Drawbacks of Biodiesel

While there are certainly a lot of impressive benefits of using ethanol fuel, such as using less oil and carbon dioxide emissions are off-set by the plants which produce the ethanol, there are also a few downsides. The biggest being it may be hard to find a gas station near you which sells biodiesel if you are outside the Midwest, for an affordable price. And unfortunately, this is important because you'll need to fill up more often than with traditional oil, as fuel economy is lower. (Biodiesel also boosts octane ratings, increasing performance.)

Largely this is due to the fact that ethanol can't be added to the gasoline at the refinery as it corrodes the pipes. Instead, it has to be transported in small loads to storage terminals and then mixed with the gasoline. This is a lot easier and cheaper if you live near the products which produce the ethanol, such as corn, soybeans, sugarcane, wheat, barley or potatoes.

Biodiesel Cars

The VW Beetle is just one of a variety of cars coming off the lines in Detroit and Japan, which can run on traditional or biodiesel fuel. VW is leading the way with the Beetle, Jetta, Wagon and Golf, followed by the Mercedes E320 CDI, the Liberty Jeep 2.8 Turbo and a variety of pickup trucks, such as Dodge and Ford.

Why Biodiesel?

As biodiesel gains popularity, it becomes easier and easier to not only find those pumps which carry it, but also buy affordable cars which use it. Biodiesel, made from renewable resources, emits less toxic emissions and biodegrades faster than traditional oil. To check out where you can purchase this fuel, visit: http://www.biodiesel.org/buyingbiodiesel/retailfuelingsites/default.shtm

Biodiesel Fuel

Biodiesel fuel - What exactly is it and how does it work? Well, biodiesel is the result of a chemical process which safely extracts glycerin from vegetable or fat oil. The oil is then used for the fuel and the leftover glycerin can be used in other commercial products, such as soaps. The top two sources of this fuel in the U.S. are soybeans and corn.

Greenopia

Another fun web site to check out, www.greenopia.com. They feature discussion forums to exchange green tips with folks around the country, eco-friendly product reviews and tips on how to live green. Bonus if you live in San Fran or LA, as they have a printed guide which you can order with all their tips.

Props to Treehugger.com

If you're looking for an extensive resource on everything green, then look no further than www.treehugger.com. They've got information on every topic you can think of and more, including "How to Green Your Pet" and "How to Green Your Sex Life." Happy exploring!

Geothermal Consortium

The Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium is a group of progressive thinkers, engineers and builders from the public and private sectors who work together to promote the benefits of geoexchange systems. To check out more about these systems, including the tax and financial incentives offered at the state and federal level, visit http://www.geoexchange.org/index.htm.

Geothermal Heat Pumps

Simple solutions to complex problems can be found all over and the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless displays one such example. When designing a new building, this non-profit knew they wanted to keep energy costs low in the future, in order to save every penny to help the people they serve. So, they built it with a geothermal heat pump which heats the air and water more efficiently than a traditional electric heater, by using the earth's natural temperature. The ground, below the frost line, hovers at 50 degrees, and the pump uses this to heat the air and water from the building.

Dwell on Design

If you're looking for a hands-on event to learn more about green building, urban planning and modern design, look no further than Dwell on Design: Building Community in the Modern World. This three-day conference will be held in San Francisco, Sept 14-16, and will include product exhibitions, home tours and a host of speaker panels. Don't miss it!

SIPS - part deux

When utilizing SIPs in construction, you are not only preventing waste (since they are factory produced exactly to the size needed for your home), but you are also ensuring a lower heating and cooling bill later too. They provide better and tighter insulation than traditional paneling, making them more energy-efficient.

SIPs

SIPs, structured insulated panels, are a part of the latest wave of technology which is leading the green building brigade. These panels are pieces of foam insulation between thin layers of engineered wood and they are being favored by green builders because they provide excellent insulation, are easy to assemble and are cut to order, reducing waste. To check out more about this innovative building material, check out http://www.sips.org/

Reducing Construction Costs

Thinking about remodeling or maybe even building a new home? Then check out the resources in your community which can help offset rising construction costs and reuse materials which were spared from a landfill. If you happen to be in the Denver/Boulder area of Colorado, we have two such organizations, Bud's Warehouse in Denver and ReSource in Boulder. They divert windows, doors, sinks, tile and much more fron landfills, while offering them to the public at greatly reduced prices. And if you are tearing down a house for another, you can recycle portions and receive a tax deduction for the donation to these non-profits. Not too shabby!

Carpool

Anywhere, anytime. For tips on carpooling to work and how to make it work for you, check out www.commuterpage.com

Carbon Neutral Sporting Events

The new trend in outdoor racing in Colorado seems to be hosting carbon neutral events, focusing on recycling and zero waste. One such example is the 5430 triathlon series in Boulder, CO, running throughout the summer. The first event, the sprint triathlon, hit a 93 percent diversion rate which means that only 7 percent of all the waste generated by the participants, volunteers and spectators wound up in the trash.

If you're looking for another such race, check out the Breck Singletrack Festival, September 7-9 weekend.