| Urine turned into hydrogen fuel |
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Jul 03, 2009 - 10:39 PM - by Delta Flyer
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 Urine's major constituent is urea, which incorporates four hydrogen atoms per molecule - importantly, less tightly bonded than the hydrogen atoms in water molecules. Botte used electrolysis to break the molecule apart, developing an inexpensive new nickel-based electrode to selectively and efficiently oxidise the urea.
Matt Wilkinson - RSC - July 2, 2009
Weird science at work --Ed.
US researchers have developed an efficient way of producing hydrogen from urine - a feat that could not only fuel the cars of the future, but could... [Read More]
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1 Reply | 49 Views
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| Feather-light foot increases hybrid mileage |
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Jul 03, 2009 - 10:21 PM - by Delta Flyer
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In 2006, Gerdes and his team set a world record with a 2001 Honda Insight hybrid by traveling 2,254 miles on a single 13.7-gallon tank of gas, for an average of 164.53 miles per gallon.
Stan Hanel - LVRJ - July 3, 2009
A positive and fair article! Commentable --Ed.
A reader, L.L., writes:
"When (my husband) Robert was talking to a guy who worked at the Toyota dealership, after we bought a Prius, the employee said that a lot of people complain they aren't getting the estimated mileage out of the vehicle. He said this is because you can't drive a hybrid like a regular gas car. I've been looking online since we got the Prius to find out how to get the maximum mileage out... [Read More]
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0 Replies | 46 Views
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| Ethanol demand in Minnesota’s declining |
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Jul 03, 2009 - 7:59 PM - by Delta Flyer
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The subsidy given to ethanol blenders was cut this year from 51 cents per gallon to 45 cents, a figure based on pure ethanol.
Alex Robinson - JOURNALSTAR - July 3, 2009
Is it the recession, trimmed subsidies, or disfavor? --Ed.
Minneapolis - Minnesota has been an unofficial testing ground for using ethanol to fuel vehicles, but after years of steady increases, interest appears to be waning.
Despite a push from the governor and an increase in the number of so-called flexible-fuel vehicles on the road — which can run on either gasoline or a mostly ethanol blend — sales of E85 have dipped in recent months, beyond... [Read More]
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2 Replies | 62 Views
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| Britain could rule the waves again - in alternative energy |
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Jul 03, 2009 - 3:40 PM - by Delta Flyer
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Scroby Sands offshore wind farm is one the first commercial offshore wind farms in Britain. A new report says the potential for wind and wave power there is immense.
James Kanter - BLOGS - July 3, 2009
Why not do this to augment oil rigs in the Gulf, too? --Ed.
Britain could become the largest producer of electricity from offshore wind by the end of the next decade, according to the Carbon Trust, a group funded by the British government.
With carefully targeted subsidies and regulations, Britain could build 29 gigawatts of capacity compared to a global total of 66 gigawatts by 2020, giving... [Read More]
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1 Reply | 56 Views
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| Garmin and BMW Motorcycles announce the Navigator IV |
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Jul 03, 2009 - 3:36 PM - by xcel
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The mount and GPS device are vibration-tested, waterproof, and designed to withstand fuel sprays and UV rays.
Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - July 3, 2009
Bikes are not being left behind when it comes to Navigation units with an expected price close to $1,000 USD.
Olathe, KS. -- Garmin, the global leader in satellite navigation, announced it has expanded its relationship with BMW Motorrad and the companies have developed the next generation BMW Motorrad Navigator, the Navigator IV, a motorcycle-friendly GPS navigator that is based on Garmin’s zūmo™ 660. The BMW Motorrad Navigator IV... [Read More]
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4 Replies | 54 Views
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| Entering the July 4th weekend, DUI still cause for concern |
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Jul 03, 2009 - 3:04 PM - by xcel
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2008 Drunk Driving fatalities decline substantially with 1268 more individuals alive today.
Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - July 3, 2009
Speed and Alcohol are attributed to this accident with fatalities in Texas last year.
MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) suggest that the slow economy, strong law enforcement, campaign to eliminate drunk driving have contributed to the saving of lives on US roadways.
Dallas, TX. -- New fatality data from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) shows that drunk driving fatalities declined 9.7% with 11,773 in 2008 vs. 13,041 deaths in 2007. According to DOT, "the number of overall traffic fatalities reported in 2008 hit their... [Read More]
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1 Reply | 58 Views
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| BMW hints at bringing back a 4-cylinder (a diesel no less) to the US |
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Jul 03, 2009 - 2:03 PM - by xcel
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Not very pretty but the BMW X1 is coming to the US in 2011. Will it include the European 118d’s 2.0L super diesel?
Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - July 1, 2009
Upcoming 2011 BMW X1 – Doubtful we will see the I4 based, Hybridized ~ 37 mpgUS rated variant but the ~ 30 mpgUS combined rated dual turbo might?
Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey -- It is confirmed that the BMW X1 will debut in the United States in calendar year 2011. The X1 offers traditional rear-wheel drive and xDrive all-wheel drive configurations, as well as a wide variety of gasoline and... [Read More]
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1 Reply | 76 Views
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| Ding! Ding! Toronto orders its Bombardier streetcars |
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Jul 03, 2009 - 1:39 PM - by seftonm
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 The fleet of 204 will replace Toronto's streetcar fleet, which is coming to the end of its lifespan.
