Japanese scientists may have found a cheaper and more efficient way to produce "biodiesel." The renewable, vegetable oil-based fuel can be used in conventional diesel engines, which are found in about 2 percent of cars currently sold in the U.S. and in about 40 percent in Europe.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has determined that the greener fuel emits only a third of the unburned hydrocarbons and half of the carbon monoxide and particulates that standard diesel fuel emits. Furthermore, biodiesel's sulfur oxide and sulfate emissions, which cause acid rain, are negligible.
The fuel is also biodegradable, so safety concerns and pollution issues are minimal.
ADDED 12/2: A company in Montreal has started producing biodiesel commercially. They anticipate nearly 10 million gallons their first year of operation.
ADDED 12/5: Austin BioFuels sells biodiesel, straight or blended, in Texas.
Economics and responsible business demand alternatives. Businesses dependent on fossil fuels are under tremendous competitive pressure to seek efficiencies where they can, and at the same time responsible business practices require sensitivity to the impact they have on the environment. Legislation is further reinforcing the urgent need for solutions to current emissions levels of commercial and private vehicles. Hydrogen has become a central theme in many developing technologies, and has gained worldwide attention as "the next big thing." The promise of cheap, clean power is undeniably attractive, and the hydrogen fuel cell has secured millions of dollars in funding for research around the world and has even become a political plank in the platforms of the leading industrial nations.
The reality is that the hydrogen fuel cell is a long way off, and it does not provide a solution for the 711 million vehicles on the road today. The hydrogen fuel cell requires storing hydrogen gas. Hydrogen gas can be a highly dangerous substance if stored on board the vehicle. While there may eventually be a hydrogen fuel cell system vehicle that can match the reliability and performance of the internal combustion engine some time in the next decade, a hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicle still requires a completely different engine. This is not a viable solution for anyone with investments in a vehicle today.
CHEC's flagship product, the CHEC HFI hydrogen injection system, is a hydrogen solution for today's needs. The HFI enhances combustion by injecting hydrogen into the engine. The improved efficiency reduces emissions, reduces fuel consumption by at least 10%, and the superior combustion increases the engine's power while reducing wear.
It is a bolt-on aftermarket part that produces its own hydrogen during operation. Hydrogen is not stored on board. It works with any internal combustion engine, using all types of fuels (gasoline, diesel, natural gas, etc.), and in all climates.
The patented CHEC HFI hydrogen injection system traces it roots back to work done at the Jet Propulsion Lab, California Institute of Technology in 1974 on the uses of hydrogen as a combustion enhancing agent for the internal combustion engine. The CHEC HFI has seen 50,000,000 miles of testing over the last four years, ensuring it is reliable, safe, and delivers where the rubber meets the road.
Texas Recycles Day
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and Keep Texas Beautiful encourage Texans to observe Texas Recycles Day on November 15 by pledging to step up their recycling efforts. Anyone who submits a pledge as part of the nationwide America Recycles Day 2005 celebration will be entered in a drawing to win a new Ford Escape Hybrid or Trek aluminum bicycles.
"America Recycles Day joins Texas, which held the nation’s first statewide ‘recycling day’ and served as the model for the national campaign," said Matthew R. Baker, director of TCEQ's Small Business and Environmental Assistance Division, which oversees the Texas statewide program. "Statewide and nationwide events will increase awareness of recycling, helping Americans learn how to conserve our natural resources through daily activities."
Nearly 200,000 Americans took the America Recycles Day pledge in 2004. To help increase the number of pledges this year, event organizers are offering a free giveaway. A Ford Motor Company Escape Hybrid will be awarded to one adult and five Trek aluminum 24-speed bicycles will be awarded to youth.
In Texas, organizers have scheduled more than 200 events across the state to celebrate this year's Texas Recycles Day, from an elementary school in San Antonio encouraging students to pack a “zero waste” lunch, to the Texas Department of Transportation and its partners holding “Reuse Roundup” events to collect used goods. Events highlight numerous solutions for simple and inexpensive waste reduction and recycling activities. Texans can easily find out about scheduled events in their area by visiting
www.texasrecyclesday.org and getting details for registered activities.
The Recycling Alliance of Texas works as the America Recycles Day affiliate. Community events are held statewide each year from mid-October through the officially observed day of November 15. As Texans have made recycling a part of their everyday lives, additional events are held year-round.
The Hybrid Escape is the industry's first hybrid-electric SUV, combining the performance of a conventional gasoline engine with the fuel efficiency of an electric engine, allowing it to achieve a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fuel economy of 36 miles per gallon (mpg) in the city and 31 mpg on the highway.
For more information on Texas Recycles Day or to join the celebration by hosting an event, visit
www.texasrecyclesday.org . Click on the America Recycles Day link to pledge online and enter for a chance to win prizes as part of the national campaign.
