Aurora Borealis Timelapse - Part Deux

I don't know why I've had such a fascination with time lapses lately, or of the Northern Lights, for that matter. They both involve motion, clear skies, and the delights of the natural world.

Or more simply, could it be that I'm just stir-crazy and need to get away? How about to VEGAS in two days? I think so :) That extra-large mojito in the MGM Grand's lazy river sounds spectacular right about now.

This video is a time-lapse shot entirely from this dude's tripod on an Air France flight from San Francisco to Paris CDG. Watch for the Northern Lights to dance around the 1:00 mark or so. Beautiful shots all around. Enjoy!

Algae-fueled Planes One Step Closer to Reality

So we've already seen bio-fuel powered aircraft and algae-fueled biodiesel cars....why not combine the two and get the maximum environmental benefit?

Biofuel made from algae, also known as cellulosic ethanol has the advantage of requiring far less carbon emissions to produce than corn or sugar-based ethanol. It is cleaner burning and less damaging to the environment overall. It also avoids the ethical dilemma of burning foodstuffs to create fuel for cars, which seems especially insensitive to developing countries struggling with legitimate hunger problems of their own. According to PhysOrg, Algae is also useful for its ability to consume atmospheric carbon dioxide, where other plants would be used for agriculture.



European aerospace company EADS is developing a Diamond DA 42 that is fueled partially with cellulosic ethanol from algae. The plane debuted at the Berlin Air Show in June 2010.

According to Inhabitat, the algae-based fuel has such high energy content that the plane would require a half-gallon (1.5 liters) less fuel per hour than with conventional fuel.

Even the Pentagon is taking notice. A new federal DARPA project aims to test a 50-50 blend of cellulosic ethanol on military planes within the next year. If that is any indication, it may be only a matter of time before the fuel makes the transition to regular commercial aircraft, one of the biggest and most entrenched contributors to climate change.

Via: Inhabitat

Solar-Powered Airplane Hangars Can Recharge Planes Emissions-Free!

Bio-fuel powered airplanes are a promising new wave of technology that can cut the emissions of airplanes and helicopters by up to 70% compared with conventional aircraft. However, German engineers PC-Aero have developed a solar-powered airplane hangar capable of charging aircraft for up to three-hour flights - all with ZERO carbon emissions!

According to Inhabitat, there's no word yet on how long it would take to charge the aircraft. The prototype developed was a single-seater. Hopefully, with successful development of solar-powered hangar technology and similar investment to what we've seen for electric car charging stations, this technology can be developed for two-and four-seater private jets, and perhaps even one day for commercial airliners.

Via: Inhabitat

Aircraft as Fleet Components - Bio-diesel Capable Helicopter Launched in Australia

Helicopters and other aircraft have not yet been incorporated into green fleet modernization schemes, simply because most public agencies that have participated in programs like Evergreen Fleets do not have aircraft as a fleet component.

However, many large institutions such as port authorities, airports, major corporations (hello, Boeing!) and hospitals do have to take the fuel expenses of their aircraft into account when attempting to reduce their emissions. I had not even considered the impact of aircraft on overall greenhouse gas emissions earlier during this project, simply because of the magnitude of the private car fleet on the equation.

According to Tree Hugger, many passenger airlines have experimented with bio-fuel capable aircraft, although helicopters have not experienced similar attention.

"Australia-based Delta Helicopters is developing what it says is the first biofuel-capable diesel helicopter in the world. Dubbed the D2, Delta claims that the helicopter will use significantly less fuel while getting 30-40% more range per gallon than standard engines." (Inhabitat)

The D2 helicopter would also burn about 70% less fuel per hour than turbine aviation engines. There's just one catch: you have to build the helicopter yourself!

Delta plans to sell the D2 as a DIY kit for farmers in remote areas who already have diesel for use in farm machinery. When fully constructed, the helicopter is worth approximately $200,000.

Whether these helicopters can be re-tooled so that they can be manufactured en masse (or at least constructed in urban industrial settings) remains to be seen. Regardless, this is an important indication that we need to look at the big picture - all forms of transportation by air, land, and sea - when diving into green fleet modernization.