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	<title>biofuels - Green Prophet</title>
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	<title>biofuels - Green Prophet</title>
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	<item>
		<title>As Planes Go Green, Is Sustainable Space Fuel Next?</title>
		<link>https://www.greenprophet.com/2025/05/as-planes-go-green-is-sustainable-space-fuel-next/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Julie Steinbeck]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 May 2025 10:42:32 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Transportation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[biofuels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SAF]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Singapore]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Space]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[United Kingdom]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.greenprophet.com/?p=148726</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Meanwhile, Singapore’s GenZero, in partnership with the World Economic Forum, has launched the Green Fuel Forward Initiative, aiming to scale SAF across the Asia-Pacific region. This initiative unites airlines, aerospace manufacturers, and financiers to create a self-sustaining SAF market—one that can meet the demand of one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation hubs.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2025/05/as-planes-go-green-is-sustainable-space-fuel-next/">As Planes Go Green, Is Sustainable Space Fuel Next?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com">Green Prophet</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure id="attachment_137882" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-137882" style="width: 2560px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-137882" src="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Ocean-sky-Hybrid-Air-Vehicles-Ltd-and-Design-Q-scaled-1.jpg" alt="oceansky airship, transparent cabin" width="2560" height="1796" srcset="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Ocean-sky-Hybrid-Air-Vehicles-Ltd-and-Design-Q-scaled-1.jpg 2560w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Ocean-sky-Hybrid-Air-Vehicles-Ltd-and-Design-Q-scaled-1-599x420.jpg 599w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Ocean-sky-Hybrid-Air-Vehicles-Ltd-and-Design-Q-scaled-1-150x105.jpg 150w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Ocean-sky-Hybrid-Air-Vehicles-Ltd-and-Design-Q-scaled-1-300x210.jpg 300w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Ocean-sky-Hybrid-Air-Vehicles-Ltd-and-Design-Q-scaled-1-696x488.jpg 696w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Ocean-sky-Hybrid-Air-Vehicles-Ltd-and-Design-Q-scaled-1-1068x749.jpg 1068w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Ocean-sky-Hybrid-Air-Vehicles-Ltd-and-Design-Q-scaled-1-1920x1347.jpg 1920w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Ocean-sky-Hybrid-Air-Vehicles-Ltd-and-Design-Q-scaled-1-350x246.jpg 350w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Ocean-sky-Hybrid-Air-Vehicles-Ltd-and-Design-Q-scaled-1-768x539.jpg 768w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Ocean-sky-Hybrid-Air-Vehicles-Ltd-and-Design-Q-scaled-1-660x463.jpg 660w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Ocean-sky-Hybrid-Air-Vehicles-Ltd-and-Design-Q-scaled-1-1536x1078.jpg 1536w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Ocean-sky-Hybrid-Air-Vehicles-Ltd-and-Design-Q-scaled-1-2048x1437.jpg 2048w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Ocean-sky-Hybrid-Air-Vehicles-Ltd-and-Design-Q-scaled-1-800x561.jpg 800w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Ocean-sky-Hybrid-Air-Vehicles-Ltd-and-Design-Q-scaled-1-1000x702.jpg 1000w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Ocean-sky-Hybrid-Air-Vehicles-Ltd-and-Design-Q-scaled-1-321x225.jpg 321w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Ocean-sky-Hybrid-Air-Vehicles-Ltd-and-Design-Q-scaled-1-180x126.jpg 180w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Ocean-sky-Hybrid-Air-Vehicles-Ltd-and-Design-Q-scaled-1-770x540.jpg 770w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-137882" class="wp-caption-text">A sustainable aviation alternative that enables intrepid luxury travel, OceanSky Cruises’s airship is a 100-metre-long hybrid aircraft, combining buoyancy from helium with aerodynamic lift created by the shape of its hull. Driven forward by four propellors, the vehicle can fly continuously for days. Can it run on SAF?</figcaption></figure>
<p>In the skies above Britain and across the Asia-Pacific, a green revolution is accelerating—not in the fields, but in the jet streams. Two major international moves this month signal that<a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2024/05/sustainable-aviation-fuel-germany/"> Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)</a> is no longer a niche technology but a critical pillar of the future of flight. And as Earth-bound aircraft start to go green, a tantalizing question arises: can space travel do the same?</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2025/05/can-we-fly-guilt-free-with-britains-new-stance-on-sustainable-aviation-biofuel/">United Kingdom has taken a decisive step in accelerating SAF adoption by raising its co-processing blend limit from 5% to 30%</a>. Endorsed by the UK Ministry of Defence and enshrined in Defence Standard 91-091, this regulatory leap allows waste oils and renewable feedstocks to be refined alongside fossil fuels—without requiring massive infrastructure overhauls.</p>
<p>Industry players like BP and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have applauded the move, highlighting that SAF produced under these standards meets rigorous global aviation fuel benchmarks such as ASTM D1655. This isn&#8217;t a backdoor greenwashing scheme. It’s vetted, safe, and compatible with existing jet engines.</p>
<p>The UK&#8217;s action sends a powerful signal to the global market: SAF isn&#8217;t tomorrow’s promise—it’s today’s policy.</p>
<figure id="attachment_148727" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-148727" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-148727" src="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Temasek-Trust-Genzero-Singapore.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="675" srcset="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Temasek-Trust-Genzero-Singapore.jpg 1200w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Temasek-Trust-Genzero-Singapore-350x197.jpg 350w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Temasek-Trust-Genzero-Singapore-660x371.jpg 660w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Temasek-Trust-Genzero-Singapore-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Temasek-Trust-Genzero-Singapore-480x270.jpg 480w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Temasek-Trust-Genzero-Singapore-800x450.jpg 800w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Temasek-Trust-Genzero-Singapore-1000x563.jpg 1000w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Temasek-Trust-Genzero-Singapore-400x225.jpg 400w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Temasek-Trust-Genzero-Singapore-180x101.jpg 180w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/Temasek-Trust-Genzero-Singapore-960x540.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-148727" class="wp-caption-text">GenZero</figcaption></figure>
<p>Meanwhile,<a href="https://genzero.co/"> Singapore’s GenZero</a>, in partnership with the World Economic Forum, has launched the Green Fuel Forward Initiative, aiming to scale SAF across the Asia-Pacific region. This initiative unites airlines, aerospace manufacturers, and financiers to create a self-sustaining SAF market—one that can meet the demand of one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation hubs.</p>
<p>Where the UK is setting standards, GenZero is building ecosystems. Together, these initiatives create a transcontinental roadmap for clean flight.</p>
<p>Despite the momentum, experts caution against declaring SAF a silver bullet. While SAF can reduce lifecycle emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional jet fuel, this is contingent on the sustainability of feedstocks, regional production capabilities, and carbon accounting accuracy. Feedstock availability, economic viability, and infrastructure bottlenecks all remain significant hurdles.</p>
<p>In short: cleaner skies are coming—but we’re not off the hook yet.</p>
<p>Companies like Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, and SpaceX are pushing commercial spaceflight into the mainstream. But their environmental footprint is enormous. One rocket launch can emit hundreds of tons of CO₂ and black carbon, which lingers in the stratosphere, disrupting climate systems more than emissions at lower altitudes.</p>
<p>Some progress is being made. Blue Origin uses liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen—fuels that, when combusted, emit only water vapor. But hydrogen’s production is often energy-intensive, and other space companies still rely on kerosene-based propellants.</p>
<p>Startups and research labs are quietly experimenting with green rocket fuels made from bioethanol, renewable methane, or even algae-based feedstocks. But these remain in early stages, with limited commercial uptake.</p>
<p>Could SAF tech inspire the next leap? Perhaps. SAF producers like Gevo, Neste, and Velocys are already investing in Fischer-Tropsch and gasification technologies that could be adapted for high-energy rocket fuel equivalents.</p>
<p>For investors with one eye on Earth and the other on the stars, SAF is emerging as one of the most promising clean tech sectors. Here are a few companies at the forefront:</p>
