Energy plan a national priority, poll says
http://www.washtimes.com/upi-breaking/20031031-104918-2226r.htm

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- Nearly nine in 10 Americans want Congress to pass a comprehensive national energy plan according to a survey released this week.

According to the Alliance for Energy and Economic Growth, which commissioned the poll, the survey registered "the highest level of support yet recorded for energy legislation that would increase the supply and delivery of affordable and reliable domestic energy."

Passage of a comprehensive energy package is a primary goal of the Republican congressional leadership. The most likely vehicle is hung up in a joint-House/Senate conference committee where, sources in the U.S. Capitol say, conferees are trying to iron out differences on tax-related matters. The delay has provoked criticism from the bill's supporters.

"The energy bill is past due. Congress needs to finish the job and pass an energy bill to help ensure a healthy economic recovery for America," the Alliance's Bruce Josten said. "This survey demonstrates that they have a mandate from their constituents back home to do so."

The Alliance for Economic Growth is a coalition of more than 1,350 energy producers and consumers. The poll of 1,000 adult Americans, conducted from Oct.3-7 by Wirthlin Worldwide, has a margin or error of 3.1 percent and a 95 percent confidence level.

Great Lakes Daily News: 04 November 2003
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/



Windsor to fight rail plan
----------------------------------------
The Windsor City Council has voted unanimously to block development of
system to provide electronic inspection of rail cars prior to crossing the
U.S. border, saying it would cause traffic tie-ups and present a health
hazard to residents. Source: The Windsor Star (11/4)


Newest cutter stops for overnight visit
----------------------------------------
The Coast Guard Cutter Hollyhock, the newest of a series of vessels being
built to upgrade the the Coast Guard's buoy tender fleet, is paying a vist
to Grand Haven, Mich., today. Source: The Muskegon Chronicle (11/4)


New law offers help for water conflicts
----------------------------------------
A new Michigan law will allow owners of smaller wells to file a complaint
against larger well users who they feel are diminishing the water table.
Source: The Toledo Blade (11/4)


Panel thwarts waterfront plan
----------------------------------------
A proposal to help fund the redevelopment of Green Bay's waterfront will
require approval by two-thirds of the Brown County Board of Commissioners
following a decision by the board's executive committee. Source: Green Bay
Press-Gazette (11/4)


Presidential yacht may come home
----------------------------------------
Built in Bay City, Mich., the Honey Fitz, which served presidents from
Eisenhower to Nixon, may return home to become the centerpiece of a
martime-themed museum envisioned as part of a waterfront redevelopment
project. Source: The Bay City Times (11/3)


Ferry boosts Lakeside's value
----------------------------------------
City officials and business interests agree that the dock for the Lake
Express LLC's new high-speed ferry will bring a boom to a sleepy
neighborhood commercial district on the south shore of Muskegon Lake.
Source: The Muskegon Chronicle (11/2)


Invited guests are now foreign invaders
----------------------------------------
Unlike other invasive species such as the zebra mussel, the round goby and
the ruffe, which sneaked into the United States in the bilge tanks of
ocean-going freighters, bighead carp and silver carp actually were invited
to cross our borders. Source: The Syracuse Post-Standard (11/2)


Michigan land-use report draws comments
----------------------------------------
Interest groups all over Michigan are battling to gain support for proposals
made by a state commission regarding land use -- and to sink some of those
proposals they don't like. Source: Jackson Citizen-Patriot (10/30)


EDITORIAL: Taking back the lakefront
----------------------------------------
Northwest Indiana should follow Chicago's lead -- belatedly -- in staking
out space along the Lake Michigan shoreline for public use. Source: The
Munster Times (10/29)


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Great Lakes Daily News: 03 November 2003
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/


Utilities struggle to sell 'green' power
----------------------------------------
Although public power companies across the country have begun "green power"
programs, many of these utilities are having a tough time getting people
interested. Source: Great Lakes Radio Consortium (11/3)


Unions sue over factory air quality
----------------------------------------
The United Auto Workers and United Steelworkers of America have filed a
lawsuit against the U.S. Labor Department in a push for clean air standards
inside factories. Source: Great Lakes Radio Consortium (11/3)


Watchdog group goes to court over sewage overflows
----------------------------------------
An environmental watchdog group says the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage
District has dumped one billion gallons of raw waste into Lake Michigan over
the past eight years, and now it's taking the case to the U.S. Court of
Appeals in Chicago. Source: Great Lakes Radio Consortium (11/3)


EDITORIAL: The border, urgency and the economy
----------------------------------------
The link between the economic health of Windsor and the need to quickly find
a workable, short-term solution to truck congestion at the border just isn't
getting the level of attention it deserves. Source: The Windsor Star (11/3)


Falconbridge gets green light on nickel mine
----------------------------------------
Falconbridge Ltd. has won government approvals to proceed with its Montcalm
nickel mine in northern Ontario, despite environmental groups' efforts to
block the project. Source: The Toronto Globe and Mail (11/3)


Algae problem has many roots
----------------------------------------
While decaying algae along the Lake Michigan shoreline is not an uncommon
sight, this year appears to be worse - and although there's a lot of
speculation as to why, no one has any proof. Source: Manitowoc Herald Times
Reporter (11/2)


Two original Erie Canal locks rediscovered
----------------------------------------
Researchers have found two of the original locks and other remnants from
when the man-made Erie Canal expanded. Source: The Washington Times (11/2)


$6 billion sought to clean up Great Lakes
----------------------------------------
Congress will decide if the federal government should spend $6 billion over
10 years cleaning up the worst Great Lakes contamination. Source: South Bend
Tribune (11/2)


Those fighting Asian carp now want us to eat them
----------------------------------------
Ecology officials and fishermen have a new name for the Asian carp that they
hope will help them battle the voracious fish: Dinner. Source: Newsday
(11/2)


Water woes
----------------------------------------
Rough weather and elusive fish nearly scuttled the charter boat industry in
southern Lake Michigan this year, with revenues down as much as 20 percent
for some operations. Source: The Munster Times (11/2)


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From: AP@ap.com (Alternate Power)
Subject: Ford SUV Hybrid

http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/22732/story.htm (REUTERS) USA: November 3, 2003:
DETROIT - Ford Motor Co. (F.N: Quote, Profile, Research) will start production of hybrid gasoline-electric versions of its Escape sport utility vehicle in July 2004, with a target of selling 10,000 to 20,000 a year, company executives said.
Ford has yet to set prices for the hybrid Escape, which may achieve fuel economy of up to 40 miles per gallon in city driving. Program managers at a media briefing and test drive said the hybrid Escape would be profitable, but that the full cost of developing the hybrid system would not be shouldered by Escape buyers.
The hybrid Escape uses an electric motor and battery pack as an additional power source for its four-cylinder engine. The batteries charge when the Escape cruises or brakes, and the electric motor eases the load on the engine under acceleration. Environmentalists have demanded more hybrid vehicles from Detroit's Big Three, but automakers have been slow to embrace the technology due to cost and technical hurdles.
So far, Toyota Motor Corp. (7203.T: Quote, Profile, Research) and Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (7267.T: Quote, Profile, Research) are the only automakers offering hybrids in the United States. Toyota has been more enthusiastic about hybrid vehicles, rolling out an updated version of its Toyota Prius sedan that gets 60 miles per gallon in city driving, and promising a hybrid version of its Lexus RX 330 SUV next year.
The hybrid Escape will be built on the same assembly line in Claycomo, Missouri, that builds regular Escapes. A front-wheel-drive hybrid Escape should achieve 35 to 40 miles per gallon in city driving and 29 to 31 mpg in highway driving, compared with 19 mpg and 25 mpg ratings for a V-6 powered Escape.
Phil Martens, Ford's group vice president of product creation, said it was necessary for Ford to develop its own hybrid system because it needed hybrid expertise to build even more advanced vehicles in the future, such as hydrogen-powered fuel cell cars. While the company considered buying a hybrid system from Toyota, "we didn't want to avoid the process of learning about this technology," Martens said. "To us, its a building block to the future." Martens said the Escape's hybrid system was designed to be easily adapted to other models. Ford has said it will sell a hybrid version of its upcoming Futura sedan, but Martens declined to say what other hybrid models Ford might offer.
General Motors Corp. (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler arm (DCX.N: Quote, Profile, Research) (DCXGn.DE: Quote, Profile, Research) both plan to launch hybrid pickups next year.
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
========================================

