FutureGen: Pollution Free Fossil Fuel Power Plant

A small Illinois town called Mattoon is the big winner of the FutureGen power plant.   This is a public-private venture between the Dept of Energy (D.O.E.) and a non-profit consortium comprised of energy companies.  That’s great - but what is FutureGen, really? 

 FutureGen is still a coal-burning power plant.  It’ll burn all kinds of coal, though - even the sludge.  There is an abundance of coal that we normally don’t use for producing electricity.  The catch is in the emissions.  Instead of passing those tons of CO2 into the atmosphere, they’re being pumped into the earth.   There is already CO2 in the earth - so it’s not really a pollution hazard (from what I understand).

The initial plant will be small - enough to power about 150,000 homes.  I think the main benefit is the R&D that it has the potential of providing.  This plant is supposed to open by 2012 - well - we’ll see.  Why do I say that?  Less than a day after the plant location choice was announced, the Bush Administration is dragging its feet.  They said today that they are concerned about the rising costs of the estimated $1.8 billion plant.

 How do I feel about all of this?  I’m on the fence.  I know a little about the project to be dangerous - but haven’t fully researched it out.  So while it’s great that they’re providing jobs for this small town and they are putting a lot of research into zero-emission plants for the future, I’m not convinced.  I want to see more research into something sustainable - yeah there’s lots of coal now - but you have to mine and it’s a finite resource.  Wind. Solar.  Put your money into that.  There are lots of ways to create electricity…I’m just not convinced this is the right way to go about it. 

UPDATE:  I just read more on this over at NYT Dot Earth.  Read through the comments.  Pretty compelling.  Dr Daman Walia wrote, “Futuregen is based on same old Hitler era bankrupt thermal coal gasification, which have neither been economical or nor worked with now almost $30+ billion funding by DOE since first oil embargo of 1973.Pumping large quantities of CO2 underground is not only costly but also will cause serious ecological problems. CO2 forms carbonic acid with water and becomes supercritical fluid at pressure, and both will dissolove toxic chemicals and contaminate aquifers, the largest source of fresh water.”

Source: FutureGen Alliance, Chicago Tribune

Corn Pollution And The Dead Zone

I’ve bitched about ethanol production several times.  It almost would seem to others that I have it out for corn.  In actuality, I really do like corn.  The pollution that it creates just annoys me to no end.  I’ve actually heard stories a few years ago about how this pollution affects Mississippi River towns. 

Here’s how it works.  Corn is predominantly fed nitrogen-based fertilizers - in huge doses.  The fertilizer doesn’t just feed the corn.  It seeps into the ground water and then flows into the Mississippi River.  The midwest is a hot-bed of corn production and with prices where they’re at - corn is booming.  That means fertilizer is booming.  So this polluted ground water eventually flows to the river from field after field.  Eventually the river hits the ocean at the Mississippi Delta. 

The nation’s corn crop is fertilized with millions of pounds of nitrogen-based fertilizer. And when that nitrogen runs off fields in Corn Belt states, it makes its way to the Mississippi River and eventually pours into the Gulf, where it contributes to a growing “dead zone” - a 7,900-square-mile patch so depleted of oxygen that fish, crabs and shrimp suffocate.

That so-called “dead zone” is growing.  Not only is the water being damaged and species being affected, but now the fishermen can’t fish the area, either. 

We might be coming close to a tipping point,” said Matt Rota, director of the water resources program for the New Orleans-based Gulf Restoration Network, an environmental group. “The ecosystem might change or collapse as opposed to being just impacted.”

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that up to 210 million pounds of nitrogen fertilizer enter the Gulf of Mexico each year. Scientists had no immediate estimate for 2007, but said they expect the amount of fertilizer going into streams to increase with more acres of corn planted.

Well that’s just friggin great.  Fantastic. 

Source: AP

Green Goo: Using Algae As A Biofuel

It seems that I hear about a new alternative energy source everyday.  That’s a good thing, though.  It means that there is innovation happening.  The latest that came across the old SCREAM desk from our friend ERAS is an article in the WSJ about using algae to create fuel. 

We’ve discussed corn many times in the past.  There probably isn’t enough corn grown in the US to sustain ethanol production for a switch from crude oil.  Then there is the fact that you’re loading your crops with pesticides that are made from oil.  So why not algae?  Algae is ugly and messy, but it grows very quickly.  It’s much more sustainable than corn.  It can multiply its weight several times over in the course of one day.  Pair that with science which can make the algae grow even quicker, and you’re on to something.  Also, the body weight of algae is around 50% oil - which is a much larger percentage than the alternatives.