<p>Neste (Finland): The world’s largest SAF producer, partnering with airports and airlines globally.</p>
<p>Gevo (NASDAQ: GEVO): A US-based innovator turning agricultural waste into renewable jet fuel.</p>
<p>Velocys (UK): Converts municipal and forest waste into aviation-grade hydrocarbons.</p>
<p>XCF Global (NASDAQ: XCF): Set to become the only pure-play SAF producer on the US public market after acquiring New Rise Renewables.</p>
<p>SkyNRG (Netherlands): A pioneer in SAF deployment, collaborating with airports and corporate clients.</p>
<p>Shell and World Energy: Though fossil giants, both are investing heavily in SAF R&amp;D and infrastructure.</p>
<p>Flying sustainably is no longer science fiction. But guilt-free air travel—let alone guilt-free space tourism—isn’t as simple as swapping fuels. It requires layered transformation: regulatory reform, feedstock innovation, public-private collaboration, and bold investment.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2025/05/as-planes-go-green-is-sustainable-space-fuel-next/">As Planes Go Green, Is Sustainable Space Fuel Next?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com">Green Prophet</a>.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>London&#8217;s buses are #PoweredByCoffee</title>
		<link>https://www.greenprophet.com/2017/11/londons-buses-are-poweredbycoffee/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Faisal O'Keefe]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 21 Nov 2017 23:48:26 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bio-bean]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[biofuels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coffee grinds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transport for London]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[waste to energy]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.greenprophet.com/?p=111173</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The idea that Brits love their tea is proving to be full of beans. The average Londoner drinks 2.3 cups of coffee a day, and the resultant spent coffee grounds end up in landfills which damage the environment, and &#8211; given the British landfill tax &#8211; is a costly means of waste disposal. Now those grinds [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2017/11/londons-buses-are-poweredbycoffee/">London&#8217;s buses are #PoweredByCoffee</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com">Green Prophet</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2017/11/londons-buses-are-poweredbycoffee/london-bus-coffee-fuel-arthur-kay/" rel="attachment wp-att-115251"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-115251" src="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/london-bus-coffee-fuel-arthur-kay.jpg" alt="bio beans" width="765" height="439" srcset="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/london-bus-coffee-fuel-arthur-kay.jpg 765w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/london-bus-coffee-fuel-arthur-kay-350x201.jpg 350w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/london-bus-coffee-fuel-arthur-kay-660x379.jpg 660w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/london-bus-coffee-fuel-arthur-kay-732x420.jpg 732w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/london-bus-coffee-fuel-arthur-kay-150x86.jpg 150w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/london-bus-coffee-fuel-arthur-kay-300x172.jpg 300w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/london-bus-coffee-fuel-arthur-kay-696x399.jpg 696w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/london-bus-coffee-fuel-arthur-kay-392x225.jpg 392w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/london-bus-coffee-fuel-arthur-kay-180x103.jpg 180w" sizes="(max-width: 765px) 100vw, 765px" /></a>The idea that Brits love their tea is proving to be full of beans. The average Londoner drinks 2.3 cups of coffee a day, and the resultant spent coffee grounds end up in landfills which damage the environment, and &#8211; given the British landfill tax &#8211; is a costly means of waste disposal. Now those grinds are being put to use powering London&#8217;s iconic buses.<span id="more-111173"></span></p>
<p>Overall, the UK produces 500,000 tonnes of waste coffee grounds every year, most destined for garbage dumps where it emits <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2014/08/how-siberias-methane-craters-affect-the-whole-planet/">methane, a greenhouse gas</a> that is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Clean technology company bio-bean® is founded on the premise that there is no such thing as waste, just unexploited resources in the wrong place. With support from Royal Dutch Shell, they&#8217;ve industrialized the process of recycling spent coffee grounds into advanced biofuels and biochemicals.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 1em;">Founded in 2013 by Arthur Kay (pictured above), bio-bean® manufactures a range of products from waste coffee grounds, saving businesses money, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and displacing conventional fossil fuels. Their newest </span><span style="font-size: 1em;"><a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2013/01/chaim-weizmanns-fermentation-invention-used-for-biofuel-production/">biofuel,</a> which contains part coffee oil, is being added to the London bus fuel supply chain where it can be used without the need for modification, the companies said in a statement. Increasingly, </span><span style="font-size: 1em;">Transport for London has been turning to biofuels to curb carbon emissions,</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">trialling a fuel made with used cooking oil from the catering industry, the transport operator said on its website.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 1em;">Bio-bean®</span><span style="font-size: 1em;"> </span><span style="font-size: 1em;">and partner Argent Energy have so far produced enough coffee oil to power one bus for a year, if used as a pure-blend for the 20 percent bio component and mixed with mineral diesel to form a B20 fuel. They </span>collect waste grounds from high street chains, transport hubs, and factories, which are dried and processed to extract coffee oil. “It’s a great example of what can be done when we start to reimagine waste as an untapped resource,” bio-bean® founder Arthur Kay told reporters.</p>
<p>Bio-bean® is the first company in the world to industrialize the process of recycling waste coffee grounds into advanced biofuels and biochemicals. Spent coffee grounds are highly calorific and contain valuable compounds, making them an ideal feedstock from which to produce clean fuels, such as the company&#8217;s Coffee Logs which provide an <span style="font-size: 1em;">eco heat source for stoves, open fires and chimineas. </span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2017/11/londons-buses-are-poweredbycoffee/bio-beans-coffee-logs/" rel="attachment wp-att-115249"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-115249" src="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/bio-beans-coffee-logs.png" alt="" width="700" height="989" srcset="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/bio-beans-coffee-logs.png 700w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/bio-beans-coffee-logs-350x495.png 350w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/bio-beans-coffee-logs-467x660.png 467w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/bio-beans-coffee-logs-159x225.png 159w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/bio-beans-coffee-logs-96x135.png 96w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/bio-beans-coffee-logs-382x540.png 382w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a>Each Coffee Log is made from the grounds of 25 cups of coffee and contains about 20% more energy than wood – meaning it burns hotter and for longer. Coffee Logs are also 100% carbon neutral, diverting waste away from landfill and reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions. <span style="font-size: 1em;">These sustainable and high-performance products are fast displacing conventional fuels and chemicals.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 1em;">Green Prophet once brought you </span><a style="font-size: 1em;" href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2013/03/coffee-grounds-green-uses/">15 #LifeHacks using coffee grounds</a><span style="font-size: 1em;">. We&#8217;ve written about <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2017/11/repurposing-coffee-grounds-to-create-safe-drinking-water/">coffee grinds being used to decontaminate toxic metals</a> from water. And now we witness coffee waste being used for biofuel. But it w</span>as just last year that we reported that <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2016/09/climate-change-could-make-coffee-extinct-by-2080/">climate change was causing a worldwide shortage in coffee beans</a>. Feeling jittery? It&#8217;s unlikely to be just from caffeine.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Images from <a href="http://www.bio-bean.com/">© bio-bean limited</a></em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2017/11/londons-buses-are-poweredbycoffee/">London&#8217;s buses are #PoweredByCoffee</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com">Green Prophet</a>.</p>
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		<title>Chaim Weizmann&#8217;s Fermentation Invention Used for Biofuel Production in USA</title>
		<link>https://www.greenprophet.com/2013/01/chaim-weizmanns-fermentation-invention-used-for-biofuel-production/</link>