Great Lakes Daily News: 28 October 2003
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/


States challenge EPA's easing of clean-air rules
----------------------------------------
Lawsuits filed Monday by 13 states - including four in the Great Lakes
region - seek to block changes to the Clean Air Act, contending that new
rules from the Bush administration would weaken protections for the
environment and public health. Source: Environmental News Network (10/28)


$30,000 Paid for Erie Canal rights
----------------------------------------
A single-bid deal in which a developer won the right to build up to 40
upscale communties along New York state's historic Erie Canal has triggered
calls for an investigation. Source: Dayton Daily News (10/28)


Leaders mourn downtown's loss
----------------------------------------
The choice of a suburban location instead of downtown Muskegon, Mich. for a
new cross-lake ferry dock has many disappointed at the loss of a historic
opportunity to bring thousands of tourists into the city. Source: The
Muskegon Chronicle (10/28)


Rouge deal tempts others
----------------------------------------
The chairman of U.S. Steel has said his company is still interested in
acquiring bankrupt Rouge Industries, despite the latter's annoucement it
would be sold to a Russian company. Source: Detroit Free Press (10/28)


Utah governor confirmed as EPA chief
----------------------------------------
Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt easily won Senate confirmation Tuesday to become head
of the Environmental Protection Agency after Senate Democrats dropped their
opposition in the face of an overwhelming Republican show of force. Source:
The Detroit News (10/28)


Fertilizer on lawns still problem for watershed
----------------------------------------
A survey of people in the Holland, Mich. area shows that nearly everyone
says they want clean water, but many still load up their lawns with
fertilizer -- considered a major source of phosphorous that washes into Lake
Macatawa. Source: The Holland Sentinel (10/28)


COMMENTARY: Area beaches among the state's cleanest
----------------------------------------
Despite last summer's reports that E. coli bacteria was found at Lake
Superior beaches in the Ashland, Wis. area, these beaches are actually among
the state's cleanest, according to a University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
microbiologist. Source: The Ashland Daily Press (10/27)


Turbines approved in Oceana County
----------------------------------------
A 20-turbine wind farm that was spurned last month by one western Michigan
community has been accepted by another township 20 miles to the north.
Source: The Muskegon Chronicle (10/25)


Eroding shoreline gives homeowners headaches
----------------------------------------
Persons owning or thinking of buying property along Lake Superior,
particularly in areas with high bluffs, need to be aware of the threat posed
by erosion. Source: The Ashland Daily Press (10/24)


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Great Lakes Daily News: 27 October 2003
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/
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Reviving inner cities and slowing sprawl
----------------------------------------
Many large and midsize cities in the Great Lakes region are fighting an
uphill battle when it comes to revitalizing the city center and preventing
unfettered development in the surrounding suburbs. Source: Great Lakes Radio
Consortium (10/27)


Improvements fuel waste-incineration debate
----------------------------------------
A burning issue in the Toronto mayoral race -- whether a new
waste-incineration plant should be built in the city -- is taking place
within the context of a technological revolution that dramatically reduces
toxic emissions. Source: The Toronto Globe and Mail (10/27)


Truck ferry could make millions
----------------------------------------
A proposed truck ferry between Erie, Pa., and Nanticoke, Ontario, could take
thousands of trucks off congested Canadian highways and bring hundreds of
jobs to Erie. Source: Erie Times-News (10/27)


Law fails to ease beach battle
----------------------------------------
Like the hardiest of weeds, the debate over removing aquatic vegetation
along Great Lakes shorelines just keeps coming back. Source: Traverse City
Record Eagle (10/27)


Flame retardants may be phased out
----------------------------------------
The Environmental Protection Agency is negotiating with an Indiana chemical
manufacturer to phase out two types of PBDEs, a class of toxic chemicals
used as flame retardants. Source: USA Today (10/26)


North Bass Island -- changes loom for tiny, isolated community
----------------------------------------
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is preparing to purchase more than
95 percent of North Bass Island for future development as a state park.
Source: Port Clinton News Herald (10/25)


While U.S. let its industrial plants disappear, Canadians protected theirs
----------------------------------------
According to Canadian historian and author Steven High, while laissez faire
U.S. policy let plants disappear, Canada made preservation of its Great
Lakes industrial base a national priority. Source: The Buffalo News (10/25)


Contaminants continue to haunt lakes, scientists say
----------------------------------------
Once they enter a lake as large and dynamic as Lake Michigan, contaminants
like phosphorus and PCBs begin playing an elaborate game of hide and seek,
with long-lasting and far-reaching effects. Source: Jackson Citizen-Patriot
(10/23)


Mercury debate draws GOP fire
----------------------------------------
A push for tougher mercury emission standards in Wisconsin drew protests
last week from Republican lawmakers, who accused state natural resources
officials of cutting them out of the rule-making debate. Source: Milwaukee
Journal Sentinel (10/23)


Keeping the water safe
----------------------------------------
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Center for Water
Security are using several tools to find out how communities can protect
their water against bioterrorism. Source: MSNBC (10/20)


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Great Lakes Daily News: 29 October 2003
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/


Lake Erie botulism study to be presented
----------------------------------------
On Nov. 7, researchers from the State University of New York will present
findings from a two-year study on botulism in Lake Erie. Source: Erie
Times-News (10/29)


COMMENTARY: A porous coastal defence
----------------------------------------
Colin Kenny, a senator who chairs Canada's Standing Senate Committee on
National Security and Defence, claims the Canadian Navy is not adequately
defending coasts and have little or no jurisdiction over interior waters,
such as the Great Lakes. Source: The Toronto Star (10/29)


Opening up the lakeshore
----------------------------------------
U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky's Marquette Greenway Plan includes recapturing 75
percent of the Lake Michigan shoreline in northwest Indiana for public use.
Source: The Munster Times (10/29)


Ohio's air is rated worst for coal-fired plant emissions
----------------------------------------
Ohio is the worst state for air pollution generated by coal-fired power
plants, according to a report issued yesterday by one of several groups
suing the Bush administration for tougher emission controls. Source: The
Toledo Blade (10/29)


Tribes buy Crandon mine site
----------------------------------------
The Forest County Potawatomi and the Mole Lake Band of the Sokaogon Chippewa
paid $16.5 million for the site of a proposed zinc and copper mine, ending a
battle between mine proponents and foes that crossed four decades. Source:
Green Bay Press-Gazette (10/29)


COMMENTARY: Lakefront preservation ought to be passion of all Chicagoans
----------------------------------------
City officials passed the Lakefront Protection Ordinance 30 years ago to
safeguard Chicago's 30 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline. But Is Chicago
making good in fulfilling its visionary principles? Source: Chicago
Sun-Times (10/29)


Company seeks to send waste into Lake Erie
----------------------------------------
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency will meet Friday to hear comments
from the public about a Painesville Township plastic processing company that
wants to discharge industrial wastewater into Lake Erie. Source: The
Cleveland Plain Dealer (10/28)


EDITORIAL: McGuinty must stick to coal-conversion plan
----------------------------------------
The Ontario Liberal government's resolve to convert the province's three
coal-fired electricity generation plants - in particular Nanticoke - to
natural gas operation by 2007 is applauded. Source: The St. Catharines
Standard (10/28)


Biologists unify coaster brook trout effort
----------------------------------------
Coaster brook trout are beginning to increase in the Nipigon Bay and Nipigon
River area of Ontario, but the road to restoration will be long in other
areas of Lake Superior. Source: Duluth News Tribune (10/26)


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November 2003 Small Wind Newsletter

Issue No. 6, October 29, 2003

Editor: Larry Sherwood, Interstate Renewable Energy Council

The current Small Wind Newsletter is also available on the web. Click Here If you have trouble with links in this e-mail message, try the web version of the newsletter.

