ENN Home | Commentary | Company News | Non Profit News | ENN Radio | ENN TV ENN Expo | ENN Media Services | Interactive | Photo Gallery | ENN Forum | Announcements

Friday, September 30, 2005

Weekly News ENN Weekly: September 26th - 30th September 30, 2005 — By the Editors, ENN Contents: Top Ten Stories of the Week Sustainable Economy News Roundup Now Showing on ENN TV EarthNews Radio Review Guest Commentary: Getting Apollo off the Ground The Week's Top Ten In the news September 26th - 30th: China's tiger trade, a wide-scale children's health study, Arctic ice on the decline, and a Sky Tour to go. 1. ENN Presents Autumn 'Sky Tour' Podcast Fire up your iPod, bundle up, and head out to take an informed look at the autumn sky! ENN's Sky Tour, hosted by Jerry Kay and featuring Bing Quock of the California Academy of Sciences is designed for download into an MP3 player, freeing you up to get outside and look at the galaxies and constellations with expert guidance. Make Sky Tour part of your weekend! 2. Caribbean Corals Hit by Warm, Storm-Spawning Seas Coral in the Caribbean is taking a hit from the same forces that fueled the most recent and damaging hurricanes to churn through parts of the U.S. Scientists say that warm seas are causing "bleaching" of corals, as the algae surrounding them die off in the heat. The coral, in turn, suffers due to being deprived of the algae, which is a primary food source. 3. Researchers Launch Biggest Study of U.S. Children In the quest to unravel the mysteries of diseases like diabetes and autism that are becoming increasingly common, the U.S. this week announced that it will be launching an ambitious study aimed at sleuthing out environment-disease links. According to Dr. Duane Alexander of the National Institute of Health, "The National Children's Study would follow more than 100,000 children, from before birth -- and, in some cases, even before pregnancy." 4. Cocaine Is Killing Colombian Nature Parks Another reason to "just say no" to drugs: Their detrimental impact on wildlife. The cocaine business in Colombia, in particular, has set off a chain of events with the bottom-line result of damage to the country's magnificent nature parks. Fumigation as a means of eradicating coca plants has driven growers into the parks, leaving the government with a choice between the lesser of two evils: spraying environmentally damaging weed killer or allowing coca-growing to continue. 5. Warming Causes Record Arctic Ice Melt, U.S. Report Says Temperatures are up and the Arctic melt is on, according to scientists at NASA. Data indicates that the current amount of ice in the Arctic is the less than it has been in a century or more. As research scientist Mark Serreze puts it, "It's increasingly difficult to argue against the notion that at least part of what we are seeing in the Arctic, in terms of sea ice, in terms of warming temperatures ... is due to the greenhouse effect." 6. China Tiger Trade Would Doom Species, WWF Says Their body parts highly valued on China's black market, tigers are living, breathing targets of poachers. Although China halted trade in tigers and tiger parts 12 years ago, the country is currently considering allowing trade in farm-bred animals raised in captivity. The Wildlife Fund for Nature warned that such a move would send the wrong message and could have catastrophic implications for wild tigers, too. 7. Former Prime Minister Proposes Australia as World's Nuclear Dump Nuclear waste has to go somewhere -- an ongoing problem -- and one former Australian politician thinks that his country should serve as host. Bob Hawke, Prime Minister of Australia from 1983 until 1991 asserted, "What Australia should do in my judgment, as an act of economic sanity and environmental responsibility, is say we will take the world's nuclear waste." 8. Scientists Capture Giant Squid on Camera >From remains washed up on shore we knew a few things about giant squid. Their eyeballs are as big as basketballs. Their outstretched tentacles can span the length of a bus. But until this week, no one had ever caught pictures of giant squid alive. Japanese scientists win the distinction of photographing the mysterious creature in its natural environment. 9. Tsunami Actually Aided Crops in Indonesia In some areas of the world December's tsunami wrought devastation almost beyond the scope of imagination. Nine months later, we see small signs of hope rising up from the death and destruction. Here's one example: Indonesian farmer Muhammad Yacob and his wife have seen a bumper rice crop this year, aided by the sea water that once turned his paddy into a mucky swamp. 10. Rare Congo Gorillas Surviving War, Poaching, Group Says Another ray of hope in an altogether different conservation challenge: The discovery of a couple of significant groups of lowland gorillas largely unaccounted for in prior estimates of the species' numbers. "We found two important populations of Grauer's gorilla that were severely underestimated, neglected or thought not to exist," said Patrick Mehlman of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. Sustainable Economy News Roundup, by Paul Geary This week on the Sustainable Economy channel, we saw that many businesses are learning that going "green" is good for business, and we continued to see effects from Katrina nearly a month after the hurricane ravaged the Gulf Coast, and now Rita's wrath as well. Businesses are realizing that green practices are good for business, and many business are adjusting their internal operations. Some are changing their product lines and business models as well: GE Plastics Seminar Includes Environmental Component Milwaukee-Based Company Unveils Lab for Hybrid Auto Batteries Trash, Waste Are Newest Fuel Sources Illinois Hospital Goes 'Green' Crocodiles Rock on Former Brazil Dairy Farm Utah Firms Find Being Environmentally Conscious Is Good Business Reflecting New Shopping Trend, Stop & Shop Touts Organics The aftermath of Katrina and Rita consists of physical damage but other ramifications as well: Lawsuit Filed Against Major Oil Companies Alleging Ecological Damage Worsened Katrina Rita Decimates the Louisiana Cattle Industry U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Begins Assessing Damage on Texas Coast For companies that do good for the environment, recognition can be a reward. We showed you some examples of awards given by various organizations, and the winners. One award, though, probably isn't one the city of Chicago wanted: Efforts to Promote Commuter Alternatives and Benefits Win EPA Awards EnviroMedia Issues National Small Business Conservation Challenge: $5K Prize Fortune Rates Top 100 Corporate Citizens Chicago Named 2005 Fall Allergy Capital Meanwhile, new organizations were formed to broaden the fight to save our environment: Climate Change Now New Program Supports Parents Who Want to Raise Children in An Eco-Healthy Way And of course, challenges continue: Energy Star Requirements to Get Tougher Environmentalists, Boise Cascade Clash Over 'Old Growth' Global Strategy to Fight Bird Flu in Animals Faces Funding Gap: FAO New Algae Species Complicates Efforts to Improve Taste, Smell of San Diego Drinking Water Poll Shows Many Firms See Global Warming Affecting Their Business ENN features cutting-edge products on ENN Innovation Expo, where companies can tell their story and green consumers can find the latest in environmentally responsible products. Visit ENN Expo regularly. And be sure to check ENN's Sustainable Economy channel every business day to get the latest news about the "green" economy. You can find it here on ENN on our Sustainable Economy News page. Now Showing on ENN TV, by Carrie Schluter Selected highlights of this week's programming on ENN TV: SOS RHINO While all five species of rhinoceros are threatened with extinction, the outlook is particularly grim for the most charismatic of them all: the Sumatran rhino. Dr. Nan Schaefer of the nonprofit group SOS Rhino dedicates her life to rhino welfare, promoting education and conducting research into rhinoceros fertility. It's poaching that has decimated the species, leaving fewer than 400 Sumatran rhinos alive in the world. Their horns can bring $30,000 per pound, prized in some cultures as an aphrodisiac. Rhinos are an umbrella species, meaning that saving them from obliteration will help save other species that share their habitat. In this film, SOS Rhino introduces viewers to the charming Sumatran rhino, tells their story, which began more than 40,000,000 years ago, and makes a compelling case for working to bring them back from the brink of extinction. GNN TV So what, exactly, is in our food? We might think we know what we're eating, but according to this video from Guerrilla News Network, the food chain could be tainted with genetic modifications of which the consumer is largely unaware. The piece takes a fascinating look at the practical reasons for the adoption by some farmers of GM technology: With a glut of food in the world, farmers are desperate for any means of reducing their cost in order to gain an economic edge. Some agrochemical companies exploit that susceptibility, slowly gaining