31st Episode of GreenNews4U

Turning Algae into A Viable Fuel Source Our society is very dependent on oil and currently our military is the number one consumer. As the debate rages on about oil dependency, drilling in ANWR, the Keystone Pipeline and many other debates, there are those that are looking to alternative fuels. But which alternative fuel will move to the forefront? Electric? Hybrid? Solar? Hydrogen? Corn? Algae? Yes I said Algae. There is a company that is turning algae into renewable crude oil. How do they do this, how does it work and can we see this technology begin to take the burden off of our foreign oil dependency? With me today I have Riggs Eckelberry who is the President and CEO of Origin Oil.  

Melvin Wylie

Shell Oil is Suing the Sierra Club

Shell Oil is suing the Sierra Club and other environmental organizations over its plans to drill in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas -- the Polar Bear Seas -- of America's Arctic this summer. The Polar Bear Seas are home to 20 percent of the earth's polar bears. Even worse, an oil spill there would be a disaster: it's dark two months out of the year, and the closest Coast Guard station is a thousand miles away, making cleanup a nightmare. Stand up to Shell and sign the petition today.

Melvin Wylie

Sandra Fluke on Health Care Reform - Bashed by Media

Sandra Fluke, a third-year law student at Georgetown University went before the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee to give testimony regarding the proposed regulations by the Department of Health and Human Services. After her speech some loud and obnoxious shock commentators attempted to belittle her directly as a person. Calling her a "slut" among other things. As voting Americans we should not have to stand for language that is directed as an attack on a person to belittle, degrade or otherwise attempt to destroy their moral character. The ill witted and childish attempts made by Rush Limbaugh goes to solidify his lack of respect for women everywhere and he should be removed from the airwaves for such actions. He was advised by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California and Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y to offer an apology which he  ignored. Rather than apologize he ramped up his attitude and attacked all the female students of Georgetown University. This debate has been going on for months and every side has a right to express themselves and be heard. As the President of Georgetown University quoted from St. Augustine "Let us, on both sides, lay aside all arrogance. Let us not, on either side, claim that we have already discovered the truth. let us seek to together as something which is know to neither of us. For then only may we seek it, lovingly and tranquilly, if there be no bold presumption that it is already discovered and possessed." Show Sandra Fluke your support on Twitter @SandraFluke   Ms. Fluke has the support of Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia. She has also received the support from the Dean of Georgetown Law William M. Treanor along with Faculty, Staff and Students.

Melvin Wylie

Is Canada Overlooking First Nations?

Instead of boasting about Canada's success in avoiding much of the impacts of the recent global economic downturn at this week's World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Prime Minister Stephen Harper should be sharing with them a ground-breaking Canadian plan to stimulate its economy with initiatives that create genuine partnerships with First Peoples. Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee, one of 120 First Nations leaders from across Canada to participate in what was billed as a historic Crown-First Nations Gathering, said the post-event consensus was that Canada is intent on pushing through its own legislative agenda for First Nations, instead of working with them on comprehensive and creative solutions. Madahbee said Canada is missing out on an opportunity to be seen as a leader on the world stage. "The National Chief has told Prime Minister Harper that a comprehensive action plan would add CDN $400 billion to the Canadian economy, and eliminate CDN $150 billion in social costs. There are 400 million Indigenous peoples around the globe -- over a million in Canada. We are the fastest growing population. We are the students and workers of the future. Why do governments constantly overlook us? "If financial self-sufficiency of First Nations" is truly the "end-goal" of the Canadian government, they need to be talking to us about the treaty promises and resource revenue-sharing. This is the only way to create certainty for corporate projects. They can no longer expect to barge into our territories without dealing with First Nations peoples." "We have epidemic health and social issues, gross inequities in funding for our students, and virtually no share in the billions in resources being stolen from our traditional territories," said Madahbee, speaking for 39 member communities of the Anishinabek Nation. "What we heard from Mr. Harper was a lame re-hashing of his government's so-called accomplishments for our communities and citizens." Madahbee said the Gathering began with some sources of optimism, a ceremonial opening that included numerous references to the Royal Proclamation of 1763, by which the Crown in Canada envisioned a nation-to-nation relationship in its dealings with First Peoples. "But the Harper Conservatives just cannot bring themselves to truly honour the treaty relationship of sharing upon which Canada's creation was based. They should be convening First Ministers' meetings involving our people and the provinces to create comprehensive action plans. "Instead, they continue to rely on their bureaucrats who, like the ones who created the racist Indian Act in 1876, still act more as roadblocks to First Nations progress than facilitators. The Prime Minister himself said in Ottawa that the old rules - like the Indian Act - don't get good results. "Let's start working together on some new rules."