Article summaries follow the Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

NEWS
(1) New Jersey Funds for Renewable Energy
(2) Montana's First Cooperative Wind Turbines Dedicated
(3) North Carolina Small Wind R&D Initiative
(4) Vermont Bank Announces New Renewable Energy Home Equity Loan
(5) Wisconsin Rebate Helps Fund 6-kW Turbine
(6) Ohio Distributed Energy Grants Include Small Wind Projects
(7) Idaho Energy Division and Tribe Launch Wind Power Evaluation Project
(8) Rural Coops and USDA Agree to Encourage Alternative Energy Sources
(9) Upcoming Small Wind Events

INTERCONNECTION AND NET METERING
(10) Small Generator Coalition Files Comments With FERC On Interconnection NOPR
(11) FERC Issues Order on Green Tags Ownership

LINKS TO SMALL WIND IN THE NEWS
(12) Inter-County Leader (WI)
(13) Idaho Statesman
(14) Montana Kaimin
(15) KXMC-TV (North Dakota)
(16) Albany Times Union

INCENTIVES

RESOURCES

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

NEWS

(1) New Jersey Funds for Renewable Energy
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities recently announced the Renewable Energy Advanced Power Program, a competitive incentive and financing program to encourage development of distributive renewable electricity generation projects in New Jersey. The Board allocated up to $50,000,000 as a combination of incentive and guaranteed financing for this solicitation. Full article.

(2) Montana's First Cooperative Wind Turbines Dedicated
Montana's first cooperatively-owned wind turbine installation was dedicated recently. Fourth generation farmer Jess Alger installed a 10 kW turbine on his 1200 acre cattle ranch and wheat farm in Stanford. The turbine is predicted to produce 18,000 kWh of energy each year, enough to offset all of the electricity used on the Alger Ranch. Any surplus electricity generated will feed into the power grid for use by other utility customers. Full article.

(3) North Carolina Small Wind R&D Initiative
Appalachian State University and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) are teaming up to establish a Small Wind R&D Initiative in western North Carolina. A site for the research and demonstration center has been identified and two turbines have been purchased. This year, the Small Wind Initiative hopes to install six small wind turbines representing the various companies and technologies in the US marketplace. The Initiative is developing an overall plan and raising funds. Full article.

(4) Vermont Bank Announces New Renewable Energy Home Equity Loan
Chittenden Bank (Vermont's largest bank) recently announced a reduced interest rate home equity loan when used for renewable energy projects (including solar hot water, PV, wind, and others). Chittenden's current rate for home equity loans is 5.76% on a five-year loan. If a homeowner receives a renewable energy home equity loan the rate would be only 4.75%. The minimum loan amount is $5,000.

(5) Wisconsin Rebate Helps Fund 6-kW Turbine
A new Proven 6-kW grid-connected wind turbine supplies electricity to Jerry and Deb Brucaya's home in rural Dane County, Wisconsin. The turbine, installed by Seventh Generation Energy Systems (SGES), is expected to provide all their energy requirements – approximately 1,000 kWh per month. Excess electricity will be sold to Alliant Energy at the full retail rate in accordance with Wisconsin's net metering law. Full article.

(6) Ohio Distributed Energy Grants Include Small Wind Projects
State Development Director Bruce Johnson announced that the Ohio Department of Development’s (ODOD) Office of Energy Efficiency (OEE) has awarded $924,019 for 26 statewide innovative distributed energy projects. Included are nine small wind projects. Full article.

(7) Idaho Energy Division and Tribe Launch Wind Power Evaluation Project
The Idaho Energy Division and the Coeur d'Alene Tribe launched a resource measurement project to learn whether wind power can provide a new source of economic development. Full article.

(8) Rural Coops and USDA Agree to Encourage Alternative Energy Sources and Greenhouse Gas Reductions
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to identify and advance cost-effective, voluntary opportunities for rural electric cooperatives to partner with farmers and ranchers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Full article.

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

INTERCONNECTION

Headlines from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council’s Connecting to the Grid web site.

(10) Small Generator Coalition Files Comments With FERC On Interconnection NOPR
On October 3, 2003, the reconstituted small generator coalition (SGC) filed comments with the FERC on their Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) on Standardized Small Generator interconnections. Full article.

(11) FERC Issues Order on Green Tags Ownership
On October 1, 2003, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued an Order regarding the status of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs), also known as Green “Tags,” in relation to generation contracts entered into under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA). Full article.

LINKS TO SMALL WIND IN THE NEWS

(12) Inter-County Leader (WI), October 22, 2003, Commission tables wind energy application. Full article.

(13) Idaho Statesman, October 26, 2003, Energy experts to look at N. Idaho for wind power. Full article.

(14) Montana Kaimin, October 24, 2003, COT's wind turbine blows through campus. Full article.

(15) KXMC-TV (North Dakota), October 25, 2003, Wind turbine planned. Full article.

(16) Albany Times Union, October 25, 2003, RPI graduate got energy idea spinning. Full article.

INCENTIVES

New Incentives reported by DSIRE. The Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE) is 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.

RESOURCES

Click here for archived articles and links to Small Wind Resources.

ABOUT THE SMALL WIND NEWSLETTER

The Small Wind Newsletter is published electronically every 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 wish to unsubscribe, fill in your e-mail address and click on unsubscribe.

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

Born In A Barn Syndrome:

Something Mom used to say to us as kids,

"Were you born in a barn?!
Close that door,
We're not trying to heat the whole neighborhood!"

I guess she'd never heard of Global Warming...

Daniel A. Stafford
(c) 10/26/2003.

A Growing Backlash Against Waste
by David Suzuki



Back in the early 1990's, environmental concerns topped the polls. Everyone, it seemed, was worried about the impact of human beings on the biosphere. It was as though the collective inertia of decades of unchecked industrial growth had suddenly caught up to us. When we stopped to take a breather, we realized there were consequences to all our actions - pollution, global warming, habitat loss and species extinction to name a few. We saw our species had the power to alter the very systems which sustain life on Earth and it scared us.

Unfortunately, it didn't penetrate our lifestyles. We did make some strides - we phased out ozone-depleting chemicals and started recycling and reducing some air pollutants. The problem was, once we made a few changes, we reverted to assuming everything was fine. Corporations and governments all developed bureaucracies focusing on environmental problems and we thought they were taking care of things for us.

This made us all feel better, but it blinded us to other growing problems. Many of the well-meaning people who were putting out their blue boxes once a week then walked across their driveways to get into massive SUVs to drive to work - alone. Most didn't even recognize this as an environmental problem. They felt they needed a vehicle and SUVs were big and looked safe. SUVs also looked like they could take people out to the wilderness in complete comfort. Who wouldn't want that?

Automotive manufacturers took advantage of this fantasy by using beautiful natural imagery in their commercials and advertisements. And boy, were they effective. By the late 90's, the majority of cars hitting the roads of North America weren't cars at all, but "light trucks" - a government classification term used to describe everything from pickups to SUVs and minivans.

This classification provided a convenient loophole for vehicle manufacturers. Light trucks are exempt from stricter "passenger vehicle" fuel-efficiency regulations, so they could burn more fuel and pollute more. Why? Because in the late 1970's automobile manufacturers lobbied for the measure, originally as protection against more fuel-efficient competitors from Europe.

At the time it didn't seem to be a big deal. Back then pickups were largely for farms and industry, and no one had heard of SUVs. All this would change as the auto industry found they could make enormous profits by slapping a passenger-vehicle type of body on a truck frame powered by an old-technology gas-guzzling engine. Toss in a dozen cup holders and leather seats and dealers couldn't keep them in the showrooms.