footholds in the food chain. Putting desirable traits from other species into food might benefit agribusiness, but, as this video asserts, the dangers to the end users -- those who eat the food -- are still unknown. MIRIAM AND DODO Uniquely and compellingly, this video gives viewers a new reason to recycle by putting a human face on it. The next time you take out the trash, think of Miriam and her adorable 14-month-old son, Dodo. Living in poverty in an outer Bangkok suburb, Miriam ekes out a living rummaging through rubbish for recyclables. A competitive "business," trash collecting is arduous, backbreaking work that pays Miriam only enough to cover her and Dodo's basic needs. For Miriam things weren't always like they are now; a string of personal and professional bad luck altered the course of her life, leaving her to worry about her son's future. For those of us who have every wondered "why bother" recycling, consider Miriam. Think of the fact that in a small way we can help her earn a living by doing our part and recycling rather than sending recyclable trash to the landfill. ARCHITECTURE TO ZUCCHINI Here's an apt description of sustainability: "Sustainability is about using the interest of nature, not the capital." For businesses considering adopting some sustainable practices, the case is increasingly compelling. In today's market there's a growing demand for environmentally sound goods and services. In this video we meet a number of business owners in diverse fields who have incorporated sustainable practices for better efficiency and profitability. From using the heat from a pizza oven to heat water to providing experiential education opportunities for youth, these sustainable business pioneers have taken innovative approaches to balancing economic and environmental needs, with inspirational success. As the video says, human creativity and imagination is the one unlimited resource. See it for yourself: WATCH ENN TV EarthNews Radio Review, by Paul Geary This week on EarthNews Radio, Jerry Kay brought you the second incarnation of Sky Tour, with guide Bing Quock of the Morrison Planetarium of the California Academy of Sciences. The Sky Tour is available as a podcast download, so that you can bring your iPod or MP3 player with you to view and recognize what you see in the fall night sky. You can link to the podcast here: ENN Sky Tour Here's an idea of what's included in the 15-minute Sky Tour: Summer Triangle The North Star EarthNews Radio brought you information about another universe - that of the undersea: Coral Reefs Genetic diversity is something that we should want to preserve, but naturally rather than through human genetic manipulation, as these guests point out: Biological Diversity Genetically Modified Foods Food Revolution Also, food safety should not include certain kinds of pesticides: Pesticide Action Network EarthNews introduced you to a publication for earth-conscious readers: Mother Earth News Finally, the construction industry is one sector that is embracing green practices. EarthNews Radio told you about this very positive development: Green Construction Conservation Easements Don't forget to return to EarthNews Radio's home here at ENN often. Jerry Kay interviews environmentalists, scientists, and activists on a wide variety of topics. These 90-second blasts of information will keep you thinking, and may prompt you to act! You can find them at ENN Radio Network. Getting Apollo off the Ground -- An ENN Guest Commentary By Steven J. Moss Energy and labor are intimately related. After all, energy is by and large a replacement for labor – most energy-using devices save time. Washing machines replaced stone-slapping methods of clothes cleaning; cars substitute for slower modes of manual transport. This historical relationship has recently formed the basis for a counter-movement lead by labor unions and environmental groups – the Apollo Alliance. Apollo seeks to change the energy-labor relationship into one in which cleaner energy sources create jobs, rather than eliminates them. So far Apollo has been closer to a delayed space shuttle launch than a successful trip to the moon. While energy efficiency, solar power, and “demand-response” have made steady gains in state and federal energy policies, the linkage between energy and economic development hasn’t. Still, despite the lack of policy reform, there’s ample evidence that well-crafted community-based energy management programs can provide multiple benefits, including reduced polluting air emissions, job creation, and economic development. San Francisco Community Power is one example of how energy and employment can be successfully linked, as well as the challenges of doing so. SF Power was originally funded by power plant mitigation monies. The organization trained unemployed residents of San Francisco neighborhoods where aging power plants are located to install energy saving equipment at low income households and small businesses. The work itself was not particularly complicated – literally screwing in compact fluorescent light bulbs or installing motion sensors – but it required patience, care, and “handyman” level competence. Virtually every worker hired by SF Power had “issues,” before and after their training. The training itself was the first time some of them had been in an adult classroom setting, and many did not have study skills, or even know how to behave respectfully towards the teachers or one another. Most of them, including the women, had their wages garnished for back child care liabilities, reducing their incentive to work. And throughout their employment work-disrupting situations emerged for all of them. Girlfriends or family members got sick, and had to be taken care of; cars broke down or were stolen entirely; addictions re-emerged, with individuals simply disappearing for days, weeks, or forever. Still, and without the full-range of social support resources typical of many back-to-work programs, the job got done. Thousands of households or businesses were provided with devices that tangibly reduced their energy bills, as well as lessened reliance on the locally polluting power plants. Less money for utility bills meant more dollars in consumers and businesses pockets, with concomitant benefits to the local economy, including, undoubtedly, more job creation. And every person employed in the program expressed pride in their work to help improve their community’s environment. The outcome was precisely what the Apollo Alliance wants to achieve. When the mitigation monies, which were administrated by the City and County of San Francisco, ran out, SF Power successfully turned to the local utility, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, for funding support. A version of the program continued, including relying on community residents to do the work. But PG&E, as governed by the California Public Utility Commission, did not have the same interest in bundling energy saving efforts with job creation and economic development. The utility’s direction from its regulators was to obtain cost-effective energy savings as soon as possible. As a result, it had less patience for the slower work pace caused by newly refurbished workers, and no funding for the extra staff time required to make community residents workforce-ready. It was difficult to get the resources necessary, or even obtain access, to support training opportunities. Still again, the PG&E-funded program has proved successful, employing two-dozen community members and cumulatively serving close to fifteen thousand homes and businesses cost-effectively. But the need to wage a “permanent war” to attract, train, manage, and replace low income workers has taken its toil on SF Power. It’s not clear, four years after its launch that this type of effort can effectively compete against private sector companies whose only motivation is the bottom line, and who are willing to hire fewer individuals from outside the community being served to do more work at lower pay. And that’s why Apollo needs to get off the ground. While utility ratepayers may not have an interest in job creation, environmental justice, or even economic development, society does. And it just so happens that society members and ratepayers are one and the same. Energy regulators -- as well as other one-issue government agencies, for that matter – should abandon their single-minded focus on achieving a solitary goal. Instead we should use our scarce resources to get as many “two-fers” as possible. A dollar spent buying someone a light bulb will get some energy savings. Spending a dollar and a “bit” having that same bulb screwed in by a rehabilitated worker who lives in the neighborhood will not only save energy, it will create it as well: previously under-utilized human energy. Steven Moss is the publisher of the Neighborhood Environmental Newswire. He serves as Executive Director of San Francisco Community Power, www.sfpower.org. Photo: A raccoon at the Delta National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana. Credit: John and Karen Hollingsworth/NCTC Image Library/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

