1. Home
  2. Articles posted by: Rona Fried (Page 2167)

Federal Agencies Must Prefer Bio, Not Petroleum, Products

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina, January 11, 2005 (ENS) – Secretary Ann Veneman has announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has adopted a final rule establishing a policy of preferred procurement for biobased products. The preferred products – such as biobased greases, biodiesel and ethanol when used as additives, hydraulic fluids, biobased polymers, industrial solvents, biobased fertilizers and cutting oils – would be used instead of petroleum products. During remarks Sunday at the 2005 American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Meeting, Veneman said, “This rule promotes energy independence and the use of environmentally sustainable energy from biological sources, while at the same time creating new demand for agricultural commodities and new business investment and job growth in rural America.” The final rule outlines provisions for the Federal Biobased Products Preferred Procurement Program under the 2002 Farm Bill, which requires all federal agencies to preferentially purchase biobased products that have been designated by the USDA as eligible. “The Federal Biobased Products Preferred Procurement Program creates a preference across the entire federal government to purchase biobased products, when practical, based on price, availability and performance,” Veneman said. The new rule establishes the process by which the Department of Agriculture will designate “items” for […]

Read More

Honda Announces New Environmental Initiatives

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. president and CEO Takeo Fukui, speaking at the North American International Auto Show, announced several new safety and environmental initiatives for Honda and Acura vehicles as he reinforced the company’s commitment to leadership in these critical areas of social responsibility. The new initiatives include advanced safety systems for the Acura RL, new safety and advanced powertrain features for the 2006 Honda Civic and Pilot, and the leasing of the first fuel cell vehicle to an individual customer. In the area of environmental leadership, he announced plans to expand the use of Honda fuel-efficient technologies including its hybrid technology and Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) system. VCM will be applied to the 2006 Honda Pilot sport-utility vehicle scheduled to debut this fall. VCM deactivates three of the engine’s six cylinders during cruising, deceleration and other low engine load conditions to reduce fuel consumption. This technology was first introduced in the U.S. in 2004 on the all-new 2005 Odyssey minivan and 2005 Accord Hybrid. Further, the 2006 Civic will be powered by the newest and most advanced generation of Honda’s i-VTEC engine technology to achieve even higher fuel economy and lower emissions. And a new Civic Hybrid will feature […]

Read More

Samsung Furthers Relationship with Capstone

Samsung Corporation has placed an order for 1.5 megawatts of microturbines with Capstone Turbine Corporation (Nasdaq:CPST), the world’s leading manufacturer of microturbine energy systems, valued at more than $1 million. Samsung is the Korean distributor of Capstone MicroTurbine(TM) combined heat and power systems, and will install four C60 models at their headquarters, 11 at a hospital and 10 at a high-rise apartment complex. Two Capstone C30 units will be deployed in a biogas application project. In addition to its consumer electronics and other business activities, Samsung is engaged in energy services management for commercial and industrial customers throughout South Korea. A division of the company has embarked upon a growth plan that incorporates the Capstone MicroTurbine as a core product, and its Samsung Construction segment plans to adopt Capstone MicroTurbines in future apartment projects. Industrial sector energy consumption in South Korea quadrupled in the last two decades, and total electricity consumption is projected to double again by 2020, according to the US Energy Information Administration. The South Korean government has enacted a Comprehensive Plan for Environmental Improvement to reduce pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. The national power company, KEPCO, is undergoing restructuring and privatization. These conditions are expected to provide […]

Read More