Grassoline - Fuel of the Future

Scientific American explores the possibility of certain alternatives to oil in the July 2009 issue. Interestingly enough, Destiny's Sustainable Energy Farm is testing several grass crops, including jatropha.

"By now it ought to be clear that the U.S. must get off oil," states the article. "We can no longer afford the dangers that our dependence on petroleum poses for our national security. Yet civilization is not about to stop moving, and so we must invest a new way to power the world's transportation fleet."

It's obvious we need to change, but as this article concludes, that change will take more than green grass, it will take the other kind of green. Petroleum companies for nearly a century have had dedicated research and development, investment in technology, and most already own their equipment... alternative fuel production requires investment in all of these areas.

With the cost of fuel at $60 a barrel, it's difficult for the greener alternative to prevail. But, with technology and new developments in producing sustainable energy crops - and with the inevitable increase in oil prices - greener alternatives are sure to make it to market very soon. Destiny is proud to be a part of this crucial development in the way we fuel our economy and our nation's future.

Read the full text of "Grassoline: Biofuels beyond Corn."

July is "Celebrate Park & Recreation Month with Family, Friends and Fun!"

Governor Charlie Crist recently officially recognized July as 'Park and Recreation' month in the State of Florida.

Whether visiting the state on vacation, or if you live in this beautiful region, visiting a Florida State Park is a great way to help kids connect with nature and learn about the environment.

"We encourage residents and visitors to experience the treasures of state parks in their backyard," says Mike Bullock, Florida Park Service Director.

To find a park near you, visit:

The map above illustrates "that if current growth policies continue, the amount of developed land in Central Florida will double by 2050.... City boundaries will meld into one another, with little distinction or "green space" between developed areas," according to conclusions reached by MyRegion.org in it's groundbreaking planning document, "How Shall We Grow?"

The organization's 2009 progress report, "Where in the World are We?" suggests that many counties, including Osceola County have moved in the right direction to implement the vision for a better tomorrow.

The residents and leadership of the seven county area known as Central Florida prefer an approach to preserve the area's precious resources, open space and rural countryside by concentrating development in urban centers with transportation corridors, as Destiny will do.

The following map illustrates the vision adopted by Central Florida that incorporates the 4C's:

• Conservation
  
• Countryside
  
• Centers
  
• Corridors
  

America's First Eco-Sustainable City™ is located in an area specifically designated by the planning documents and embraces the 4C's.

Wish you were here. The weather is beautiful!

Site selection requires much more than beautiful weather, of course. But, it doesn't hurt.

Here are a few more reasons to select Destiny, Florida as a location for your company. Destiny is located in Central Florida where:

• If Central Florida were an independent nation, its gross domestic product would rank 45th in the world.
  
• At a hefty $145 billion, Central Florida's GDP ranks close to Singapore's.
  
• Central Florida's per capita GDP would rank 6th among the G-20 nations, ahead of Japan and Germany.
  
• Residents of Central Florida are youthful and educated (nearly two thirds of residents are under the age of 35 and most have post-secondary education.)
  
• Globally competitive, Central Florida is on par with international regions such as Barcelona, Montreal and Milan.
  

*Statistics provided in "2009 Progress report for the Central Florida Region," available at: http://www.myregion.org/Aboutimyregionorgi/ResearchPublications/2009CentralFloridaProgressReport/tabid/231/Default.aspx

Where in the World are We?

Destiny is in the heart of Central Florida. Ten years ago leaders from the seven counties in the region created a cooperative planning and growth management board. The resulting organization, known online as "myregion.org" first completed research and published reports about 10 years ago concerning the vast growth in Central Florida, one of the fastest growing areas in the nation.

A progress report, entitled, "Where in the World are We?" was just released. Information included covers:

• Economic Leadership
  
• Education
  
• Environment
  
• Quality of Life
  
• Smart, Quality Growth
  
• Regional Resolves and Collaboration
  

To download the report, visit: MyRegion
Stay tuned to Destiny Florida's blog for more information and follow-up commentary on the report.