ENN is a Registered Trademark of the Environmental News Network, Inc. Copyright © 2004 Environmental News Network, Inc. P.O. Box 6782 - San Rafael, CA 94903 - (415) 479-5300. You are receiving this e-mail as part of the ENN/OnlineGardener/MyGardenGuide Daily Newsletter Mailing because you opted in to receive e-mail from us through www.mygardenguide.com or www.onlinegardener.com or www.enn.com. ENN adheres to a strict no-spam policy in accordance with the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. Your e-mail address is never used for any reason other than for you to receive our Newsletters. We apologize if you received this e-mail in error. TO NO LONGER RECEIVE E-MAIL FROM ENN, please reply to this email with the word 'Unsubscribe' in the subject line and we will immediately remove your email address from our database.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Support GLIN Daily News: http://www.glin.net/news/sponsor/
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Great Lakes Daily News: 30 September 2005
A collaborative project of the Great Lakes Information Network and the Great
Lakes Radio Consortium.

For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/


Drilling proposed for state parks, Lake Erie
----------------------------------------
As natural gas prices rise, the chairman of the Ohio House Public Utilities and Energy committee is proposing that Ohio open state parks and Lake Erie to drilling for natural gas. Source: The Canton Repository (9/30)


Speaker: Conservation critical for Niagara Escarpment
----------------------------------------
Efforts to contain development along the Niagara Escapment are progressing but need more enthusiastic volunteers in the U.S. and Canada, a keynote speaker told a small crowd in Green Bay on Thursday. Source: Green Bay Press Gazette (9/30)


Love of walleye is a moving experience
----------------------------------------
Lake Erie is beginning to cool, a signal for schools of walleye to gather off the ports of Vermilion and Huron. They will entertain anglers until the winter weather arrives, and beyond. Source: The Plain Dealer (9/30)


Same lake, different story
----------------------------------------
While Chicago residents enjoyed sunning and swimming their beaches this summer, it was a different 90 miles north in Milwaukee, where a combination of factors have left area beaches largely to the birds. Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (9/29)


End of 2 dams to set Cuyahoga River free
----------------------------------------
The elimination of two dams will result in a natural Cuyahoga River that is free-flowing from Lake Rockwell Cuyahoga Falls for the first time in more than 160 years and allow canoeists and kayakers to make the trip without portaging. Source: The Plain Dealer (9/29)


Fish are eating too much for own good
----------------------------------------
Salmon, first stocked in Lake Michigan 40 years ago to control exotic alewives, have done that job so well they are eating themselves out of house and home. Source: Detroit Free Press (9/29)


COMMENTARY: Fire retardant chemicals may affect wildlife and human health
----------------------------------------
Concern is growing that PDBEs, widely used fire retardant chemicals that are turning up in the environments of even remote areas of the world, are negatively affecting wildlife and humans. Source: The Ashland Daily Press (9/28)


Mayor touts wetlands to ease backups
----------------------------------------
The dedication of a swamp outside Fort Wayne, Ind., earlier this week capped the end of a two-year, $20 million project to prevent sewage from flooding basements. Source: Fort Wayne Journal Gazette (9/27)


Did you miss a day of Daily News? Remember to use our searchable story archive
at http://www.great-lakes.net/news/inthenews.html
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Great Lakes Daily News is a collaborative project of the Great Lakes
Information Network (www.glin.net) and the Great Lakes Radio Consortium
(www.glrc.org), both based in Ann Arbor, Mich.

TO SUBSCRIBE and receive this Great Lakes news compendium daily, see
www.glin.net/forms/dailynews_form.html

TO UNSUBSCRIBE: Send a message to majordomo@great-lakes.net with the
command 'unsubscribe dailynews' in the body of the message.

TO SUBMIT A NEWS STORY: www.glin.net/forms/news_form.html
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

UW-Madison News Release--Big Boost for Nano-Scale Study

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
09/30/05

CONTACT: Juan de Pablo, (608) 262-7727; depablo@engr.wisc.edu

UW-MADISON SMALL-SCALE RESEARCH RECEIVES BIG BOOST

MADISON - The National Science Foundation has awarded the University of Wisconsin-Madison Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) nearly $14.8 million over the next six years to continue its leading-edge research on the interfaces of materials at the nanoscale.

At this scale, materials are so minute that scientists often study or manipulate them atom-by-atom. The work could have wide-ranging applications in electronics and biology, including the use of atomic-scale materials to direct the growth and differentiation of embryonic stem cells.

Initially established in 1996, the interdisciplinary center combines the expertise of more than 30 faculty in 13 UW-Madison departments and includes nearly 40 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers and about 20 undergraduate students. It was one of 11 re-competing nanotechnology centers to receive recent NSF funding.

