Sustainable Farming

January 23rd, 2009 mhitchings Earlier this week, I was in Washington, D.C., and attended the Environmental and Clean Energy Inaugural Ball on Tuesday night. While there were no Daryl Hannah or Glenn Close sightings — two celebrities scheduled to attend –  there were a few folks who are “famous” in the energy advocacy circles and part of the administration, including General Wesley Clark; Director, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Margaret Oge; and EPA Director Lisa Jackson. However, on the second part of my two-city, two-continent, two-country business trip this week, I met U.S. President Barack Obama’s half brother Abon’go Malik Obama, owner of RockStone of Afrika Siaya Electricals, who was sitting at the end of my row on Qatar Airways to Doha.

Gracious, warm and confidently soft spoken, Obama shared his ideas for a sustainable irrigation system in Kenya, as part of The Barack H. Obama Foundation, which he founded in memory of his father, who passed away in 1982. With solar panels and battery packs, we should be able to do something, Obama told me, as flight attendants patiently waited for us to finish chatting before closing the plane doors and finalizing security checks.

Posted in Out and About | No Comments »

‘A New Era of Responsibility’

January 21st, 2009 mhitchings

“The world has changed, and we must change with it,” said U.S. President Barack Obama after his swearing-in ceremony in Washington, D.C., yesterday.

The message was like the morning weather — crisp, clear and hopeful. While nearly 1.5 million people from all corners of the nation converged in the almost-freezing temperatures of the Mall, Obama delivered his 35-word oath almost flawlessly. The newly-elected president became as calm, cool, collected and confident as he did the day he accepted the presidential nomination and delivered his campaign speech.

Among the myriad of important topics Obama mentioned that the nation must address, plans for defense, security, climate change, energy and jobs were among the priorities. The emphasis was placed on “we” and universal team work, not only at home but globally. “Honesty, hard work, loyalty, patriotism …” Obama said. We have been a “quiet force of progress throughout history. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility.”

Many organizations during the past two days have held dozens of inaugural balls in honor of the administration changes and important issues Obama has pledged to address. Among the organizational events was the Environmental and Clean Energy Ball 2009 last night held at the Sequoia Restaurant in the Washington Harbor in Georgetown. Organizing committee members included representatives from Clean Fuels Foundation, Clinton Climate Initiative and Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Among the honored guests were General Wesley Clark; Administrator-Designate, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Lisa Jackson; and Director, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, EPA, Margaret Oge.

The message throughout the evening from the new administration, honored guests and special guests supported and echoed those Obama had passed along to the world just hours before hand — renewables, climate change, energy, jobs, security, reducing the environmental footprint — with the themed message “working together to build a better tomorrow.”

Posted in Out and About | No Comments »

Houston: We Have a New Air Route; GTL as Possible Jet Fuel

January 9th, 2009 mhitchings Qatar Airways, one of the premier airlines servicing global destinations (London, Moscow, Shanghai, Singapore and more) connecting through Doha, is adding Houston to its route starting in March. Passengers traveling from one energy hub to the other will be able to do so daily on a nonstop 17-hour flight, rather than plane hopping as is currently the norm.

“We can’t be more pleased that Qatar chose Houston as a destination … We’re dynamic, the very first international city, and we are going to make it incredibly successful. Qatar is committed to making Houston successful; we’re just pleased and delighted,” said Kristian Anderson, Houston-based country manager for the southern United States with Qatar Airways.

“The natural synergy, the big catylst for this service, is the oil and gas business, because Doha and Houston are the two capitals in their different parts of the world. There was a natural synergy,” said Tony Hughes, senior vice president, Americas, Qatar Airways.

Like many other airlines, Qatar Airways is looking toward alternative sources of fuel for efficiency and environmental stewardship. While airlines such as Air New Zealand, Japan Airlines, Continental Airlines and Virgin Atlantic are experimenting with various biofuels blends, Qatar Airways is dedicated to exploring gas-to-liquids as a viable alternative fuel to jet fuel, which would make it the first gas-based fuel airlines.