Eco+Muscle - Can we have both?

Is it possible to make a muscle car eco-friendly? Classic car lovers sat up and took notice when Dodge released its reincarnated 2009 Challenger. While more efficient than its early 1970s predecessor, off the lot, it's still an 8-cylinder with as much as 425 hp. Not exactly "green" and it wouldn't occur to most folks that it ever could be green.

Popular Mechanics rebuilt a standard R/T model of the Challenger, and created a parallel power system - electric and gasoline powertrains - and probably the first ever hybrid muscle car.

Designed to run on traditional gasoline on the highway, the Eco+Muscle model can be switched over to electric power for "ultra-low emissions" for lower speeds.

The car will be on display in November at the Las Vegas SEMA show and will be auctioned off in Scottsdale in January 2010.


Check out the videos to learn more.

House Passes Clean Energy Bill

Now it's on to the Senate... Key provisions in the bill include:

• Electric utility companies must meet 20 percent of demand with renewable sources by 2020.
  
• $190 billion investment in clean energy technology and energy efficiency by 2025.
  
• New standards for energy efficiency for industry, buildings and appliances.
  
• A reduction of 80 percent in carbon emissions by 2050.
  
• Consumer protection from energy price increases.
  

Check out the latest version of the bill (H.R. 2454) at The Library of Congress (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.2454:)

This is good news for those companies looking to locate at Destiny. Destiny will be a clean technology hub. The city itself will be designed to have a carbon footprint as small as possible.

New Cellulosic Venture

The University of Florida announced a joint venture with Myriant Technologies LLC and Buckeye Technologies, Inc. to build a pilot-scale bio-refinery just north of Gainesville.

The plant will produce up to 400 gallons of cellulosic ethanol or 6,000 pounds of organic acid each day, according to a Myriant spokesperson.

To learn more about the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida, visit: http://news.ifas.ufl.edu/

Teach Your Children Well...

Most schools include sustainability in the science curriculum, but in the middle of summer, if you'd like some fun activities to share with your little ones, you'll find some fun activities here: http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/education/kids/planetprotectors/index.htm

Kids can join the Planet Protectors Club, and break the case of the "Broken Loop."

Energy Independence - It's Time for an Oil Change

Who has the oil and who uses it the most? The US only has 2 percent of the oil supply in the world, but we use 25 percent of all oil produced. Even if we begin drilling for more oil off-shore, we won't come close to meeting our current consumption needs.

To learn more about The Comprehensive American Energy and Security Consumer Protection Act, visit http://globalwarming.house.gov

The issue of Energy Independence seems a timely topic for this time of year. It's more than an issue of our environment and jobs, it's also our economy.

Helmut Kaiser Consultancy, specializing in Science and Technology research recently projected the market volume of worldwide renewable energy would increase from $96 billion (2007 figure) to nearly $200 billion by 2015.

To learn more about emerging technologies and recent news from the industry, visit the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy: http://jrse.aip.org/

Happy Independence Day!

Jatropha as a Biofuel Alternative

Jatropha is currently being tested at the Sustainable Energy Farm at Destiny. One researcher at the University of Florida recently pointed out that the plant can yield more oil than soy or corn. Many varieties of the plant aren't yet domesticated, making it difficult to have consistent yields. However, Destiny's research is focused on increasing yields.

In Southwest Florida, My Dream Fuel is working to increase jatropha tree growth for use in bio-fuel production.

"Jatropha is a perfect crop," said Dave Wolfley, a distribution manager for the company based in Fort Myers. "We have the resources to do away with importing foreign oil."

Both Continental Airlines and Air New Zealand recently ran test flights using biodiesel from jatropha. My Dream Fuel hopes to reduce cargo ship emissions by supplying Florida's maritime industry with fuel made from jatropha.

(Source: Associated Press)

To learn more about Destiny's Sustainable Energy Farm, visit: http://www.destinyflorida.com/index.php?src=gendocs&ref=energy_farm&category=Main

And, learn more about My Dream Fuel at: http://www.mydreamfuel.com

Batteries are Recyclable

While batteries of all types can be recycled, the question is where and how?