"These are extremely, extremely competitive grants," says Juan de Pablo, a professor of chemical and biological engineering and the center's director. "Every major university would like to have a center like this."

With its renewed funding, and with a host of fresh faculty faces on board, the UW-Madison center will embark on several new areas of study, says de Pablo.

One interdisciplinary research group will design liquid-crystalline-based materials that could give scientists spatial and temporal control over the chemical functionality and physical properties of interfaces. "These materials, if successful, could be used to design new sensors for various classes of pathogens, viruses, proteins or toxic chemicals," he says. "And they could be used to influence or guide the growth and differentiation of cells, including human embryonic cells."

Under a secondary aspect of that work, researchers in the group will design substrates, or surfaces, with a controlled chemistry and nanoscale topography. "They will use this ability, again, to control the growth and differentiation of stem cells, something that no one else has done and is very unique to our group," says de Pablo.

Another research group will study the interfaces between inorganic materials, such as traditional gallium-nitride semiconductors, and organic molecular structures. The scientists' goal is to increase their understanding of those interfaces so that eventually, they can build "hybrid" organic-inorganic electronic devices with new and enhanced properties. The applications of such devices could range from more efficient lighting to chemical and biological sensing.

Drawing on tremendous expertise on integration of materials on silicon, he says, a final research focus now will address semiconductor nanomembranes, a new form of nanomaterial, and implementing them initially in silicon, the most widely used semiconductor. These membranes have unique electronic and mechanical properties. Combined with their extreme flexibility, structural perfection and transferability to many "host" materials, they offer the potential for significant technological advances in flexible electronics, quantum computation, and in biological and environmental sensing.

In addition to its three core research areas, every year the center also sponsors four or five seed research projects from throughout the UW-Madison campus. The UW-Madison Advanced Materials Industrial Consortium enables the campus to share its discoveries with industry.

The consortium is actively recruiting Midwest companies, says de Pablo. "This is a portal, basically, to most of the advanced materials research that's going on around campus," he says. "Companies can recruit students, meet them, see what exciting ideas are brewing on campus, and get access to technology."

In fact, says dePablo, a number of UW-Madison spin-off companies have ties to the center, including: nPoint, founded by engineering professor Max Lagally; Platypus Technologies, co-founded by engineering professor Nicholas Abbott); Imago, founded by former engineering professor Tom Kelly; and Virent Energy Systems, founded by engineering professor James Dumesic.

Among its initiatives, MRSEC also purchases state-of-the-art research instrumentation and makes it available to researchers from both the university and industry.

Ultimately, says dePablo, MRSEC provides a unique educational, research and technology-transfer setting in which the traditional boundaries of science disciplines are all but nonexistent.

"We bring people from physics, chemistry, engineering, biology, pharmacy, and the veterinary school to work together on these projects of common interest," he says. "And we provide a forum for all of these people to interact and for all of the students to work together and advance these areas."
###
-Renee Meiller, (608) 262-2481, meiller@engr.wisc.edu



****************************************************
For questions or comments about UW-Madison's email
news release system, please send an email to:
releases@news.wisc.edu

For more UW-Madison news, please visit:
http://www.news.wisc.edu/

University Communications
University of Wisconsin-Madison
27 Bascom Hall
500 Lincoln Drive
Madison, WI 53706

Phone: (608) 262-3571
Fax: (608) 262-2331

UW-Madison News Release--Exploring Protein Function

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
09/30/05

CONTACT: John Markley, (608) 263-9349, markley@nmrfam.wisc.edu

SCIENTIST USES FORM TO EXPLAIN FUNCTION OF KEY BUILDING BLOCKS OF LIFE

MADISON - University of Wisconsin-Madison biochemists have developed an approach that allows them to measure with unprecedented accuracy the strengths of hydrogen bonds in a protein.  The scientists were then able to predict the function of different versions of the protein based on structural information, a novel outcome that was published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Professor of biochemistry John Markley, along with a team that included graduate student I-Jin Lin, studied iron-sulfur proteins called rubredoxins that transfer energy in the form of electrons throughout living systems.

Rubredoxin is a key part of processes like photosynthesis and respiration, where energy is converted from one form to another.

"Variants of rubredoxin have evolved different sequences to transport electrons in the most efficient manner possible," Markley explains.  "Different mechanisms have been put forward to explain this, and we wanted to understand how the proteins evolved to have different electron affinities."

Markley and his team used nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, a technique that allowed them to observe signals from atoms in the proteins, to determine the strength of hydrogen bonds in ten different variants of the protein.  From that data, the team was able to explain changes in protein function.

"In science, you try to build theories that will explain the properties of the systems you are looking at," explains Markley. "Proteins are the basic building blocks of life, and are coded for by the genes in DNA.  We'd like to be able to start with a gene sequence and predict the structure of a protein and its function.  In this case, given an NMR pattern, we can tell you how the protein will act. In general, this method may provide information about even more complex biological systems.  This is an approach that will be important for larger proteins."

Markley notes that an undergraduate and graduate student played key roles in the study.  Lin, who plans to complete her Ph.D. this spring, spent years tackling what Markley described as a "complex and difficult project."

Erika Gebel, the undergraduate on the study, is now pursuing a graduate degree of her own, a pursuit that was enhanced by this project, says Markley.

"(Undergraduate research) enables them to understand what research is and what's involved in exploring something that hasn't been observed before," he says.

Funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health and by the state of Wisconsin, the study also relied upon the National Magnetic Resonance Facility at Madison, an NIH-funded laboratory located in the biochemistry department.  William Westler, director of the NMR facility, was a co-author on the paper.

###
- Katie Weber, (608) 262-3636, klweber1@wisc.edu



****************************************************
For questions or comments about UW-Madison's email
news release system, please send an email to:
releases@news.wisc.edu

For more UW-Madison news, please visit:
http://www.news.wisc.edu/

University Communications
University of Wisconsin-Madison
27 Bascom Hall
500 Lincoln Drive
Madison, WI 53706