Melvin Wylie

Indian Trails Launches Michigan Flyer Fleet With Near-Zero Emissions

Michigan Flyer is putting an all-new fleet of four luxury motorcoaches on the road this month, representing a $2,124,000 million investment in the inter-city and airport shuttle service by parent company Indian Trails, Inc., of Owosso, MI. "The decision to invest in this infrastructure upgrade is based on our commitment to our customers, to Michigan Flyer, and to the people of mid-Michigan," said Indian Trails President Gordon Mackay. Michigan Flyer makes eight roundtrips each day between East Lansing, Jackson, Ann Arbor, and Detroit Metropolitan Airport, carrying more than 90,000 passengers a year. The new fleet?all state-of-the-art 2012 Prevost H3-45 coaches?is one of the first in Michigan to be equipped with Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology, which combines Exhaust Gas Recirculation and Diesel Particulate Filters to produce near zero emissions. "We're proud that our Michigan Flyer fleet exceeds the Environmental Protection Agency's 2010 standards on air pollutants and also achieves high fuel economy," said Mackay. "Each of these motorcoaches has the potential to remove 50 automobiles from the highway, further reducing air pollution, traffic congestion, and our nation's dependence on foreign oil." The new coaches?all equipped with ADA-compliant wheelchair lifts?also feature a collection of amenities designed to enhance passenger safety and comfort. One innovative safety feature is an electronic stability system that enables drivers to avoid danger in adverse conditions, such as ice and snow. It monitors vehicle movement, wheel speed, steering angle, and lateral acceleration, then automatically applies brakes or reduces throttle if necessary to prevent skid or rollover. Other advanced safety features include GPS; three-point retractable passenger seatbelts; an engine fire-detection and suppression system; and a tire pressure monitoring system. "The safety of our passengers is always top priority," said Mackay. "But we also realize that many are fatigued by long hours of air travel, or are commuting to and from stressful jobs, so we also aim to provide the most comfortable motorcoach experience possible, including high-end interior amenities." The new Michigan Flyer coaches feature deluxe, ergonomic seating and ample leg room; individual aircraft-style climate controls and reading lamps; tinted Thermopane side windows offering panoramic views plus privacy; 110-volt AC outlets at each seat for charging mobile devices; free WiFi Internet connectivity; flat-screen video monitors; on-board lavatories; enclosed, overhead parcel racks; convenient cup holders; and the largest luggage capacity of any motorcoach available. Now celebrating its fifth anniversary, Michigan Flyer continues to grow. Since its inaugural trips in November 2006, Michigan Flyer has carried more than 400,000 passengers. The Michigan Flyer—whose motto is "Why Drive?"—offers affordable, seamless, luxury motorcoach connections between Lansing, Jackson, Ann Arbor, and Detroit Metro Airport. Jointly owned by Indian Trails and Okemos Travel, Michigan Flyer has achieved an extraordinary 99 percent rate of on-time arrivals and departures. On the web at http://www.michiganflyer.com/. Indian Trails, Inc.—which has served as Michigan's premiere, family-owned, inter-city motorcoach carrier for more than 100 years, and is based in Owosso, MI—operates one of the largest and newest fleets of deluxe motorcoaches in Michigan. Its services include charters, tours, shuttles, airport transfers, casino runs and daily scheduled routes throughout Michigan and into Chicago and Milwaukee. On the web at http://www.indiantrails.com/

Melvin Wylie

School District to save up to 2.6 million gallons of drinking water annually

Central Basin Municipal Water District has partnered with the Montebello Unified School District to connect Montebello Gardens Elementary School to recycled water for landscape irrigation. As of a result of the connection, the School District will save an average of eight acre-feet of drinking water per year at this site. This works out to 2.6 million gallons of drinking water annually. (One acre-foot equals approximately 326,000 gallons, or enough water for two average-sized families for one year). "Central Basin is proud to have partnered with the Montebello Unified School District" said Central Basin Board President Ed Vasquez. "The connection at Montebello Gardens Elementary School is yet another great example of how we can utilize recycled water to create savings and help conserve valuable drinking water." The use of recycled water has several benefits. It is a cost-effective alternative to imported water that can create savings for businesses, schools and cities. Also, it improves reliability and reduces dependence on imported water supplies. In addition to savings and reliability, the use of recycled water has positive environmental impacts such as the reduction of wastewater that is discharged into the ocean. To date more than 200 sites throughout Southeast Los Angeles County have been connected to receive recycled water. Several other locations in the Central Basin service area will hopefully be connected in 2012. Central Basin is a public agency that wholesales imported water to cities, mutual water companies, investor-owned utilities and private companies in southeast Los Angeles County, serving a population of more than 2 million. In addition, Central Basin provides the region with recycled water for municipal, commercial and industrial uses. Formed in 1952, Central Basin is committed to ensuring a safe and reliable water supply for the region. For more information please visit www.centralbasin.org.

