Citysol Kids of All Ages Day
Monday, July 6th, 2009| July 12, 2009 | ||
| 11:00 am | to | 6:00 pm |
SUNDAY JULY 12 at 11AM : Kids of All Ages Day
11:30 PM — Rachel Trachtenburg’s Homemade World with the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players
12:30 PM — Just Food- Learn the ancient art of fruit canning!
1:30 PM — Solar One- Check out the Solar One bike blender project, buy a bike-blended smoothie and learn about bike mechanics!
2:30 PM — The Madagascar Institute- Make your own generator; you have the power!
3:30 PM — Band of Bicycles- Bicycle-powered spin art for kids of all ages.
4:30 PM — Wide Open Eco-Pet Fashion Show- Dress up your pet in an eco-extravagant costume to die for! Use found, reclaimed, reused and recycled materials to show off your creativity and your pet’s fabulousness! Win a Big Blue Ribbon! Hosted by performance elf Reverend Jen!
Lots of stuff for kids to do, plus workshops and panel discussions for the grownups. Make crafts, check out the BioBus, a solar-and-wind powered laboratory on wheels, build a hand-crank alternator and learn about how electricity works, and many more! Plus hang out under Eco-Pioneers Solar Tent and chill at the Tiki Bar!
Bring your own cup and get beers for $2 off the regular price! Reuse the cup we give you, and it’s $1 off!
Write a letter for our I Heart PV campaign to increase solar energy generation in New York State and have a beer on us. Check out http://iheartpv.org for more info.
Posted in Art, Biofuel, Citysol, Design, Education, Food, I Heart PV, Legislation, Recycling, Solar One Events | Permalink
Manhattan Announces Green Jobs For the Ex-Homeless
Monday, April 27th, 2009
This past Friday, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver announced an innovative plan that will help curb NYC’s greenhouse gas emissions while simultaneously providing jobs for those most in need of them. The Go Green! Cooking Oil Recycling Program will employ formerly homeless and incarcerated individuals to pick up used cooking oil from local city restaurants free of charge; the oil will then be sold to companies that conduct biodiesel conversion, cutting down on the use of standard diesel gasoline – among the dirtiest of hydrocarbon-based fuels – in commercial vehicles in and around the city.
The service will be conducted by RWA Resource Recovery, a venture of The Doe Fund and its Ready, Willing and Able Community Improvement Project. To date, RWA Resource Recovery has collected nearly 725,000 gallons of biodiesel since its inception in early 2007, an amount that should increase at a substantial rate under the new agreement; in March alone, RWA added 50 new client businesses around the city. Overall, through this community improvement project, The Doe Fund has aided more than 3,000 formerly destitute New Yorkers in their quest for self-sufficiency. The program will also partner with the Lower East Side Ecology Center, which will conduct education and outreach by training local students to serve as “eco-consultants” to help recruit other businesses into the program.
In addition to this venture, which will expand to neighborhoods in upper Manhattan over the next few weeks, the state will provide further incentives for biodiesel through tax credits for users and producers of the alternative fuel. Given current economic and employment trends, the Go Green! Cooking Oil Recycling Program will provide much-needed hope and opportunities while at the same time making progress towards a cleaner city.
Sources: “Speaker Sheldon Silver and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer Announce Free Cooking Oil Recycling Program for Local Restaurants”, press release – 4/24/09, Manhattan Borough President’s Office official website (www.mbpo.org); RWA Resource Recovery website (www.rwarr.org); The Doe Fund website (www.doe.org); Lower East Side Ecology Center website (www.lesecologycenter.org).
Posted in Biofuel, Green Collar Jobs, New York City, Politics, Recycling, Waste | Permalink
Biodiesel and New York: Considering the Prospects, Challenges, and Controversies in the Five Borough Context
Thursday, November 13th, 2008| November 19, 2008 | ||
| 7:00 pm | to | 8:30 pm |
***NOTE: Special Location: NYU’s Kimmel Center, 60 Washington Square South, 4th Floor. (View Map)
Solar One and the NYU Earth Matters Club present a Panel Discussion Featuring:
- Brent Baker, President and CEO, Tristate Biodiesel
- Daniel Falcone, Vice-Chair of Policy, The Bio-Fuels Industry Committee, The Environmental Business Association of New York
- Hon. Council Member James Gennaro, 24th District, Committee on Environmental Protection, Chairman, The New York City Council.
