Now That the Ethanol Enthusiasm Bubble Has Burst, Is There Hope for Other Biofuels?

Ethanol's strain on agricultural resources has soured many advocates' former enthusiasm. Advances in algae-based biofuel technology may restore some of their optimism

SCUM-BACK: Federal researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy report that it would take only 15,000 square miles?less than one seventh the area now used to harvest all of the corn across the country?to produce enough algae fuel to replace all of our petroleum fuel. Image: Texas A&M AgriLife

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Dear EarthTalk: How far along are we at developing algae-based and other higher yield sources of biofuels??Jason McCabe, Tullahoma, Tenn.

A few years ago biofuels were all the rage. Environmental advocates to national security hawks alike were extolling the virtues of ethanol and biodiesel as a carbon-neutral bridge to our energy future. But the bubble burst when it became apparent that there wasn?t enough agricultural land in the U.S. or elsewhere to grow sufficient amounts of corn, palm and other crops to feed both people and their engines. To boot, the process of extracting and distributing biofuels has proven anything but carbon neutral. And with ever cheaper natural gas widely available now, paying a premium for ethanol or biodiesel seemed frivolous.

But a new generation of biofuels based on algae might just change all that. One of the major problems with biofuels that algae could solve is space, since algae can yield as much as 100 times more fuel per unit area than other so-called ?second generation? biofuel crops (e.g. non-food crops or non-food waste parts of food crops). Federal researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy report that it would take only 15,000 square miles?less than 1/7 the area now used to harvest all the corn across the country?to produce enough algae fuel to replace all of our petroleum fuel.

While burning algae-derived fuel in an engine or factory generates carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions just like fossil fuels do, the algae itself requires CO2 to photosynthesize?so overall no new CO2 is added to the atmosphere. Furthermore, any CO2 created through processing or refinement can be captured and re-directed to the growing algae beds. And unlike other biofuel feedstocks, algae production has minimal impact on freshwater supplies?especially when it can be undertaken in ocean waters or even wastewater.

At least three well-funded ventures are poised to ramp up production of commercially viable quantities of algae-derived crude oil over the next couple of years. California?s Solazyme is building an algae fuel factory in Brazil in partnership with food processing giant Bunge and expects to manufacture 100,000 metric tons of fuel there each year. Solazyme is also retooling an Archer Daniels Midland factory in Clinton, Iowa to produce another 100,000 metric tons of algae fuel per year domestically.

Another company ready to make the leap into commercial scale production of algae fuel is Sapphire Energy, which operates a 2,200 acre algae farm in New Mexico where oil is harvested across 70 open ponds and refined on site. Sapphire?Bill Gates is a big investor?expects the facility, which goes online next year, to generate some 10,000 barrels of crude oil a day by 2018.

Yet a third player in the emerging algae fuel market is Synthetic Genomics, the brainchild of genomics guru Craig Venter, who beat the U.S. government in sequencing the human genome and at a fraction of the cost. The company, which last year purchased an 81-acre site in California?s Imperial Valley to scale up and test its synthetic algae strains across 42 open ponds, plans to genetically modify algae to optimize its oil output. ExxonMobil signed a $600 million development deal with the company to further the cutting edge research.

CONTACTS: Solazyme, www.solazyme.com; Sapphire Energy, www.sapphireenergy.com; Synthetic Genomics, www.syntheticgenomics.com.

EarthTalk? is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of E - The Environmental Magazine (www.emagazine.com). Send questions to: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/subscribe. Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial.

Source: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=progress-on-biofuels

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8 Cool Gadgets To Help You Survive the Summer Heat

Summer is rearing its sweaty head, and there's nothing we can do to stop it. We can fight back though, and our very own Giz readers have offered up some stellar ideas on how to beat the heat until it slinks off into a corner and leaves us all alone. Time to start building your arsenal.