Melvin Wylie

No. 1 in Asia, No. 2 in the World: OFFSHORE WIND CHINA 2012

OFFSHORE WIND CHINA Conference & Exhibition 2012 is to be held again in Shanghai during May 30-June 1 in Shanghai New International Expo Center and Shangri-La's Kerry Hotel Pudong. After three years' of successful editions, it has become the No. 1 in Asia and No. 2 in the world for wind power trade events focusing on offshore. With international key players' active participation, the event has made a new record in terms of scale. For 2012, three major industry challenges consist of its 3 highlights: Offshore wind turbine techniques, Installation & Safety, Operation & Maintenance. From the above three perspectives, insiders will make intensive analysis of development trends for the wind power industry, and seek the best solutions for current challenges so as to establish an ideal communication platform for the sound development of offshore wind. With the Chinese government greatly pushing forward the offshore wind industry, costal regions like Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, and Fujian have put forward their development planning for offshore wind. By now, there have been 24 offshore wind projects in planning, stretching across China's coastline from north to south, with total installed capacity hitting 25,000 MW. China's target on offshore wind is to reach 5,000 MW installed capacity by 2015, shaping a whole series of technology line and a complete industry supply chain. After 2015, China will step into the scale-up growth phase in order to reach the international advanced technology level and occupy a stable global market share. By 2020, China's offshore wind installed capacity will realize 30,000 MW. In 2020, China is expected to become the largest offshore wind market in the world. OFFSHORE WIND CHINA 2012 is jointly organized by Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association, Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Committee and Shanghai International Exhibition Co., Ltd. In addition, Vestas and Sinovel, two giant industry-leaders, act as its co-organizers. In addition, it gains special support from China Machinery Industry Federation, which has added new energy into the event. Within China, it has continuously won national-wide government backing from Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Shanghai Municipal Economic and Informatization Commission, Science & Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, Jiangsu Energy Administration, Zhejiang Energy Administration, and Shandong Development and Reform Commission. As a world-wide trade event, OFFSHORE WIND CHINA has attracted active participation from Danish Wind Energy Group China, Innovation Norway, Holland Home of Wind Energy, German Industry & Commerce, etc. The exhibition will cover an area of 25,000 sq.m., which is twice as large as the last edition. By now, the confirmed exhibitors include Sinovel, Vestas, Goldwind, Guodian United Power, Siemens, Shanghai Electrics, HE-GE, DEC, XEMC, Guangdong Mingyang, CSIC, CSR, Windey, Shandong Changxing, etc. There are 5 national pavilions from Denmark,Norway, Germany, Holland and the UK to bring together first-class component suppliers. As an important part of the event, the conference will invite 108 speakers from the National Energy Administration, provincial Development and Reform Commissions, farm developers, R&D institutes, consultancy companies, leading manufacturers, etc. All these insiders will have discussions and communications on wind turbine manufacturing, engineering design, installation and construction, operation and maintenance. All in all, the conference is aimed to push forward the development of offshore wind, promote the technology updates, cultivate the engineering capacity throughout the whole supply chain, and improve the integrated competition for offshore wind. Around 800 conference delegates are anticipated to attend the conference with the overseas percentage over 40%. For more details and facts, please visit www.offshorewindchina.com

