- Latest Popular Stories, Instablogs Community by Ashutoshjoshi

Virgin Trains leads Europe with biodiesel train

Ashutosh — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 12:14:58 +0000

Sir Richard Branson and Gordon Brown are today launching Europe’s first biodiesel blend train in scheduled passenger service - the 11:27 from London Euston to Llandudno, North Wales.

In advance of the launch the Chancellor of the Exchequer said: ‘I want Britain to be a world leader in the development and use of environmentally-friendly fuels, and I believe they will play a fundamental part in our efforts to reduce emissions and tackle climate change. I wish Virgin every success with these pilot schemes and I look forward to hearing the results.’

The train is the first in Europe to use a practicable blended fuel which can significantly reduce CO2 emissions. The Virgin Trains trial is a major step in a national biodiesel programme, conducted by Virgin Trains, the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) and the Rail Safety & Standards Board (RSSB), to pioneer a sustainable fuel breakthrough for the rail industry.

As part of a national trial, Virgin Trains will run one of its Voyagers on a 20 percent biodiesel blend. Sir Richard explained how this can help reduce emissions: ‘This is a pioneering step we’re taking. If the trial is a success - and we believe it will be - and we can convert our Voyager fleet to run on B20 biodiesel we could cut our CO2 emissions by up to 14 percent*. This means 34,500 tonnes less CO2 being emitted into the atmosphere each year, and is equivalent to taking 23,000 cars off the road. Government wants to see a reduction in transport’s carbon dioxide emissions, and Virgin and the rail industry are at the forefront. We’re starting with 20 percent biodiesel and hope to increase this amount to 100 percent in the future which would potentially see 100,000 cars off the road.’

Virgin CrossCountry Managing Director Chris Gibb said: ‘Sir Richard set out a vision that Virgin should be at the forefront of developing sustainable energy. I am really proud that it is the people at Virgin Trains who are the first to have risen to the challenge.’

As part of the investment in biodiesel special fuelling points have been installed at Bombardier Transportation’s depots in Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire and Crofton, West Yorkshire and modifications have been made to the Cummins’ engines. During the trial the biodiesel train will run across much of Britain, from Birmingham to Scotland, in South Wales, North East England, the North West, Lake District, West Country, the South West and South Coast.

If the trial is a success the current higher duty on biodiesel would mean changes to duty levels would be required for a viable conversion of the fleet to biodiesel operation. The Treasury has made an important concession for this trial, but beyond this the duty rate would be 54.68p per litre - considerably more than the 7.69p per litre duty paid by the rail industry for diesel - and would require legislation to change.

In addition to the environmental benefits of the Voyager trial, Virgin’s Pendolino electric trains return 17 percent of the power they use to the national grid every time they brake, making the Pendolino fleet one of the most efficient in the world. Over the course of a year this is enough to power 11,825 homes. These trains emit 76 percent less CO2 than cars or domestic flights.

The trial also forms part of Virgin Group’s vision to use clean-fuel technology to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Virgin Atlantic has ordered 15 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, which are 27 percent more fuel efficient than its current fleet, and will begin testing biofuel in 2008. Overall the Virgin Group has already contributed $200m of its pledged $3bn to developing sustainable energy. Virgin Fuels has already constructed three ethanol plants which are cheaper and greener than standard corn-to-ethanol plants, as they substantially reduce the need for fossil fuels in ethanol production.

Over ten years Virgin Trains has developed the West Coast and CrossCountry franchises into high quality networks, offering a green alternative to air and car travel. Passenger numbers are now at 43 million a year and punctuality is currently running at well over 85 percent on both routes. But it doesn’t stop there. In December 2008 there will be faster journeys on London services, with almost one third more trains running. Virgin Trains also hopes to be able to run trains at 135mph and add two more coaches to Pendolino trains, encouraging millions more people out of their cars and off domestic flights.

One hundred percent of any profits made by Virgin Group through its train and plane companies for the next 10 years will be invested into developing clean fuels.