1. Shaved Ice Machine

Suggested by: strich

My wife bought a sno-cone maker last week. Shaved ice with suggary syrup poured over the top eaten with a little plastic spoon is a pretty nice way to take your mind off the heat and have fun. It works here in Dallas where it's been known to get a little warm in the summer.

Price: $40

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2. Beer Shorts

Suggested by: Carl Winans

Price: $37

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3. Popsicle Molds with Built-In Straws

Suggested by: Eric Limer

Price: $14

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4. Gold Bond Body Powder

Suggested by: Inspectah_Patio and acidraindrops

Extra cooling to keep your balls extra dry during the summer. Or, em, anything else :D

Price: $15 for 24oz.

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5. Ludicrously Over-Engineered Underwear

Suggested by: anytakers

Price: $100 (!)

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6. Frigidaire Dehumidifier

Suggested by: godnorazi

I can leave my thermostat at 80 and it still feels great in the humid summer with this baby.

Price: $250

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7. Waterproof MP3 Player

Suggested by: laurelnev

Price: $28

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8. Wool and Synthetic Fabrics

Suggested by: twelvehappymen

Clothing is key. I'm a sweaty dude that walks everywhere in a hot/humid part of the world. I try to banish as much cotton from my wardrobe as possible.

If you can afford it, the modern smartwool/icebreaker/ibex merino stuff is amazing. Much better than any of the high-tech synthetics in my experience. Cotton undershirts get soaked and feel clammy all day if you wear them under a dress shirt. Synthetics that are good at wicking and dry quickly when exposed to air flow, but suck when worn under another layer. And they get stinky. Wool is kinda miraculous, being able to wick, dry quickly when exposed to air and (critically) remain comfortable when completely waterlogged.

My icebreaker wool hoodie is my go-to garment for clammy summer nights when a t-shirt is too light but a sweatshirt is too sweaty. I've got some wool underwear that's pretty nice, too, but even a wool zealot has trouble spending $30 for something that you fart in.

Also, a broad brimmed hat. I call it my Hat of Pragmatism. My son calls it the Explorer Hat. My wife calls it "that thing". Whatever you call it, it makes wandering around in the sun a lot more enjoyable.

Price: ~$30-100

Source: http://gizmodo.com/8-cool-gadgets-to-help-you-survive-the-summer-heat-511028124

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24 hours of Le Mans: Audi leads, but driver dies

24 hours of Le Mans: Danish driver Allan Simonsen was killed in the first 10 minutes of the race. The Audi team was in the lead but two cars faced mechanical problems some six hours into the 24 hours of Le Mans, which will end Sunday.

By Trung LaTieule,?Associated Press / June 22, 2013

Audi held the early top three spots Saturday in the 24 Hours of Le?Mans which was marred by the death of Danish driver Allan Simonsen at the start of the endurance event.

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It was the first driver fatality at Le?Mans since 1997. Organizers said the 34-year-old Simonsen was taken to the hospital after his Aston Martin No. 95 spun at high speed only 10 minutes into the race and his car skidded into the barrier at the Tertre Rouge corner where cars typically reach speeds of up to 170 kph (105 mph).

Simonsen died at the hospital soon after arrival "due to his injuries," organizers said.

Aston Martin Racing, which had entered five Vantage V8 cars between the GTE-Pro and GTE-Am classes, will continue in the race "at the specific request" of Simonsen's family and in tribute to the Danish driver.

"I would like to extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to the individuals, and families whose friends or loved ones were involved in today's terrible tragedy," Aston Martin Racing managing director John Gaw said.

The safety car came out after Simonsen's crash and the race was held up for nearly an hour to repair the guard rail.

Simonsen was participating for the seventh time at the endurance race, which is won by the team that completes the most laps in 24 hours with up to three drivers alternating. He finished second in the GT2 class at Le?Mans three years ago. He clocked the fastest time in qualifying Thursday in the GTE Am class.