The best place to start is with your local solid waste management district or the State EPA website may also provide information.

Environment, Health and Safety Online offers several helpful resources. BestBuy, the HomeDepot, Lowe's, Office Depot, Sears, RadioShack, Staples and Target are a handful of national retailers that accept spent batteries for recycling.

To learn more, visit: http://ehso.com/ehshome/batteries.php#where2recycle

Earth911.com has some helpful tips on recycling and purchasing batteries.

Repower America

Repower America was launched last July by Al Gore with the goal of "repowering" our country with 100 percent clean power within 10 years.

Visit the site and learn how you can take action to support the creation of high-paying jobs, lower energy costs, clean domestic sources of energy, and increase clean commerce in the US.

You'll even find clean energy job profiles, resources for training and the latest news in the industry.



Destiny Florida is actively recruiting clean technology companies. To learn about our recently announced Energy Independence Park at Destiny, visit our Website.

Solar Decathlon 2009

(Pictured here is Carnegie Mellon University's 2007 Entry.)

The U.S. Department of Energy hosts the Solar Decathlon this October in Washington, DC. The Solar Decathlon is a competition between 20 teams of university students from around the world that design, build, and effectively demonstrate a solar-powered house.

Projects are judged not only on their energy efficiency, but also on aesthetics. Students must design a home from the ground up, build it, and implement functioning technologies. The teams will construct the homes on the National Mall October 8-16, creating a "Solar Village." The houses will be open to the public from October 9-13.

Universities represented include: Cornell University, Iowa State University, Penn State, Rice University, Team Alberta (University of Calgary/SAIT Polytechnic/Alberta College of Art & Design/Mt. Royal College), Team Boston (Boston Architectural College/Tufts University), Team California (Santa Clara University/California College of the Arts), Team Missouri (Missouri University of Science and Technology/University of Missouri), Team Ontario/BC (University of Waterloo/Ryerson University/Simon Fraser University), The Ohio State University, The University of Arizona, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, University of Illilois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Kentucky, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, University of Minnesota, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Virginia Tech.

See a preview of Virginia Tech' entry here: http://www.lumenhaus.com/

To learn more about the Solar Decathlon, visit: http://www.solardecathlon.org/

First Offshore Wind Leases Awarded by DOI

The US Department Interior Department for the first time awarded leases for wind power exploration off the coasts of Delaware and New Jersey. Fisherman's Energy of New Jersey LLC, Deepwater Wind LLC and Babcock & Brown's Bluewater Wind LLC are the three companies announced by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar as winning the five contracts.

Salazar called it a major step forward in President Obama's new energy frontier.

“The development of clean energy will be a major part of our economic recovery and will help lay the foundation for long-term economic security for our families, our state and our nation,” said U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ).

The final framework for states and companies with renewable energy initiatives was announced by the President and the Secretary on Earth Day, and the program becomes effective June 29.

Delmarva Power in Delware has already signed a purchase agreement with Bluewater Wind for up to 200 MW. The state's offshore wind have the potential to produce enough power to supply 1.2 to 1.5 million homes. The wind technology will be placed six to 18 miles off shore.

To learn more about the Offshore Energy & Minerals Management programs, visit: http://www.mms.gov/offshore/renewableenergy/regulatoryinformation.htm

Recycle Your Car!

The "Car Allowance Rebate System" (CARS) was signed into law by President Obama recently. CARS is a government funded program that helps individuals purchase a more fuel efficient vehicle.

First, don't try and trade in your 1960 Edsel, the trade-in must be less than 25-years old (not that anyone would trade-in an Edsel, there were only 2,856 produced that year).

You must also purchase or lease a new vehicle to qualify.

The gas-guzzling trade-in must get 18 MPG or less to qualify.

And, the car must have been registered and insured continuously a full year before the trade-in (so no junk yard trade-ins, I suppose).

Ford recently announced its roll-out of the program.