So a loophole, combined with effective advertising created a fad, which led to a decade of massive growth in greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector. Air pollution and smog, which had been slowly shrinking in the late 80's, thanks to better fuel efficiency regulations for cars, is once again choking our cities. We're back where we started - or worse.

But change is afoot. Led by California, the pressure is on to update our antiquated fuel-efficiency regulations. And the charge is no longer being championed by only environmentalists. Average people are beginning to realize how wasteful large SUVs are. The "backlash against SUVs" even recently made the front page of USA Today. People are beginning to see them as big, dirty, safety hazards.

If that's the case and tastes are changing, do we really need improved regulations? Well, it would hardly be prudent to leave the fate of our health and well-being to automotive fads. Fuel efficiency is simply not a priority for manufacturers. In fact, the 2003 vehicle fleet on average actually burns more gas than the 2002 models. Better regulations to reduce greenhouse gases and smog are thus urgently needed. Let's call a car a car and a truck a truck, and bring fuel efficiency standards up to date.



David T. Suzuki PhD, the Chair of the David Suzuki Foundation, is an award-winning scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster. David has received consistently high acclaim for his thirty years of award-winning work in broadcasting; explaining the complexities of science in a compelling, easily understood way. He is well known to millions as the host of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's popular science television series, The Nature of Things. Take the Nature Challenge and learn more at www.davidsuzuki.org

Elusive Cancer Killer's Deep-Sea Hideout Discovered After a Nearly 20-Year Hunt



From Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution
Monday, October 27, 2003

FT. PIERCE, Fla. -- In 1984, HARBOR BRANCH scientists exploring deep waters off the Bahamas in one of the institution's Johnson-Sea-Link submersibles discovered a small piece of sponge that harbored a chemical with a remarkable ability to kill cancer cells in laboratory tests. Despite almost two decades of searching, though, the group was never able to find enough of the sponge to fully explore its potential. But now that process can finally begin because, thanks to some creative detective work, the team has found the animal's secret hiding place and collected enough of it to support years of intense research.

"It's just amazing," says Amy Wright, director of HARBOR BRANCH Biomedical Marine Research, of the sponge she has been on a career-long quest to find. "This is our next cure, I know it's our next cure."

A chemical produced within the sponge, which has not yet been given an official name, has proven in one test of cancer-fighting potential to be about 400 times more potent than Taxol®, a widely used treatment for breast and other forms of cancer. As important, preliminary experiments have also shown the compound to be fairly non-toxic to normal cells.

But the limited amount of the sponge initially collected was not enough to carry the team through the long process of developing a potential medical treatment, which involves careful study of exactly how a chemical kills cancer cells and of its chemical structure. "Since 1984 it has been on our target list for every dive," says Wright, who first studied the compound as a postdoctoral fellow at HARBOR BRANCH during the '80s.

On various expeditions over the years, scientists found only tiny pieces of the sponge, then last year two slightly larger pieces, but still they did not have enough to do the required research. So, in preparation for a cruise this year to the Bahamas that ran from Oct. 9 through the 24th, Wright and her team used clues from where each piece had been collected to put together a profile of the habitat where it must live.

The technique worked perfectly, and on the first submersible dive targeting an area that fit the profile, they found the sponge. "You know, you have these hypotheses, but when it is actually there, it just floors you that the hypothesis worked," says Wright, "We were really excited. I was just dancing around."

The sponge was found in water over 1,000 feet deep in an area the researchers often refer to as the "dead zone," because it is generally characterized by bare rock and very low biodiversity. The sponge, which can grow to about the size of a softball, had eluded researchers for so long because they generally avoid this area in favor of exploring more diverse habitats.

Wright predicts that the quantity of the sponge collected on the expedition using the submersible should be enough to carry the team through the full multi-year drug discovery process, possibly even to the first phase of human trials. "I never thought I would see that much of the sponge ever," says Wright, "Now we have enough to move forward."

If the chemical continues to show promise as the research process progresses, it would eventually be licensed to a pharmaceutical company, which would take the compound through clinical trials. A key step before that could happen would be for HARBOR BRANCH and its collaborators to develop a method to sustainably produce the chemical without having to collect it from wild sponges, which would be both economically and ecologically unfeasible. Possible methods would be raising the sponge through aquaculture, producing it synthetically, or, if the chemical turns out to be produced by a microorganism within the sponge, raising cultures of that microorganism. The full process of turning the chemical into a commercially available cancer treatment would likely take more than a decade.

The mystery sponge's hideout was found on an expedition to the Bahamas that covered some 1,300 miles and took the team throughout the island chain almost as far south as the Turks and Caicos Islands. For more information about this expedition as well as background articles on the team's research, please visit HARBOR BRANCH's online expedition site at: http://www.at-sea.org

HARBOR BRANCH has already patented nearly a hundred potential pharmaceuticals from the tens of thousands of the organisms the Biomedical Marine Research group has collected since the '80s at sites around the globe. Several of these are in various stages of development as potential commercial drugs. Discodermolide, a compound produced by a deepwater sponge found in the Bahamas, is currently in the first phase of human trials as a cancer treatment.

For more information please contact Mark Schrope at 772-216-0390, or schrope@hboi.edu. Photos and B-roll related to the discovery are available to journalists.










For more information, contact:

Mark Schrope
Media Relations
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution
5600 US 1 North
Fort Pierce, FL 34946
schrope@hboi.edu


Web site:

http://www.hboi.edu

States and cities challenge EPA air pollution rules


Tuesday, October 28, 2003
By Devlin Barrett, Associated Press


WASHINGTON — Lawsuits filed Monday by 13 states and more than 20 cities — which seek to block changes to the Clean Air Act — contend that new rules from the Bush administration would weaken protections for the environment and public health.

The Environmental Protection Agency regulation makes it easier to upgrade utilities, refineries, and other industrial facilities without installing additional pollution controls.

The rule, proposed in December and signed by EPA's administrator in August, was made final Monday. It will take effect in two months, and states have up to three years to comply.

The agency said in a statement it does not believe the rule will result in significant changes in emissions, and it "preserves the public health protections" under law.

Attorneys general for 12 states — New York, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin — and legal officers for New York City, Washington, San Francisco, New Haven, and a host of other cities in Connecticut complained about the regulations that they contend will weaken protections for the environment and public health.

Illinois filed a separate but similar claim, and other states, including California, are considering legal action. Their filings could be consolidated later with the 12-state suit.

They argued only Congress can make sweeping changes to such a bedrock law.

"We are not going to sit by quietly and allow the energy interests in this country to receive special treatment while so many of our children and elderly are needlessly suffering from respiratory problems that are, in essence, brought on by bad environmental policy," Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Reilly said.

The rule broadens EPA's interpretation of routine maintenance for older plants. Before the rule change, operators who did anything more than routine maintenance were required to add more pollution-cutting devices.

Under the new rule, industrial facilities avoid paying for expensive emissions-cutting devices for up to 20 percent of the replacement costs for major equipment.

New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer called the rule an attack on the Clean Air Act.

"The president is taking the nation in the wrong direction on environmental policy," Spitzer said.

Scott Segal, director of the Electric Reliability Coordinating Council, a group of power companies that support the rule change, argued it would clarify regulations, and "no litigation from the Northeast attorneys general can produce anything but confusion."

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. A similar group of states also filed suit in that court to challenge a previous batch of the administration's related changes to the Clean Air Act.


Source: Associated Press

Two new stories from ENN,

First:

Tuesday, October 28, 2003
By Alister Doyle, Reuters


MOSCOW — With solutions costing up to a mind-numbing $18,000,000,000,000,000, it is among the most expensive questions in history: How do you stop people from causing dangerous global warming?

Eighteen quadrillion dollars is almost 600 times the 2002 world gross domestic product, estimated by the World Bank at $32 trillion. If you glued 18 quadrillion dollar bills end to end, they would stretch way past Pluto.

Luckily, most estimates of the costs of curbing global warming by the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) run to just hundreds of trillions of dollars over 100 years — a relative pin prick for a growing world economy.