Simonsen and Danish co-drivers Kristian Poulsen and Christoffer Nygaard were leading the GTE Am class in the world endurance championship after topping their category at Silverstone in April and finishing second in Spa-Francorchamps last month.

"Aston Martin Racing will not make any further comment until the precise circumstances of the accident have been determined. Next of kin have been informed," Simonsen's team said.

IndyCar series leader Helio Castroneves tweeted: "Very sad to know about the fatal accident of Allan Simonsen on Le?Mans today. Praying for him and (his) family."

After the crash, drivers were kept in a holding pattern in which cars had to stay in their positions for nearly an hour plus the first pit stops were made.

At the wheel of Audi No. 1, defending champion Andre Lotterer of Germany led pole-sitter Allan McNish's Audi No. 2 by 26 seconds after 20 laps. Lucas Di Grassi's Audi No. 3 was in third place, followed by two Toyota cars.

But six hours into the race, the No. 1 and No. 3 Audi cars were experiencing mechanical problems Saturday.

Audi is seeking a 12th title at the world's most famous endurance race. It is second for most victories by a manufacturer, behind Porsche's 16.

A total of 56 cars started in the 81st edition of Le?Mans, which will end at 1300 GMT on Sunday. The race can be watched live online.

Sebastien Enjolras lost his life in pre-qualifying in 1997. The last driver fatality in the 24-hour race was Jo Gartner in 1986.

The worst crash in Le?Mans history occurred in 1955 when Pierre Levegh's Mercedes flew into the crowd, killing more than 80 spectators.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/fa1-jc6Jc8E/24-hours-of-Le-Mans-Audi-leads-but-driver-dies

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Iraq: Turnout in Sunni vote shows many stayed home

BAGHDAD (AP) ? Many Iraqis stayed home for delayed elections in two restive Sunni-dominated provinces, with half of the eligible voters participating in one and even fewer casting ballots in the other, election officials said Friday.

Much of Iraq voted for provincial council members on April 20 in the country's first election since the U.S. military withdrawal. But officials delayed elections in Anbar and Ninevah provinces until Thursday because of what they said were security concerns.

Independent High Electoral Commission member Muqdad al-Shuraifi said Friday that 50 percent of eligible voters cast ballots in the western province of Anbar ? roughly in line with the national average turnout. Only 38 percent voted in the northern province of Ninevah.

Electoral officials have said the overall turnout for the April vote was 51 percent ? the same as during the last provincial elections in 2009.

"We consider the turnout good considering the general situation in these two provinces," IHEC spokesman Safaa al-Moussawi said.

Anbar and Ninevah have seen some of the largest rallies in a months-long wave of Sunni anti-government protests. They also have faced repeated attacks by militants, mainly directed at security forces, election candidates and government officials.

Officials were unable to provide provincial-level turnout figures for the last provincial elections in 2009.

Thursday's elections, like those in the past, were held amid tight security. Thousands of policemen and soldiers were deployed to secure the elections, and authorities imposed a vehicle ban in major cities in the two provinces to protect against car bombings.

The vote itself was relatively calm, with one person reported killed and three wounded in a mortar attack in in Ramadi, the provincial capital of Anbar, 115 kilometers (70 miles) west of Baghdad.

But after polls closed, a suicide bomber was able to enter the main ballot-counting center in Ramadi and blow himself up. That attack killed seven and wounded eight, according to security and hospital officials in Anbar.

The violence continued Friday. A bomb left in a major commercial street in the neighborhood of Dora in southern Baghdad exploded Friday afternoon, killing two people and wounding nine, according to police. The force of the blast damaged several shops in the area.

Hospital officials confirmed the casualty numbers. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release the details.

Iraq is weathering its worst spike in violence in half a decade, with nearly 2,000 people killed since the start of April. Much of the violence is the work of the Sunni extremist al-Qaida branch in Iraq, which seeks to undermine support for the Shiite-led government in Iraq.

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Associated Press writer Sameer N. Yacoub contributed reporting.

