Marijuana powered passenger aircraft

There is a joke, Air New Zealand is planning to test biomass powered passenger aircraft of marijuana. The main reason is money: biomass of marijuana is 20-30% cheaper than the price of kerosene, which has grown with the price of a barrel of oil.
In addition marijuana biomass does not eat a thing looked kindly in terms of global food crisis. Initial tests will be done with a four-engine Boeing 747, of which only one will be powered by biomass.

First biofuel flight

Aviation industry for several years flirt with the idea of using biofuels to power the commercial flights, but until this year held its first flight to use the proportion of 50% -50% of biofuels and traditional fuel. Continental Airlines company was bold and experimental flight took place over the Gulf of Mexico.
One Boeing 737 engines used organic fuel mixture. The main thing was watching the behavior of the engine fueled with new fuel. During the 90-minute flight without passengers pilots conducted a series of tests, declaring themselves satisfied with the behavior of the aircraft.
Even if the flight was a success, one of Continental Airlines officials said that no provision for using alternative fuels to power aircraft in the next 5-10 years than when reserves will grow biofuel will refine the procedures for obtaining them.

Biogas from generation to collection

Biogas is gas produced by decomposing organic matter (animal and vegetable waste, food waste etc) in the absence of oxygen. The main components of biogas are methane and site of carbon dioxide. Allows the use of methane from biogas as a fuel, as a renewable energy source. In developing countries, the biogas is used for cooking and heating. In developed countries, waste processing centers, the biogas is converted into electricity.
Biogas is produced and your naturally accumulate in areas where animal waste, plant and household waste (farms, landfills, wetlands) and is particularly dangerous if not collected or dispersed in the air, can explode at concentrations of 5-15%. Also the methane from biogas vital contribution to the greenhouse effect (methane's effect is about 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide).
Depending on the decomposition of compounds which produce biogas was methane's concentration varies between 50 and 75%. Methane from biogas can be compressed in the same manner as natural gas, in which case it is called biomethane. A biogas (biogas producing farms in the U.S. over a certain limit are required to collect it) can use natural gas distribution network in agreement with the network administrator. For this to be possible biogas has to be cleared in advance by carbon dioxide, water and other particles. Once compressed, the biogas can be used to power motor vehicles (a biogas powered train is already in operation in Sweden since 2005).

California starts producing methane gas from manure

The newest source of alternative energy in California is manure, the methane gas is already used to obtain power over 1,200 households.
This movement was mainly driven by the law that require the presence of a proportion of 20% of energy used for food in the form of renewable energy.
Methane gas is one of the gases responsible for greenhouse effect, which is why its capture and use as a renewable energy source is an excellent thing.

Bioethanol, a substitute for gasoline?

Bioethanol is a fuel's environmental, chemical formula is the same as the ethyl alcohol found in alcoholic drinks. Raw materials that produce ethanol, is represented by scrap wood (lumber, wood chips, recycled paper), sugar cane, sugar beet, corn, etc… Bioethanol is used as an alternative to gasoline in different proportions mixed with, or pure (E100).
In terms of ethanol's characteristics, it has a higher octane than gasoline, hence resulting in more efficient combustion (default and lower CO2 emissions than in gasoline engines, which work only, no sulfur and hydrocarbon emissions ). The energy per liter is smaller (34%), requiring more fuel for the same number of miles. To achieve a more efficient car, it must be equipped with an engine designed to work exclusively with bioethanol, which is an engine with a compression ratio of greater fuel mixture (values close to 20:1). The only current vehicles with engines specially designed to run on bioethanol are buses and trucks, Scania is one of the pioneers in this field.
Brazil is the country with the longest tradition's use of ethanol, now used at a rate of approximately 30% of all automotive fuels. This helps the sugar cane plantations (raw material from which one can produce bioethanol), which are harvested 3-4 times per year.
Environmental regulations currently in force in the U.S. and Europe provide the use of ethanol and gasoline blend fuels in different proportions. Future plans allow increasing ethanol's share in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions create the greenhouse effect. Bioethanol E85 Ethanol is popular with a concentration of 85% ethanol and is flexible for engine fuels legally accepted. In winter, however a minimum of 25% gasoline mixture is needed for cold starting.

