Oil drips to the ground at the neighborhood filling station-from cars and trucks passing through and from the rows of storage tanks. The spill sits on the cement innocently enough, but takes on a life of its own when rain pummels to the ground. With the force of rain, the oil snakes its way towards the storm drain and slithers towards the coast. There it joins the other pollutants that arrive by leaching into rivers flowing into the ocean. Water pollution is a huge issue: In fact, the annual global petroleum pollution alone, is comparable to the Exxon Valdez spilling 5 times over!

Water pollution comes in many forms including industrial or sewage pollution. But nonpoint source pollution (NPS)-pollution from a variety of sources-is much harder to track. In the U.S, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) explains that “NPS pollution is caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving over and through the ground. As the runoff moves, it picks up and carries away natural and human-made pollutants, finally depositing them into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters, and even our underground sources of drinking water.”

Vacationers who have come to find their favorite surfing spot inaccessible because of unhealthy toxicity levels in the water leave disappointed, while wells supplying water to cities are often closed due to chemical leaks into the groundwater. ABtech Industries, Inc, a technology firm focusing on solving the issue of water pollutants, has figured out a solution by developing products that absorb the many harmful pollutants that find their way to our water supplies and beaches. AbTech explains that their products are “based on polymer technologies capable of removing hydrocarbons, bacterial pathogens, sediment and other foreign elements from still (ponds, lakes and marinas) or flowing water (curbside drains, pipe outflows, rivers and oceans).”

AbTech’s Smart Sponge®, for example, fully encapsulates oil, soaking it up so effectively that it won’t leak out. A surprising fact is that the absorbed oils and pollutants don’t stay liquid once absorbed. The Sponge transforms the pollutants into a solid form which make the recycling process much simpler. The technology is ideal for use in Marinas, where boaters would discharge clean water from bilge pumps with the use of the sponge and AbTech is proud to say that the “proprietary polymer technology unique in its ability to effectively remove, absorb and retain hydrocarbons from flowing or pooled water and is the only company to combine an anti- microbial agent in a polymer-based filter to destroy bacteria at the street level.” The Smart Sponge can simply be placed at storm drain entrances to filter out the harmful bacteria and oils before they even get a chance to surprise unsuspecting beachgoers.

AbTech goes on explaining that their lab tests prove that the Smart Sponge is able to absorb up to 5 times its own weight, and will remove oil from water regardless of the amount. This means that even the thin sheen of oils floating on top of water can be absorbed without a problem.

Costing almost $1000 a piece, a Smart Sponge is a worthy investment for cleaner and healthier water. A sponge is more appealing than the complicated ultraviolet or chlorine treatments (also expensive options) and is even reusable (up to a point).

It isn’t a surprise that AbTech was named the winner of the water management category at the 2008 GoingGreen event. Even the EPA lists the Smart Sponge Technology as a Best Management Practice and it would be government money put to good use.

 Time to suck up the oil that’s spit into our waters.

T. Boone Pickens falls under a variety of descriptions depending on who you talk to: He is known as a corporate marauder to some, and an incredible businessman to others. Born in 1928 and growing up in Oklahoma and Texas, Pickens went on to found Mesa Petroleum which eventually became the largest independent oil and gas producer in the United States. He became famous for predicting the potential value of a company and buying them out to make a profit in the long run. Now, with a net worth of around 3 billion, it is hard to argue against the fact that T Boone Pickens knows an opportunity when he sees one.

Blessed with incredible foresight, it is no surprise that Pickens’ was one of the first philanthropists interested in greener fuel sources. In 1997, he formed the Pickens Fuel Corp, which advertised natural gas as the best fuel for your vehicle because of the lower pollution emitted and the fact that it is a domestic product.

His newest venture involves the PickensPlan, with the fundamental idea that petroleum is no longer a viable resource. It seems that Pickens has done a complete 180 since his earlier oil days. The PickensPlan focuses on switching to environmentally friendly resources with the goal of ultimately eliminating our dependence on foreign oil.