___

Follow Adam Schreck on Twitter at http://twitter.com/adamschreck

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iraq-turnout-sunni-vote-shows-many-stayed-home-124427299.html

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iPhone 5 heading to Virgin Mobile on June 28th

Contract-averse consumers itching for an iPhone 5 fix and wary of T-Mobile's brave new ways can now look to Virgin Mobile. The prepaid carrier has just announced plans to bring Apple's aluminum-bodied smartphone to its lineup starting next Friday, June 28th. The iOS device will be paired with Virgin's Beyond Talk plans, netting subs unlimited data (3G / 4G LTE) and messaging for $35 per month on the base tier. Only the 16GB model will be sold online and in-store for $550, so if you're in the market for larger storage, you'll have to head to the carrier's site where the 32GB and 64GB units -- priced at $650 and $750, respectively -- will be available. If you're tempted to go all in and plunk down the cash, just keep in mind, there's another better, potentially bigger and definitely 'S'-ier iPhone waiting just around the corner.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Apple

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/21/apple-iphone-5-virgin-mobile-june-28th/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Massive protests hit Brazil's cities

Protesters gesture to riot police as they stand in front of a burning barricade during an anti-government protest in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, June 20, 2013. More than half a million ... more?Protesters gesture to riot police as they stand in front of a burning barricade during an anti-government protest in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, June 20, 2013. More than half a million Brazilians poured into the streets of at least 80 Brazilian cities Thursday in demonstrations that saw violent clashes and renewed calls for an end to government corruption and demands for better public services. Riot police battled protesters in at least five cities, with some of the most intense clashes happening in Rio de Janeiro, where an estimated 300,000 demonstrators swarmed into the seaside city's central area. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano) less?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lightbox/massive-protests-hit-brazil-s-cities-slideshow/

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High-scoring Game 4 flips script on Stanley Cup

The Chicago Blackhawks mob Brent Seabrook, after his game-winning goal against the Boston Bruins during the first overtime period in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals, Wednesday, June 19, 2013, in Boston. Chicago won 6-5. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

The Chicago Blackhawks mob Brent Seabrook, after his game-winning goal against the Boston Bruins during the first overtime period in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals, Wednesday, June 19, 2013, in Boston. Chicago won 6-5. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook (7) celebrates his game-winning goal against the Boston Bruins with Chicago Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford (50) during the first overtime period in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals, Wednesday, June 19, 2013, in Boston. Chicago won 6-5. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane, left, shoots as Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask (40), of Finland, leaps in vain as Kane's shot scored during the second period in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals Wednesday, June 19, 2013, in Boston. Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews (19), and Bruins defensemen Andrew Ference (21) watch. Chicago won 6-5 to even the series 2-2. (AP Photo/Harry How, Pool)

Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask, left, of Finland, watches the puck caroms from the net on a shot by Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane, not shown during the second period in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals Wednesday, June 19, 2013, in Boston. Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews (19) celebrates as Bruins defensemen Andrew Ference (21) and Dennis Seidenberg (44), of Germany, watch. Chicago won 6-5 to even the series 2-2. (AP Photo/Harry How, Pool)

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook (7) celebrates his game-winning goal against the Boston Bruins during the first overtime period in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals, Wednesday, June 19, 2013, in Boston. Chicago won 6-5. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

CHICAGO (AP) ? Finding room to roam in the first three games of the Stanley Cup finals was next to impossible, and scoring goals was even more difficult.

Not so much in Game 4, raising all sorts of questions about the rest of the deadlocked series.

Chicago's 6-5 overtime victory at Boston on Wednesday night was the highest-scoring game in this year's NHL playoffs. There were breakaways, rebounds, long slap shots and tips. Eleven goals in all, coming from all over the ice.

When it was over, the Blackhawks and Bruins were tied at two games apiece heading into Game 5 on Saturday night.

