Transportation Forecast: Global Fuel Consumption

Reducing the transportation sector’s dependence on oil has long been a policy goal of governments globally. The sector’s overwhelming dependence on the resource results in major costs that affect energy security, environmental security, and economic stability for nations globally.

 

Light Duty Natural Gas Vehicles

Natural gas supplies have increased in many parts of the world during recent years due to new pipelines and hydraulic fracturing. This increase has led to reduced prices for natural gas and the wider geographic availability of vehicle refueling. As a result, interest has been renewed in utilizing natural gas as a transportation fuel to reduce both the use of oil and greenhouse gas emissions

World’s First Bacon-Powered Motorcycle

Hormel Foods has built the first motorcycle that runs off bio-diesel made from bacon grease. I know what you’re thinking – yes it does smell like breakfast when cruising down the road. Game changer? Definitely.

Hormel Foods was looking for a unique way to promote its Black Label bacon so they teamed up with BBDO Minneapolis to create the #DrivenByBacon campaign. The campaign saw Eric Pierson take the motorbike on a documented cross-country road trip starting in Austin, Minnesota, making its way to San Diego for the 2nd annual International Bacon Film Festival on August 29th – yes that’s a real thing. Eric arrived in San Diego yesterday but the “Driven By Bacon” documentary won’t be premiered to fellow pork lovers for a few more weeks.

Grants help develop sorghum feedstock program in California

Ethanol producers in California would benefit if local farmers would grow sorghum as an ethanol feedstock, said Lyle Schlyer, president of Calgren Renewable Fuels LLC. “So much of the feedstock that we consume comes from the Midwest and, love those guys, but it does seem like carting material halfway across the country may not be the most efficient thing,” he said.

 

Biofuels – Scratching Below the Surface

To understand why hedge fund managers and speculators like biofuels, it is necessary to understand what has always driven the fuel that Henry Ford envisioned would power his first Model T’s. Originally, biofuels were seen as the solution to the possibility of a dwindling supply of fossil fuels as well as rising cost of these fuels. But, biofuels come with their own set of challenges. To understand what is now driving this sector, we need to understand the environmental impact of biofuel development as well as the state of the fossil fuel marketplace.

 

Communities fight back over transportation of fossil fuels

The Oregon Department of State Lands’ denial Monday of Ambre Energy’s proposal to build a dock to help transport up to 8.8 million tons of coal for export dealt a blow to the industry — there are two other proposed terminals in Washington, though many consider that state’s evaluation process more stringent. Oregon denied the Australian company’s permit application for the project, known as Morrow Pacific, because it said creating the dock would harm fisheries vital for local tribes.

 

Why premium gas is a waste of money for most cars

The vast majority of gasoline pumps in this country offer you three choices: regular gasoline (usually labeled as 87 octane), mid-grade (89 octane), and premium (92 or 93 octane). Lots of people are uncertain about the differences between these gas types. Some imagine that occasionally treating their car to premium gas might increase performance or gas mileage — or somehow clean out the car’s engine.