					<comments>https://www.greenprophet.com/2013/01/chaim-weizmanns-fermentation-invention-used-for-biofuel-production/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Brian Nitz]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Jan 2013 02:10:11 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Tech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[biofuels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[California]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chemistry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sustainable design]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.greenprophet.com/?p=89564</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>In 1914, thirty-five years before Chaim Weizmann would become Israel's first president, he discovered a fermentation process for harnessing bacteria to produce large quantities of useful chemicals. For this discovery, Weizmann was called the father of industrial fermentation.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2013/01/chaim-weizmanns-fermentation-invention-used-for-biofuel-production/">Chaim Weizmann&#8217;s Fermentation Invention Used for Biofuel Production in USA</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com">Green Prophet</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2013/01/chaim-weizmanns-fermentation-invention-used-for-biofuel-production/albert_einstein_wzo_photo_1921/" rel="attachment wp-att-89565"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-89565 aligncenter" src="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Albert_Einstein_WZO_photo_1921.png" alt="Albert Einstein With Chaim Weizmann photo 1921" width="560" height="421" data-wp-editing="1" srcset="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Albert_Einstein_WZO_photo_1921.png 560w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Albert_Einstein_WZO_photo_1921-350x263.png 350w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Albert_Einstein_WZO_photo_1921-80x60.png 80w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Albert_Einstein_WZO_photo_1921-150x113.png 150w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Albert_Einstein_WZO_photo_1921-300x226.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></a><strong>A century-old fermentation process to transform plant material into a propellant, could eventually replace gasoline.</strong></p>
<p>In 1914, thirty-five years before Chaim Weizmann (pictured center beside Einstein) would become Israel&#8217;s first president, he discovered a fermentation process for harnessing bacteria to produce large quantities of useful chemicals. For this discovery, Weizmann was called the father of industrial fermentation. The bacterium Clostridium acetobutylicum was named the <em>Weizmann organism</em>, giving him a taste of fame long before his Israeli political career. His process of Acetone Butanol Ethanol (ABE) fermentation helped produce explosives for World War I and now a team of chemical engineers at UC Berkley are <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Biofuel-created-by-explosive-technology-4191168.php">close to perfecting his process for the efficient production of biofuels</a>.</p>
<p>Weizmann&#8217;s ABE process was initially used to produce acetone which was used in the World War I explosive cordite. Like Alfred Nobel and Albert Einstein, Chaim Weizmann might have wondered about the moral implications of inventing something which would be used as a tool of war.</p>
<p>But Weizmann once said,</p>
<p>&#8220;I trust and feel sure in my heart that science will bring to this land both peace and a renewal of its youth, creating here the springs of a new spiritual and material life. [&#8230;] I speak of both science for its own sake and science as a means to an end.&#8221;</p>
<p>Related: <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2025/02/visit-the-clore-garden-of-science-sustainable-park/">visit the Clore Science Garden in the Weizmann Institute of Science</a></p>
<figure id="attachment_147048" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-147048" style="width: 2560px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-147048" src="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/science-park-weizmann-israel-scaled.jpeg" alt="A science park to teach kids about sustainability in the Weizmann Institute." width="2560" height="1920" srcset="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/science-park-weizmann-israel-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/science-park-weizmann-israel-350x263.jpeg 350w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/science-park-weizmann-israel-660x495.jpeg 660w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/science-park-weizmann-israel-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/science-park-weizmann-israel-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/science-park-weizmann-israel-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/science-park-weizmann-israel-500x375.jpeg 500w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/science-park-weizmann-israel-800x600.jpeg 800w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/science-park-weizmann-israel-1000x750.jpeg 1000w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/science-park-weizmann-israel-80x60.jpeg 80w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/science-park-weizmann-israel-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/science-park-weizmann-israel-180x135.jpeg 180w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/science-park-weizmann-israel-720x540.jpeg 720w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-147048" class="wp-caption-text">A science park to teach kids about sustainability in the Weizmann Institute.</figcaption></figure>
<p>Dean Toste, Harvey Blanche and Douglas Clark are well on their way towards fulfilling Weizmann&#8217;s dream. Harvey Blanche explained that their variation on Weizmann&#8217;s fermentation process could efficiently convert corn, eucalyptus, sugar cane, grass and other fast-growing plants and trees into the ACE mixture. Then a catalyst developed by Dean Toste converts this mixture into a high-energy biofuel. Their results are published in Nature.</p>
<p>&#8220;You can take a wide variety of sugar sources &#8211; from corn, sugar cane, molasses to woody biomass or plant biomass &#8211; and turn it into a diesel product using this fermentation process,&#8221; said Harvey Blanch in an <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Biofuel-created-by-explosive-technology-4191168.php#ixzz2JQDUfWIr">SFGate article</a>, adding that about 90 percent of the raw material remains in the finished product, reducing the loss of carbon. &#8220;Grasses are also a possible source. Eucalyptus could also be used. Anything that&#8217;s fast-growing.&#8221;</p>
<p>California is expected to be the first niche market to use this new biofuel, although it would likely take about ten years to go to market.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2013/01/chaim-weizmanns-fermentation-invention-used-for-biofuel-production/">Chaim Weizmann&#8217;s Fermentation Invention Used for Biofuel Production in USA</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com">Green Prophet</a>.</p>
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		<title>Israeli Fuel Company Tries Out Gasoline &#8211; Green Methanol Fuel Mixture</title>
		<link>https://www.greenprophet.com/2012/12/methanol-israel-gas-stations/</link>
					<comments>https://www.greenprophet.com/2012/12/methanol-israel-gas-stations/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Maurice Picow]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 Dec 2012 12:17:51 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transportation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[alternative energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[biofuels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cars]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ethanol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flex fuel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fuel efficiency]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Israel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[methanol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[natural gas]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.greenprophet.com/?p=87275</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>A woman fills up car in Haifa with methanol and gasoline fuel mixture.  More bang for her buck? Photo: Haaretz/David Bachar Alternative car fuel mixtures have been talked about for years. Many gas stations in the US incorporate ethanol into their blends, all the way to fuel made from human and animal &#8220;poop&#8221;. More recently, [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2012/12/methanol-israel-gas-stations/">Israeli Fuel Company Tries Out Gasoline &#8211; Green Methanol Fuel Mixture</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com">Green Prophet</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/12/methanol-israel-gas-stations/methanol-mixture-fillup-by-david-bachar/" rel="attachment wp-att-87298"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-87298" src="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Methanol-mixture-fillup-by-David-Bachar-560x323.jpg" alt=" methanol gasoline fuel in Israel" width="560" height="323" srcset="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Methanol-mixture-fillup-by-David-Bachar-560x323.jpg 560w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Methanol-mixture-fillup-by-David-Bachar-350x202.jpg 350w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Methanol-mixture-fillup-by-David-Bachar-150x87.jpg 150w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Methanol-mixture-fillup-by-David-Bachar-300x173.jpg 300w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Methanol-mixture-fillup-by-David-Bachar.jpg 640w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></a><strong>A woman fills up car in Haifa with methanol and gasoline fuel mixture.  More bang for her buck? Photo: Haaretz/David Bachar<br />