But the costs of cleaning up human emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide produced by factories and cars and of shifting toward cleaner energies such as solar or wind power are starting to give governments nightmares.

"The long-term costs could be enormous," said Andrei Illarionov, an adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin who has backed away from previous promises to quickly ratify the U.N.'s Kyoto Protocol on curbing global warming.

Kyoto, a tiny first step towards reining in human emissions of nontoxic carbon dioxide from fossil fuels blamed for blanketing the planet and driving up temperatures, will collapse without Russia's approval. The United States pulled out in 2001.

"Maybe the money would be better spent on promoting economic growth, on ending poverty, or on helping developing nations," he told a climate conference in Moscow this month, pointing to the highest IPCC estimate of almost $18 quadrillion by 2100.

Bush Says Kyoto Costs Too Much

Beyond Kyoto, which runs to 2012, climate experts say quadrillions of dollars in the 21st century may hang on interpretations of the word "dangerous."

At root is the 1992 U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, ratified by the United States, which aims for "stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic (human) interference with the climate system."

A heat wave in Europe this year killed about 15,000 people in France. About 1,300 died in a heat wave in India. There were 562 tornadoes in the United States in May, more than any month on record. Was any of that caused by humans and "dangerous?"

If so, humanity would have to start...(Read on in: Global warming, the quadrillion dollar question)

And second:

Tuesday, October 28, 2003
By GreenBiz.com


WASHINGTON, D.C. — Investments in green buildings pay for themselves 10 times over, according to a new study for 40 California government agencies.

The study — by the Capital E group, Lawrence Berkley Laboratory, and participating California state agencies — is the most definitive cost-benefit analysis of green building ever conducted.

With this study, the California Department of Finance has recognized for the first time the existence of financial benefits associated with improved health productivity and lowered operations and maintenance costs in green buildings.

The California Board of Regents also drew on the early findings of this study and is moving forward in pushing for all state higher education new construction to be "green." This study, drawing on national data for 100 green buildings and an in depth review of several hundred existing studies, found that sustainable buildings are a cost-effective investment.

"Green" or "sustainable" buildings use key resources like energy, water, materials, and land much more efficiently than buildings that are simply built to code, the study points out. They also create healthier work, learning, and living environments with more natural light and cleaner air and contribute to improved employee and student health, comfort, and productivity. Sustainable buildings are cost-effective, saving taxpayer dollars by reducing operations and maintenance costs as well as by lowering utility bills.

The report concluded that financial benefits of green design are between $50 and $70 per square foot in a LEED building, more than 10 times the additional cost associated with building green. The benefits include cost savings from reduced energy, water, and waste; lower operations and maintenance costs; and enhanced occupant productivity and health.

"Total financial benefits of green buildings are over ten times the average initial investment required to design and construct a green building," concluded the authors. "Energy savings alone exceed...(Read on in: Green building investments yield high returns, says study)

On CNN for a day or two only:

Arctic being 'transformed' by warming

Friday, October 24, 2003 Posted: 1:01 PM EDT (1701 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- NASA scientists released new evidence this week that the Arctic region is warming up and its sea ice cover is diminishing, with implications for further climate change throughout the globe....read on in the title link above.

From the





Dear Readers,

We’ve come so far , but there is still no resolution to the biodiesel provisions of the energy package. It is possible that negotiations could wrap up today. Please keep the calls and letters going to your Members of Congress.

Click here to see a letter and list of Senators who signed it in support of the biodiesel tax incentive. If your Senators signed it, please tell them thanks and ask them to speak to the leadership of their respective parties to urge them to include the biodiesel incentives in the final package. If your Senators didn’t sign it, please ask them to do so to go on record in support of the biodiesel tax incentive.

Please also contact your Members of the House and give them this simple message:
Include biodiesel tax provisions in the Energy Bill!


If you live in California, please contact Congressman Bill Thomas (R-CA) , Chair of the Ways and Means Committee. Ask him for his support to keep the biodiesel provisions in the Energy Bill. His contact numbers are 202-225-2915 and fax 202-225-8798. Since his phone lines are likely to be busy, please fax him a brief letter and blind copy NBB (573-635-7913). Thank you!

* To see a copy of the legislation click here.
* To see the description of the biodiesel tax incentive click here.
* To see a list of Senators signed on click here.


Joe Jobe
Executive Director
National Biodiesel Board
www.biodiesel.org

Great Lakes Daily News: 22 October 2003
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


Port of Toledo site in running for coal-coke plant
----------------------------------------
A consortium of investors is considering Toledo Lucas County Port Authority
land for a plant that would turn coal into coke, a key ingredient in steel
production, and create as many as 150 new jobs. Source: The Toledo Blade
(10/22)


Niagara Falls survivor says depression, not derring-do, drove him to jump
----------------------------------------
A man who went over Niagara Falls head first said Wednesday that he was
driven by depression, not a desire to become a daredevil. Source: Booth
Newspapers (10/22)


EDITORIAL: Time to protect natural treasures of Toronto area
----------------------------------------
Ribbons of green criss-crossing the Greater Toronto Area are under attack as
never before. Strong municipal defenders are needed more than ever to
protect those areas against sprawl. Source: The Toronto Star (10/22)


Deer disease cost put at nearly $15 million in Wisconsin
----------------------------------------
Combating chronic wasting disease has cost Wisconsin almost $15 million and
the price tag continues to grow, according to a report issued Tuesday by the
Legislative Audit Bureau. Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (10/22)


Vineyard nuisance strikes again in northeastern U.S., Ontario
----------------------------------------
Winemakers and grapegrowers in the northeastern United States and Ontario
are being plagued once again by Asian lady beetles -- an insect that can
ruin the taste of their wine. Source: Wine Spectator (10/21)


Taking the Kalamazoo River from ugly to lovely
----------------------------------------
Battle Creek officials are debating whether to move forward with a project
to convert a concrete-lined stretch of the Kalamazoo River to a more natural
state. Source: Battle Creek Enquirer (10/21)


EPA to evaluate park for bacteria testing
----------------------------------------
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has agreed to evaluate Maumee Bay
State Park as a potential site for an advanced bacteria-testing technique
that would yield results in as little as two hours. Source: The Toledo Blade
(10/21)


Calmer waters could be ahead for Great Lakes Aquarium
----------------------------------------
The Great Lakes Aquarium is in a better financial position one year after
running out of money and being taken over by the city of Duluth. Source:
Duluth News Tribune (10/21)


EPA goes light on pollution sanctions
----------------------------------------
Western Michigan legislators were relieved to learn Monday that new air
pollution rules likely will not damage the local business climate or saddle
motorists with tailpipe tests. Source: The Grand Rapids Press (10/21)


Two-day conference focuses on state of Lake Michigan
----------------------------------------
Scientists, environmentalists and government decisionmakers gathered Tuesday
in Muskegon for a two-day conference on the health of Lake Michigan. Source:
The Muskegon Chronicle (10/21)


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


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From Alt Power Digest:

There are 5 messages in this issue.

Topics in this digest:

1. New Way To Generate Electricity
From: AP@alternatepower.com (Alternate Power)
2. SHEC - Solar Hydrogen Energy Corporation
From: AP@alternatepower.com (Alternate Power)
3. Chinese Water Splitter
From: AP@alternatepower.com (Alternate Power)
4. Enter your biofuel event into the calendar
From: "Steve Spence" sspence@green-trust.org
5. EERE Network News -- 10/22/03
From: Tom Gray tomgray@igc.org


________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Message: 1
Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2003 02:28:34 -0700 (PDT)
From: AP@alternatepower.com (Alternate Power)
Subject: New Way To Generate Electricity

Electrokinetic microchannel battery by means of electrokinetic and microfluidic phenomena:
Jun Yang, Fuzhi Lu, Larry W Kostiuk and Daniel Y Kwok - Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G8, Canada:
E-mail: daniel.y.kwok@ualberta.ca
Received 23 April 2003, in final form 25 June 2003: Published 20 October 2003:

Abstract:

Pressure-driven flow in a microchannel induces a streaming current due to the presence of an electrical double layer in the interface between the electrolyte solution and channel wall. As the streaming current is of the order of a nano-amphere and is additive, we propose here a method to develop an electrokinetic battery consisting of an array of microchannels that converts the hydrostatic pressure of a liquid into electrical work. We have given oscillating analytical solutions by means of an electrical circuit analysis to model the multi-microchannel battery.