“Qatar is home to the third-largest gas reserves. It is working in conjunction with Qatar Airways, with Shell, on how to leverage that and turn that into a more green-friendly-for-the-environment kind of travel for us,” said Rebecca Jelfo, marketing manager for Qatar Airways during a press conference yesterday. 

In a news release in fourth quarter 2008, Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker expressed that the most sensitive issue facing the world is the need for increased environmental awareness and responsibility. That message has been carried into 2009.

“There is a huge movement lobbying for the reduction in carbon emissions to make for a cleaner and safer environment,” he said in the release. “Together with our partners, we will all work in close collaboration to study the use of synthetic jet fuels or GTL kerosene in our drive toward a cleaner and safer world. And we at Qatar Airways look onward to becoming the first airline in the world to power commercial aircraft with natural gas.”

Flight trials using GTL fuel will commence after the study’s completion with a consortium research group that will focus on the pros of the fuel’s use with emphasis on air quality improvement, reduced carbon emissions and fuel economy.

“Qatar Airways is already a major player in the International Air Transport Association’s ongoing fuel-saving campaign designed to reduce carbon emissions,” Al Baker said. 

 

 

Posted in Transportation | No Comments »

It’s in the Air

January 8th, 2009 mhitchings As the new year begins and crude prices continue on the low side but slowly on the rise, some are speculating once again the viability of biofuels. In 2008, alternative energies and fuels as well as environmentally friendly and efficient were the buzz words, but there are whispers of concern from some now that perhaps with the lower crude prices, alternative investment and usage may not be as big a priority as it once was.

The airline industry, however, is moving forward with its proposals to research alternative fuels and is putting biofuels to the test. Air New Zealand was the last in 2008 to make a flight with its successful late-December launch powered in part by vegetable oil. One engine was fueled with 50-50 blend of oil from jatropha plants and standard A1 jet fuel.

Continental kicks off 2009

Continental Airlines yesterday completed the first North American commercial carrier test flight using a biofuel blend that includes components deriving from algae and jatropha plants. These sustainable second-generation sources neither impact food crops, nor water resources nor contribute to deforestation, all of which have been points of contention with various organizations from farmers to environmentalists.

“This demonstration flight represents another step in Continental’s ongoing commitment to fuel efficiency and environmental responsibility,” said Continental Airlines Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Larry Kellner in a news release. “The technical knowledge we gain today will contribute to a wider understanding of the future for transportation fuels.”

Although the trip (the first of its kind to use a fuel partially derived from algae) was “experimental” and carried no passengers, it was a successful two-hour roundtrip flight from Houston’s George W. Bush Intercontinental Airport. The test was designed to emulate actual trip in-flight handling, such as power acceleration and deceleration, as well as rare maneuvers, including mid-flight shut engine shutdown and re-start.

“With our proven technology and the commitment of aviation leaders like Continental and Boeing, sustainable biofuels for aviation are a real near-term option. We believe that production levels could reach hundreds of million of gallons per year by 2012,” said Eric Bachelet, president and chief executive officer of CFM International in the same release.

One of the goals of increased biofuels use in the airline industry is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, a contributor of greenhouse gases.

Other airlines follow suit

Japan Airlines is planning a one-hour, passenger-less flight demonstration out of Haneda Airport, Tokyo, at the end of January using a sustainable biofuel component comprised of three second-generation biofuel feedstocks (camelina, 84%; jatropha, less than 16%; and algae, less than 1%).

Qatar Airways, based in Doha, is researching the benefits of using gas-to-liquids, which would make it the first airline to be powered by gas-based fuel. The airline has been joined by Qatar Petroleum, Shell, Airbus, Rolls Royce, Qatar Science and Technology Park and Woqod (Qatar Fuel Co.) to conduct a study during the next few years to analyze the pros of using synthetic jet fuels.

Virgin Atlantic in February 2008  tested a biofuels flight from London to Amsterdam by using a mix of coconut and babassu oil in one of its four main fuel tanks. Pilots and technicians were on that flight, but no passengers.

Posted in Transportation | No Comments »