Green Energy News Items - 5/22/2008
Restaurants Serve Up Sustainability
What with so many disposable dishes, napkins, tableware and containers, restaurants aren’t famous for sustainability. Now that’s going to change, according to the National Restaurant Association. The aim is to reduce the impact of the food service industry on the environment and to conserve resources.
So far, Pepsico and the Chicago Culinary Institute have signed on. More …
“Farmer Green” Makes a Case for Sustainable Farming
79 year old Ralph Dull was recuperating from knee surgery when he read a book on wind energy, just to pass the time. It changed his life and may change the lives of farmers and other people from Ohio, where he lives, to wherever farming is practiced.
Since then, he’s added wind turbines, a geothermally heated office, recycling systems and even a hydrogen generator that he hopes will replace propane in his forklifts and other farm equipment.
He’s also become an ambassador for green farming practices, as he tries to convince other farmers that this may be the best way to save their farms and their way of life. More …
MIT Increases Fuel Cell Output
One kind of fuel cell could be much more in demand in future, not that its output has been improved by 50%. Portable electronic devices could use them instead of less environmentally-friendly batteries, thus reducing the impact on resources and landfills.
Even better, the new material that has made this possible is actually less expensive than older materials. More …
Rockefellers Get Backup In Attempt to Influence Exxon Mobil Policies
When members of the Rockefeller family announced their intent to sway the company’s policies toward investing in renewable energy, Exxon Mobil resisted. However, now that four more investors have come onboard with the heirs of John D. Rockefeller, the pressure is on.
The Rockefeller family has stated that renewable energy exploration and investment is necessary not only for environmental reasons, but because other oil companies have already started to brand themselves with the renewable energy image, which may hurt Exxon Mobil’s image with consumers. More …
A Car That Pays You Back As You Drive It
By the time you finish paying for a new car, it’s an old car. It may have mechanical problems or fading paint, but you still have to finish the payments. Enter the super-efficient XH-150 from AFS Trinity Power Corporation. This hybrid SUV uses electric power for the first 40 miles and then switches to gas with an unheard of mileage of 150MPH.
By the end of 4-5 years, it will have paid for itself at its projected price of $40,000. And it - or a similar vehicle - could be available in 2-3 years. More …