Using superposition of the appropriate Fourier series, the derived analytical solutions are useful to predict the current when there is more general time-dependent flow through a microchannel array. To illustrate the idea, we have studied steady-state pressure-driven flow in micropore porous glass filter and compared the results with those predicted from our model. From a 30 cm hydrostatic pressure drop, an external current of 1–2 µA was obtained by means of water passing through the micropore porous glass filter. A larger current can be obtained by simply using a solution with higher salt concentration. This results in a new and potentially useful method of energy conversion by means of an array of microchannels.

URL: http://stacks.iop.org/0960-1317/13/963

DOI: 10.1088/0960-1317/13/6/320
PII: S0960-1317(03)62496-4
More At http://www.iop.org/EJ/abstract/0960-1317/13/6/320/

========================================


________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Message: 2
Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2003 02:29:02 -0700 (PDT)
From: AP@alternatepower.com (Alternate Power)
Subject: SHEC - Solar Hydrogen Energy Corporation

http://www.shec-labs.com/press/releases/2003October21press.htm

SHEC Labs develops Anti-Coking fuel reformation technology:

SASKATOON, October 21, 2003:
SHEC LABS - Solar Hydrogen Energy Corporation today announced a breakthrough in "Dry Fuel Reformation" technology with the development of SHEC labs "Anti-Coking Dry Fuel Reformer".
SHEC labs has developed a "Dry Fuel Reformation" catalyst that can be used in conjunction with its' "Advanced Solar Concentrator" technology as well as other sources of heat to reduce the amount of fossil fuels required for the production of hydrogen.

There is an existing market today for the production of hydrogen from natural gas for industries such as ammonia based fertilizer, petroleum refining, methanol production and a host of other industries. Currently, the global market produces about 15 Trillion cubit feet of hydrogen per year by "Steam Reforming" natural gas. These markets are in the tens of billion of dollars annually. Future markets will include distributed electrical power for homes and businesses that utilize fuel cells fuelled by hydrogen derived from existing natural gas infrastructure. With automobile manufacturers developing both hydrogen consuming internal combustion engines and hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles, another market for hydrogen far exceeding existing markets will evolve.

One of the problems in the "Fuel Reformation" industry is the plugging of fuel reformers with carbon deposits that form over time and is referred to as coking. Industrial plants must shut down in order to physically remove the carbon deposits costing millions of dollars of lost production. SHEC Labs first successfully tested its anti-coking technology to reduce the affects of carbon buildup in mid September of 2003. In all tests performed, we were able to dramatically reduce and virtually eliminate coking, keeping the pathways of our prototype fuel reformer completely clear.

In the future, SHEC labs plans to integrate its "Dry Fuel Reformation" technologies into the marketplace, reducing the amount of natural gas used to produce hydrogen. With the lower operating temperatures of our "Dry Fuel Reformation" catalyst and the application of our "Advanced Solar Concentrator" technology we will be able to slow the depletion of our finite natural gas reserves and save financial resources for companies in these industries all the while reducing emissions.

Anticipated future licensing agreements will create a substantial revenue stream for SHEC labs.

For more information, contact:

Ray Fehr, V.P. Marketing
SHEC LABS - Solar Hydrogen Energy Corporation Phone: (306) 956-1133 Fax:
(306) 956-1144 E-mail: information@shec-labs.com www.shec-labs.com
========================================


________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Message: 3
Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2003 02:29:28 -0700 (PDT)
From: AP@alternatepower.com (Alternate Power)
Subject: Chinese Water Splitter

Mike Johnston wrote:

Abstract:

An apparatus for generating Hydrogen and Oxygen by means of electrolysis without requiring an external power. There are two main electrodes(the Anode and the Cathode) built at both sides of the Electrolysis compartment, in the said compartment there are multiple Electrode plates and gas separating membranes connected in series. At the upper part of the compartment, ducts convey Hydrogen and Oxygen separately to the repsective Gas Concentrating compartments. There is a separation built between the Electrolysis Compartment and the Gas concentrating Compartments. The Current Generating Tunnel is at the outskirts of the Electrolysis Compartment, the electrolyte can flow without hindrance from these Tunnels to the Electrolysis Compartment. Permanent magnets are fixed to the wall of the Current Generating Tunnels and Current Collecting Metal Connectors of both Positive and Negative poles are fixed to the ends of the permanent magnets for energy collection. These Metal Connectors are interconnected in series as shown in the drawings, the first connector is then connected to the Cathode and the last connector is connected to the Anode of the Electrolysis compartment. This invention does not require an external energy or traditional power to maintain the Electrolysis process.

Claims:

1. A generator of Hydrogen and Oxygen by Electrolysis, without requirement of an external energy. The housing (3) of the device has two electrodes (the Anode(2) and Cathode(2)) connected at each end of it, inside the housing, a Electrolysis Compartment (1) containing Gas Separating Membranes (4) inserted between multiple Electrolytic Plates(6), these multiple sets of membranes and plates are manufactured and wrapped up by isolating rubber frames (13), there are Gas Concentrating Compartments (7), (20) for both Hydrogen and Oxygen separately, a division (8) is between the Gas Compartments and the Electrolysis Compartment. Some holes (5) are drilled in the division in order to convey gas produced to the indivudual Gas Concentrating Compartment for separate collection. The claim concerns to the Current Generating Tunnel (9) that is built around the Electrolysis Compartment, the said Tunnel communicate with the latter at the bottom, the upper part of the tunnels also communicate with the Electrolysis Compartment. There are permanent magnet bars (23) fixed to the walls of the tunnel, at the ends(North and South) of the magnet bars are the Positive electrodes and the Negative Electodes respectively(24) , (25), these electodes are interconnected in series as shown in the drawing, being the first electode connected to the Anode and the last one connected to the Cathode.

2. The claim concerns about a circulation pump (26) is installed in the circuit between the Current Generating Tunnel and the Electolysis Compartment for electrolyte circulation.

3. The claim concerns about the addition of the Current Generating Tunnel (22) around the Electrolysis Compartment.

4. The claim concerns about claims (1) and claim (3), that the isolating frames are elastomer isolating frames( rubber).

5. The claim concerns about claim (4) that the current producing sources are permanent magnet bars.

Description of the operation of the apparatus:

An apparatus for splitting water into Hydrogen and Oxygen without the requirement of an external power

This invention concerns a Generator of Hydrogen and Oxygen by means of electrolysis without requirement of an external supply of energy, such as electric current, petroleum derivated products or coal. According to Chinese Patent ZL 95220793, a type of H2-O2 Generator by electrolysis is disclosed. Such generator has a housing and a liquid deposit, with anode and cathod on both sides of the housing, with multiple sets of electrolysis plates and gas separating membranes inserted in the Electrolysis Compartment. At the top of the compartment there are two gas concentrating compartments, one for the H2, and the other for the O2. In order the generator to work, electrolyte has to be introduced into the compartment, and electricity is required. The apparatus consumes a great deal of electricity. The improvement of this invention is the elimination of the external power source such as electricity, petroleum derivated products or coal for producing H2 and O2. This is done by the following solution: an apparatus consisted of a housing with electrodes at each side of the housing, inside the Electrolysis Compartment multiple sets of Electrolysis Plates and Gas Separating Membranes are connected in series, each Plate and Membrane is framed by isolating elastomer, at the top of the Compartment there are compartments for the collection of H2 and O2 separately. They are separated from the Electrolysis Compartment by a division sheet. Holes are drilled through this sheet in order to convey the gases to the upper compartments. Outside the Compartment wall, a Current Generating Tunnel is located, both top and bottom of the tunnel communicate with the top and bottom of the Electrolysis Compartment. Multiple permanent magnet bars are fixed to the wall of the Tunnel. Collecting Electodes are fixed to the north and south ends of the magnet bars for current collection. The first of the electode is connected to the Anode and the last point of the last electrode is connected to the Cathode of the Electrolyser.