Phone: (608) 262-3571
Fax: (608) 262-2331

ENN Home | Commentary | Company News | Non Profit News | ENN Radio | ENN TV ENN Expo | ENN Media Services | Interactive | Photo Gallery | ENN Forum | Announcements
Contact us with comments on the Newsletter: Technical Editorial
Friday, September 30, 2005
Today's News ENN Weekly: September 26th - 30th ENN's editors summarize the most compelling environmental and sustainable economy stories of the week. In the news September 26th - 30th: China's tiger trade, a wide-scale children's health study, Arctic ice on the decline, and a Sky Tour to go. House Set To Act on Overhaul of Endangered Species Act The nation's most prominent and contentious environmental law, the 1973 Endangered Species Act, could be in line for a major overhaul that would limit habitat protections while giving new rights to property owners. Official Report Slams Canada Over Environment Canadians are being forced to drink unsafe water, fish stocks are endangered and national parks are under threat because Ottawa is doing a very poor job of protecting the environment, according to an official report issued Thursday. Researchers Launch Biggest Study of U.S. Children Researchers hoping to determine the causes of many common diseases like autism and diabetes will follow 100,000 U.S. children from birth through adulthood in the largest ever study of its kind. Plastics Seminar Fueled by 'Ecomagination' GE Plastics, a subsidiary of General Electric, sponsored the New York City Innovation seminar last week, with a strong environmental component comprising part of the program. Oxygen Helped Mammals Grow, Study Finds Mammals, once tiny creatures scampering on the forest floor, grew larger as the amount of oxygen in the air increased over millions of years, a new study says. Rare Congo Gorillas Surviving War, Poaching, Group Says Thousands more rare lowland gorillas than previously thought may have survived years of war and poaching in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a U.S. conservation group said on Thursday. Hong Kong Leader: Southern China Aims To Announce Air Quality Data Daily Authorities aim to announce daily air quality data on southern mainland China -- a major source of air pollution in Hong Kong -- by the end of the year, Hong Kong's leader said. Swedes May Be Freeze-Dried for Eternal Rest "There's three things we can do with your mum. We can bury her, burn her or dump her." A fourth alternative -- freeze-drying -- could soon be added to British comedy group Monty Python's catalogue of burial methods. Feds Drop Boreal Toad From Protected List A toad that environmentalists say is being killed off by an invasive fungus that may have originated in Africa is no longer a candidate for protection under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced. New Zealand, Australia Agree on Joint Effort To Help Stranded Whales' Survival Australia and New Zealand agreed Thursday to develop a joint strategy to help the survival of stranded whales which often die after beaching themselves, a behavior that continues to confound scientists. Non Profit News Releases Aspen, Annapolis, Major Paper Company Commit to Clean Energy and Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions; IBM Reduces CO2 Emissions by More Than 1 Million Tons, Saving $115 Million Climate Cycle is Primary Factor in Global Warming, Cooling; New NCPA Study Shows Human Activities Have Little If Any Impact Statewide Biodiesel Blend in Minnesota Complements Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel; Future Diesel Engine Technology to Enable 90 Percent Emissions Reduction Minnesota Diesel Now Contains Two Percent Biodiesel Statewide; As Ground-Breaking B2 Requirement Takes Effect, Other States Adopt Their Own Legislation Murder of Rangers Highlights Threat to Cambodia’s Forests Read all Non-Profit News Company News Releases Katrina, Rita Could Supply 50,000 Megawatts of Renewable Energy; Green Energy Resources Plan Would Half U.S. Clean Up Cost EPTEE China 2006 Can Americans Eat Locally? 190 Restaurants in 26 States Challenged to Use Only Ingredients from Within a 150-mile Radius Powerflare Corporation to Exhibit at International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference 14 Elite International Jurors Judging Coffee Pacifica's ''Pride of PNG 2005'' Cupping Competition Read all Company News	ENN TV
ENN is a Registered Trademark of the Environmental News Network, Inc. Copyright © 2004 Environmental News Network, Inc. P.O. Box 6782 - San Rafael, CA 94903 - (415) 479-5300. You are receiving this e-mail as part of the ENN/OnlineGardener/MyGardenGuide Daily Newsletter Mailing because you opted in to receive e-mail from us through www.mygardenguide.com or www.onlinegardener.com or www.enn.com. ENN adheres to a strict no-spam policy in accordance with the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. Your e-mail address is never used for any reason other than for you to receive our Newsletters. We apologize if you received this e-mail in error. TO NO LONGER RECEIVE E-MAIL FROM ENN, please reply to this email with the word 'Unsubscribe' in the subject line and we will immediately remove your email address from our database.

Yahoo News:

Fossil Fuels Set to Become Relics, Says Research Group

Abid Aslam, OneWorld US Wed Sep 28, 3:21 PM ET

WASHINGTON, D.C., Sep 28 (OneWorld) - Energy drawn from the wind, tide, sun, Earth's heat, and farm waste is poised to begin replacing oil and other fossil fuels, a prominent research group said Wednesday in a wake-up call to industry executives and government officials worldwide.

'Energy markets are about to experience a seismic shift,'' Christopher Flavin, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Worldwatch Institute, said in a speech to oil executives and energy ministers in Johannesburg, South Africa, site of the 18th World Petroleum Congress.

''The question for oil executives is whether you're in the oil business or the energy business.''

Full Story:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/oneworld/20050928/wl_oneworld/45361195801127935317

From CNET:

Road rally hawks hydrogen cars
Major carmakers showcase prototypes of fuel-cell cars, promoting benefits such as reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
Fri Sep 30 05:59:00 PDT 2005 | Read Full Story

Bruce Wayne of the U.K. wrote:

Hi guys,

I loved reading your renewable energy blog and thought you might like this energy forum I'm a member of.

The url is http://www.theenvironmentsite.org/Forum/

All the best,

Bruce

SMALL WIND E-NEWSLETTER

October 2005

Issue No. 19, September 29, 2005

Editor: Larry Sherwood, Interstate Renewable Energy Council

The current Small Wind Newsletter is also available o­n the web at http://www.irecusa.org/smallwindenergy/e-newsletter.html . If you have trouble with links in this e-mail message, try the web version of the newsletter.

Article summaries and links follow the Table of Contents.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

NEWS
(1) NORTH CAROLINA - First Grid-Tied Wind Energy System in Coastal NC
(2) ALASKA Coop Pays Renewables Producers
(3) NEW YORK – NYSERDA Seeks Small Wind Business Input
(4) USDA Announces nearly $21 Million for Renewable Energy
(5) NEVADA Report Addresses Small Wind Development
(6) NEW ENGLAND Wind Forum Debuts
(7) NORTH CAROLINA – TV Reality Show Race Ends at Wind Facility
(8) AWEA Accepting WINDPOWER Abstracts
(9) KidWind Moves to Minnesota
(10) NORTH CAROLINA - Wind Energy Workshop Concludes First RET Diploma Series
(11) Upcoming Small Wind Events

INTERCONNECTION AND NET METERING
(12) Commentary: Making Sense of EPAct 2005’s Nebulous Net Metering, Interconnection Provisions
(13) COLORADO - Consensus Filings Include Net Metering, FERC Interconnection Rules
(14) MADRI Adopts Interconnection Standard

INCENTIVES
(15) VERMONT Solar and Small Wind Incentive Program
(16) CONNECTICUT Operational Demonstration Program

LINKS TO SMALL WIND IN THE NEWS
(17) Huerfano (CO) World
(18) Cleveland Plain Dealer
(19) Toledo Blade
(20) Martha’s Vineyard Times
(21) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

INDUSTRY NEWS
(22) Financing and Leasing for o­n-Site Energy Solutions

ABOUT THE SMALL WIND NEWSLETTER
Includes information o­n how to subscribe and unsubscribe.

