrass.  This grass is found in the United States, Canada, Central and South America and parts of Africa.  It may be what fuels your car in the next twenty years.  It is showing much promise.

Researchers are working on many other things from chicken fat to chocolate based fuel, but most of these yield a low net energy ratio.  Energy put out isn’t more than energy put in and the cost is also a problem.  Switchgrass, a native perennial to the Americas grows quickly and easily.  It is a tough and hardy species.  It is resistant to drought and requires very little fertilizer, if any.  It has a much higher energy ratio.  Every unit of energy put into cellulosic ethanol production from switchgrass creates ten times the amount of energy.  This is much higher than from corn.  Switchgrass has lots of cellul;ose.  It even has a by-product called ligin, which is created when water is removed from the cellulose.  This also shows great promise.  Gasoline, which we now use, requires more energy to produce than what it yields.  Switchgrass ethanoil may require seventy percent less fossil fuel to produce gasoline. (Wang).  SOUNDS GREAT!  So, why do we have to wait years for it to be on the market?

Researchers are still looking for cheaper ways to break down the cellulose with enzymes.  They want to find ways to bring the cost way down.  Another problem is getting the ethanol from refineries to fuel stations.  It is highly corrosive and can’t be shipped via pipelines as oil can.  It is transported by trucks, which adds to the cost of production and lowers the energy ratio.  The other hurdle to overcome is having enough land to cultivate it.  We would need to have enough to keep up with the demand of gasoline use.  We have enough money available for this research on cellulosic technology, but the research will be time consuming.

As with every new thing, there are sceptics and there is a compettition between corn use and switchgrass.  One problem that I foresee is that if we use up the land for fuel, we will not have enough for food.  Will food and energy compete for land?  Food surplus programs for hungry countries may dry up.  I guess we will have to wait and see.  Another option that is showing promise is Vetroleum which is a product produced by Sustainable Power Corporation.  SSTP has been doing research on biofuel.  They are an international green energy service provider focused on environmentally safe biofuel.  They do not work with food crops, instead they utilize plant materials like hay, palm waste, straw and chickweed.  This seems to be a viable green energy solution.  For more information check sustainablepower.com

Whether it be Vetroleum or switchgrass, one thing is for sure – the world is changing toward alternative fuels and we will not be using oil in the future.

Buyers of fashion have to become educated.  I just wrote a blog post about buying jewelry, and purchasing clothing is no different.  We have to become more aware of how things harm the Earth.  Some people believe that “green” fashion just means buying organic cotton.  It goes a lot further than that.  There are a lot of other fibers.  Hemp silk, which gives nitrogen back to the soil, is just one example.  Conventional processes such as tanning leather, bleaching, dyeing and printing with large amounts of water, energy or toxic chemicals are being looked down upon.  Organic dresses made from cotton grown without pesticides are in.  Things are really changing in this direction.  Nearly 50 designers from 40 countries displayed some of their garments at the “International Year of Bio-Diversity” in the Autumn/Winter season in Milan, Paris, London and New York.  The models wearing alpaca fiber, bamboo and organic silk and cotton strutted down the “Eco-Chic” catwalk to back the United Nation’s call for the use of natural resources in fashion. (Ruetgers)  The UN Conference of Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in the fashion industry states that the fashion industry has responded to the demand for sustainable styles and material fibers.  Eco-fashion draws in 150 million to 200 million in sales per year.  The change towards more natural clothing products can be seen everywhere.  This years Grammy Awards showed off some of the latest fashions.  Singer/songwriter Jason Mraz designed eco-friendly tee shirts.  They are 100% cotton and printed with soy ink.  Proceeds from the sale of these shirts will go to a non-profit organization to protect our oceans.  Check them out at www.buckle.com.  I feel that we should support companies that are “green”.  When you make your fashion purchases, keep our planet in mind.  Do your own research on products labels and ask questions.  The more informed you become, the better choices you will make.  When you make a good decision, you will not only look good on the outside, but you will feel good on the inside.

The EPA estimates that in the next five years, purchases of EPEAT-registered computers could reduce hazardous waste by 4 million pounds and save enough energy to power 2 million homes.  This is very exciting news.  $250 billion is spent per year on powering computers worldwide – 85% of that power is wasted while the computer simply idles.  This is something to think about when we leave our computer on when not in use.  If you don’t want to worry about remembering to turn off your computer, a new “smart’ power strip will be available.  It automatically senses when your computer is not in use and shuts it down.

Cell phone manufacturers are also jumping on the bandwagon.  If you charge your phone overnight, you are wasting a lot of energy.  Nokia is preparing to introduce “unplug alerts” for their units.  They will cause fully charged phones to beep and display an alert to unplug the phone.  Just this one simple advancement in technology could save enough electricity to power 85,000 homes annually.  Pretty amazing statistics.