Pickens makes his idea clear: With regards to oil spending “America is in a hole and it’s getting deeper every day, I’ve been an oil man all my life, but this is one emergency we can’t drill our way out of. But if we create a new renewable energy network, we can break our addiction to foreign oil. On January 20, 2009, a new President gets sworn in. If we’re organized, we can convince Congress to make major changes towards cleaner, cheaper and domestic energy resources.”

The plan focuses on every aspect of the fuel crisis-including how it affects the U.S economy, environment and national security. The basic drive behind the plan, as with anything, is money. Right now the U.S imports 70% of the much needed oil used its citizens. PickensPlan explains that “at current oil prices, we will send $700 billion dollars out of the country this year alone - that’s four times the annual cost of the Iraq war.” The website goes on to explain that we might as well kiss cheap oil prices goodbye since the supply peaked in 2005 and prices are going nowhere but up. This should be enough of an incentive for most to continue reading.

The U.S has an incredible amount of wind-power at its disposal. In fact, “North Dakota alone has the potential to provide power for more than a quarter of the country,” as written on the website to prove their point. The plan is a feasible one, even if it is incredibly expensive. Global wind power would proved enough power for everyone on the planet 7 times over, and the United States’ great plains area, in the center of the country, has the highest concentration of winds in the world. A one time cost of 1trillion dollars would provide electricity for 20% of the nation through the power of wind farms. These farms would also provide for more job opportunities in rural areas where unemployment rates are known to be high, and provide homes with a clean energy from an abundant resource.

There is no question that Pickens will benefit from this plan, but one has to think whether the rest of the nation will too. More details, estimates and charts are available at PickensPlan.com

Scuttling in the crevices of every home are a variety of pests that seem to thrive on making the human inhabitants miserable. One of the most hated pests are cockroaches, which are almost impossible to eliminate. It does not matter how clean a house is; one inseminated female roach can explode into an infestation within a matter of weeks. Miniscule amounts of food, such as splattered grease, sugar that lands behind the cupboard or even glue is enough to keep the population going. Trails of ants crawling throughout the house, a single chirping cricket serenading you in the middle of the night and slugs eating up your prized garden are no fun either.

Borates have long been used as a safer alternative to highly volatile, synthetic chemical pesticides (Photo: Nisus Corporation)

Pesticides are the easiest solution, but are not a pleasant option to users concerned about their pets or the birds that make the outdoors so enjoyable. This is where the Nisus Corporation comes into play. Based in Tennessee, Nisus manufactures a variety of environmentally friendly pest control products.

Their granular bait product, sold under the name “Niban”, works unlike other pesticides because it isn’t a real poison. Compared to table salt in toxicity, Niban actually works by altering an insect’s digestive process. After insects ingest Niban, they are unable to absorb the nutrients from the delicious glue, wood or table scraps they had been feasting on before, and starve to death. Humans, pets, birds, fish and amphibians who accidentally eat some of the granules are not affected.

The main ingredient in Niban is Boron, formulated with other ingredients that attract pests. According to Nisus, “Niban poses very low impact to the environment…since boron is already found in virtually all ecosystems…as the Niban granules dissolve, the borates simply become part of the background levels of boron [which is an essential micronutrient for plants and animals].”

Just because the bait is environmentally friendly, does not make it less effective: The Niban Jug just needs a quick shake to deposit the granules on the ground while you walk the perimeter of the building. Smaller granules are available for placement inside the smaller nooks and crannies inside the home. These granules can handle up to 4 inches of rain, are not prone to mold, and don’t degrade with exposure to the sun.

The ominous sound of the shaking Niban jug , should send pests running for the hills.

On a side note: Nisus also developed termiticides made with their patented Borate solution for pre-treatment of building areas. This is a greener alternative and provides long term protection against termites.

Cows are notorious for lazily standing around, nonchalantly chewing their cud while staring into space. Ambitious cows may also spend some time swatting the occasional fly with their tails. It is a simple life, constantly inundated with bouts of flatulence and burps. In fact, the global cattle population is the largest contributor of methane gases in the atmosphere: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that cattle “account for about 28% of global methane emissions from human related activities”.

There are 1.2 billion cows in the world, each equipped with four stomachs full of flora that release gases during the digestive process. Each cow emits over 600 liters of methane created when bacteria in their gut break down all the fibers swallowed by the animal. Globally, livestock produces 80 million metric tons of methane annually! That is a whole lot of gas.