</strong></p>
<p>Alternative car fuel mixtures have been talked about for years. Many gas stations in the US incorporate ethanol into their blends, all the way to <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2011/12/5-poop-projects/">fuel made from human and animal &#8220;poop&#8221;</a>. More recently, there&#8217;s been <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/12/mcdonalds-biodiesel-uae/">biofuel made from recycled McDonald&#8217;s fast food cooking oils</a> which flew their UAE fleet vehicles more than 800,000 miles!</p>
<p>Now methanol biofuels, made from natural gas and mixed with unleaded gasoline, are the subject of a <a href="http://www.haaretz.com/business/experiment-could-yield-big-savings-for-israelis-at-the-gas-pump.premium-1.484254">test project being conducted in Israel by Dor Chemicals and Ten Petroleum</a> at one of their gas stations in Haifa.<span id="more-87275"></span></p>
<p>The fuel mixture contains 15% methanol, a simple form of alcohol and derived from liquified natural gas. According to Dor Chemical chemical engineers, methanol burns cleaner than ordinary gasoline and is also cheaper to produce.</p>
<p>In the cooperative agreement, with Ten Petroleum 10, ordinary cars of various types are being given the fuel mixture in order to determine how the engines will perform on the mixture, as opposed to gasoline. As part of the project, no adjustments or modifications have been made to the car engines. Another 3 cars will act as control vehicles and will run on ordinary gasoline.</p>
<p>Dani Ben-Ner, CEO of Ten Petroleum, says that if this initial test project is successful he will be happy to participate in a large test of 500 or more cars. &#8220;In the second stage of the pilot project, we will introduce methanol at all our gas stations. First in relatively low levels of 15 percent; but I believe that in the future also at  higher levels,&#8221; he told the local Haaretz newspaper.</p>
<p>He believes that including 15 percent methanol in a mix with gasoline could save Israel $3.95 billion USD in imported oil and refined petroleum products, and save some $1.85 Billion in spending on gasoline. Cost savings to consumers are estimated to be from 5 to 7 percent over ordinary fuels. Now that Israel has a glut of natural gas, this could be a welcome move in the energy industry.</p>
<p>The only drawback is whether the methanol, which does not burn as efficiently as gasoline, will cause any form of long term damage to car engines. Scientists involved in the project estimate it will take several months to determine if burning this new fuel mixture will not cause undue engine wear due to having a lower energy output.</p>
<p>Biofuel mixtures known as &#8220;flex fuel&#8221; which contain ethanol and made from grain and sugars are already being used in countries like Brazil and the US. These fuels, which come from plants that derive energy from the sun via photosynthesis have been criticized by scientists like Hartmut Michel, who <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/12/biofuel-versus-solar/">won a Nobel Prize in 1988 for his work on energy derived from photosynthesis in plants</a>.</p>
<p>Despite this issue and due to the large amounts of natural gas reserves discovered in the eastern Mediterranean, Israel&#8217;s use of natural gas, either as methanol or liquified natural gas appears to be an excellent way to<a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/08/israel-natural-gas-terror/"> help provide that country&#8217;s energy needs with enough natural gas to burn for up to 150 years</a>.</p>
<p>::<a href="//www.haaretz.com/business/experiment-could-yield-big-savings-for-israelis-at-the-gas-pump.premium-1.484254">Haaretz.com</a></p>
<p>More articles on biofuels and natural gas:<br />
<a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/12/mcdonalds-biodiesel-uae/">McDonald&#8217;s Fleet Traveled 800,000 Miles on Recycled Biofuel</a><br />
<a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/08/israel-natural-gas-terror/">Israel&#8217;s Natural Gas Good to Burn for 150 Years if Handled Wisely</a><br />
<a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/07/egypt-biofuel-plastic/">Biofuel From Plastic for This Young Egyptian Scientist from Alexandria</a><br />
<a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2011/12/5-poop-projects/">5 Brilliant Projects that Turn Poop into Power</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2012/12/methanol-israel-gas-stations/">Israeli Fuel Company Tries Out Gasoline &#8211; Green Methanol Fuel Mixture</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com">Green Prophet</a>.</p>
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		<title>Arab and Jewish Teenagers Grow Algae for a Greener Future</title>
		<link>https://www.greenprophet.com/2012/11/algae-arab-and-jewish-students/</link>
					<comments>https://www.greenprophet.com/2012/11/algae-arab-and-jewish-students/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Tafline Laylin]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Nov 2012 02:01:45 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Tech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[algae]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[biofuels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medicine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wastewater treatment]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.greenprophet.com/?p=86473</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Despite the many wounds that cripple cooperation between the Israeli and Palestinian governments, Arab and Jewish teenagers work side by side to further algae research in Israel. Established in 2008, the Micro Algae Educational Project packs two important imperatives into one succinct program for high school students: ecology and social healing. Conducted in the Eco [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2012/11/algae-arab-and-jewish-students/">Arab and Jewish Teenagers Grow Algae for a Greener Future</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com">Green Prophet</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/11/algae-arab-and-jewish-students/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-lead1/" rel="attachment wp-att-86477"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-86477" title="Arab and Jew Algae Research" src="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-lead1-560x420.jpg" alt="arabs, jews, algae, Kibbutz Ein Shemer, Eco-Greenhouse, agriculture, biofuels, wastewater treatment, food, medicine" width="560" height="420" srcset="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-lead1-560x420.jpg 560w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-lead1-350x262.jpg 350w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-lead1-660x495.jpg 660w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-lead1-80x60.jpg 80w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-lead1-150x113.jpg 150w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-lead1-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-lead1-696x522.jpg 696w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-lead1.jpg 704w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></a>Despite the many wounds that cripple cooperation between the Israeli and Palestinian governments, Arab and Jewish teenagers work side by side to further algae research in Israel. Established in 2008, the Micro Algae Educational Project packs two important imperatives into one succinct program for high school students: <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2010/08/forum-environmental-justice/">ecology and social healing</a>.</p>
<p>Conducted in the Eco Greenhouse on <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2010/01/cooperative-renewable-energ/">Kibbutz Ein Shemer</a>, the project aims to establish the ideal <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/05/univerve-algae-biofuel/">growing conditions for algae</a> and then foster a variety of real-world applications, including food, medicine, <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/06/univerve-algae-biofuel-israel/">bio-fuels</a> and water treatment. So far, more than 300 Arab and Jewish students equipped with little more than a curious mind and a healthy dose of tolerance have participated in the project, and many more are on track to do the same.<span id="more-86473"></span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/11/algae-arab-and-jewish-students/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-1/" rel="attachment wp-att-86479"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-86479" title="Arab and Jew Algae Research" src="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-1-560x420.jpg" alt="arabs, jews, algae, Kibbutz Ein Shemer, Eco-Greenhouse, agriculture, biofuels, wastewater treatment, food, medicine" width="560" height="420" srcset="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-1-560x420.jpg 560w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-1-350x262.jpg 350w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-1-660x495.jpg 660w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-1-80x60.jpg 80w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-1-150x113.jpg 150w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-1-696x522.jpg 696w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-1.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></a>Initially a communal greenhouse established in 1977, the Eco Greenhouse evolved organically over the years until a non-profit organization was established in 2004 in order to forge a more concrete educational model that would benefit both the scientists and students who were drawn to the space.</p>