NEWS

(1) NORTH CAROLINA - First Grid-Tied Wind Energy System in Coastal NC
The North Carolina Solar Center held a workshop August 25 and 26 for federal, state and local park facility personnel where they installed coastal North Carolina's first grid-tied wind energy system at the Coquina Beach Bathhouse in South Nags Head. Full article.

(2) ALASKA Coop Pays Renewables Producers
The Golden Valley Electric Association (GVEA) in Fairbanks, Alaska now offers the Sustainable Natural Alternative Power (SNAP) Program for its members. The program is modeled o­n the successful SNAP program offered in Chelan County, Washington. Full article.

(3) NEW YORK – NYSERDA Seeks Small Wind Business Input
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has funds for a $2 million program to support market transformation and business development projects for small wind and PV. The program will support development of innovative business strategies for PV and small wind companies. NYSERDA requests your input as they assemble the request for proposals. Please take a few moments to answer the questions in the attached survey. Full article.

(4) USDA Announces nearly $21 Million for Renewable Energy
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns announced the selection of 150 applicants to receive almost $21 million in USDA Rural Development grant assistance for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in 32 States. Included is $100,000 for six small wind projects in Iowa, Idaho, and Minnesota. Full article.

(5) NEVADA Report Addresses Small Wind Development
DEVELOPING SMALL AND COMMUNITY-SCALE WIND IN NEVADA summarizes the challenges to develop small and community-based wind and offers strategies and recommendations. Full article.

(6) NEW ENGLAND Wind Forum Debuts
The New England Wind Forum consists of two components: the New England Wind Forum Web Site and a biannual electronic New England Wind Forum Newsletter. Full article.

(7) NORTH CAROLINA – TV Reality Show Race Ends at Wind Facility
The pilot episode of THE HUMAN RACE SHOW will feature Willie Nelson and explore bio-diesel. The first episode journey will end at the top of Beech Mountain, NC at the Small Wind Research and Demonstration Site operated by Appalachian State University. Full article.

(8) AWEA Accepting WINDPOWER Abstracts
The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) is now accepting abstracts for the WINDPOWER 2006 Conference and Exhibition to be held in Pittsburgh, PA, o­n June 4 – 7, 2006. The deadline for abstract submission is October 3. Full article.

(9) KidWind Moves to Minnesota
Over the past fourteen months Kidwind has held sixteen workshops and presentations for more than 500 teachers. These events have been as short as 2 hours and as long as 4 days. Full article.

(10) NORTH CAROLINA - Wind Energy Workshop Concludes First RET Diploma Series
The Renewable Energy Technologies (RET) Diploma Series finished its first full cycle of courses this month, with five students receiving their diploma after participating in the Distributed Generation: Wind Energy Workshop. Full article.

(11) Upcoming Small Wind Events
Listing of upcoming small wind events.

INTERCONNECTION AND NET METERING

Check the Interstate Renewable Energy Council’s Connecting to the Grid web site for the latest interconnection news.

(12) Commentary: Making Sense of EPAct 2005’s Nebulous Net Metering, Interconnection Provisions
Nestled in the landmark 1,724-page Energy Policy Act of 2005 are Section 1251, which pertains to net metering, and Section 1254, which addresses interconnection. Rather than mandating federal net-metering standards and interconnection standards, the two sections direct states to undertake consideration and make a determination with respect to each standard. It is impossible to say with certainty if states will have broad or narrow discretion in meeting the requirements of these sections. Full article.

(13) COLORADO - Consensus Filings Include Net Metering, FERC Interconnection Rules
As part of the implementation of Colorado's citizen-initiated renewable portfolio standard (RPS), passed in November 2004 and known as Amendment 37, the state's utilities are required to adopt net metering and interconnection standards. During summer 2005, representatives from the Colorado environmental community and renewable-energy community met with utility representatives from Xcel and Aquila to discuss implementation of Amendment 37. From these discussions, the parties reached agreement o­n several key items for implementation, including net metering and interconnection. Wind systems are included in the net metering and interconnection rules. However, the parties did not reach agreement o­n other key program areas. Full article.

(14) MADRI Adopts Interconnection Standard
The Mid-Atlantic Distributed Resources Initiative (MADRI), established by the public utility commissions of Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, along with the U.S. Department of Energy and PJM Interconnection, has issued an interconnection standard for use in each state and in the District. According to MADRI representatives, the initial draft of the final interconnection standard was based largely o­n the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) recently promulgated interconnection rules for small generators. Full article.

INCENTIVES

New Incentives reported by the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE), a comprehensive source of information o­n state, local, utility, and selected federal incentives that promote renewable energy. To access state-by-state incentives and policies that promote wind energy technologies, click here and select "wind" from the drop-down menu.

(15) VERMONT Solar and Small Wind Incentive Program
Vermont's Solar and Small Wind Incentive Program was originally established in June 2003. The initial round of the program, which funded the installation of more than 200 renewable-energy systems, was fully subscribed by summer 2004. A second round of program funding, totaling about $800,000, was made available in September 2005. Approximately $460,000 in incentives will support qualifying small wind-energy systems for individuals, businesses, schools and municipalities. Full article.

(16) CONNECTICUT Operational Demonstration Program
The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) created the Operational Demonstration Program in August 2005 to enable early-stage companies to demonstrate the effectiveness of their own near-commercial, clean-energy technologies. Through the end of 2006, the program will provide a total of $4 million in funding for projects installed in Connecticut. The program will support proposals for demonstration projects that have a high likelihood of developing into a commercial product within a reasonable period of time -- generally, five years for fuel cells and three years for most other clean-energy technologies. Funding for the Operational Demonstration Program will be provided in the form of a non-recourse, unsecured debt instrument repaid upon the achievement of commercial success, a level of annual product sales defined by mutual agreement between the CCEF and successful applicants. Full article.

LINKS TO SMALL WIND IN THE NEWS

(17) Huerfano (CO) World, August 25, 2005, Windy. Raising anemometer tower in southern Colorado with San Isabel Electric Cooperative. Full article.

