Posts Tagged ‘biofuel’

If only Ron Burgundy could report this

The latest news in biofuels: transportation powered by Scotch.

Yup, you read that right.

Scottish scientists have determined a way to use the waste from distilling whiskey to create butanol, which, according to the report below, provides 30 percent more power than ethanol.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/aug/17/whisky-biobuel-scotland

An added benefit: the news has already pedaled the unique brand of bawdy British humor:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/aug/22/green-energy-fuel-cars-carbon

Fuel for thought

In case you were attempting to keep up with the dizzying crop of solutions that could wean America off its oil addiction, we’re now up to fourth-generation biofuels.

What began with corn has evolved into a movement that includes algae, sugar, agricultural waste, paper and the list goes on. But the question remains: where do we hedge our bets?

Here’s a great piece from greentechmedia that draws from and links to in-house analysis that profiled dozens of biofuel companies in the context of economic markets and public policies. The conclusion: “By 2022, biofuels will account for almost 8% of global oil volumes used for transportation, representing a multi-hundred-billion-dollar market.”

Check it out:

http://tinyurl.com/235w4yl

VW outfits the Golf in electric gear

In recent years, VW has wowed with its use of TDI — Bosch’s clean diesel technology. Now the rather cultishly beloved Golf and Jetta, both of which come in TDI versions, will boast electric editions as well.

I happen to be a TDI enthusiast, but I’m glad to see the expansion of alternative-fuel solutions.

For my part, I’m eager to try biodiesel –grease  a la french fries — to run my car before hitching my wheels to the electric grid.

Anyway, here’s the story:

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100503/GREEN/100509981