Melvin Wylie

America Well on Its Way to Winning Energy Independence

New statistics from the U.S. Energy Information Administration show America is winning its battle for energy independence. The EIA's fourth quarter 2011 report shows the United States supplied almost 58 percent of its crude oil and liquids consumption. And for the first time in recent history, net imports of liquids were less than 8 million barrels a day. Compared to 2006 numbers, America's position regarding consumption and supplies has reversed. In 2006, the United States imported 60 percent of its crude oil and liquids and only supplied 40 percent of its consumption. Harold Hamm, Chairman of the Domestic Energy Producers Alliance, said this reversal is monumental. "What seemed like a long shot six years ago is now a reality—we are significantly less dependent on foreign oil," Hamm said. "And it's all because of a paradigm shift in U.S. oil and natural gas production made possible by monumental advances in time-tested technologies applied in fields that were once thought to be unreachable." These major technological shifts include advances in horizontal drilling, which allows rigs to reach two miles into the ground and then spread horizontally by thousands of feet, coupled with advances in hydraulic fracturing technology, which creates paths that increase the rate at which fluids can be produced from rock formations. As a result of these new innovations in the field, the United States is now the third largest producer of oil in the world. For the first time in 62 years, the United States is a net exporter of petroleum products. And refined petroleum products just took the top spot as the United States' No. 1 export. Hamm said he thinks there's even more potential for America's abundant supply of oil and natural gas. "With the right set of national energy policies, the Americas can be completely energy independent by the end of the decade," Hamm said. "We can be the Saudi Arabia of oil and natural gas in the 21st century."

Melvin Wylie

Climate Change Threatens California Economy by Changing Ecosystems

Study Identifies Changes to Vegetation Types, Impacts to Ranching, Carbon Storage Climate change is likely to harm California's economy by reducing the types of natural, non-irrigated vegetation available for livestock forage and the ability of forest ecosystems to store carbon dioxide, according to a peer-reviewed study published in the scientific journal Climatic Change.The ability of ecosystems to store carbon dioxide is a key part of implementing the state's climate law, the Global Warming Solutions Act, also known as Assembly Bill 32 or AB 32. "Much of the talk about climate change in California has been about the impacts of sea level rise and droughts," said study coauthor Linwood Pendleton, director of ocean and coastal policy at Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, acting chief economist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and study author. "Our work shows that even the gritty worlds of cattle ranching and forestry may take it on the chin as California skies become increasingly carbon-rich." The study was conducted by researchers from Duke University, Environmental Defense Fund, The Nature Conservancy, Conservation Biology Institute, USDA Forest Service, Stanford University and the University of California at Santa Barbara. It examines how climate change will impact the fundamental character of California's ecosystems and the valuable services that they provide to the economy. To analyze the impact to carbon sequestration and natural, non-irrigated livestock forage—two important ecosystem services that contribute to the state's economy—the researchers used climatic change scenario models from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and three atmospheric-oceanic models. The researchers identified that climate change would cause a consistent decline in conifer woodlands and forests through the end of the century that could decrease the amount of carbon storage in forestlands and harm the forestry industry. They also determined that climate change is likely to alter the amount and timing of rain, hail and snow inCalifornia, resulting in a 15 to 70 percent increase in shrub lands and a consistent decline in natural, non-irrigated forage production for livestock. "A less stable climate will reduce the ability of natural landscapes to support cattle grazing, so ranchers may have to grow or buy extra hay instead of getting it for free from nature, as they do now," said lead report author Rebecca Shaw, Ph.D., associate vice president of EDF's Land, Water and Wildlife program and a working group member of the IPCC. "We calculated that replacing lost forage caused by climate change with extra hay will hike costs for the California ranching industry by up to $235 million per year by 2070," said Shaw. "That's why it's important for policymakers to better understand the value of services that nature provides to California's economy, so that they can work to protect our natural resources and the economy in the face of climate change." "Fortunately, California's Global Warming Solutions Act provides new economic opportunities for landowners—both inside and outside California—to be part of the climate solution," said economist Belinda Morris, a report coauthor and regional director of EDF's Center for Conservation Incentives. "Landowners can earn credits for capturing carbon on their land that they can sell to offset industrial carbon emissions. These credits will bring in a whole new revenue stream that can benefit the ranching industry, helping ranchers to keep ranching." Carbon credits are an integral part of the carbon cap-and-trade program that is scheduled to begin this year under the Global Warming Solutions Act. It allows for 8 percent of the law's carbon emission reduction goals to be achieved by offsetting emissions with carbon credits. "EDF is working with landowners, academic institutions and others to develop cost-effective methods for capturing carbon on rangelands that could generate new revenue streams for ranchers as part of a carbon credits market, while also improving soil fertility," Morris said. The peer-reviewed study "The Impact of Climate Change on California's Ecosystem Services" is available online at http://www.springerlink.com/content/q773hv252l138240/fulltext.html.

Melvin Wylie