Solar chargers are also going to be a great alternative for cell phones, Ipods, and laptops.  Motorola is working on a phone that always remains charged – no plugs, no cords.

As these companies are designing electronics with “green” technology, it will be interesting to see what the future brings.

The new air powered cars will use compressed air.  A compressor on the car will create the air and will eliminate the need for a generator.  It will actually clean and cool the atmosphere.   They will be light weight and you will be able to drive 200 miles at a time.   Tata Motors has just invested 30 million dollars to get these cars on the road.   The American distributor, Zero Pollution Motors already has set a price of $17,800.  Not a bad price at all.  They will be working on getting the cars to go further and faster, but we are certainly off to a good start.  The Paris Motor Show is the place to be in 2010.  They are going to be showing off all the new cars.  The new hydrogen car is pretty amazing.  This car can power a house.  The universe is 92% hydrogen.  Hydrogen is flammable but lighter than gas and safer.  These cars have a fuel cell that generates electricity from a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen.  They are zero emission vehicles that look very promising.  Unlike electric motors which take hours to recharge, these silent cars can be re-fueled in minutes.  Norway is the front runner in this technology.  Norway just opened a hydrogen highway to test out these cars.  These cars use water vapor.  They are a sustainable technology for a better environment.  They will reduce our dependence on petroleum.  The Equinox Fuel cell vehicle from Chevy is the most advanced fuel cell propulsion system to date.  This vehicle was given its 2008 Green Car Vision Award for its forward thinking technology.  It won over the Honda FCX Clarity and the Toyota prius Plug-in.   These cars when parked will be able to produce electricity, a very interesting concept for the future.   It is pretty amazing what we are going to see in the year ahead.  We are now starting to recycle car parts to make fuel.  85% of cars would get recycled, but  mostly the metal parts.  Now we are recycling the 15% of parts that were discarded and turning them into fuel.  The plastic and foam from car mats and steering wheels are put into a reactor and heated to 900 degrees F.  It is then pressurized with 600 lbs of pressure.  Even though there are PVC’s in this plastic and foam that could be dangerous if near a flame, there is no danger in this method.  It is very safe.  The recycled parts are then mixed with water to create bio-fuel.  Who would believe that old car parts could power our new car.  It  is exciting to see what develops this year in the car industry.  This will be a year like we have never seen before.

Lowes is one company that is starting to sell do-it-yourself solar panels.  Their stores in California are already stocking the shelves for the New Year.  Manufactured by Akeena Solar, Inc., one solar panel will generate about 175 watts.  That is enough energy to power a flat-screen television. This is great news because people will be able to see the effects of solar energy without having to spend money to hire a professional installer.  The homeowner will need to get clearance from their electric company and a permit and do their own rebate application, but the benefits will be worth it.  The panels will sell for about $900.00 each.

This is a turning point for Americans who consume about a quarter of all the worlds energy.  Having more options on how they consume this energy is important.   “Pocono Green”

With only a short time until Christmas, everyone will be rushing out to buy wrapping paper for their gifts.  It is estimated that during the holiday season there is an increase of 25% in garbage from paper and boxes that are thrown away.  Using re-used materials to wrap just three gifts will save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields. If every family used two feet less ribbon, the 38,000 miles of ribbon saved would wrap around the planet.  Something to think about when we are making our bows and buying our wrapping paper this year.  Many papers have dangerous dyes and inks and I am sure that glitter is not good either. According to Eco-chick.com most paper will have tape on it also which is not good for the recycling process.  If you do use wrapping paper or you receive wrapped gifts, try to save the paper to re-use. Some people are buying “green” gifts that the stores are promoting which is a step in the right direction.  Many good ideas include solar powered products. But, even more important than the gift may be how we wrap it.  There are many ways to be creative.   If you have children, let them help.  They always come up with ideas.  You can make the wrapping part of the gift.  Get a basket to fill with items, a decorated box or use a resuable tote bag.   Children love to draw. Let them decorate the box.  You can use fabric to wrap presents in or to make cloth bags.  It will be fun to use your imagination to come up with ideas instead of using the standard store bought papers.  Your gift recipients will be impressed with the thought you put into their gift.  Be proud to be part of  the green movement and let your friends know why you are wrapping the gifts the way you do.  This is a good opportunity to spread the word.  You can find beautiful ‘green’ shopping bags in all the stores.  These are perfect to put your gift in.  If you knit, you can make a bag. Instead of spending the money on paper you will throw away, why not let the bag be an extra gift.  The comics from your newspaper are a great way to wrap kids presents; saves you money also.  You can make a pecan pie or bake cookies.  These do not have to be wrapped. There are many things you can give without wrapping them.  As you celebrate this holiday season, have fun experimenting with different ideas.  We get caught up in doing things in the same traditional ways and sometimes a change can be a welcoming surprise.  There is no better time than now to become imaginative.  Enjoy!