<p>&#8220;From year to year the greenhouse expanded,&#8221; Educational Manager Noam Geva told Green Prophet. &#8220;The number of teenagers grew, and more and more fields were added which one could study, build and develop.&#8221;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/11/algae-arab-and-jewish-students/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-lead/" rel="attachment wp-att-86478"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-86478" title="Arab and Jew Algae Research" src="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-lead-560x420.jpg" alt="arabs, jews, algae, Kibbutz Ein Shemer, Eco-Greenhouse, agriculture, biofuels, wastewater treatment, food, medicine" width="560" height="420" srcset="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-lead-560x420.jpg 560w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-lead-350x262.jpg 350w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-lead.jpg 640w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></a>&#8220;At the same time, the educational staff expanded and a complete didactic concept formed, based on project-based learning, teamwork and enabling the young people to choose and self-instruct.&#8221;</p>
<p>Since 2004, roughly a dozen Arab and Jewish schools have become involved in the initiative and the fields of study have expanded further still. But perhaps none are so promising as the multidisciplinary Micro Algae project.</p>
<p>&#8220;In recent years, the field of single cell algae research is drawing attention among bio-tech industries, researchers and entrepreneurs &#8211; who wish to utilize their findings in fields of medicine, in fisheries, food industries, water treatment and energy industries,&#8221; Geva explains.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/11/algae-arab-and-jewish-students/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-3/" rel="attachment wp-att-86481"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-86481" title="Arab and Jew Algae Research" src="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-3-560x420.jpg" alt="arabs, jews, algae, Kibbutz Ein Shemer, Eco-Greenhouse, agriculture, biofuels, wastewater treatment, food, medicine" width="560" height="420" srcset="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-3-560x420.jpg 560w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-3-350x262.jpg 350w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-3.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></a>&#8220;As educators, we see tremendous potential in the field – as it is a platform that integrates science, ecology, agriculture and sustainable social models. The Greenhouse staff has recently explored opportunities of integrating these themes into our work in fields of water research – and have found them inspiring and suitable for our educational model.&#8221;</p>
<p>But tomorrow belongs to our youth, so involving them in the exploratory process is a crucial element of the program. Not only does this bode well for science, but fostering such intimate cooperation between the two religious groups transcends whatever political disaster has seized the day.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/11/algae-arab-and-jewish-students/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-2/" rel="attachment wp-att-86480"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-86480" title="Arab and Jew Algae Research" src="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-2-560x420.jpg" alt="arabs, jews, algae, Kibbutz Ein Shemer, Eco-Greenhouse, agriculture, biofuels, wastewater treatment, food, medicine" width="560" height="420" srcset="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-2-560x420.jpg 560w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-2-350x262.jpg 350w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/arab-jew-algae-research-israel-2.jpg 1000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></a></p>
<p>&#8220;One of the project&#8217;s main goals is to grow the future researchers, entrepreneurs and scientists,&#8221; said Geva, who strives to &#8220;Expose the students to global environmental challenges, enable them to research and deal with advanced scientific topics under the supervision of academic researchers and experts from the agricultural industry, and plant the seeds of curiosity.&#8221;   <strong><br />
</strong></p>
<p>One of the most advanced of its kind on earth, this fantastic green curriculum can be used as a prototype for similar educational institutions not only in Israel, but anywhere.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2012/11/algae-arab-and-jewish-students/">Arab and Jewish Teenagers Grow Algae for a Greener Future</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com">Green Prophet</a>.</p>
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		<title>&#8216;Queen of Mean&#8217; Leona Helmsley&#8217;s Trust to Fund Solar Energy Research in Israel</title>
		<link>https://www.greenprophet.com/2012/10/queen-of-mean-leona-halmsley-renewables/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Tafline Laylin]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 29 Oct 2012 07:19:50 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Tech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[biofuels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[clean tech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leona Helmsley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Queen of Mean]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[renewable energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Solar Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technion-Israel Institute of technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Weizmann Institute]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.greenprophet.com/?p=85080</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Known as the &#8216;Queen of Mean&#8217; because of her tyrannical behavior towards just about everyone who crossed her path, Leona M. Helmsley was also a convicted felon who set up a $12 million trust for her Maltese Trouble. That amount was reduced to a more reasonable $2 million to ensure lifelong care for the dog, [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2012/10/queen-of-mean-leona-halmsley-renewables/">&#8216;Queen of Mean&#8217; Leona Helmsley&#8217;s Trust to Fund Solar Energy Research in Israel</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com">Green Prophet</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/10/queen-of-mean-leona-halmsley-renewables/queen-of-mean/" rel="attachment wp-att-85084"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-85084" title="Queen of Mean Leona Helmsley" src="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/queen-of-mean.jpg" alt="Leona Helmsley, Queen of Mean, Convicted Felon, Will for her Dog, Weizmann Institute, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, renewable energy, solar energy, biofuels, clean tech" width="560" height="415" srcset="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/queen-of-mean.jpg 560w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/queen-of-mean-350x259.jpg 350w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/queen-of-mean-80x60.jpg 80w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/queen-of-mean-150x111.jpg 150w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/queen-of-mean-300x222.jpg 300w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/queen-of-mean-485x360.jpg 485w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></a>Known as the &#8216;Queen of Mean&#8217; because of her tyrannical behavior towards just about everyone who crossed her path, Leona M. Helmsley was also a convicted felon who set up a $12 million trust for her Maltese Trouble. That amount was reduced to a more reasonable $2 million to ensure lifelong care for the dog, while the remaining $10 million was passed on to two grandchildren that Helmsley had disavowed in her will.</p>
<p>Famous for saying &#8220;We don&#8217;t pay taxes. Only little people pay taxes,&#8221; Helmsley left $4 billion for the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust that is now valued at roughly $5-8 billion. And $15 million of that, the trust recently announced, will be used to fund a dynamic joint program between the <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/06/karnin-solar-energy-brown-coal/">Weizmann Institute of Science</a> and <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/01/technion-cornell-nyc-techhub/">Technion-Israel Institute of Technology</a> to accelerate renewable energy research.<span id="more-85080"></span></p>
<p>Dubious origins aside, the grant will allow dozens of researchers from the two institutions to reach across a myriad of disciplines to find new ways to generation <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/07/egypt-biofuel-plastic/">energy from biofuels</a>, photovoltaics, and to capture light using optics.</p>
<p>And the marriage between Israel&#8217;s leading research institution, Weizmann to Technion&#8217;s world-renowned engineering and technical savvy is expected to catalyze a giant leap forward in a country that still relies deeply on <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2011/10/israeli-oil-shale-still-possibility/">polluting fossil fuels</a> despite having very little of their own.</p>
<p>&#8220;In addition to advancing new avenues of research, the new gift will serve to expand and strengthen the success of existing alternative energy programs,&#8221; the trust announced.</p>
<p>The Weizmann Institute’s Alternative Energy Research Initiative (AERI), the Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP) and the Israeli Center of Research Excellence (ICORE) in alternative energy will all receive an influx of cash to help advance their existing work.</p>
<p><strong>Biofuels, photovoltaics, optics</strong></p>