Meeting Energy Demand And Stopping Global Warming

Ashutosh — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 12:45:13 +0000

Meeting Energy Demand And Stopping Global Warming is both possible.Sustainable energy and technology can curb climate change and meet projected growth in demand for energy but only if key decisions are made within the next five years, according to a new WWF report. Climate Solutions: WWF’s vision for 2050 concludes that sustainable technologies can meet global projected energy demand while avoiding the most dangerous impacts of climate change. But it warns that the governmental policies needed to propel this transition are not now in place, or even in prospect in most cases.

social bookmarking

Ashutosh — Wed, 30 May 2007 13:30:54 +0000

First, let’s figure out the term social bookmarking. Social bookmarking refers to the practice of saving and categorizing a particular site and sharing it with others via social bookmarking communities. Users can share their own personal Web bookmarks, but they also have the quite wonderful option of discovering other people’s bookmarks and adding them to their own collection. More sites can be discovered, more treasures unearthed, if you work together as a whole instead of by yourself; it’s truly amazing what people are able to turn up together on the Web.

Link between Biodiversity and Climate change

Ashutosh — Tue, 29 May 2007 13:26:52 +0000

Link between Biodiversity and Climate change
Climate change is affecting species already threatened by multiple threats across the globe. Habitat fragmentation due to colonization, logging, agriculture and mining etc.are all contributing to further destruction of terrestrial habitats.
Individual species may not be able to adapt. Species most threatened by climate change have small ranges, low population densities, restricted habitat requirements and patchy distribution.
Ecosystems will generally shift northward or upward in altitude, but in some cases they
will run out of space - as 1°C change in temperature correspond to a 100 Km change in
latitude, hence, average shift in habitat conditions by the year 2100 will be on the order of 140 to 580 Km.

India could be more at risks due to Global Warming

Ashutosh — Tue, 29 May 2007 02:04:29 +0000

Food shortages and hunger shall occur due to global warming.Water resources will be affected as precipitation and evaporation patterns change around the world. This will affect agricultural output. Food security is likely to be threatened and some regions are likely to experience food shortages and hunger.India could be more at risks than many other countries.

Getting Started To A New Life

Ashutosh — Tue, 22 May 2007 06:31:36 +0000

You can take the first step by creating a timeslot for yourself. Yes, I’m actually suggesting that you set an appointment with you!
Find a time during your week that you will spend sorting through your mental clutter and coming to clarity. If you have a more flexible schedule, you can find a daily timeslot!
Sometimes, it is helpful to take a walk, sit outside, or change your scenery in some way. This change will allow your mind to shift gears away from your chores and focus upon the higher questions you have for yourself.

TOP TEN RESOURCES TO STAY MOTIVATED

Ashutosh — Mon, 21 May 2007 13:03:31 +0000

1. Persuasive Speeches
2. Motivational Speakers
3. Free Videos
4. Products
5. Quotes
6. Games
7. Biography
8. Stories & Articles
9. Factoids
10. Quiz

Disadvantages of Global Warming

Ashutosh — Mon, 21 May 2007 08:43:24 +0000

Disadvantages of Global Warming
Ocean circulation disrupted, disrupting and having unknown effects on world climate.
Higher sea level leading to flooding of low-lying lands and deaths and disease from flood and evacuation.
Deserts get drier leaving to increased desertification.
Changes to agricultural production that can lead to food shortages.
Water shortages in already water-scarce areas.
Starvation, malnutrition, and increased deaths due to food and crop shortages.
More extreme weather and an increased frequency of severe and catastrophic storms.
Increased disease in humans and animals.
Increased deaths from heat waves.
Extinction of additional species of animals and plants.
Loss of animal and plant habitats.
Increased emigration of those from poorer or low-lying countries to wealthier or higher countries seeking better (or non-deadly) conditions.
Additional use of energy resources for cooling needs.
Increased air pollution.
Increased allergy and asthma rates due to earlier blooming of plants.
Melt of permafrost leads to destruction of structures, landslides, and avalanches.
Permanent loss of glaciers and ice sheets.
Cultural or heritage sites destroyed faster due to increased extremes.
Increased acidity of rainfall.
Earlier drying of forests leading to increased forest fires in size and intensity.
Increased cost of insurance as insurers pay out more claims resulting from increasingly large disasters.