- John Nettleton, Senior Lecturer, Department of City and Regional Planning, Cornell University
- Luis Torres, Associate Director for Community and Public Affairs, Center for Sustainable Energy, Bronx Community College, City University of New York.
- David Yassky, 33rd District, The New York City Council
Moderated by Chris Neidl, Outreach and Advocacy Coordinator, Solar One.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Biodiesel has remained a prominent topic of interest within national and global conversations concerning energy independence, climate protection and economic development. But what expectations should we have for its future viability and impact in the Five Borough area?
In this panel discussion local experts and practitioners representing commercial, policy-making, and academic perspectives will discuss how biodiesel might ultimately fit into the city’s long term energy picture and sustainability goals, provide a picture of the fuel source’s present market evolution within the context of New York, and weigh in on the growing debates and controversies surrounding the energy source from a local perspective.
All ARE WELCOME.
RSVP: greenrenter@solar1.org
Posted in Biofuel, Solar One Events | Permalink
BioFuels: Culprit or Scapegoat?
Monday, April 28th, 2008
The global trend toward biofuels came under attack last week at the International Energy Forum in Rome. Blamed by industry insiders for the nascent food crisis, alternative fuels made from cash crops – particularly grains – have been subject to growing criticism as it becomes evident that they aren’t the much-touted panacea for global warming many had imagined. Though these comments aren’t especially surprising coming from a bunch of oil CEOs and government policy wonks, they shouldn’t necessarily be dismissed. More and more studies are indicating that biofuels such as ethanol use at least as much energy as they are purported to save, and that the reallocation of farm land for fuel crops is putting a strain on global food markets.
So biofuels apparently aren’t all they were cracked up to be. We shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss biofuels, however. While they make a convenient scapegoat for the current crisis and are clearly deserving of skepticism, they may not be entirely to blame, despite what the energy moguls claim. Biofuels will probably never live up to their original hype, but with continued technological progress and more intelligent legislation, they may still find their niche on a smaller, more sustainable scale. First, while most attempts to produce biofuels utilize processes and raw materials that are inefficient, some alternative methods offer hope. The International Energy Agency (IEA) supports the use of second-generation biofuels, which use non-food crops to produce the fuel. Other methods focus on genetically engineering certain tree species to reduce lignin levels, which prevent researchers from accessing the cellulose needed for ethanol production. Given their high levels of cellulosity, trees are otherwise perfect candidates for biofuels. Such methods are not without their own controversies, however; critics of bioengineering have raised concerns over compromising the structural integrity of these experimental trees, not to mention the threat of cross-fertilization with wild strains. Second, most current subsidy policies do little but promote such inefficiency. Corn-based ethanol – the bulk of biofuel produced in the U.S. – is especially inefficient given corn’s low cellulose content compared to other potential sources. Yet Congress continues to pass bills in favor of greater corn subsidies and cornthanol production. (Click here and here to read our past posts.) At the conference, recently ousted Italian prime minister Romano Prodi astutely commented that “We have to examine very closely subsidy policies so as to avoid distortions in the allocation of resources”. Such a prudent approach may prove better in the long run than the outright dismissal of biofuels, despite the significant limitations born out by recent events.
“Tortillanomics”, a slideshow on Frontline’s website, also explores the effects of biofuel production on corn prices in Mexico. Click here.
Posted in Biofuel, Energy Efficiency, Food, Legislation, Politics, Sustainability | Permalink
Thirsty Biofuels
Tuesday, February 19th, 2008
Water, which is already in trouble for droughts around the country, has been shown to be a huge ingredient in the production of biofuels. In a recent study by scientist Michael Webber at University of Texas, he found biofuels to use from 40 to 130 times more water per gallon than gasoline, mostly from the water needed for irrigation. It’s just another of the many complicated factors as we try to improve our energy portfolio and make it safer for future generations.
