Huge positive impact through proper Tire Pressure

No Kidding folks, there is something simple that we can do that would have as LARGE a POSITIVE impact on CO2 emissions as all the Wind Energy currently sited in the US -- and at a fraction of the cost (not that we're against wind).

The numbers on the impact of improper tire pressure are STAGGERING, and verifiable.

Several firms offer valve caps that turn color or light up if tire pressure is low. An easy solution.

These should replace pizza's and candy bars as fundraisers, they should be provided for free, or made part of the auto registration or inspcection process.

Very low cost. Surprisingly high impact.

If 20% of the improperly inflated tires in the US were corrected, the impact would be a savings of 1.7 Trillion Gallons of Gasoline per year, and 6.5 Trillion dollars saved. Want to confirm/dispute our calculations -- please debate the numbers.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=plY2Q4hDAUmg4C2f_r9ALIQ

Congress knows this because they have tried to mandate tire pressure monitoring in all new vehicles. But there 240 Million cars in service today that could benefit from this simple improvement.

Torrefacted Plant Material -- One Worth Watching

Through all the noise out there right now, we look for ideas that could truly make a difference. Our criteria is:

1) The technology must be at least 35% Carbon Positive

2) The potential scale of operation must be large enough to deliver 10% of the current US Demand for electricity

3) The cost, post inflection point, must be 20 cents per kWH or less Without subsidies and tax credits (because the government can't afford to subsidize a large part of our consumption).

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One that has real potential is Torrefied Plant Material. New work out of NC State is showing some interesting numbers for a unit which converts plant material into a powdery charcoal like material in the field.

The numbers look promising, because the cost of material handling is significantly reduced. In most waste-to-energy applications, the cost to move and handle low BTU material creates the barrier to economic viability.

Furthermore, the resulting fuel (think charcoal chips and powder) can theoritically co-burned with coal in existing power plants. This is what makes it exciting. A power producer could have a renewable fuel which could be added based on the relative cost of delivered Torrefied BioMass to Coal.

Two 'test burns' are scheduled for 2008. We'll be monitoring this space. Check back or contact us for updates.

If current Torrefied Pine Wood can be utilized in a coal fired plant, the next step to viability would be developing plant species for BTU value vs Food or Fiber Strenght value. The feedstocks are the kind that grow on marginal land, avoiding the current ethanol "Fuel at the expense of Food" debate.