Biofuels
Transportation Brawls of 2010
AltTransport takes a look at the biggest skirmishes in the world of transportation and sustainability that took place over the past calendar year.
When Life Gives You Opium, Make Biofuel
A U.S. ambassador is proposing a novel approach to helping Afghanistan -- since opium crops are rampant, why not find a way to turn poppies into biofuel?
New Amtrak Train Runs On Beef
Beef by-products, turned into bio-diesel, make up 20% of the fuel being used today by Amtrak's Heartland Flyer between Fort Worth and Oklahoma City.
Does Greater Efficiency Encourage Greater Waste?
Jevon's Paradox is the idea that the more efficient a resource becomes, the more it is consumed. With new future fuels in the works, those promoting sustainability and conservation find themselves at odds with innovation.
The Ethanol Glut
There's a glut of ethanol on the market, and the solutions to consume it are not easy. The maximum blend in gasoline is 10% before it affects the catalytic converter, and E85 can't compete with the more efficient, though more expensive, gasoline.
Mining Algae's Potential
Researchers are experimenting with using LEDs to grow algae in abandoned mines to be used for biofuels.
Emissions Impact of Biofuels Undercounted
A new report claims that the way the global warming impact of biofuels is measured leaves out the land use component of clearing land and growing crops.
Corn Ethanol Industry In The Tank
Low fuel prices, high corn prices, and a new CA regulation that penalizes the energy intensity necessary to convert corn to fuel are hurting the industry.
Energy Revolution Needed To Solve Climate Change
Nobel laureate and new Energy Secretary Dr. Steven Chu is interviewed on what it will take to solve the climate change crisis - three major technological improvements plus carbon pricing. While no fan of coal, he acknowledges improvements are needed.
Cellulosic Ethanol a Reality
Cellulosic ethanol - biofuel produced from non-edible plant material - has been 'five years out' for a long time. Obstacles remain to mass production, but a handful of producers are up and running.
A Biofueled Car- That Flies?
The Skycar is a combination parasail, swamp boat and dune buggy. Sponsored by a British knight and arctic adventurer, the design team is planning an expedition from London to Timbuktu in January of 2009.
'Wood Waste' Power Plant Raises Questions in Texas
The city of Austin considers a multi-billion dollar investment in a "biomass" power plant, burning wood waste in East Texas as a carbon-neutral, renewable energy source.
It's Not That Easy Greening Your Fleet
Austin and a number of other cities are working to reduce the carbon footprint left by their fleets of city vehicles. Austin officials are looking for ways to offset their remaining emissions.
The Quest for Energy: The Input/Output Problem
In August of 2006, an unknown Irish company called Steorn took out a full-page ad in The Economist to announce that they had created a magnetic technology that produced more energy than it used- essentially, a perpetual motion machine, the Holy Grail of energy.
Sweden Creates Sewage-Powered Cars, But Auto Industry Lags Behind
Household sewage is currently fueling cars in Sweden, and has for years. But Swedish industry has given up on the idea, investing in ethanol-based gasoline.
Landfill Gas To Fuel Garbage Trucks
In an incredible recycling operation that reduces global warming, a waste hauler is building a facility to produce Liquefied Natural Gas from methane emitted from its California landfill to fuel its garbage trucks.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
