Environmental News Network

Virgin's Branson to Shun Thirsty 4-Engined Planes
Virgin Group boss Richard Branson said on Friday he would aim to avoid buying fuel-thirsty four-engined airplanes in future for both economic and environmental reasons. Virgin Atlantic's fleet of 38 planes all have four engines, and it has six four-engined Airbus A380 superjumbos on order. But in April the airline announced it was buying 15 of Boeing's new fuel-efficient carbon-composite 787 Dreamliner jets with 2 engines. >> Read the Full Article
Ford 'Fumes-to-Fuel' System Turns Waste Paint Exhaust Into Clean Electric Power
Can paint exhaust be turned into an inexhaustible source of clean electric power? Absolutely, say Ford Motor Company and Detroit Edison, who have jointly developed a new Fumes-to-Fuel system that instead of burning paint fumes, turns them into hydrogen fuel for fuel cells. >> Read the Full Article
US Department of Energy Selects U.S. Universities for $30.7 Million in Nuclear Research Grants
>> Read the Full Article
Indonesian Palm Oil Boom Threatens Orangutan, Environment
Despite government claims pristine jungles are escaping the effects of the "green solution" to the energy crunch, the boom is threatening the survival of animals like the endangered orangutan and turning the country into a major global warming contributor, environmentalists say. >> Read the Full Article
The Clock Ticks On The Need For New Fuels: Volvo Demonstrates A Sampling Of Possibilities
On climate, on energy security, time is not on our side. Researchers at NOAA, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, say that the record heat of 2006 was, in large part, caused by us. Researchers at NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, conclude in a article in Earth Observatory - â€œGreenlandâ€™s Ice Island Alarmâ€ - that the island, eighty percent the size of the US east of the Mississippi, is losing significant amounts of ice. A side bar to the article says; >> Read the Full Article
Kroger Supermarkets, First To Sell E85 Ethanol fuel
Under a first-of-its-kind supply arrangement, Kroger will sell VeraSun-branded VE85TM - a clean-burning fuel made from corn - at pumps in 20 Kroger locations in Ohio and Kentucky. It brings to more than 100 the number of VeraSun VE85TM outlets around the country. >> Read the Full Article
Reflective Mirrors Raise Solar Potential
SDE BOKER, Israel - Reflective dishes may be the answer to make solar energy competitive with conventional sources of power, Israeli scientists say. A global race is on to find energy alternatives as subsidies tip the balance in favor of renewable sources of power, which answer security and climate change concerns about fossil fuels. New-found demand for one such renewable source, solar energy, has hovered up supply of the silicon raw material, prompting a search for alternatives. A team at Israel's Ben Gurion University believe they have found just that, in a far less known material that is more expensive than silicon but also more efficient when used with a reflective dish. >> Read the Full Article
Kroger Becomes First National Retailer to Sell Ethanol
CINCINNATI - One of the nation's largest ethanol producers has teamed up with the The Kroger Co. to expand their sales of ethanol. Kroger announced they're opening 20 ethanol fueling locations in Ohio and Kentucky, making Kroger the first national retailer to offer E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline which is used by Flexible Fuel Vehicles. >> Read the Full Article
Offsets, the Indulgences of Today?
What do political heartbreaker turned environmental heartthrob Al Gore, British rockers Coldplay, and multinational banking giant HSBC have in common? They are all seeking to make personal and business activities carbon neutral. More and more, wealthy individuals and companies are offsetting their carbon consumption out of a sincere concern for the environment, for good public relations, and for economic value. >> Read the Full Article
Dress down and save energy, Japan's Abe tells Merkel
German chancellor Angela Merkel is familiar with Cold War diplomacy, but on Wednesday she had her first encounter with Cool Biz diplomacy. >> Read the Full Article