<p>&#8216;The biofuels research includes generating effective methods for breaking down waste plant matter into usable fuel resources, developing algae that can produce biofuels economically and developing plants that can be grown sustainably and provide materials that can easily be converted to biofuel,&#8221; PR representative Batya Greenman explained in a recent press release.</p>
<p>This research will be conducted at the Weizmann Institute in new state-of-the-art facilities funded by the trust.</p>
<p>Research will also focus on developing more efficient photovoltaic cells to increase the amount of energy that they can absorb from the sun, while other teams will focus on developing some of the most cutting-edge optic materials, research and designs such as plasmonics, nano structures and metamaterials.</p>
<p>The Weizmann Institute’s Prof. David Cahen heads the Helmsley project together with Prof. Gideon Grader of the Technion.</p>
<p>&#8220;Alternative energy is one of the most important, as well as one of the most exciting, fields of research today,&#8221; said Prof. Cahen.</p>
<p>&#8220;With this grant from the Helmsley Trust, we hope to attract bright, innovative researchers and students to the field. We know that a whole array of energy options will be needed to replace today’s nonrenewable and polluting fossil fuels; all of our present efforts are essential to ensure our energy future.”</p>
<p><em>Top image via <a href="http://cdn6.wn.com/pd/10/67/ba32eef77435606f2d70bca675f6_grande.jpg">cdn6</a></em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2012/10/queen-of-mean-leona-halmsley-renewables/">&#8216;Queen of Mean&#8217; Leona Helmsley&#8217;s Trust to Fund Solar Energy Research in Israel</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com">Green Prophet</a>.</p>
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		<title>Abu Dhabi Turns to Natural Gas Green Transport</title>
		<link>https://www.greenprophet.com/2012/09/abu-dhabi-authority-green-transport/</link>
					<comments>https://www.greenprophet.com/2012/09/abu-dhabi-authority-green-transport/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Faisal O'Keefe]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 23 Sep 2012 10:49:47 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transportation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Abu Dhabi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[alternative fuel vehicles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[biofuels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CNG]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[compressed gas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Estidama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[green fleet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Masdar City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[United Arab Emirates]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.greenprophet.com/?p=83086</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Abu Dhabi cars to run on compressed natural gas. The Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) has converted 20 vehicles in its fleet of 500 to run on compressed natural gas (CNG).  It&#8217;s part of their commitment to reduce harmful emissions and their press release says they&#8217;ll convert about 20% percent of the total fleet [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2012/09/abu-dhabi-authority-green-transport/">Abu Dhabi Turns to Natural Gas Green Transport</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com">Green Prophet</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/?attachment_id=83149" rel="attachment wp-att-83149"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-83149" title="muslim-driver-abu-dhabi-hijab" src="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/muslim-driver-abu-dhabi-hijab.jpeg" alt="abu dhabi muslim green driver hijab woman" width="560" height="372" srcset="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/muslim-driver-abu-dhabi-hijab.jpeg 560w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/muslim-driver-abu-dhabi-hijab-350x232.jpeg 350w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/muslim-driver-abu-dhabi-hijab-150x100.jpeg 150w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/muslim-driver-abu-dhabi-hijab-300x199.jpeg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></a><strong>Abu Dhabi cars to run on compressed natural gas.</strong></p>
<p>The Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) has converted 20 vehicles in its fleet of 500 to run on compressed natural gas (CNG).  It&#8217;s part of their commitment to reduce harmful emissions and their press release says they&#8217;ll convert about 20% percent of the total fleet to CNG by the end of 2015. Read more about this initiative and all about how Abu Dhabi is leading the region&#8217;s green revolution.<span id="more-83086"></span></p>
<p>The switch to alternative fuel is happening in partnership with Al Wathba Central Services, which is providing free training to ADFCA staff who&#8217;ll be driving these green machines.</p>
<p>A CNG vehicle&#8217;s carbon footprint is about 75% of that of comparable gasoline fueled wheels.</p>
<p>CNG is pitched as a safer fuel (it’s more difficult to ignite than gasoline); as a fuel that lowers fleet operating costs (less wear on engines than gasoline); and of course, there’s the gentler atmospheric impact.</p>
<p>Conversion to CNG brings a 10 – 15% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions over a vehicle&#8217;s lifecycle, compared to a gasoline-fueled equivalent.  ADFCA cited recent research indicating that a CNG vehicle engine will emit 80% less nitrogen oxides, 80% less non-methane organic gases, and up to 70% less carbon monoxide.</p>
<p>That adds up to improved air quality, so why stop at 20 vehicles?  And why wait three years to convert another 80?</p>
<p>Abu Dhabi leads the Middle East (and most of the globe) in environmental stewardship.  How green are they?  Let me count the ways:</p>
<ul>
<li>These are the folks who hatched zero-energy <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/01/masdar-ziad-interview/">Masdar City</a>.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The <a href="http://upc.gov.ae/?lang=en-US">Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council</a> (UPC) is world-renowned for responsibly managing large-scale urban planning and rapid growth.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>UPC developed Plan 2030 which sets a sustainable foundation for all new development occurring in the Emirate and capital city.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Their green program, <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/tag/estidama-pearl-rating-system/">Estidama</a> (which encompasses the Pearl Rating system), is an inspired vision for governance and community development.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>They&#8217;ve installed 6,000 units of <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/08/lightbulb-flips-on-over-emirati-planners/">sustainable public light fixtures</a> throughout the capital city.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Their Orwellian-sounding <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/08/abu-dhabi-flushes-out-inefficient-plumbing/">Quality and Conformity Council</a> sets uniform performance measures and raises public awareness on environmental aspects of building components.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Abu Dhabi opened the region’s first  <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/08/rapid-electric-car-charger-masdar-city/">rapid electric vehicle charging station</a>.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Their national airline, Etihad, is a pioneer in the use of <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/01/ethihad-jet-uses-biofuels-for-inaugural-home-run/">aviation biofuels</a>.</li>
</ul>
<p>Ahmad Abdul Al Sharah, ADFCA’s Acting Director of Communication and Community Service, told <a href="http://gulfnews.com/">Gulf News</a> ,“<a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/03/sustainable-word-save/">The word ‘sustainability’</a> has now become an integral part of government parlance and projects announced are all in line with the objectives of achieving sustainability.  We believe that it is important to do all we can to make life easier for the present and coming generations through better protection of our environment and reduction of pollution.&#8221;</p>
<p>ADFCA also launched initiatives to reduce water consumption in irrigation: Abu Dhabi farming assistance goes to applicants who agree to steer clear of water-intensive crops.</p>
<p>All good stuff.  Just leaves me wondering, if we know the proven benefits behind an action, and there are sufficient resources to cover costs, why not step on the gas and make these positive changes &#8211; in a wider scope and foreshortened timetable &#8211; now?</p>
<p><em>Image of <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-97900298/stock-photo-arabic-muslim-woman-driving-a-car-with-thumb-up.html">Muslim woman driver</a> from Shutterstock</em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2012/09/abu-dhabi-authority-green-transport/">Abu Dhabi Turns to Natural Gas Green Transport</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com">Green Prophet</a>.</p>
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		<title>UniVerve Chooses Microalgae For Award-Winning Biofuel Business</title>
		<link>https://www.greenprophet.com/2012/05/univerve-algae-biofuel/</link>
