GLOBE-Net - Waste from chicken farming could provide an unlikely source of biodiesel now that an environmentally friendly process to produce good-quality fuel from it has proved successful.
Chicken-feather meal is a by-product of large-scale poultry production. It often includes blood and offal, and contains about 11 percent fat.
Unlike conventional biofuel sources such as sugar cane or corn, it is not in demand for human food but it is used as animal feed because of its high protein content and fertilizer for its high nitrogen content.
http://www.globe-net.com/green_tech/listing.cfm?ID_Report=1778
GLOBE-Net – Americans used more solar, nuclear, biomass and wind energy in 2008 than they did in 2007, according to the most recent energy flow charts released by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
The nation used less coal and petroleum during the same time frame and only slightly increased its natural gas consumption. Geothermal energy use remained the same.
The estimated U.S. energy use in 2008 equaled 99.2 quadrillion BTUs (“quads”), down from 101.5 quadrillion BTUs in 2007. (A BTU or British Thermal Unit is a unit of measurement for energy, and is equivalent to about 1.055 kilojoules).
http://www.globe-net.com/other_news/listing.cfm?type=2&newsID=4530
You may have already heard about the Living Zero Home Tour, which is a traveling and interactive exhibit featuring ENERGY STAR products, eco-friendly construction methods, and innovative technologies that drastically reduce energy consumption—while at the same time saving on energy bills.
Last week, Good Morning America aired a short video clip about the tour and how compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) can help save money and energy at home. With lighting comprising 11%-20% of annual household energy consumption, CFLs are important component of net-zero energy buildings and provide a return on their purchase within two years.
Zero-Energy Homes combine state-of-the-art, energy-efficient construction and appliances with commercially available renewable energy systems, such as solar water heating and solar electricity. The combination results in a home that produces its own energy—as much or more than it needs. Even though the home might be connected to a utility grid, it has net-zero energy consumption from the utility provider.
The U.S. Department of Energy has partnered with building professionals and organizations to further develop the Zero Energy Homes concept. The Living Zero Home Tour is an example of these partnerships. To learn more and see a Zero Energy Home, check out the Living Zero Home Tour when it’s in a city near you.
Article by Chris Stewart, a senior communicator at DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which assists EERE in providing technical content for many of its Web sites.
Americans buy about three billion household batteries (about 10 per person) annually, according to the Environmental Protection Agency—and nearly all of them end up in landfills. The next time you need to power up your gadgets, choose rechargeable batteries instead. Unlike disposable alkaline batteries, rechargeable batteries can be reused hundreds of times, which not only saves money and resources, but also reduces global warming pollution associated with battery manufacturing and transport. An independent study conducted for battery manufacturer UNIROSS estimates that using a disposable battery to create 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity has a global warming impact equivalent to driving a car 283 miles; using a rechargeable battery is equivalent to driving 10 miles.
Rechargeable battery technology continues to evolve, but there are only a few types widely available today.
http://www.ucsusa.org/publications/greentips/