The apparatus works as follows: Introduce electrolyte into the Electrolyser Compartment. The electrolyte consists of a Sodium Hydroxide solution at 20~30% (30% weight NaOH, 70% weight distilled water), activate the pump to circulate the solution, the circulating electrolyte within the Current Generating Tunnel will interact with the Permanet magnet bars, producing positive and negative ions, these ions cut the magnetic flux and will induce electric currents, the Collecting Electrodes will collect the induced currents to the Anode and Cathode, and the Electrolysis will initiate. While the process maintains and intensifies, heat will be soaked up by the electrolyte and the liquid will self circulate through the Tunnel by convection, and finally the circulation will self-sustain, therefore pump can be disconnected eventually. But in order to archive high production rate of gases, the pump can maintain its functioning.

Drawings of the invention

Drawing 1 Conceptual design of the apparatus (drawing 2 B-B cut-through view)

Drawing 2 Drawing 1 A-A cut-through view of Gas Concentration Compartments

Drawing 3 Electrolytic Plate

Drawing 4 Gas Separating Membrane

Drawing 5 Connnection of the Collecting Electodes with magnet bars and Anode and Cathode

Drawing 6 Transversal view of this invention Drawing 7 Pump location and other particulars

Referencing to Drawing 1 and 2, the apparatus has a rectangular housing (3), made of alkali resistant plastic (such as Polyethelene or Silicone), with a removable base (19), On one side of the Electrolysis Compartment is the Anode(2) and the Electrolytic Plate(12), on the other side is the Cathode(11) and the Electrolytic Plate (10), Inside the Electrolysis Compartment (1) there are multiple sets of Electrolytic Plates (6) with Gas Separating Membrane (4) inserted in-between. Sixty sets are used in this invention. Each membrane and its respective Plate are built with its individual isolating elastomer frame (look at drawing 4), The rubber frame (13) is mold formed by injection to the membrane (4), the membrane is nylon-polyester fabric, of 300 seive finess and 0.08mm thick. The rubber frame (14) is mold formed by injection to the Electrolytic Plate(6). At the bottom of the frame there is a channel for pressure balancing(21), also there is a returning path (15) at the bottom of the basement, through the channels(21), each electrolytc plate element can balance the level of liquid during the operation. The Division (8) separates the Electrolysis Compartment from the Gas Concentrating Compartments, holes (5) are drilled through the Division, and convey the hydrogen generated at one side of the membrane to one of the gas collecting compartment (20), the oxygen generated at the other side of the membrane is conveyed through the another set of holes to (7). (17) and (18) are exits for the H2 and O2 respectively. Curent Generating Tunnel(9) are located around the Electrolysis Compartment, both the top and bottom of the tunnel is connected to the top and bottom of the compartment. Multiple permanent magnet bars are fixed to the wall of the Tunnel. For this purpose, 40 Strong Rare Earth Magnets( BaFe) are used(See drawing 5). Collecting Electrodes (24) and (25) are fixed to the ends of the magnet bars, according to drawing 6 they are connected in series and also fixed to the anode and cathode of the apparatus. Drawing 6 shows the lateral disposition of the Tunnel (22)with respect to the Electrolysis Compartment, Drawing 7 shows the tunnel is connected to the compartment through channel (27), a circulation pump (26) is connected between them. For a higher rate of gas production, the permanent magents bars can be replaced by electromagnets, but then it will require an external power source.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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Message: 4
Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 12:21:00 -0000
From: "Steve Spence" sspence@green-trust.org
Subject: Enter your biofuel event into the calendar

Please got to http://www.veggievan.org/phorm/ and make sure your
biofuel event is submitted to the VeggieVan calendar. Thousands of
people see this calendar daily. Help us get your word out!


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Message: 5
Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 09:57:47 -0400
From: Tom Gray tomgray@igc.org
Subject: EERE Network News -- 10/22/03

======================================================================
EERE NETWORK NEWS -- October 22, 2003
A weekly newsletter from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE)
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
http://www.eere.energy.gov/
======================================================================

Featuring:

*News and Events

DOE Awards $20.4 Million to 13 Building Efficiency Projects
Canada to Join International Hydrogen Partnership
Oklahoma Gains a Massive 102-Megawatt Wind Power Plant
Toyota Launches U.S. Sales of its New Prius
Netherlands Team Holds Wide Lead in World Solar Challenge
Will Electrokinetics Yield a New, Clean Energy Source?

*Site News

DOE Launches "Energy Savers," a New Web Site for Consumers

*Energy Connections

DOE Report: U.S. LNG Imports Doubled in First Half of 2003

*About this Newsletter


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NEWS AND EVENTS
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DOE Awards $20.4 Million to 13 Building Efficiency Projects

DOE announced last week its award of $20.4 million to 13 projects that will advance energy efficiency in buildings. Industry partners will contribute more than $10 million to the projects, bringing the total
investment to more than $30 million. The three-year projects will aim to develop advanced technologies for lighting systems, windows, water heaters, and air conditioning systems.

Among the technologies being investigated are: LED (light-emitting diode) light sources using nanomaterials, organic materials, and other novel materials; new phosphor coatings for fluorescent lamps; wireless lighting control systems; advanced windows that use extremely lightweight insulating materials, called aerogels; "smart" windows that mirror over in direct sunlight to reflect heat; electrochromic windows, which can be electronically lightened or darkened; commercial heat pump water heaters that use carbon dioxide as a refrigerant; air conditioning systems that add fresh outdoor air to maintain indoor air quality; and magnetocaloric air conditioners. Magnetocaloric cooling devices, sometimes referred to as magnetic refrigeration, use a metallic refrigerant that exhibits the magnetocaloric effect: it heats up when placed in a magnetic field, and cools when the magnetic field
is removed.

See the DOE press release at: http://www.energy.gov/engine/content.do?BT_CODE=PR_PRESSRELEASES.


Canada to Join International Hydrogen Partnership

After an October 16th meeting with Herb Dhaliwal, Canada's minister of natural resources, Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham announced that Canada intends to join the International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy. Secretary Abraham proposed the hydrogen partnership in April during his speech to the International Energy Agency Ministerial Meeting. Several other countries have shown interest in joining the partnership, which Secretary Abraham will kick off this fall by hosting the first ministerial meeting of the partnership.

The International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy will support the deployment of hydrogen technologies by establishing collaborative efforts in hydrogen production, storage, transport, and end-use technologies; creating common codes and standards for hydrogen fuel utilization; and sharing information necessary to develop hydrogen-fueling infrastructure. See the October 16th press release on the DOE Web site at: http://www.energy.gov/engine/content.do?BT_CODE=PR_PRESSRELEASES.

For more information on hydrogen technologies, see DOE's Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, and Infrastructure Technologies Program Web site at: http://www.eere.energy.gov/hydrogenandfuelcells/.


Oklahoma Gains a Massive 102-Megawatt Wind Power Plant

The first major wind power plant in Oklahoma went online last week, bringing 102 megawatts of wind power to the state. The Oklahoma Wind Energy Center, located near Woodward in northwest Oklahoma, was developed by FPL Energy and is providing half its power to the Oklahoma Gas and Electric (OG&E) and the other half to the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority (OMPA). It features 68 1.5-megawatt turbines, manufactured by GE Wind Energy. See the link to the OG&E press release on the company's home page at: http://www.oge.com/.

The OMPA press release is available in PDF format only at: http://www.ompa.com/pressrel.pdf.

For background on the project, see the July 11th press release from
FPL Energy at: http://www.fplenergy.com/news/2003/contents/03065.shtml.