(18) Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 30, 2005. Pole to test lake’s wind power. Anemometer tower raised o­n Cleveland water intake crib in Lake Erie. Full article.

(19) Toledo Blade, September 4, 2005, Lake-based wind tower raises hope, concern. Anemometer tower raised o­n Cleveland water intake crib in Lake Erie. Full article.

(20) Martha’s Vineyard Times, September 15-21, 2005. Wind turbine to give school alternative energy model. High school plans installation of 10-kW turbine. Full article.

(21) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, September 18, 2005. Supervisors to appeal ruling to prohibit wind turbine in park. Appeal of zoning board ruling to deny request for wind turbine in Pine Community Park. Full article.

INDUSTRY NEWS

(22) Financing and Leasing for o­n-Site Energy Solutions
Until now, consumers wanting clean, o­n-site distributed electric and thermal solutions needed to "pay their own way" - but Stella Capital LLC has developed a cadre of leasing companies and banks willing to focus o­n the commercial and industrial users as well as local governments. Full article.

ABOUT THE SMALL WIND NEWSLETTER

The Small Wind Newsletter is published electronically every other month by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council. The Small Wind Web Site contains news, resources, and links.

To subscribe, go to http://www.irecusa.org/smallwindenergy/newslettersub.html , fill in the subscription form, and then click o­n subscribe. There is no fee for subscriptions.

If you have comments or news items, please send them to Larry Sherwood.

Disclaimer: The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) does not assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product or process that is referred to or linked to in this newsletter. Reference to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply IREC's endorsement or recommendation.

FAIR USE NOTICE

This newsletter may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of energy, economic, scientific, and related issues, etc.

We believe this constitutes a “fair use” of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material in the newsletter is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this newsletter for purposes of your own that go beyond “fair use,” you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

ENN Home | Commentary | Company News | Non Profit News | ENN Radio | ENN TV ENN Expo | ENN Media Services | Interactive | Photo Gallery | ENN Forum | Announcements
Contact us with comments on the Newsletter: Technical Editorial
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Today's News New This Week on ENN TV This week, ENN TV features video on the critically endangered Sumatran rhinoceros, the agrochemical business and its impact on the food chain, a "human trash collector" and her son living near Bangkok, and sustainable business pioneers. U.S. House Panels Push Bills To Help Energy Industry Spurred by higher gasoline prices from two hurricanes, a U.S. House panel was expected to approve Wednesday a hastily written Republican bill that would boost refining capacity and roll back some air pollution rules. Warming Causes Record Arctic Ice Melt, U.S. Report Says The Arctic ice shelf has melted for the fourth straight year to its smallest area in a century, driven by rising temperatures that appear linked to a buildup of greenhouse gases, U.S. scientists said Wednesday. Ex-Interior Chief Calls For Land-Use Plan A 25-story, privately owned steel tower peering over the Gettysburg Battlefield in 1997 struck then Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt as a glaring example of how private property rights can negatively impact public land. EarthNews Radio: Food Revolution Do you want to foment change? Start with dinner. Jerry Kay talks to Andrew Cantrell of the Center for Food Safety. Officials Decline Automatic Re-Enrollment for Most in Conservation Program Changes are in store for a conservation program that pays farmers to take fragile land out of production, the Bush administration said Wednesday. California Air Quality Rules Too Taxing, Critics Say A set of air quality rules meant to cut pollution from new development is being challenged by local politicians and builders who say they would unfairly tax new homes and businesses. Maryland Gets $19.4 Million To Fund Bay Improvements Gov. Robert Ehrlich announced a $19.4 million plan to reduce pollution and restore oyster habitat in the Corsica River over the next five years. Dutch Solar Car Wins Australian Outback Race Dutch team Nuon won the eighth World Solar Challenge on Wednesday, piloting their bug-shaped car in record time across the vast, inhospitable Australian outback. Environmentalists, Boise Cascade Clash Over 'Old Growth' Milwaukee-Based Company Unveils Lab for Hybrid Auto Batteries Non Profit News Releases Marine Organisms Threatened By Increasingly Acidic Ocean; Corals and Plankton May Have Difficulty Making Shells Biodiesel Delivery Assists in Hurricane Relief Effort; Biodiesel Advocates Donate Fuel to Help Power Relief Ships Before Fleeing Rita Agreement Reached to Acquire 102-Acre North Pasture Land Pennsylvania Christmas Tree Growers Benefit from IPM New IPCC Report Confirms That CO2 Storage Could Play A Major Role In Combating Climate Change – But Only If Key Constraints Are Addressed Read all Non-Profit News Company News Releases Katrina, Rita Could Supply 50,000 Megawatts of Renewable Energy; Green Energy Resources Plan Would Half U.S. Clean Up Cost EPTEE China 2006 Can Americans Eat Locally? 190 Restaurants in 26 States Challenged to Use Only Ingredients from Within a 150-mile Radius Powerflare Corporation to Exhibit at International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference 14 Elite International Jurors Judging Coffee Pacifica's ''Pride of PNG 2005'' Cupping Competition Read all Company News	ENN TV
ENN is a Registered Trademark of the Environmental News Network, Inc. Copyright © 2004 Environmental News Network, Inc. P.O. Box 6782 - San Rafael, CA 94903 - (415) 479-5300. You are receiving this e-mail as part of the ENN/OnlineGardener/MyGardenGuide Daily Newsletter Mailing because you opted in to receive e-mail from us through www.mygardenguide.com or www.onlinegardener.com or www.enn.com. ENN adheres to a strict no-spam policy in accordance with the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. Your e-mail address is never used for any reason other than for you to receive our Newsletters. We apologize if you received this e-mail in error. TO NO LONGER RECEIVE E-MAIL FROM ENN, please reply to this email with the word 'Unsubscribe' in the subject line and we will immediately remove your email address from our database.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Support GLIN Daily News: http://www.glin.net/news/sponsor/
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Great Lakes Daily News: 29 September 2005
A collaborative project of the Great Lakes Information Network and the Great
Lakes Radio Consortium.