How will small family owned dairies be able to afford the state-certified consultants to track animal emissions, fill out mandatory reports, and meet their methane-offset obligations?

Argentina’s National Institute of Agricultural Technology conducted a unique study that tested the amount of methane released by individual cows. Methane is a concern, since it is 23 times more effective than carbon dioxide at absorbing heat.

Researchers attached plastic inflatable packs to the cows. Once the cows adjusted to having a red balloon strapped to their backs, they began eating as usual and provided researchers with the required data: The ‘balloon’ backpacks soon filled up with gas collected by an attached tube than ran from the device to the cows’ stomachs. This gas was then analyzed, allowing researchers to determine that an average 550 kg cow released over 800 liters of methane daily. This is much more than expected and provided evidence that cows could account for 30% of methane emissions in Argentina

In order to reduce to the amount of methane released, cows are occasionally fed grasses that are easier to digest than grains like alfalfa. Gramina, an Australian biotechnology company, is even engineering a special grass that will help cut down on all the bovine burping.

Burping is considered rude at the dinner table, but who knew it was such a big environmental issue?

Check out more info at the Epa’s ruminant livestock page

Related article can be found at Reuters

All organisms have the amazing ability to process all kinds of substances that enter their bodies-separating food into smaller components to be absorbed in the blood stream as energy, while the useless particles are eventually excreted. Our bodies try and make the most out of everything that passes through, turning any possible nutrient into a useful component. Food and minerals entering the body are transformed into proteins, energy or the ever popular; fat. Bedminster Industries named an integral part of their patented carbon-reducing technology the ‘digester’ that separates garbage into non-renewable waste and carbon-rich compost, thus mirroring the effect of any digestive system.

According to their homepage, Bedminster Bio-Conversion (1970 to 1999) and Bedminster AB (1999 to 2003) developed the Bedminster Technology as a waste to compost solution for municipalities in the USA, Australia and Japan.

Garbage arrives at a facility and is transferred to the Bedminster Digester. The Digester dutifully separates this waste into non-biodegradable and biodegradable portions. Just like any digestive process, the Bedminster Digester first breaks down the biodegredable materials with the help of natural enzymes and mechanical motions. It takes about two days for the final biomass (or compost) material to form. The output materials then run over a sifter (or trommel) where the smaller compost materials easily pass through the grid while the unchanged materials,such as bottles, plastic bags, and other non-biodegradable items, are too large to do the same. The materials  that fall through the trommel are called “unders”.

Bedminster explains that “the now homogenized organic rich “Unders” are formed into windrows in the fully enclosed Maturation Hall. Here the material spends 21 days being aerated and systematically turned. Monitoring ensures that the material is turned at least 3 times at no less than 2 days intervals attaining a minimum temperature of 60°C (140°F) between turnings to ensure that the final compost is fully sanitized.” A final screening stage occurs where a vibrating screen removes any inorganic particles like pebbles and glass and a magnet separates out the metals for further recycling.

The digester is extremely efficient, separating 95% of the biomass found in the delivered waste.  By diverting this waste from landfills, Bedminster reduces greenhouse gas emissions and obviously ensures that precious energy isn’t wasted.  Energy generated by the facility is also sold and offsets the CO2 generated at a power-plant: The biogas formed in the digester when the biomass is  heated is stored in tanks and fed to turbines and engines that power electrical generators.

Companies like Bedminster are increasingly successful in a world where fuel is a valuable resource and environmentally friendly alternatives appeal to investors.

There is one animal on the island state of Tasmania with the traits of a monster. It is aptly named the ‘Tasmanian Devil’ (or Tassie). Devils are typically heard before they are seen, emitting obnoxious screeches while feeding which can be heard several kilometers away. The spine chilling cries are hard to describe but can be heard here. As if their disturbing wails aren’t enough, devils emit an incredibly offensive odor when stressed and are believed to be extraordinarily aggressive animals. (Even though this is mostly bluff as they tend to avoid confrontation with humans if possible.)

