Green Options » hydrocarbons http://greenoptions.com/tag/hydrocarbons Posts tagged 'hydrocarbons' Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:19:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en Scientists Researching How Plants Can Make Petroleum http://gas2.org/2009/10/02/scientists-researching-how-plants-can-make-petroleum/ http://gas2.org/2009/10/02/scientists-researching-how-plants-can-make-petroleum/#comments Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:19:07 +0000 Nick Chambers http://gas2.org/2009/10/02/scientists-researching-how-plants-can-make-petroleum/

As part of a National Science Foundation grant program to examine cutting edge ways to make nature work for us, a team of scientists at Iowa State University have been awarded $2 million to unravel how some plants and algae can make hydrocarbons and discover if the genes that govern that process might be isolated.

“These plants are capturing solar energy and creating something that’s chemically identical to petroleum,” said Jackie Shanks, Iowa State’s Manley R. Hoppe Professor of Chemical Engineering, in a statement.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2009/10/02/scientists-researching-how-plants-can-make-petroleum/feed/ Could “Fossil Free” Fossil Fuels Be in Our Future? http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/31/could-fossil-free-fossil-fuels-be-in-our-future/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/31/could-fossil-free-fossil-fuels-be-in-our-future/#comments Fri, 31 Jul 2009 00:01:29 +0000 Ariel Schwartz http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/31/could-fossil-free-fossil-fuels-be-in-our-future/

Our race to find alternative fuels is critical not only because gasoline-powered vehicles emit lots of CO2–it’s also important because we’re running out of the sticky stuff. But what if the Earth could produce fossil fuels without the fossils?

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/31/could-fossil-free-fossil-fuels-be-in-our-future/feed/ New Study Shows Air Pollution Lowers IQ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/27/new-study-shows-air-pollution-lowers-iq/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/27/new-study-shows-air-pollution-lowers-iq/#comments Mon, 27 Jul 2009 05:51:34 +0000 Daniel Hohler http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/27/new-study-shows-air-pollution-lowers-iq/ Air Pollution

As a pollutant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (or PAH’s as we call them in the business), are of concern because they have been identified as carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic (not good things if you were wondering). PAHs are created as a byproduct of the burning of coal, oil, and fossil fuels. Often they are of concern in urban areas where there is a higher carbon footprint, and it forms that nice cloud of yellow smoke you see floating over some of your major cities.

Now, new research out of Columbia University is showing that exposure to PAHs, can reduce neonate’s intelligence. The study performed in New York city where PAHs are in no short demand, showed IQ scores that were 4.31 and 4.67 points lower, respectively than those of less exposed children.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/27/new-study-shows-air-pollution-lowers-iq/feed/ Russia to Create Special Military Force to Protect the Arctic http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/03/27/russia-to-create-special-military-force-to-protect-the-arctic/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/03/27/russia-to-create-special-military-force-to-protect-the-arctic/#comments Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:50:31 +0000 Amiel Blajchman http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/03/27/russia-to-create-special-military-force-to-protect-the-arctic/ Russia’s Security Council released its Arctic strategy for the year 2020 this week. The strategy includes the authorization of a special military force to “guarantee Russia’s military security in diverse military and political circumstances”, like the country’s controversial claims to large portions of the Arctic shelf. With the possible opening of the NorthWest Passage and the subsequent opening of natural resource deposits, Russia has also been steadily pushing its claims to the Arctic.

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]]> http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/03/27/russia-to-create-special-military-force-to-protect-the-arctic/feed/ CARS and Micro-Algae Turn Hydrocarbons into Fuels, Fertilizers and Food http://gas2.org/2008/05/06/cars-and-micro-algae-turn-hydrocarbons-into-fuelsfertilizers-and-food/ http://gas2.org/2008/05/06/cars-and-micro-algae-turn-hydrocarbons-into-fuelsfertilizers-and-food/#comments Tue, 06 May 2008 00:25:00 +0000 Max Lindberg http://gas2.org/2008/05/06/cars-and-micro-algae-turn-hydrocarbons-into-fuelsfertilizers-and-food/

This story contains additional media. Click here to view the media.

Those cute little creatures shown in the video are represent what may be the future of carbon sequestration.

CARS is the acronym for Carbon Algae Recycling System, it’s a system under development in Canada to clean up tailing ponds and greenhouse gas emissions left by the Alberta Tar Sands project.

As the video shows, exhaust CO2 is pumped into algae-rich tailing ponds where it’s digested. The plumped-out algae, full of hydrocarbons and heavy metals, are harvested and turned into biofuels.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2008/05/06/cars-and-micro-algae-turn-hydrocarbons-into-fuelsfertilizers-and-food/feed/ Largest Green Fleet in the Country http://greenbuildingelements.com/2007/12/28/largest-green-fleet-in-the-country/ http://greenbuildingelements.com/2007/12/28/largest-green-fleet-in-the-country/#comments Fri, 28 Dec 2007 17:05:12 +0000 Keith Rockmael http://greenbuildingelements.com/2007/12/28/largest-green-fleet-in-the-country/ hybridbus_sanfrancisco_600.jpgSan Franciscans utter a lot about our lovely municipal transit system otherwise known as MUNI but now they have even more reason to spout off about it. Normally when we hear MUNI coming out of someone’s mouth it usually follows on the heels of “Damn.” Now we can change that utterance to “Green Muni”. Sure, the 71 bus might not come on time but when it does arrive at least it will be running on biodiesel. In fact, San Fran now claims to have the largest green fleet in the nation.Of course, the fleet includes not just MUNI but ambulances and street sweepers as well. The fleet runs on virgin soy oil bought from producers in the Midwest. Sure, we’d like the fuel purchased from somewhere local but hopefully that will come in time.

The environmentally friendlier fuel will hopefully sharply reduce toxic diesel exhaust linked to a higher risk of asthma and premature death. Just last month, Mayor Newsom announced a new project called SFGreasecycle, a program to collect fats and cooking oils from restaurants, at no charge.All of the city’s 1,500 diesel vehicles power up using the fuel known as B20, a mix of 20 percent soy-based biofuel and 80 percent petroleum diesel fuel, which reduces toxic emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and other pollutants that lead to global warming.

Although B20 marks an improvement, it’s still 80 percent petroleum diesel. We’re looking for B100. And we have word of a B100 station opening soon.

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