					<comments>https://www.greenprophet.com/2012/05/univerve-algae-biofuel/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Shifra Mincer]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 06 May 2012 12:28:47 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[algae]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[biofuels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[clean tech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Israel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WATEC]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.greenprophet.com/?p=71998</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Late this February Israeli financial newspaper Calcalist, along with Israel Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, hosted a competition to honor Israel&#8217;s leading cleantech start-ups. Among the 12 competition finalists, was UniVerve, an Israeli biofuel company that specializes in using microalgae to create oil. UniVerve has gained international recognition for its microalgae technology, [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2012/05/univerve-algae-biofuel/">UniVerve Chooses Microalgae For Award-Winning Biofuel Business</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com">Green Prophet</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-72673" title="univerve-biofuel-image" src="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/univerve-biofuel-image.jpg" alt="univerve biofuel algae israel" width="560" height="344" srcset="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/univerve-biofuel-image.jpg 560w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/univerve-biofuel-image-350x215.jpg 350w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/univerve-biofuel-image-150x92.jpg 150w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/univerve-biofuel-image-300x184.jpg 300w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/univerve-biofuel-image-80x50.jpg 80w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /><br />
Late this February Israeli financial newspaper Calcalist, along with Israel Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, hosted a competition to honor Israel&#8217;s leading cleantech start-ups. Among the 12 competition finalists, was UniVerve, an Israeli biofuel company that specializes in using <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2010/01/algae-biofuel-iran/">microalgae to create oil</a>.</p>
<p>UniVerve has gained international recognition for its <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2011/07/origin-oils-middle-east-biofuel/">microalgae technology</a>, including at an apperance this March at the <a href="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/green-power-conferences-3234/news/article/2012/03/world-biofuels-markets-2012-puts-algae-under-a-microscope">World Biofuels Markets</a>, which can succesfully produce bio-oil from third generation biomass. If any waste biomass is left from the refining process, UniVerve sells it to be used as animal or fish feed.<span id="more-71998"></span></p>
<p>Traditional bio-oil has been made from first generation feedstock, such as corn and soybeans, and even second generation fuel sources, such as Castor and Jatropha, but both sources have major problems when mass produced for oil, UniVerve claims.</p>
<p>Unlike those biomass sources, microalgae does not compete with the food market in terms of crops or vegetable oil, does not compete with agricultural land because algae can be grown innon-fertile land and in salty or brackish water, it is uniquely able to produce <a href="http://www.earthtechling.com/2012/03/yo-newt-navy-sails-1200-miles-on-algae-biofuel/">bio-diesel and jet-fuel alike</a>, and also has a higher oil output level than first and second generation fuel sources.</p>
<p>For desert regions like Israel, microalgae can also play the very important role of cleaning contaminated water such as grey water and even sewage water, readying it for recycling an reuse for agriculture.</p>
<p>But many in the cleantech business think <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2009/12/seambiotic-algae-china/">algae-based biofuels</a> are years from being mass-produced. According to a <a href="http://www.earthtechling.com/2010/11/algae-biofuels-10-years-from-viability/">study released</a> in 2010 by the Energy Biosceience Institute (EBI) at UC Berkeley, “100 companies in the United States and abroad are now working to produce algal biomass and oil for transportation fuels,” but, “most are small and none has yet operated a pilot plant with multiple acres of algae production systems.”</p>
<p>Founded in 2009, with its official Israel debut at Israel&#8217;s <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2011/11/watec-water-2011/">WATEC 2011</a>, a renewable energy and water technology conferenc, hosted last November, UniVerve has ambitions to take a central role in, what the company says will be, a $100 billion global biofuel industry by 2018. The goal: developing a &#8220;biological, renewable oil well,&#8221; the company wrote in a statement.</p>
<p>::<a href="http://www.univerve-biofuel.com/page.php?id=139&amp;sub=151">Univerve</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2012/05/univerve-algae-biofuel/">UniVerve Chooses Microalgae For Award-Winning Biofuel Business</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com">Green Prophet</a>.</p>
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		<title>Put a Zebra in Your Tank: A Chemical Crapshoot?</title>
		<link>https://www.greenprophet.com/2012/01/zebra-butanol-biofuel/</link>
					<comments>https://www.greenprophet.com/2012/01/zebra-butanol-biofuel/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Faisal O'Keefe]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 29 Jan 2012 06:42:06 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[animals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[biofuels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[butanol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cellulase]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cellulose]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ethanol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gasoline]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.greenprophet.com/?p=63467</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Making alcohol from sugars is easy; maybe the third oldest profession in the world. Making butanol from zebra droppings is another story. Processors have made ethanol from cornstarch and sugar for decades, but using food products to make biofuel raises demand for staple commodities like corn and seed oils with disastrous impact to the food [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2012/01/zebra-butanol-biofuel/">Put a Zebra in Your Tank: A Chemical Crapshoot?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com">Green Prophet</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/zebra-oil.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/zebra-oil-560x272.jpg" alt="zebra and butterfly, biofuel" title="zebra-oil" width="560" height="272" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-64617" srcset="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/zebra-oil-560x272.jpg 560w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/zebra-oil-350x170.jpg 350w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/zebra-oil.jpg 754w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></a><br />
<strong>Making alcohol from sugars is easy; maybe the third oldest profession in the world. Making butanol from zebra droppings is another story.<br />
</strong></p>
<p>Processors have made <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2009/06/hcl-cleantech-ethanol/">ethanol</a> from cornstarch and sugar for decades, but using food products to make biofuel raises demand for staple commodities like corn and seed oils with disastrous impact to the food chain.</p>
<p>So let’s try again, back things up a step. Start with cellulose, not sugar. Add some enzymes that convert the cellulose into sugar. Next ferment the sugar into alcohol. Then distill the alcohol into fuel. Four simple steps and we&#8217;re juicing our cars with sawdust and coconut shells instead of <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2011/02/nuclear-power-continues-world-dependence-on-middle-east-oil/">Middle East oil</a>.  Scientists know how to turn plants into fuel, but doing it profitably is another thing: Cellulose is the problem.<span id="more-63467"></span></p>
<p>Found in the walls of plant cells, cellulose is the most abundant naturally occurring organic molecule on the planet. These tough fibers, indigestible to humans,  protect plants from predators.  And they&#8217;re hard to break down.</p>
<p>Some animals have evolved elegant ways to do the chemistry. Cow, camel and goat guts host microbes which produce cellulose-chomping enzymes to get the job done.  Called cellulase, these enzymes can be lab-produced, but they aren’t cheap: processors often rely on government subsidies to offset costs. For an academic researcher, trying to convert cellulose into fuel, in a lab, on a budget, hasn’t been easy.</p>
<p><strong>It&#8217;s all happening at the zoo. </strong></p>
<p>Maybe professor of microbiology, Dr. David A. Mullin is a Simon &amp; Garfunkel fan, or it’s simply serendipitous that his Tulane University lab is near New Orleans’ Audubon Zoo.</p>
<p>His exploration to discover a microbe that could produce a biofuel straight from cellulose began inside the animal cages.  Braving odors and muck, he and his grad students collected <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2009/10/qteros-applied-clean-tech-turd/">manure</a> from all sorts of exotic vegetarians. Then the  team cultured 40 different bacteria colonies from the Audubon droppings.  When fed cellulose, over a dozen of these strains made butanol. Holy <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2011/11/zabiha-organic-halal/">cow</a>!</p>