Sarcophilus harrisii

Devils are the largest marsupial in Australia and have an array of fascinating biological traits and behaviors: Unlike most other animals, fat is stored in the tail and a healthy devil will have a nice thick tail to go along with the squat black body. Their heads are disproportionally large for their bodies. This makes sense, since attached, are their huge jaws which have more crushing power than any other mammal on earth. In fact, devils can reduce a carcass to nothing, devouring everything from the skin and organs and chewing the bones, as well.

Unfortunately, half of the wild population of Tasmanian Devils has succumbed to a strange cancer that has run rampant within the species. Ecologists speculate that wild animals will be extinct in 20 years if the disease continues to spread like it has been. The species has made some adaptions, such as breeding at an earlier age before the inevitable cancer kills them. This is one of the reasons the population hasn’t declined even faster.

The cancer is even more aggressive than the Tasmanian Devil: Once tumors begin to appear on the face, the affected animal only has about three months left before either dying of starvation or its body completely shutting down. The cancer is spread by bites and is seen most often around the face. Being such an aggressive animal, devils are prone to being bitten at one point or another. The only current solution is to breed healthy animals in captivity to avoid exposure to the “Devil Facial Tumor Disease”.  It is unknown how the infection started, but it is comparable to a sci-fi movie in its gruesome severity and rapid spread. “Save the Tasmanian Devil” is an extremely informative site dedicated to providing information about the disease.

Research is currently underway to find a cure and a way to test animals that may have been exposed to the disease, since tumors are not immediately visible after exposure. Tasmanian Devils have a terrible reputation, but there isn’t anyone who would not miss the creatures and the wonderfully unique behaviors that make them so fascinating.

For more information about the disease and potential solutions click here.

Industrial chemical manufacturers will be happy to know that a major venture is underway to produce cheap natural gas alternatives. In September, 2007 Synthesis Energy Systems, Inc.(SES), a company that builds and operates gasification plants, teamed up with the largest producer of bituminous coal in the U.S; CONSOL Energy. As stated in their first news release, the companies joined forces to “investigate the development of coal-based gasification facilities to produce feedstock for various industrial chemical manufacturers whose plants have been shut down due to high costs of natural gas.”

How clean will coal get? (Photo: Synthesis Energy Systems)

“Under the agreement, SES and CONSOL Energy will perform engineering, environmental and marketing activities to analyze the feasibility of projects that would use coal gasification technology to convert coal from preparation plant tailings provided by CONSOL Energy’s coal mining complexes located in the eastern United States into higher-value products including: methanol, ethanol, mixed alcohols, ammonia and SNG.”

SES uses their patented “U-Gas” technology to covert low-rank waste coal to synthesis gas, or syngas. Syngas is a carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen mixture that is created by heating a carbon fuel and turning it into a gas. Syngas has half the energy density of natural gas, however, the low-rank coal used to produce syngas would typically end up in a landfill if not converted into this feedstock. High ash and high moisture coals are also used rather than the more expensive coals. Another benefit is that gasification occurs without many of the harmful emissions typically associated with the process. 

Creating this technology wasn’t the easiest undertaking: The Gas Technology Institute spent three decades perfecting the process. It was well worth it, though. For example, the “U-Gas” technology will be used to convert some of the massive 20 million tons of waste coal produced by CONSOL  per year into alternative fuels.

Tim Vail, President and CEO of SES goes on to state in an earlier 2008 press release that “Reaching the milestones necessary to proceed with this project marks SES’ entry into the United States gasification market, and we are proud to be working with CONSOL to jointly be the first domestic gasification provider serving the industrial consumer segment. Our U-GAS technology will not only economically and cleanly produce high-value chemical feedstocks and traditional fuels from CONSOL’s raw and waste coal feedstocks, but also reduce the region’s dependence on imported industrial chemical feedstocks and other petroleum-based fuels. We have made significant progress in just eight short months and are excited to move forward with the next steps of this project.”

SES operates primarily in Virginia and China, but is still expanding. In fact, SES was approved for expansion of their Hai Hua project in China this month which will increase production of syngas to 45,000 cubic meters per hour in the facility.  All of SES’s current projects can be viewed here.