Biodiesel - diesel for vegetarians

Biodiesel is a fuel similar to diesel, but is not derived from petroleum but from vegetable oils and animal fats. Current diesel engines can use biodiesel fuel without requiring structural changes. Biodiesel can be used in 100% (B100) or can be mixed with diesel oil-based sites. Biodiesel is a fuel efficient in terms of CO2 emissions than the diesel-based oil.
Biodiesel has properties different from the dissolution of petroleum-based diesel fuels, which is why old engines of the building containing rubber hoses and gaskets can be degraded faster than when using regular diesel's. Newer engines are not affected by biodiesel, was replaced with FKM rubber. However, it is recommended to replace the engine oil filter to use petroleum-based diesel fuel before switching to biodiesel.
Among the advantages of biodiesel include better lubrication properties, growing life of the injectors. However the adoption of biodiesel is widely stubborn strikes carmakers. Biodiesel slowly enter the market but, more car models are certified to use biodiesel in various concentrations.
Using biodiesel is not limited to automobiles, is used and trains and planes. The pioneer in this case is billionaire Richard Branson, who has conducted tests with Virgin Voyager, the first train biodesel (concentration 20%) and Virgin Atlantic planes. The first demonstration flight took place on 24 February 2008, paving the way for more efficient flight environmental, demonstrating that biodiesel fuel is a very versatile, ready to fight global warming.

Biodiesel from algae

Biodiesel fuels seems to be one of the future, mainly due to abundance of raw natural resources that can be produced. In this context we are not surprised that biodiesel can produce new and seaweed.
The biggest advantage is that algae can get 30 times more biodiesel per hactar than from corn or soybeans. Coupled with the fact that algae grow in salt water (the most abundant substance on Earth) begin to understand why marine algae may become an alternative to oil.
Biodiesel made from algae requires a manufacturing process with low CO2 emissions, use renewable resources and is easily compatible with existing engines and distribution infrastructure.
The only downside is that the algae have grown in confined areas to reduce the risk of Bacteriological contamination caused by the sun. This translates into the need for larger spaces, additional equipment and careful supervision.
Until the present moment there are already several companies who researches biodiesel made from seaweed, one of them, Solazyme, already proving viability of the idea with a prototype C320 Mercedes fueled with biodiesel from algae.

Coffee - A new source of biofuel

Besides that keeps us awake each day, coffee could be a good fuel for cars.
That's the idea behind a new study explains that the coffee beans used can be turned into biodiesel fuel. Coffee probably will not replace oil but remains a cappuccino never used that could one day help us to reduce environmental impact. They say that time will come when all the debris and food products we use will be a reliable source of biofuel.
For decades scientists have known that coffee beans contain oil. Susanta Mohapatra, a chemical engineer at the University of Nevada, and her colleagues were the first coffee beans analysers.
To make the analysis of coffee beans, they are first dried in an oven. Then they mix the result with a combination of solvents that separates oil result solution. They extract the oil, saving for the next round of processing solvents. Remaining debris could be used as compost, fuel ethanol or trays.
The study showed that the grains contain about 15% of oil used depends on the type of coffee. These proportions are not too far from soybean, canola and palm oils are also used as sources of biodiesel. Coffee oil is more stable than other sources because it contains high antioxidant.
Worldwide, farmers produce more than 16 billion pounds a year according to U.S. Agriculture Department. Scientists estimate that the beans used could bring about 340 million gallons of biodiesel to global biofuel supply.
Coffee beans can produce high quality oil, said Robert McCormick, an engineer at National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. He said coffee will probably be a practical solution for the needs of the energy of the world.
America's main sources of biodiesel are cooking oil and animal fats, 100% pure oil, compared to coffee which has 15% oil. Even  when a large quantity of coffee is boiling, a few grains are left behind. It takes 15 gallons of coffee consumed to produce just 1 gallon of oil, Mohapatra said.

American students produce biodiesel from used kitchen oil

Several students from U.S. campuses have taken initiative and have produced their own biodiesel, even at times of chemistry. Interesting is the "raw material" used to obtain it, namely the oil used in frying potatoes in student cafeterias. Students came up with this idea for environmental reasons but economic, fuel costs are lower when using biodiesel.
In general, campuses have large areas of green spaces, and these must be maintained with special vehicles. These vehicles need fuel with biofuel initiative to supply their product to students.
For example, the University of New York represents about 8% of biodiesel fuel used on campus, and Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, produces between 185 and 550 liters of biodiesel per week.
Even if the numbers are insignificant seem a small step in the right direction and show us what can be achieved with little effort and imagination.

Polar bears have led us to court

Do you remember Fram, the polar bear from the circus who longed to return to his native lands of frosted pole? The frosted pole which had been separated from his mother killed by hunters? Well, the U.S. State submitted and approved a law that wants the polar bear a protected species. Polar bears became extinct due to global warming and the reduction of its natural habitat.
This news should be greeted with joy everywhere. But apparently that is not so. A lady named Sarah Palin, who is, incidentally or not, Alaska Governor, decided to give the U.S. government to court for adopting this law, because the polar bear hunt interdiction harms economic development of the area.
In other words, what we care about nature and animals. We are the dominant species, we decide. Hmmm ... this mentality reminds me of another country…