Renew News » oil http://www.renewnews.com A down-to-Earth resource about renewable energy and renewable resources. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 16:50:51 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 New X-Prize for Super-Efficient Automobiles http://www.renewnews.com/2007/04/08/new-x-prize-for-super-efficient-automobiles/ http://www.renewnews.com/2007/04/08/new-x-prize-for-super-efficient-automobiles/#comments Sun, 08 Apr 2007 04:20:00 +0000 Mark http://www.renewnews.com/2007/04/08/new-x-prize-for-super-efficient-automobiles/ The X Prize Foundation has announced several new X Prizes, and one of them is “To inspire a new generation of viable, super-efficient vehicles that help break our addiction to oil and stem the effects of climate change.”

The winner gets a HUGE amount of glory and, of course, $10 million.  The gauntlet has been dropped, so get those creative juices flowing.

Find out all the details for the Automotive X Prize here.

]]> http://www.renewnews.com/2007/04/08/new-x-prize-for-super-efficient-automobiles/feed/ 0 The White House Talks Green… With a Few Notable Exceptions http://www.renewnews.com/2007/01/31/the-white-house-talks-green-with-a-few-notable-exceptions/ http://www.renewnews.com/2007/01/31/the-white-house-talks-green-with-a-few-notable-exceptions/#comments Wed, 31 Jan 2007 07:12:08 +0000 Mark http://www.renewnews.com/2007/01/31/the-white-house-talks-green-with-a-few-notable-exceptions/ In his recent State of the Union address, George W Bush talked about, and seemed to support, many of the most promising areas of renewable energy. With the current global political climate, and our war in Iraq (that seems to be becoming more about oil every day), it is no surprise that the White House would want to address the security of the nation’s energy supply. The Bush administration does not have a good track record with environmental issues, but it may just be that we have reached a point where the goals of the environmentalists and the politicians have finally met.  Despite my natural optimism, my political views combined with history make it very difficult for me to believe the goals of the Bush administration.  However, with two major exceptions, if the White House sticks to its stated intentions, the US might finally be on the right track with its energy policy.

The points I’m most excited about:

  • Reducing gasoline consumption through improved vehicle efficiency, gasoline alternatives (like ethanol), and reductions in commuting and congestion.
  • More research into hybrid vehicles, especially plug-in hybrids.
  • Increasing the supply of renewable fuels.

The points that make me cringe:

  • More nuclear energy.  First, it’s not a renewable resource, and second, it creates toxic byproducts that last for hundreds of years.  People are starting to talk about nuclear as green energy and that makes me crazy.  It is so NOT green.
  • More domestic oil production, especially in the Alaskan Wildlife Refuge.  Aside from my feeling that we should protect the few wild places we have left, I don’t like a policy of bleeding our country dry of oil first.  If anything, we should preserve what oil we have while we develop renewables further to take the place of foreign oil imports.

Some people think that any State of the Union address is nothing but lip service regardless of who delivered it.  I don’t agree with that.  I have to say that I am very impressed with the majority of the stated goals set out in the new energy policy from the Bush White House, but it’s much easier to talk about doing things than it is to actually do them.  We will see if this administration puts its money where its mouth is.

Check out the full policy here.

]]> http://www.renewnews.com/2007/01/31/the-white-house-talks-green-with-a-few-notable-exceptions/feed/ 0 Giant Windfarm Proposed in Iowa http://www.renewnews.com/2006/09/03/giant-windfarm-proposed-in-iowa/ http://www.renewnews.com/2006/09/03/giant-windfarm-proposed-in-iowa/#comments Sun, 03 Sep 2006 14:06:40 +0000 Mark http://www.renewnews.com/2006/09/03/giant-windfarm-proposed-in-iowa/ Iowa Winds LLC is working on a windfarm that would cover 40,000 acres and involve 193 Iowa landowners.  This single project is a big step forward in the quest to be free of foreign oil, and will be a much more long-term and quickly profitable solution that drilling oil wells in the Alaskan Wildlife Refuge.

40,000 Acre Windfarm Proposed for Iowa

]]> http://www.renewnews.com/2006/09/03/giant-windfarm-proposed-in-iowa/feed/ 0 MTV Comes Through Again http://www.renewnews.com/2006/05/30/mtv-comes-through-again/ http://www.renewnews.com/2006/05/30/mtv-comes-through-again/#comments Tue, 30 May 2006 06:49:06 +0000 Mark http://www.renewnews.com/2006/05/30/mtv-comes-through-again/ Just when I think that all hope is lost, MTV always starts up a new responsible campaign.  (Ok, I didn’t really think all hope was lost, but it seemed like a snappy way to start this post.)  As with Live Aid and Rock the Vote, MTV is once again fighting the good fight, but this time it is in the realm of environmentalism.

At their subdomain www.think.mtv.com they are using the sloagn “Break the Addiction” in reference to fossil fuels.  They have a neat carbon calculator, and some of good information.  It just goes to show you that just because you are a major media outlet doesn’t mean you can’t do some good.

Check out the Break the Addiction section here.

]]> http://www.renewnews.com/2006/05/30/mtv-comes-through-again/feed/ 0 The Beginning http://www.renewnews.com/2006/04/28/the-beginning/ http://www.renewnews.com/2006/04/28/the-beginning/#comments Fri, 28 Apr 2006 20:58:34 +0000 Mark http://www.renewnews.com/?p=3 Everything has to start somewhere.

RenewNews is intended to be a community-driven, and ultimately community-run and maintained resource for information and discussion on Renewable Energy, and everything you need to know for when we run out of oil.

People will have different reactions to that statement/mission, but the intent is not to be alarmist or radical; the intent is just to deal with the problem, and assist others in doing the same.

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