From Treehugger
Posted in Biofuel, Water | Permalink
Two Strikes Against Corn
Monday, February 11th, 2008
Few agricultural markets in the U.S. are currently more robust than the corn market; even with prices at their highest point in a decade (reaching $4 a bushel in 2007), already generous federal subsidies to corn farmers are set to increase to $10.5 billion over the next five years, thanks to a bill recently passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. Another bill passed by the Senate would double the federal mandate for corn-based ethanol as an alternative fuel source, also music to corn farmers’ ears.
But don’t go investing in corn futures just yet. Two recent news articles report findings that may limit the market’s long-term viability. One article combines the results of two reports that suggest that corn-based ethanol may increase rather than lower greenhouse gas emissions. While previous reports had reached a similar conclusion concerning corn’s efficiency when converted into biofuel, these new studies focus on other by-products of this latest corn craze — the replacement of soy fields with corn in the U.S. is leading to higher food prices and the clearing of Amazonian rain forests to plant more soy. This land conversion is creating an even greater carbon debt than that produced by standard fossil fuel consumption. According to one study, “Corn-based ethanol, instead of producing a 20-percent savings [in greenhouse gas emissions], nearly doubles greenhouse emissions over 30 years and increases greenhouse gases for 167 years… We can’t get to a result with corn ethanol where we can generate greenhouse gas benefits.”
The other by-product of this increase in the production of ethanol created from food crops such as corn — a decline in global food supply and a subsequent increase in food prices — adversely affects millions of people in developing countries. According to ecologist David Tilman, coauthor of one of the studies, “We are converting their food into fuel. The typical driver of an SUV spends as much on fuel in a month as the poorer third of the world spend on food.”
In an unrelated development, France has just announced that it will halt the use of genetically-modified corn while it awaits the EU’s decision regarding a full ban. While this decision is most certainly intended to address concerns about the long-term effects of the consumption of bioengineered crops, not to mention the possibility of cross-fertilization with wild crop strains, it will no doubt affect the price and supply of corn as a cheap (albeit inefficient) fuel substitute, especially when one considers that most industry experts believe that genetic engineering may be the best way to increase the fuel conversion efficiency of corn and other low-cellulose crops.
One thing that seems all too clear is that, unless an informed public takes action, pork-barrel politics may regrettably get in the way of even such a seemingly progressive step as the development of efficient biofuels.
Posted in Biofuel, Energy, Energy Efficiency, Food, Global Warming, Legislation, Sustainability, Technology | Permalink
Environmentalism + Biotechnology = Strange Bedfellows
Friday, December 21st, 2007
According to most recent accounts in the press, ethanol is going through a PR crisis. These days the alternative fuel is hardly seen as the clean solution to our fuel problems, as originally touted. It’s apparently not as environmentally friendly as initial reports indicated, and it’s grossly inefficient. The energy-intensive methods needed to extract ethanol from targeted crops such as corn, sugar, soybean and switchgrass produce greenhouse gas emissions at only slightly lower rates than the direct consumption of traditional fossil fuels, though this debate is far from settled; in addition, the allocation of agricultural resources to the production of ethanol-suitable crops has raised a plethora of concerns, ranging from potential food shortage to inefficient land use to excessive fertilizer run-off.
Biotech could change that. According to an article published in a recent issue of the New York Times science supplement, genetic engineers at various public and private institutions are racing to create strains of ethanol-friendly trees. “Treethanol” is seen by many as a significantly more efficient — and controversial — version of ethanol. Given their relatively high amounts of cellulose — the key component for ethanol production — trees seem like a natural resource toward this end. But the lignins that give wood its structure and composition prevent scientists from efficiently tapping this high cellulosity. The obvious solution, according to industry scientists, is to bioengineer trees with lower amounts of lignins. While the genetic pathways by which this could be accomplished are well understood and easily modified, the criticism aimed at these efforts is no less acute than that leveled at other forms of ethanol; the range of concerns includes familiar issues such as the vast amounts of land that will need to be allocated to grow transgenic trees, as well as newer issues such as the admixture of modifed genes with those from wild strains in natural populations and the possibility of unwittingly creating entire forests of structurally unstable trees. While these concerns are very real, as cases of gene mixing between bioengineered and natural crops abound, research is currently thriving; the Energy Department recently granted $1.4 million over three years to a team of Purdue researchers experimenting with lignin reduction.