Popular mechanics says, “The science is simple: Algae need water, sunlight and carbon dioxide to grow. The oil they produce can then be harvested and converted into biodiesel; the algae’s carbohydrate content can be fermented into ethanol. Both are much cleaner-burning fuels than petroleum-based diesel or gas.”

“If we were to replace all of the diesel that we use in the United States” with an algae derivative, says Solix CEO Douglas Henston, “we could do it on an area of land that’s about one-half of 1 percent of the current farm land that we use now.”

As I say in my head in the best “Guinness commercial voice,” BRILLIANT. 

Currently, both BP and Shell are in R&D on the use of algae. 

Source: WSJ, Popular Mechanics

Easy Green: Dr Bronner’s Magic Soap

Yes, this Easy Green is a product.  Sure its something that you have to go out and buy and find - so maybe it’s not exactly “easy green.”  This is one of those products that is so great that I think it should be in every household.  Why is it so great?  Well - I’ll try to explain, but I just won’t be able to cover all of it.  Let’s talk about the history of this fair trade organic eco-friendly soap.  Who the heck is Dr Bronner? 

Dr. Bronner  - a third generation soap maker - was a crazy man.  Well - some people thought so at least.  He was also a smart man.  He came to the States in the ’20’s and urged his parents too, as well.  He was afraid of what might come from Hitler’s rule.  His last contact with his parents was a telegram that read, “you were right.”  His parents and many family members died in the holocaust.  Dr Bronner created something called the “Moral ABCs” which is a philosophy that combines both Christian and Jewish among other influences.  When he was promoting this philosphy at the University of Chicago, he was actually arrested and committed to a mental institution.  Dr Bronner was able to escape from the institution in Elgin, IL after several shock treatments.  There is a documentary that follows his son around and talks about his life (I fell asleep watching it - video snippet below). To this day, each bottle of Dr. Bronner’s soap contains the complete text of the Moral ABC’s.  Here is a sample:

Absolute cleanliness is Godliness! Who else but God gave man Love that can spark mere dust to life! Poetry, uniting All-One! All brave! All life! Who else but God! “Listen Children Eternal Father Eternally One!

So what makes this soap so great?  First off, it’s real soap - not some weird combination of toxic chemicals.  I bet you have no idea what kind of things you are putting on your body each day you shower, put make up on, brush your teeth, etc.  Dr Bronner’s soap is a “castile soap.”  What that means is that the soap is all vegetarian based rather than made from animal fat.  This also means that the grey water coming from your shower or sink or out in the wild is non-toxic and isn’t going to hurt the environment.  This is probably why they sell about 5 different sizes of the soap at REI.  It’s safe. 

Why is this soap magical?  You can use it for any number of applications and it is very concentrated so you can use a tiny dab and it goes a long way.  Here are some example uses that I personally use it for:  shower soap, shampoo, hand soap (very diluted - love it in a foaming pump), washing dishes (in sink), shave soap, even floors.  Some people use it for toothpaste - I’ve tried - once - I’ll stick to regular toothpaste for now. 

Dr Bronner soap comes in bar form and liquid.  If you want the soap that has the most lather - go for it.  What kind of scents do they have?  Peppermint, Almond, Eucalytpus, Baby Mild, Tea Tree, and Lavender. I prefer peppermint.  The tingle gives you that certain je ne sais quois.  

Peppermint Magic Soap ingredients:
Water, Saponified Organic Coconut & Olive oils (w/ retained Glycerin), Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Peppermint Oil, Organic Mentha Arvensis, Citric Acid, Vitamin E

PS -Did I mention they’re Fair Trade for their ingredients? 

Sundance Channel Documentary Snippet 

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What Is Single Stream Recycling?

Ever wonder how your recycling gets separated?  Erin did.  I was asked about this very subject, so now you get to hear about it, too.  Most towns these days don’t have a different receptacle for each type of recycling anymore.  You throw your plastics in with your glass in with your cardboard in with your newspaper.  How does it magically get separated?  The answer, my friend, is elves.  Yes, tiny magical elves.  Okay, so maybe not. 

The process is called single stream recycling.   Throw everything together - it all goes into one truck back to the recycling plant.   Some of the benefits are simple.  The truck isn’t sitting idling emitting pollution at your house as long while it empties four different cans.  People are more apt to actually recycle if there is no sorting or storing of multiple bins involved.  The more people who recycle, the more material that can get back into the hands of manufacturers.

The same principal is used in many large office buildings.  You’re told by the building management that your trash is being sorted and recycled.  People are skeptical, as I always have been.  Single stream takes care of everything.  The sorting process is quite amazing.  I happened to be watching Eco-Tech on the Science Channel a couple weeks ago when they showed exactly how the process works (see the video below).  Of course there is some human intervention on the line, but the machinery is impressive.   At the M.R.F.  - Material Recovery Facility - they use a series of conveyor belt, tumblers, magnets, centrifugal force, gravity, and other ways to separate recyclables.  My favorite is the eddy current used to separate out the aluminum cans from the other items.  From how I understand it, the polarity of the magnets are reversed and this causes the cans to fly off the belt into a shoot. 