Allison Hanes - NATIONALPOST - June 30, 2009
That's one expensive purchase. Let's hope it pays off. --Ed.
It’s official: a new fleet of replacement streetcars will hit Toronto streets in 2012.
The Toronto Transit Commission today inked a deal to purchase 204 new low-floor, fully accessible adapted models from Bombardier for $1.2 billion.
The contract also includes an option to purchase up to 400 additional light rail vehicles from Bombardier to run on... [Read More]
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0 Replies | 40 Views
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| Is General Motors reorganization too fast and risky? |
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Jul 03, 2009 - 11:46 AM - by Delta Flyer
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Bondholders' lawyer says it's a bluff, U.S. won't allow GM failure
Tim Higgens - FREEP - July 3, 2009
It was a mess long before this --Ed.
New York - Harvey Miller, General Motors Corp.'s top bankruptcy lawyer, told a federal judge Thursday that opponents of the government plan to quickly create a new company were asking the court to "play Russian roulette" with thousands of jobs and billions in taxpayer money and risk forcing a liquidation of the automaker.
... [Read More]
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2 Replies | 77 Views
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| Upcoming Ford Fiesta’s take on ESPN’s X-Games |
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Jul 03, 2009 - 11:00 AM - by xcel
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Racing is certainly not our forte’ (unless it’s a diesel running a form of Bio or synthetic  ) but Fiesta promotion of any type is a good thing for everyone.
Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - July 1, 2009
Ford makes its X Games debut in the new graphically wrapped Ford Fiesta with the production version set to hit showrooms in 2010.
Dearborn, MI. -- The new Fiesta Rallycross cars are creating interest in the enthusiast community with word of their North American motorsport debut in July’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in... [Read More]
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0 Replies | 76 Views
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| Yes, Toyota is also taking a beating |
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Jul 03, 2009 - 9:44 AM - by Delta Flyer
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Speculates after the recession the US market will be between Ford, Toyota, and another automaker
Daniel Howes - DETROITNEWS - July 2, 2009
Again, nobody in the auto industry is doing well --Ed.
Could Toyota Motor Corp. be mortal after all?
For the third month in a row, Ford Motor Co. outsold the Japanese juggernaut in the United States, still a crucial and rich market amid this nagging recession. In June alone, the Dearborn automaker reported an 11 percent year-over-year decline in monthly sales to 148,153 cars and trucks, compared to Toyota's 34.6 percent slide to 131,654 vehicles.
And this:... [Read More]
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1 Reply | 100 Views
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| Editorial: Texting while driving only part of the problem |
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Jul 03, 2009 - 9:36 AM - by Delta Flyer
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Enforcement is the challenge
Local OP/ED - DAILYGAZETTE - July 2, 2009
It still might be a limited deterrent --Ed.
Excerpts:
As a story in Wednesday’s Gazette made clear, the law is practically impossible to enforce. A cop can’t tell whether a motorist who is holding a cellphone is actually “texting”— tapping the alphanumeric keys on a cellphone to create an electronic message — pressing an automatic redial button to make a legal cellphone call, or even surfing the Internet, which, though just as dangerous as text-messaging, isn’t proscribed. Why bother writing a ticket when someone... [Read More]
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8 Replies | 112 Views
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| The First Secretary of Climate Change |
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Jul 03, 2009 - 9:23 AM - by Delta Flyer
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Steven Chu, the new U.S. secretary of energy, is a Nobel-winning physicist and an unabashed advocate of fighting climate change. But can he negotiate the political realities of transforming the energy
Kevin Conley - POPSCI - June 29, 2009
Reducing the politics of Climate Change may be like sweeping the seas away --Ed.
For years, Steven Chu argued that leadership on climate change should be wrested from the politicians and turned over to the scientists. But on Capitol Hill this April, on Earth Day, as Chu testified on the scientific merits of the most ambitious climate-change bill ever to come out of Washington, you might have wondered whether he... [Read More]
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1 Reply | 80 Views
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| Is buying a Chrysler or GM vehicle unpatriotic? |
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Jul 03, 2009 - 9:17 AM - by Delta Flyer
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There are different definitions of a patriot. Is buying American patriotic? For most, a patriot is one who defends the Constitution and the principles articulated by our Founders.
Russ Harding and Bruce Walker - July 2, 2009
To me, it's whether or not they learn their lessons and survive --Ed.
The recent turn of events in our nation's automotive industry has prompted many citizens to rethink what nameplate they'll purchase the next time they're in-market for a new vehicle. Chrysler and General Motors may soon shed what little brand loyalty remained prior to unprecedented government interference.
A Rasmussen Poll, for example, revealed that only 26 percent of respondents... [Read More]
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0 Replies | 88 Views
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| 2010 LEXUS RX 450h: Green appeal |
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Jul 03, 2009 - 7:34 AM - by msantos
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New Lexus crossover follows more-power, less-fuel, more planet-friendly formula
Michael Bettencourt - THEGLOBEANDMAIL - July 2, 2009
Very bold claims and very interesting potential. Too bad the mainstream media is still leaning on the usual FE guesswork. --Ed.
For Lexus, the RX crossover is the sales and profit monster of the line, which is good news for the folks in Cambridge, Ont., who build the new-for-2010 RX 350. Its success in this country already looks assured, reaching a sales record in May, just three months after its Canadian launch, in an overall market that was down by more than 16 per cent.
Now it's the... [Read More]
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0 Replies | 71 Views
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