28 September 2011 – The Seattle Times
Washington’s two major public universities have been awarded $80 million in federal grants to kick-start a biofuels industry in the Northwest, with hopes of turning trees into fuel for jet engines and cars alike.
Using bio-based wood materials instead of fossil fuels for aviation fuel and valuable co-products sounds like a great idea.
But, will it be environmentally friendly and sustainable?
“The responsibility of the metrics analysis is to ensure that we come up with a bio-based jet fuel industry, where the production throughout the entire supply chain remains sustainable,’’ says Ivan Eastin, professor at University of Washington and director for the Center for International Trade in Forest Products. “The last thing we want …more
You’re flying comfortably at 30,000 feet, but you may not have noticed a significant problem with your airplane.
Your plane is safe and comfortable, and no oxygen masks have deployed. Your seat is in its upright position, you can turn on your electrical devices, and your bags are stowed carefully under the seat in front of you.
The real problem is your fuel.
Specifically, your cross-country flight is totally dependent on the use of …more
The Imagine Tomorrow competition lets students dream big and think that about how they might solve our world’s energy problems. For some, it provides a first-ever chance to step on a college campus.
The competition has encouraged thousands of Washington teenagers to imagine a better energy future for their generation while they imagine a brighter academic future for themselves.
Support from the Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance (NARA) will now bring a similar opportunity …more
When it comes to deep understanding of how renewable energy can impact land and water use, American Indian tribes in the Northwest are leading the way, according to Dr. Dan Schwartz, a University of Washington professor of chemical engineering and director of UW’s Ph.D. program in Bioresource-based Energy for Sustainable Societies.
He and Dr. Adrian Leighton, a forestry professor at Salish Kootenai College, are bringing their experience working with Northwest tribes on energy …more