Watch the videos below for more info on how it all works.  Like the fact that an aluminum can has the potential to be made back into another can in as little as 60 days.  Pretty fascinating…at least to a geek like me! 

Eco-Tech Single Stream Recycling (meet MRF)

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Green Roof in Winter = White Roof

Green roofs aren’t just beneficial for cooling and storm water runoff in summer months.  To the left is a picture out of my office windows here in Chicago (I took it with my camera phone, so keep that in mind) - just click it to enlarge and you’ll see a difference between the buildings.  Green roofs insulate in the summer and the winter.  In the summer, the roof stays cooler.  In the winter, the roof keeps the heat inside the building instead of escaping.  Checkout the two roofs in the picture.  The one on the left is covered in a nice blanket of snow, while the other is black tar. 

In Canada, they are doing more research on the benefits of green roofs in winter.  They are actually designing their standard green roofs with small juniper bushes which require a slightly thicker bedding.  Junipers were picked because they are evergreens and spread easily.  The thicker bedding provides a nice blanket for the roof to trap heat during the winter months - although a standard green roof does well, too.  When you lay down a green roof,  you first put down a membrane.  If you have less drastic temperature fluxuations, the life of the membrane can be extended.  The juniper bushes have another effect - they reduce wind drag.  Wind sweeping across the top of the building sucks the hot air right out and away from the building.  In a study performed in Canada, they were able to reduce heat loss and energy consumption by 10%. 

Source: My window and Canadian Government

CTA To Explore Leasing Hybrid Buses

If you’re not from the Chicago area, you may not be aware of the budget crisis for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA).  If the State of Illinois doesn’t bail out the CTA once again, then next month large cuts are coming.  Cuts include more route closing and loss of jobs.  Some people may not be to psyched about the proposal on the table to lease new buses. 

We all know that even though the CTA is in trouble, they aren’t going away.  So they still need to keep up their equipment and make sound decisions for the future.  Unfortunately, the timing just happens to be bad.  At the same meeting as the looming cuts, the CTA will discuss leasing 150 new hybrid buses.  That’s a lot of cash when you don’t have any to begin with…but the CTA estimates that it will save $7 million a year on fuel, labor, and maintenance.  The new buses will replace old vehicles that are at or past their usable lifecycle. 

Why now, though?  Why not wait?  Well - it is unfortunate timing, but Seattle opted not to lease the buses and the CTA has a chance at them now.  Buses take a long time to build and they can get them without the lengthy wait - in operation in the city by August.  So the CTA only has until January to decide before they go back on the auction block to another city. 

CTA Chair Carole Brown said the timing of the announcement may seem “insensitive,” but “given the time it takes to execute a new bus order, this opportunity is one that this board has to take a serious look at.”

The CTA has lagged behind other transit agencies in its use of alternative fuels and “green” technology. The hybrids get nearly 2 more miles per gallon than the 40-foot buses they would replace. These buses are 60ft long and are the accordian style.

I say go for it.  The timing sucks.  The State of Illinois should jump at the opportunity to get greener and help out.  The fact that our public transit in a major metropolitan area is in such disarray is horrible.  If Chicago wants the Olympics in 2016, they better get it together.  The better the public transit, the more cars we take off the roads. 

Giddy up!

Source: Chicago Sun-Times
Thanks for the heads-up, Eric.

UPDATE: Chicago Pet Chicken Ban Postponed

The proposed urban chicken ban in the City of Chicago has been tabled.  The city council had been slated to vote on the propsed ban today.  Aldermen are taking the proposal back to committee to further investigate before casting their votes. 

On a positive note, this issue is getting press coverage - even from ABC News nationally and the AP.

Here is an interview on WBEZ NPR in Chicago with Martha Boyd, who directs an outreach program for the Angelic Organics Learning Center.

Source: Fox News

The Great Milk Debate

Which milk is best?  The stuff in the plastic gallon jugs?  Milk from cows raised without growth hormones?  Maybe standard organic milk?  How about soy “milk?”  What about raw milk?  If you’re lactose intolerant, how about milk from grass-fed cows?  Do most consumers even know there are choices?  All milk is not the same.   I can’t answer which milk is best for you…you have to figure that one out for yourself.   

