Green-News: Wednesday 5.13.09
- I was at the car show a few weeks ago and I saw a lot of gas-free cars. It was pretty amazing. Norway’s finance minister likes the idea too. She wants to ban sales of new gasoline-powered cars by 2015. Insisting cars should be powered by alternative fuels like electricity, hydrogen and biofeuls; Reuters reports.
- Canada is pushing towards biofeuls too, in this case ethanol, but the move is drawing concern from other countries, like the United States. To make ethanol, you need a lot of grain and there is controversy over the greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural practices used to raise feedstock grain; from ReportonBuisiness.com.
- However, the U.S. appears to be conflicted on the ethanol thing. Three White House cabinet members have devised a plan to help shield corn ethanol producers from the current credit crisis. But officials do recognize the challenge of having to improve biodiesel and ethanol farming practices; Green Inc explains.
- Now, the U.S. is not so kind on hydrogen car funding. President Obama has cut former President George W. Bush's $1.2 billion plan for developing hydrogen fuel cells. Here’s why. Science officials say hydrogen cars are still decades away and we need to focus on more immediate energy-saving endeavors; via TreeHugger.
- Biofuels have other problems too. Experts say biofuel crops are two to four times more likely to establish wild populations. These foreign species of plants are invasive and threaten indigenous tropical plants. Luckily, farming measures could be developed to control any unwanted spreading of crops; ENN reports.
- But maybe all this can be avoided. Scientists believe existing greenhouse gases can be turned into clean-burning fuel. The process uses high temperatures and metal ions that convert carbon dioxide in the air into methanol. Also, the catalyst may a help to release hydrogen; from NewScientist.
Image credit: david_megginson