To learn more, see: http://www.cars.gov/

Green Dream Jobs

SustainableBusiness.com offers a comprehensive job search database for Green Collar™ jobs. Visit the site to post job openings or to search for your very own Green Dream Job: http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/greendreamjobs.main

The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009

The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 is now moving through the U.S. House of Representatives. According to the Sierra Club, this is the "Right Long Term Plan" that puts the U.S. on a path to cut carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050. The plan also supports energy efficient building codes including appliance and lighting guidelines.

The bill would provides funds for the development of electric vehicles, as well as capping emissions.

To read the full text of the bill (available for download), visit: http://energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1560

To learn more from the Sierra Club, visit: http://action.sierraclub.org/site/PageServer?pagename=adv_aces

Businesses, Reducing Paper Does Have An Impact.

It’s sometimes difficult for businesses to use recycled paper or reduce the amount of paper used. Higher expense is the number one reason most businesses don't use recycled paper. It is not always convenient for a busy company and for others it is the belief that their contributions will have no real impact. Regardless of the reason, rethinking the way your company buys and uses paper helps your business as well as the environment. Using less paper helps trim your bottom line through cost-cutting and efficiency. A conservation, recycling and eco-friendly paper procurement program can generate positive publicity for your company, giving your customers and clients one more reason to spend their dollars with you.

Below you will find a list of companies that committed to reducing and recycling paper and how their commitment is making a difference.

1) Since 2003, the Philadelphia Eagles football team has saved nearly 90 tons of wood from virgin forests by recycling and buying recycled paper.

2) Omaha Steaks uses 10 percent post-consumer recycled paper in the body of its catalogs and 30 percent in the covers and order forms.

3) CitiGroup has reduced overall copy paper use and converted its offices to 30 percent post-consumer recycled copy paper, saving 2,800 tons of greenhouse gases every year.

4) Bank of America has reduced the basis weight of its ATM receipts from 20 pounds to 15 pounds, Bank of America saved more than just paper; this simple move also gained the bank additional savings in transportation, storage and handling costs, to the tune of $500,000 a year.

5) Norm Thompson Outfitters is a catalog retailer mailing out about 17 billion catalogs every year -- that's nearly 60 per person in the United States -- and almost none of them use post-consumer recycled content paper. That's why company’s cutting-edge, industry-leading commitment is so valuable. Norm Thompson prints its catalogs on 10 percent post-consumer recycled paper, and has set a company goal of increasing that figure to an average of 30 percent post-consumer recycled paper before 2008. The company estimates that it has saved:
• 4,400 tons of wood per year;
• 20 billion BTUs of energy;
• 11.7 million gallons of water;
• and 990 tons of solid waste.

Fresh Farm Markets Continue Growing Trend

With citizens of our planet facing health, economy and environmental concerns, the demand for fresh farm foods is starting to rise. Bought on a local level, more and more Americans are buying produce and goods locally from fresh farm markets. Though there are many factors that could and have contributed, the benefits of buying locally are instrumental. Below we outline some of those benefits

1) Helps to support local farmers who are more likely to be stewards of their land.
2) Supports local economies.
3) Promotes and preserves our natural environment
4) Healthier food options without biologically engineered preservatives or pesticides.
5) Food prices that do not fluctuate based on rising gas prices or stock prices.
6) Less pollutants in the air by reducing the need for shipping of goods.

Despite such growing public enthusiasm, however, there are a still a number of challenges to the movement. Federal food and safety regulations cater to an industrial farm system, and are often expensive and unfriendly toward smaller farm operations. Recent food scares have also led to tightening food safety regulations, limiting what can and can't be sold on and off the farm, and how producers have to package their food. And critics question the sustainability of such a system, arguing that small farms simply cannot meet our nation's food demands efficiently.
Nonetheless, the way we eat has an enormous impact on the health of the planet. By choosing to eat lower on the food chain, and focusing on local and organic produce, we can curb global warming and air pollution, avoid toxic pesticides, support local farmers and enjoy fresh, tasty food.