I guess I should start off by telling you what my family consumes.  Less than a year ago, we switched to Oberweis Dairy milk.  You can find it in any grocery store in Chicagoland and in the stand-alone stores.  We were regularly buying plain old homogenized skim milk from Costco in the standard plastic gallon jug for $1.99/gal.  It is very economical, but I never felt good about it for several reasons.  First off I had heard about how milk had rBGH in it which is bovine growth hormone.  It’s rumored to be one of the reasons our children are “developing” younger than generations past.  I’ve never researched the truth in that, but I don’t doubt it.  The other reason that I switched was that I liked the idea of reusing glass bottles.  I am paying $6/gal now.  Yes, that is three times as much, but I feel that extra money is well spent.  Now Oberweis is not certified organic, but it is without rBGH.  It’s give-and-take.  I am taking the glass bottle over the alternatives at the moment.  I’m sure if I really investigated Oberweis, I might switch again.

I’ve already stated why I don’t buy the standard milk anymore.  I don’t need to fill myself up with any more artificial hormones and antibiotics than I get from everything else I eat.  This is also why I buy Tall Grass Beef - all grass-fed beef from Kansas.  Luckily for me, I can find it at my local grocery store.  I’d probably buy grass-fed milk, if I could find it easily and it wasn’t too outrageous in cost. 

I have a source for raw milk where I live.  “Why do you say ’source’ for raw milk?,”  you ask.  Well, raw milk is illegal to sell.  Some places skirt the issue buy entering into a “cow sharing” program.  So you are buying part of the cow, not the milk, yet you get the milk and not the cow.  Follow?  Now, I don’t buy raw milk, however.  The raw milk that I can buy would cost me $8/half-gal.  Yes - that is $16 for one gallon of milk.  Raw milk is unpasteurized and is not homogenized.   Many health experts believe that it is the healthiest milk you can get.  Some people even claim that it cures various illness.  They even drink straight collostrum, too.  I get an email from my “source” each Thursday and I can put in an order.  Then I have to show up at someone’s house in a certain time window to make the transaction.  All this shady behavior for milk. Well - they also sell raw milk cheese and other organic products.  Should raw milk be legal?  Read more on the NYT website.

Maybe it’s time for me to come clean.  Here I go on one of my “farm boy” stories again.  When I was little and growing up in rural Western Pennsylvania, I lived on a farm. It was small farm - nothing we used for income.  We had some cows, pigs, horses, dog, barn cats, and so on.  Well, we also had a Nubian goat aptly named “Nubie.”  I guess my dad just figured that since goats produce milk, why not just milk the goat we had, right?  So we did.  I really don’t know for how long, but when I was growing up, I drank raw goats milk regularly.  We’d strain it through some gauze and put it in the fridge.  Luckily for me, I was just a tad too young to milk old Nubie, so my brother had the pleasure.

If I wasn’t buying Oberweis milk, I’d probably be buying organic milk.  Just not from Target or Wal-Mart.  Who knew there was so much research into something so simple like milk?  Well - look no further than the Cornucopia Institute to do the research for you on organic milk.  They have an annual organic dairy report card.  The scores are broken down into a point scale of 0-1200.  Then it’s rated with little graphics - 5 cows being the best.  A five rating suggests that the dairy knows their cows.  They know what they eat, when they were born, and the farm gets the profits from the milk.  A four-cow rating is still great.  They typically buy their milk wholesale from a number of dairies, but they are still responsible.  You can read more about the survey, the ratings, and the results at the Cornucopia Institute .

If after all of this, you just can’t drink milk, then go with soy.  I don’t have much to say about soy milk.  Just check the sugar content.  All milk has natural sugars, though. 

Enjoy!

UPDATE: Chicago Pet Chicken Ban On The Table

Shortly after hearing about the proposed urban chicken ban in Chicago, I wrote a quick note to the folks that run FamilyFarmed.org.  If you’re in Chicago and don’t know about them - go to the annual expo - its well run and informative.  They got the ball moving with the right people and are taking action.  To learn more about raising chickens in a city, download this PDF. from the Angelic Organics Learning Center.

I just received the following email update:

Hello, Advocates of Urban Agriculture, Fans of Neighborhood Food Production,
and Current and Prospective Owners of Chickens in Chicago:

*Prevent passage of amended ordinance 7-12-387 prohibiting Chicago
residents from raising chickens as pets and for eggs.
CALL YOUR ALDERMAN TODAY
*If you support raising chickens in the city as a supplement to urban
agriculture PLEASE speak with your alderman today and tell him or her
that as of Wednesday, on the basis of a few bad experiences, ALL
chickens will be prohibited in the city, including in neighborhoods
where backyard chickens are a way of life and supplement families’ food
supply without creating public health or nuisance issues. Certainly
there are more examples of individual dogs, cats, cars, or even
teenagers negatively impacting their neighborhood’s quality of
life…yet no one would ban them outright. It’s not sensible or
reasonable policy.

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