<p><strong></strong>Butanol, with four carbon atoms, has twice the kick of ethanol and only slightly less energy-potential than gasoline. It can be used straight-up (needs no blending with traditional fossil fuels), and can be transported via existing oil/gas infrastructure (tanker trucks, ships and <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2009/12/curapipes-little-pigs-tackle-leaky-pipes-and-faulty-oil-pipelines/">pipelines</a>).</p>
<p>Due to these commercially-friendly characteristics, this class of biofuel holds potential to lead the pack of alternative fuels.</p>
<p>Mullin’s team experimented to find butanol-producing strains that could work in open air (not in vacuum-sealed animal bellies) and at temperatures easily replicated in a lab.</p>
<p>Bacteria from African Zebra droppings earned their stripes by hitting all the targets. His tests now focus on TU-103, the name of the magical zebra-poop microbe.  Experiments combine TU-103 with a variety of high-fiber meals, and measure chemical output.  Mullin has demonstrated that, in addition to butanol, TU-103 converts cellulose into acetone and hydrogen (both with commercial value) and carbon dioxide.</p>
<p>OK, so not completely net-zero, but very close. The team is now working to minimize the time for fermentation and demonstrate that the enzyme can consistently convert an array of <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2011/05/project-lebanon-2011/">biomass</a> waste feedstock.<strong></strong></p>
<p>Environmental push-back against biofuel targets competition with food sources; stresses on water supply; and negative impact to biodiversity since it encourages farmers to dedicate large tracts of  arable land to single-crop production.</p>
<p>“We don’t want to create new <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2010/06/james-feasts-slowly-upon-micheal-pollans-food-rules/">monocultures</a>,” said Sheila Karpf,  policy analyst for the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit advocacy group in Washington.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/01/ethihad-jet-uses-biofuels-for-inaugural-home-run/">Biofuels</a> created from industrial and agricultural bio-waste neatly sidesteps these issues: this Green Prophet advises.</p>
<p>Image via <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/loveisnotavictorymarch/3707223632/sizes/l/in/photostream/">loveisnotabvictorymarch</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2012/01/zebra-butanol-biofuel/">Put a Zebra in Your Tank: A Chemical Crapshoot?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com">Green Prophet</a>.</p>
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		<title>Ethihad Jet Uses Biofuels for Inaugural Home Run</title>
		<link>https://www.greenprophet.com/2012/01/ethihad-jet-uses-biofuels-for-inaugural-home-run/</link>
					<comments>https://www.greenprophet.com/2012/01/ethihad-jet-uses-biofuels-for-inaugural-home-run/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Faisal O'Keefe]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:25:31 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transportation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[aviation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[biofuels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Masdar]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.greenprophet.com/?p=64056</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Etihad Airways operates first biofuel powered delivery flight with Boeing and Sky Energy Etihad Airways from the United Arab Emirates scores a double play in the Green World Series:  Becoming both the first airline to fly on biofuel directly from the factory and the first biofuel-flying Gulf carrier. Not yet on its fuel-efficient Dreamliners, Etihad&#8217;s  new [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2012/01/ethihad-jet-uses-biofuels-for-inaugural-home-run/">Ethihad Jet Uses Biofuels for Inaugural Home Run</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com">Green Prophet</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-64497" title="ETI_Fueling-sy-energy-boeing-etihad" src="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ETI_Fueling-sy-energy-boeing-etihad.jpg" alt="etihad biofeul sky energy" width="471" height="262" srcset="https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ETI_Fueling-sy-energy-boeing-etihad.jpg 471w, https://www.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ETI_Fueling-sy-energy-boeing-etihad-350x194.jpg 350w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 471px) 100vw, 471px" /><br />
<strong>Etihad Airways operates first biofuel powered delivery flight with Boeing and Sky Energy</strong></p>
<p><a title="Aircraft Emissions: Um, Stewardess, Got An Aspirin?" href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2011/12/aircraft-emmissions-middle-east/">Etihad Airways</a> from the United Arab Emirates scores a double play in the Green World Series:  Becoming both the first airline to fly on <a title="Masdar, Boeing, Etihad and Honeywell to Establish the UAE’s First Biofuel Research Project" href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2010/01/masdar-boeing-etihad-honeywell-biofuel/">biofuel directly</a> from the factory and the first biofuel-flying Gulf carrier. Not yet on its fuel-efficient <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2011/11/gulf-orders-piling-up-for-fuel-efficient-787-dreamliners/">Dreamliners</a>, Etihad&#8217;s  new Boeing 777-300ER traveled from its Seattle birthplace to its home base at Abu Dhabi International Airport this past Wednesday.<strong><span id="more-64056"></span></strong></p>
<p>The flight was powered by a mix of traditional fuel and plant-based biofuel created from recycled vegetable cooking oil.  Used oil from the food industry qualifies as a bio-based waste stream, its resulting carbon footprint is especially trim.</p>
<p>“This flight marks a significant milestone in our efforts to drive commercialization of sustainable aviation fuel in Abu Dhabi, the region, and globally.  Use of presently available biofuel is just part of a comprehensive strategy to ensure that we are able to use biofuel to decarbonize an entire industry sector in the long term”, said Etihad Airways’ President and CEO James Hogan in a public statement.</p>
<p>This national airline of the United Arab Emirates is an original founder of the <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2010/01/masdar-boeing-etihad-honeywell-biofuel/">Masdar</a> Institute’s Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium in Abu Dhabi.</p>
<p>Bankrolled by $2 million of <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2009/04/etihad-qatar-greenhouse-gas/">Etihad</a> funding, this ground-breaking R&amp;D lab is pioneering  use of salt water-tolerant plants in production of alternative aviation fuel. As a member of the global Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group, the airline is fully committed to <a title="Masdar, Boeing, Etihad and Honeywell to Establish the UAE’s First Biofuel Research Project" href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2010/01/masdar-boeing-etihad-honeywell-biofuel/">developing biofuel feedstocks</a> that protect drinking water supplies; are non-competitive with food sources; and maintain optimal biodiversity.</p>
<p>Biofuel for this inaugural flight was provided by Netherlands-based sustainable jet fuel company SkyNRG, which commented: “We think the Middle East has great potential to give a critical boost towards making a market for sustainable jet fuel that is affordable. With this flight, Etihad Airways has taken a fantastic step, particularly in increasing awareness within the region.</p>
<p>&#8220;There is a lot more to come in this continent and we are determined to be there when that happens”, said Dirk Kronemeijer, SkyNRG Managing Director.</p>
<p>In an effort to push airlines to decrease carbon output, the <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/01/eu-emissions-tax-middle-east/">EU emissions trading scheme </a>(ETS) now requires all airlines flying to or from EU airports to purchase permits to offset annual carbon <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2011/12/aircraft-emmissions-middle-east/">emissions</a>.</p>
<p><strong>A way to fly no cost carbon offsets</strong></p>
<p>No-cost offsets are available to carriers who can demonstrate conservation measures such as use of alternative fuels and sustainable operational practices at home airports. Biofuel is considered as &#8220;carbon-neutral&#8221; because its original source plant material absorbs carbon as it grows, only releasing it during the combustion process.  Under the EU ETS, use of biofuel use exempts airlines from carbon taxation.</p>
<p>Despite strong industry opposition, new emissions regulations will continue to be imposed on aviation.  Carbon tax can act as a deterrent to environmentally unconstrained practices, and also as a mechanism to raise revenue to fund other <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/01/clean-cookstoves-planet/">carbon reduction programs</a>.</p>
<p>Costs related to taxation schemes might simply be passed to end-users, or could incite development of an alternative fuels industry that is  commercially competitive with traditional fuel.</p>
<p>Biofuels perform as well as fossil fuels, and  they can be used without re-tooling existing aircraft systems.   How to scale up production to meet anticipated demand,  at a cost the market is willing to pay, is a challenge sure to drive the biofuel game into extra innings.</p>
<p>Above image via <em>skyNGR Sky Energy</em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com/2012/01/ethihad-jet-uses-biofuels-for-inaugural-home-run/">Ethihad Jet Uses Biofuels for Inaugural Home Run</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.greenprophet.com">Green Prophet</a>.</p>
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