Green Technology

Chemists at UCLA have created a "gene" that might capture CO2 and help control CO2 emissions.

"UCLA chemists report creating a synthetic "gene" that could capture ... carbon dioxide emissions, which contribute to global warming, rising sea levels and the increased acidity of oceans."

" ... taken organic and inorganic units and combined them into a synthetic crystal which codes information in a DNA-like manner ... no means as sophisticated as DNA, but it is certainly new in chemistry and materials science."

" ... could lead to cleaner energy, including technology that factories and cars can use to capture carbon dioxide before it reaches the atmosphere."

" ... invented a class of materials called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), sometimes described as crystal sponges ... openings on the nanoscale ... which ... can store gases that are usually difficult to store and transport. ..."

Via:  UCLA  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 05:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

United Technologies is looking at how blood captures CO2 to see if this has potential for larger scale carbon capture / sequestration.  One targeted industry is coal-fired power plants.

"Blood cells in all breathing creatures are constantly capturing carbon dioxide and moving it someplace better--just what coal-fired power plant operators may soon have to do with all the carbon dioxide produced by burning coal."

" ... trying to develop industrial blood--a synthetic version of the enzyme that blood uses to capture CO2 ... best known chemistry for CO2 management ... "

"Current carbon capture approaches use chemicals ... system has to be huge and the process requires a pile of heat, which means a pile of energy and therefore a pile of cash. The cost of electricity from a coal-fired plant is projected to rise 80% in order to pay for a 90% reduction in CO2."

" ... envisions a simpler, cheaper system involving membranes that sift carbon dioxide out of the flue gas ...  hopes to do is dope the membrane with a substance based on the enzyme that blood uses to capture CO2, called carbonic anhydrase."c--are also working to develop carbon capture devices based on carbonic anhydrase.

Via:  Forbes LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 06:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "We continue to increase the TTN of our CO2 to fuel process through a proprietary technology that encapsulates the enzymes in a protective shell. This protective shell significantly increases the activity and functional life of the enzymes. Our enzyme encapsulation technology gives us great confidence in the cost effectiveness of our CO2 to fuel process and moves us closer to commercial viability. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 09:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

China is full of business opportunities and is also looking to become / embrace the green movement.  The China Green Business Summit - 2009 is being held May 13 - 15th in Beijing, China.

Via:  China Green Business Summit 2009  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 05:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Check out EarthLab's carbon calculator.  By asking along series of questions about where you live, what kind of home, how you commute, number of and kind of cars, how much and how you travel, how large your family is  it calculates your carbon footprint and your ECP. 

It then shows how you compare to the average in the US, your state and ZIP code.  When I first took the test on March 25, 2009 my numbers were:

CEP:       317
Carbon   12.4 tons of CO2.

I will retake he test periodically and see how (if) my numbers change (for good or bad) and update in future posts.

Via:  EarthLab.com  Link

Posted by Green Dude at 05:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Air Products and Chemicals, Allentown, Pa, received an award for a process that removes CO2 from coal power plant waste streams.

Read on for more >>>

" ... Air Products ... Imperial College London and Doosan Babcock Energy Ltd. were presented the Rushlight Carbon Capture and Storage Award 2008 for work addressing impurity removal in carbon dioxide (CO2) waste streams from coal-fired power plants.  ... an essential requirement for the compression, transport and potential sequestration of greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. ..."

Via:  Air Products and Chemiclas  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 01:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Good Energy is a provider of various sources of GREEN energy from all over Britain  They make it easy for the homeowner or business to lower their impact on the environment by cutting CO2 emissions from power generation.

All their energy " ... comes from wind, small scale hydro and solar power generators from all over Britain. ... either small or medium sized sites  ... Home Generation scheme supports the smaller generator and home owner.

" ...we offer both our supply and purchasing products. We are always on the lookout for new ways we can help you reduce your impact on climate change."

Formed in 1999 they currently serve approx. 24,0000 customers.

Their current power mix is " ...  generators in Cornwall, Devon, Cumbria, the Midlands, North Wales and Scotland.... approximately 92% wind power, 7% small hydro and 1% solar. We also own our own wind farm at Delabole in Cornwall."

Via:  Good Energy  Link

Continue reading "Good Energy - 100% Green Energy for Britian" »

Posted by Green Dude at 05:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Separating CO2 from other gases present in flue or synthesis gas, in conjunction with a suitable means of storing the CO2, could allow the utilization of abundant fossil fuel reserves with significantly decreased emissions of CO2 to the atmosphere. This project intends to develop a variety of efficient, low-cost polymeric and inorganic membranes that separate CO2. " ...

Via Standard Global Climate and Energy Project: Gas Separation Membranes

Posted by Green Tech at 09:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)