"I guess a series like this can take some unexpected turns sometimes, and you saw that last night," Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said Thursday. "I'm not going to make any predictions for what happens in the next game, but obviously there's a lot of things we want to carry into this game, Game 5, here."

The biggest variable could be the recovery of goalies Tuukka Rask of the Bruins and Corey Crawford of the Blackhawks, who have a couple days to find their game again before the series resumes in Chicago.

Rask and Crawford had been the best two goalies in the playoffs before each of them stumbled under heavy pressure in Game 4. Rask gave up too many prime rebound opportunities, and Crawford was beaten repeatedly on his glove side.

"Every goal is stoppable, but I don't think there was any weak one, so to speak," said Rask, who was coming off a 2-0 shutout and had allowed just eight goals in the previous eight playoff games. "Mistakes piled up and I wasn't able to bail our guys out. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don't."

Crawford was great in each of the first two finals games in Chicago. He had 51 saves in the three-overtime series opener, keeping the Blackhawks in the game long enough for Andrew Shaw to score the winning goal in a 4-3 victory.

Crawford had 33 stops when the series shifted to Boston for Game 3, but Chicago was unable to get anything going against Rask. And then came more of the glove-side problems on Wednesday night that the Bruins have exploited all series long.

"A couple tough breaks last night, especially when we had the lead at 3-1 or 4-2, Boston is going to open up a little bit," Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane said Thursday. "I think for us that we can play better defensively, maybe get in some shooting lanes and block some of those shots."

Chicago held leads of 1-0, 3-1, 4-2 and 5-4, but Boston rallied each time. The glove-side issue is a tricky little one for coach Joel Quenneville and the Blackhawks, who know that's where the Bruins are trying to go, but don't want Crawford to focus so much on that area that it gets into his head.

"We're very comfortable with Corey," Quenneville said, dismissing the idea of inserting backup Ray Emery. "Corey has been rock solid all year for us, and when he's got the ball, he's been outstanding, and he's the biggest reason why we're here today."

Rask was working on a shutout streak of 129 minutes, 14 seconds when Michal Handzus had a beautiful sliding score in the first period Wednesday night off a nice pass from Brandon Saad on a fast break.

It was a sign of things to come for the Bruins, who had sustained trouble with the Blackhawks' speed for the first time in the series.

Marcus Kruger completed a 2-on-1 break in the second period with his third goal of the playoffs. Kruger and Michael Frolik got down the ice so quickly that there was time for Kruger to poke home his own rebound after Rask stopped his first attempt.

"I thought we gave them a lot of space," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "It doesn't mean they don't have a pace to their game, but it means we gave them too many options. And the neutral zone for me, not just on the forecheck but even our neutral zone on the counter, wasn't very good."

Zdeno Chara, Boston's 6-foot-9 defenseman, was back during the rush by Kruger and Frolik but was unable to break it up. The 2009 Norris Trophy winner was on the ice for five of Chicago's six goals, with the Blackhawks using their speed to make life difficult on the captain of the Bruins.

"I think he was OK," Julien said. "There's no doubt they went after him and he was OK, because our whole team was OK. I don't think anybody on our team can stand up today and say I thought I had a great game, and that's why we're sitting here today tied 2-all."

The move by Quenneville to put Toews and Kane back together on a line with Bryan Bickell also played a role in the rough night for Chara and Rask. Toews had a tip-in for his first goal since May 25 against Detroit, snapping a 10-game drought. Kane had a nifty rebound score for his first goal of the series.

The productive night for that line ? Bickell had two assists and was credited with six hits ? could lead to some adjustments for Boston in the pivotal Game 5.

"I think you want to learn from every game, regardless of if you win or lose," said Bruins center Chris Kelly, who failed to convert a prime scoring opportunity on Wednesday night. "Like winning, you want to put the game behind you. It's in the past, there's nothing you can do about it. Look to the next one."

___

Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-06-21-HKN-Stanley-Cup/id-4538cadfb86e42d8b162b301727a9613

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