The Economist published a similar article back in March. Click here to read.
Sources: “”Through Genetics, Tapping a Tree’s Potential as a Source of Energy”, The New York Times; Producing Ethanol from Trees”, The Economist; “The Debate on Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Impacts of Fuel Ethanol”, Center for Transportation Research – Energy Systems Division, Argonne National Laboratory; “Biological Containment”, www.answers.com.
Posted in Biofuel, Energy Efficiency, Global Warming | Permalink
60mpg, sportscar fast…. and a Hummer?
Tuesday, October 30th, 2007
Crazy car tuner John Goodwin has done some unbelievable things in the past, but his current project takes the cake, and was featured on the cover of Fast Company magazine.
John got his hands on a 1985 jet turbine which he is planning on dropping in a 2005 Hummer H3, promising to be the latest in a long series of huge green cars that Goodwin has engineered. He is currently working on a 1960 Lincoln Continental conversion for Neil Young with the target of 100mpg. More on the unbelievable Hummer conversion from the magazine (because he’s a better author):
Like most hybrids, it’ll have two engines, including an electric motor. But in this case, the second will be the turbine, Goodwin’s secret ingredient. Whenever the truck’s juice runs low, the turbine will roar into action for a few seconds, powering a generator with such gusto that it’ll recharge a set of “supercapacitor” batteries in seconds. This means the H3’s electric motor will be able to perform awesome feats of acceleration and power over and over again, like a Prius on steroids. What’s more, the turbine will burn biodiesel, a renewable fuel with much lower emissions than normal diesel; a hydrogen-injection system will then cut those low emissions in half. And when it’s time to fill the tank, he’ll be able to just pull up to the back of a diner and dump in its excess french-fry grease–as he does with his many other Hummers. Oh, yeah, he adds, the horsepower will double–from 300 to 600.
“Conservatively,” Goodwin muses, scratching his chin, “it’ll get 60 miles to the gallon. With 2,000 foot-pounds of torque. You’ll be able to smoke the tires. And it’s going to be superefficient.”
He laughs. “Think about it: a 5,000-pound vehicle that gets 60 miles to the gallon and does zero to 60 in five seconds!”
A high school dropout from Kansas can do this and Detroit can’t do what?
Posted in Biofuel, Energy Efficiency, Transportation | Permalink
Carbon negative fuel/compost?
Saturday, October 20th, 2007An ancient composting technique shows promise as a way to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Called terra preta, it is a human made soil/fertilizer, but not a chemical fertilizer. It is a way of burning/gasifying/decomposing biomass that breaks down the carbon chains to create super rich soils.
It could create a rare triple-win situation. Rather than burn or landfill crop waste, it could be specially composted. The resulting chemical process emits burnable gases for modest amounts of fuel. The majority of the original carbon in the biomass ends up in the super rich soil that has been shown to be 50% more effective than chemical fertilizers. Since carbon was extracted from the air for the plant matter, and most of it ended up back in the compost, it could potentially be more than carbon neutral.
Naturally, this could be a great jack-on-all-trades solution for poorer parts of the world, with potential to decrease soil erosion, water pollution, and provide fuel. The basic setup is not particularly complicated or expensive.
Definitely check out a full length article by the great people at World Changing.
Posted in Biofuel, Energy, Global Warming, Renewables, Sustainability, Waste | Permalink
Green beer, but not dyed
Thursday, October 18th, 2007
Right here in NYC, our very own Brooklyn Brewery uses 100% certified wind power electricity, and another east coast brew-crew, Peak Organic, is, well, organic.
But a Colorado company is taking leaps and bounds in the direction of lowering the environmental impact of their brewing. New Belgium has many energy saving features built into their factory like windows that automatically open based on temperature, waste steam that preheats incoming water, and an onsite water-treatment facility that creates methane for electricity generation. They get the rest of their power from local wind farms, and buy carbon offsets on the CCX.
The next thing they are working on? Partnering with a biodiesel algae farm to put to use the concentrated CO2 that brewing beer makes.
Popular Mechanics has a slew of other awesome green design, like an eco disco floor.
Posted in Biofuel, Energy Efficiency, Food, Sustainability | Permalink