Oklahoma will soon gain its second wind power plant, as Zilkha Renewable Energy is building a 74.25-megawatt wind project near Lawton. Zilkha expects to complete the project, called the Blue Canyon
Wind Farm, in December. See the Zilkha Web site at: http://www.zilkha.com/whatweredoing.asp?id=3.


Toyota Launches U.S. Sales of its New Prius

Toyota Motor Sales officially launched U.S. sales of its new Prius last week. The upgraded hybrid-electric vehicle is not only larger than its predecessor, but also achieves a higher mileage: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the new Prius will achieve 60 miles per gallon (MPG) in the city and 51 MPG on highways, for a combined city/highway mileage of 55 MPG. In contrast, the
earlier version earned an estimated combined city/highway mileage of 48 MPG. In terms of emissions, the Prius has earned an AT-PZEV (Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle) rating, which
means that it is an SULEV (Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle) with zero evaporative emissions.

Toyota is also holding the line on pricing for the new vehicle, keeping the base MSRP (manufacturer's suggested retail price) at just under $20,000. But it may be awhile before you see one on a dealer's
lot: the company has already received nearly 12,000 pre-orders for the new Prius. Toyota currently plans to manufacture 36,000 Prius hybrids for the U.S. market this year.

The new Prius is packed with features to appeal to the technology hound, including drive-by-wire technology for the throttle and shifting systems, an electronically dimming "electrochromic" rear-view
mirror, and a keyless entry and start system. See the Toyota Prius Web site at: http://www.toyota.com/prius/.

California drivers may have a new reason to buy a hybrid vehicle: On October 2nd, the State of California requested authority from the Secretary of Transportation to allow hybrid vehicles to drive in the HOV (high-occupancy vehicle) lanes, even if they're not carrying a passenger. See the Toyota Prius press releases at: http://pressroom.toyota.com/photo_library/display.html?kw=Prius.


Netherlands Team Holds Wide Lead in World Solar Challenge

The World Solar Challenge is underway in Australia, and at the end of Tuesday's racing, the Nuon Solar Team from the Netherlands holds a commanding lead. The lead vehicle, called the Nuna II, was one of
three solar cars that reached Alice Springs on Monday, but the team widened its lead on Tuesday. A team from Melbourne, Australia, is trailing the Nuna II by 46 minutes, and the U.S. team from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology is in third place. As of Tuesday, 22 solar cars were competing in the race.

By the time you read this newsletter, the race will probably be decided, as the lead teams were expected to reach the finish line in Adelaide by Wednesday afternoon. That translates to early Wednesday morning in the eastern United States, or late Tuesday night on the West Coast. See the "Latest Updates" and "Media" pages on the World Solar Challenge Web site at: http://www.wsc.org.au/latestupdates.htm
and .


Will Electrokinetics Yield a New, Clean Energy Source?

A team of researchers from the University of Alberta in Canada announced Monday that they have discovered a new method of generating electricity. The researchers forced water through a filter made of
porous glass, causing an electrical charge to build up on the filter via the electrokinetic effect -- the physical separation of charges within a liquid, such as water, due to its interaction with a solid surface, such as glass. Using the pressure caused by a 30-centimeter column of water (a column about one foot high), the researchers were able to draw a current of 1.5 micro-amps from the glass filter. That's an extremely small current, but the researchers believe that using saltier water and a greater number of "microchannels" -- the miniature channels existing in the pores of the glass filter -- could yield a
practical power source.

Although the authors described the technique as possibly "a new alternative energy source to rival wind and solar power," it suffers from a potentially fatal flaw, namely, its low conversion efficiency.
According to the authors' paper, published Monday in the Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering (a publication of the Institute of Physics), the amount of electrical energy produced by the technique is expected to be less than 0.05 percent of the mechanical flow energy consumed by the pressure drop across the microchannels -- at least, for dilute solutions. That suggests that for any natural source of flowing water, such as a river, a conventional turbine-generator would yield far more electricity than would an electrokinetic device.

However, the devices should be more efficient when driven by salt water, and may have an application in tidal or wave energy devices that aim to convert the energy in flowing seawater into electricity.
See the announcement from the Institute of Physics at: http://www.iop.org/news/632.

See also the October 20th press release on the University of Alberta Web site at: http://www.expressnews.ualberta.ca/expressnews/.


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SITE NEWS
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DOE Launches "Energy Savers," a New Web Site for Consumers
http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/

DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) launched a new consumer-oriented Web site in early October, called "Energy Savers: A consumer guide to energy efficiency and renewable energy."

The new site combines the popular "Energy Savers" booklet with new content on ways to save energy at home, as well as ways to use renewable energy to provide power, hot water, and heating and cooling for your home. It even includes information on how to buy energy-smart vehicles, including alternative-fuel vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles. The site features the "look and feel" of the redesigned EERE Web site, and can be accessed by selecting "Consumers" on the EERE home page at: http://www.eere.energy.gov/.

People looking to save energy at home can also turn to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), which just launched the eighth edition of its popular "Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings." Although the full booklet is available for a fee, a quick checklist and a list of the most energy-efficient home appliances are both available for free on the ACEEE Consumer Guide Web site at:
http://aceee.org/consumerguide/.


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ENERGY CONNECTIONS
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DOE Report: U.S. LNG Imports Doubled in First Half of 2003

U.S. imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the first half of 2003 were more than double the amount imported in the first half of 2002, according to a new DOE report. DOE's quarterly report on natural gas
imports and exports found that the United States imported a total of 201.5 billion cubic feet of LNG during the first half of 2003, compared to only 96.9 billion cubic feet during the first half of 2002. In fact, for the entire year of 2002, the United States imported only 228.7 billion cubic feet of LNG, an amount nearly equaled in the first half of 2003.

The increase in LNG imports reflects an increased emphasis on finding new ways to meet U.S. natural gas demands, which are beginning to outstrip domestic supplies. Although natural gas can be brought to the continental United States from Alaska, Canada, and Mexico via pipelines, overseas sources of natural gas must be converted to LNG for shipping to the United States. According to the DOE report,
LNG imports are currently coming from Algeria, Nigeria, and Trinidad. See the report for the second quarter of 2003 by selecting "Summary Reports" on DOE's Office of Fossil Energy Web site at:
http://www.fe.doe.gov/programs/gasregulation/analyses/analyses.html.

Meanwhile, the major energy companies continue to announce agreements aimed at insuring a future supply of LNG to the United States. On October 14th, for instance, BG LNG Services, LLC -- one of four
current importers of U.S. LNG -- signed a 20-year agreement to import LNG from Nigeria at a rate of about 117 billion cubic feet per year.

Two days later, ExxonMobil Corporation announced a 25-year agreement to import LNG from Qatar to the United States. The $12-billion agreement will bring in about 730 billion cubic feet of LNG per year,
starting in 2008 or 2009. See the BG Group and ExxonMobil press releases at: http://www.bg-group.com/news/archive_2003/141003-pr.htm and http://www.exxonmobil.com/Corporate/Newsroom/News_Room.asp.

While companies are lining up overseas LNG supplies, security and environmental concerns still make it difficult for LNG importers to build new U.S. LNG import terminals. For some companies, the answer is
to build terminals in Mexico and import from there via pipelines. For others, like BHP Billiton, the answer is to build a floating terminal offshore. BHP Billiton's proposed Cabrillo Deepwater Port would be located 21 miles off the California shore and would convert the LNG into natural gas, which would then be piped to shore via an undersea pipeline. See the company's Cabrillo Deepwater Port Web site at:
http://lngsolutions.bhpbilliton.com/index.asp.

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ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
----------------------------------------------------------------------

You can subscribe to this newsletter using the online form at:
http://www.eere.energy.gov/news/about.cfm.
This Web page also allows you to update your email address
or unsubscribe to this newsletter.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
home page is located at: http://www.eere.energy.gov/.

If you have questions or comments about this
newsletter, please contact the editor, Kevin Eber, at
kevin_eber@nrel.gov.

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