Excessive Fossil Fuel Burning leads to Climate change

Ashutosh — Sun, 20 May 2007 16:43:54 +0000

Human activities, particularly the combustion of fossil fuels, have made the blanket of green house gases (water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, ozone etc.) around the earth thicker. The resulting increase in global temperature is altering the complex web of systems that allow life to thrive on earth such as rainfall, wind patterns, ocean currents and distribution of plant and animal species.
Life on the earth is possible by energy from the sun, which arrives mainly in the form of visible light. About 30 percent of the sunlight is scattered back into the space by outer atmosphere and the balance 70 percent reaches the earth’s surface, which reflects it in the form of infrared radiation. The escape of slow moving infrared radiation is delayed by the green house gases. A thicker blanket of greenhouse gases traps more infrared radiation and increase the earth’s temperature.
Human activities that are responsible for making the green house layer thicker are emissions of carbon dioxide from the combustion of coal, oil and natural gas; by additional methane and nitrous oxide from farming activities and change in land use; and by man made gases that have a long life in the atmosphere.
The increase in greenhouse gases is happening at an alarming rate. If the green house gases continue to grow at current rats’ it is almost certain that the atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide will increase twice or thrice from pre-industrial levels during the 21st century.
Even a small increase in earth’s temperature will be accompanied by changes in climate such as cloud cover, precipitation, wind patterns, and duration of seasons. In an already highly crowded and stressed earth, millions of people depend on weather patterns, such as monsoon rains, to continue as they have in the past. Even minimum changes will be disruptive and difficult.
Carbon dioxide is responsible for 60 percent of enhanced greenhouse effect. Humans are burning coal, oil and natural gas at a rate that is much faster than the rate at which these fossil fuels were created. This is releasing the carbon stored in the fuels into the atmosphere and upsetting the carbon cycle- a precise balanced system by which carbon is exchanged between the air, the oceans and land vegetation taking place over millions of years. Currently carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are rising by over 10 percent every 20 years.
Cyclones, storm, hurricanes are occurring more frequently and floods and draught are more intense than before. This increase in extreme weather events cannot be explained away as random events. This trend towards more powerful storms and hotter, longer dry periods is predicted by computer models. Warmer temperatures mean greater evaporation, and a warmer atmosphere is able to hold more moisture and hence there is more water aloft that can fall as precipitation. Similarly, dry regions are prone to lose still more moisture if the weather is hotter and hence this leads to more severe droughts and desertification.
Those to suffer most from the climate change will be in the developing world. They have fewer resources for coping with storms, with floods, with droughts, with disease outbreaks, and with disruptions to food and water supplies. They are eager for economic development themselves, but may find that this already difficult process ha become more difficult because of climate change. The poorer nations of the world have done almost nothing to cause global warming yet is most exposed to its effects.

Production of a Biofuel from Sewage Sludge

Ashutosh — Sun, 20 May 2007 16:31:27 +0000

Activated sludge is the solid or semi-solid produced during biological treatment of industrial and municipal wastewaters. It contains a variety of microorganisms, which utilize the organic and inorganic compounds in the water as a source of energy and nutrients.
The sludge could be a feedstock for biodiesel production. The sewage sludge contains approximately 20% ether soluble grease and fats, which could be converted into fatty acid methyl esters. Other investigators have extracted sludge using toluene and obtained 18% oil yield. Additionally, the cell wall membrane of microorganisms, the main component of sewage sludge, is mostly composed of phospholipids, which can be converted to biodiesel via acid and based catalyzed transesterification.
An alternative method was evaluated to convert sewage sludge into biodiesel. The sludge was converted to free fatty acid via acid hydrolysis. Then, the free fatty acids were extracted with hexane and converted to biodiesel via acid catalyzed transesterification. Gravimetric yields ranged from 1.5% to 15% and analytical yields from 1% to 14%.
The potential quantities, quality, and economics of biodiesel generated from sewage sludge depended on the effect of several sludge pretreatment techniques and water treatment facility operating conditions on the quality and quantity of biodiesel.
watch out for the alternative fuel of tomorrow from human SHIT.