For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/

Did you miss a day of Daily News? Remember to use our searchable story archive
at http://www.great-lakes.net/news/inthenews.html


Great Lakes Research Facility in the works
----------------------------------------
Diving deeper into research on the Great Lakes, the University of Michigan is
working with five Ann Arbor-based organizations that study the lakes to create
a consolidated research center, U-M President Mary Sue Coleman said Wednesday
before the Great Lakes Commission. Source: The Ann Arbor News (9/29)


Toronto garbage Windsor bound?
----------------------------------------
Southern Ontario politicians reacted angrily to the secret plan of Toronto-area
municipalities to dump their garbage at public and private landfills across the
province--including the Windsor-Essex regional landfill--if the Michigan border
is closed. Source: The Windsor Star (9/29)


Coast Guard, Mounties team up
----------------------------------------
Joint effort aims to stem smuggling on waterways. Source: The Detroit News
(9/29)


Dredge added to speed PCB cleanup
----------------------------------------
A third hydraulic dredge will be added to the cleanup of PCB-contaminated
sediment from Wisconsin's Little Lake Butte des Morts next month to get the
project back on schedule. Source: Green Bay Press-Gazette (9/29)


Lake Michigan salmon running small but plentiful
----------------------------------------
Anglers from near and far cast their lines in Lake Michigan during the annual
salmon run, which occurs from mid-September through the end of October. Source:
Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter (9/29)


EDITORIAL: Keep us posted on status of waterways
----------------------------------------
Indiana environmental regulators have taken an important step in posting on the
Internet records of spills from sanitary sewers into ditches, creeks and
rivers. Source: The Indianapolis Star (9/29)


Lake Michigan yellow perch on the rebound
----------------------------------------
Good news for anglers: the Wisc. DNR has increased the daily bag limit next
spring, and fisheries crews doing survey work in southern Lake Michigan have
found a bumper crop of young perch. Source: Green Bay Press-Gazette (9/29)


Ohio dredging near Lake Erie shoreline
----------------------------------------
Portage River and Metzger Marsh are being dredged to allow better access for
recreational boaters. Source: The Toledo Blade (9/28)


Bay City hosts tall ships next year
----------------------------------------
The American Sail Training Association invited Bay City to again be a favored
world port for the Tall Ships challenge in 2006. Source: The Bay City Times
(9/28)


$200k in grants for Indiana greenways, blueways
----------------------------------------
Partnering with NIRPC on the greenway/blueway initiative is the Openlands
Project, which has secured more than 50,000 acres of land in the Chicago region
for public parks, forest preserves, land/water corridors and gardens. Source:
Chesterton Tribune (9/23)


Did you miss a day of Daily News? Remember to use our searchable story archive
at http://www.great-lakes.net/news/inthenews.html
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Great Lakes Daily News is a collaborative project of the Great Lakes
Information Network (www.glin.net) and the Great Lakes Radio Consortium
(www.glrc.org), both based in Ann Arbor, Mich.

TO SUBSCRIBE and receive this Great Lakes news compendium daily, see
www.glin.net/forms/dailynews_form.html

TO UNSUBSCRIBE: Send a message to majordomo@great-lakes.net with the
command 'unsubscribe dailynews' in the body of the message.

TO SUBMIT A NEWS STORY: www.glin.net/forms/news_form.html
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Discussion on the energy merits of biodiesel vs. ethanol / methanol:

While the "energy sink" issue is true of ethanol and methanol, it is NOT true of biodiesel. With alcohol, you get one unit of energy out of it for every two you put in to produce it, unfortunately. With biodiesel, you get three units of energy out of it for every one unit of energy you put into making it. See http://www.biodiesel.org

"Does biodiesel take more energy to make than it gives back?"
No. Biodiesel actually has the highest “energy balance” of any transportation fuel. The
DOE/USDA lifecycle analysis shows for every unit of fossil energy it takes to make
biodiesel, 3.2 units of energy are gained. This takes into account the planting,
harvesting, fuel production and fuel transportation to the end user.

This fact can be found in the adobe .pdf fact sheet located at http://www.biodiesel.org/pdf_files/fuelfactsheets/CommonlyAsked.PDF

For this reason and others, I strongly support the use of biodiesel, while I would recommend against increasing the use of alcohol fuels.

Fact: biodiesel can be run in un-modified U.S. manufactured diesel engines without voiding the manufacturers' warranty provided the fuel is produced to ASTM standards for biodiesel. (Yes, there has been one for several years now.)

Rumor: People often fill up with biodiesel blends when going for an emissions test because they are more likely to pass.

Notes of caution:

Biodiesel in blends higher than 20% will act as a solvent on petroleum diesel gunk deposits - in effect cleaning them out of the engine eventually - and for awhile after switching from petrodiesel to high-blend biodiesel you will need to change the fuel filter fairly often. If you have never run petroleum diesel in your engine to gunk it up with sludge deposits, this is not an issue. (Think about it, petroleum has sat underground dissolving the minerals in the soil and rocks around it for millions of years, biodiesel is freshly pressed from plants just grown and chemically stripped of it's glycerides to match diesel fuel properties - without the sludge.)

Biodiesel has similar cold weather gelling properties to #2 diesel and the same winter fuel precautions or slightly better need to be adhered to.

Diesel engines older than 1995 may have seals made of materials that biodiesel will act as a sovent on. Older diesel engines should have all non-metal seals replaced with up-to-date materials before any switch to biodiesel is made.

One further and highly significant positive of bioduiesel:

Provided the three cautions I have noted in this discussion thread are followed, diesel vehicle owners can have a highly significant impact on transportation stress on the environment and global warming. (The carbon output by burning biodiesel originally came from the plants grown to produce it taking carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to grow.) If petroleum is used to fuel the farm equipment and refining equipment used to produce biodiesel, you still net an approximate 78% reduction in atmospheric carbon emissions due to the net POSITIVE energy transaction of using biodiesel. If you start fueling the process of manufacturing biodiesel with wind or biodiesel, you go to an almost totally carbon-neutral transportation fuel.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Biodiesel combined with solid biomass, wind power, and wave power, and hydrogen produced from clean energy sources such as wind, geothermal, and wave power have the potential to completely replace coal and oil.

There is enough potential wind energy available in just three U.S. states to generate as much electrical energy as the U.S. currently consumes. This leaves 47 other states plus the coastlines. The U.S. has more wind energy potential than any other nation on Earth.

This isn't even discussing tapping wave energy, and when you consider the scale of the coastlines of this country, there is plenty of that awaiting developement.




Chuck Minne wrote:

There are a lot of people who consider that gasohol and biodeisel are nothing but an energy wasting rip-off fueled by Midwest farm associations and ADM and Cargill. Many consider these fuels to be "energy sinks" which means it takes more energy to produce them than they furnish. Another example of an energy sink is a very old well that takes more energy to pump than the oil pumped produces.


Dan Stafford wrote:
Minnesota becomes first US state to require biodiesel
Full story:
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050928/ts_alt_afp/usenergyoilgas