More Focus on Reducing Shipping Emissions

Over the past ten years, California has been leading the country with measures to reduce emissions from on-road trucks and cars. California now will be focusing efforts on reducing emissions from ships at port and in the harbors. Port officials have considered anti-idling measures, alternate fuels, reducing speeds and increasing shore power capabilities to reduce vessel emissions. The process of using shore power is called "cold-ironing" Cold-ironing is mainly used by the navy for routine engine maintenance fuel use reduction.

See link below for the full story:

Counrty emissions are down, but large ships could reversre that trend.

New Anti-Idling System for Mack Trucks

This new anti-idling system will allow truckers to harness battery power that will operate heating, cooling and other driver amenities. A bank of absorbed glass mat lead acid batteries are placed under the bed in sleeper portion of the cab to save space. The batteries can be charged a number of ways. They are as follows:

1. An outside power connection can be used. Electrified truck stops have been considered around the Country.
2. The truck's alternator will be able to charge the batteries while in operation.
3. The batteries can also be connected to the reefer unit on trailers with refrigeration units.

An idling truck consumes approximately .8 gallons of fuel per hour, according to the EPA. Eliminating truck idling will eliminate annual emissions of 11 million tons of CO2, ,180,000 tons of NOx and 5,000 tons of particulate matter.

For the Full Story See

Mack Introduces Battery-Operated Anti-Idling System

Taxi's in NYC to be Hybrid by 2012

By the year 2012, all NYC yellow cabs will hybrid vehicles. Mayor Bloomberg made the announcement on this mornings Today Show.

As of right now there are 375 hybrid taxis in the fleet of 13,000.

See full story on the web:
NYC Taxi Fleet to Go All Hybrid by 2012

Fungus in Elephant Dung Turns Wood into Bio-Fuel

Scientists at Delft University of Technology and Bird Engineering have developed a process in which a fungus in elephant dung can effectively ferment wood sugars. The process is similar to extracting sugars from grains, i.e. corn and soybeans, to produce bio-fuels.

Production of the wheat based bio-fuel can begin in 2009. A much longer duration is expected for converting wood into ethanol.

See full story on the Web:
Diesel Progress Magazine p.50