Rotten Apples Could Be Good For Your Car
An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Or so the saying goes, for us humans at least.
But how about cars?
If you think that fruits are good for humans (and living things in general) only, think again. Turns out that our adage for the benefits of the good apple – the rotting apple that is, can now also apply to cars – to keep it running and in shape.
For a time it was only gasoline and diesel when it came to powering cars. Then came hybrids, which powered cars via a combination of a small fuel-efficient gas engine and an electric motor for a more fuel-efficient and earth-friendly ride. There’s also ethanol fuel, another popular alternative against the “environmentally evil” gasoline and petroleum fuels. And then there are the weirder alternatives: burger grease, orange juice, hemp – even something called Jatropha Curcas seeds. We’ve all seen or heard about these things.
So what about rotting apples?
Let’s take a look at Somerset farmer Henry Hobson’s story: The man converted his Jaguar XJ6 to run off methane produced from the decomposing fruit in his orchard.
Methane you see, is a good thing. A combustible gas, it can be obtained in two ways -- extracted from the earth’s crust in the form of natural gas, or from waste sludge and biological waste as biogas. The great thing about it is that compared to carbon dioxide emissions, which contribute to the greenhouse effect, methane is about 25% lower than when running on petrol. Biogas forms part of the natural ecocycle and therefore makes a zero net contribution to the greenhouse effect.
So you see exactly what a bright idea this one really is.
According to a report from Topgear, the science is simple enough: Hobson fills two underground tanks with apples from his 10,000-tree orchard, and adds a soupcon of bacteria from cows' intestines (yes, you did not read that wrong) to help the rotting along.
The gas emitted from the decomposition is then filtered through water to remove the sulphur and carbon dioxide, leaving Hobson with lots of pure methane, which also means lots of cheap fuel.
Hobson, discounting the £3,000 it cost to convert his Jag and its Jaguar XJ6 parts– says that the shift saves him more than two grand every year on fuel costs. As an added bonus, his XJ6 is putting out about 10 per cent more power at very similar fuel economy compared to before.
So are we going to see good ol’ apples powering our future cars anytime soon?
According to Hobson, methane is 10 times more efficient to produce than bio-diesel. And, as well as presumably filling the air with the sweet smell of home-brew, his fuel has the advantage of keeping the doctor well away.
Sounds good, doesn’t it? If only all of us had orchards in our backyards like Mr. Hobson.
Third Annual Nissan Student Government Leadership Program All Set
On July 29 – August 2 this year, sixty Student Government Presidents from the country's historically black colleges and universities will gather in Jackson, Mississippi for the third annual Nissan Student Government Leadership Program (NSGLP). The program will be held on the campus of Tougaloo College, with nationally-recognized speakers coming to participate and share their wisdom regarding leadership.
The Nissan program exposes SGA Presidents to a curriculum designed for young executives entering corporate America and continues to highlight Nissan's commitment to HBCUs and the world's future leaders. Its overwhelming success has prompted the company to once again offer this leadership experience which helps participants firmly position themselves as leaders on their campuses and in their personal and professional communities.
"The Nissan Student Government Leadership Program is an outstanding hands-on opportunity for college leaders to prepare for corporate leadership. We have gathered some of the brightest minds in the country to design a program that is meaningful and has high impact for the student participants," Stephanie Valdez Streaty, Nissan North America Sr. Manager, Philanthropy & Diversity Communications and the team leader for the NSGLP said.
Speakers who have confirmed attendance to the 2007 program include: Valerie Montgomery Rice, M.D., nationally renowned educator, clinician and researcher in women's reproductive health at Meharry Medical College School of Medicine, Reverend Dr. Nelson Rivers - corporate Chief Operating Officer of the NAACP, Gregory Anderson, writer of the No. 1 Box Office Hit "Stomp the Yard" and former NSGLP corporate participant and American Idol Winner Ruben Studdard.
Invitations for the program have been extended to all HBCUs across the country. But only the first 60 schools to return completed forms will be accepted into each all-expense-paid NSGLP session.
To get more information about the Nissan Student Government Leadership Program visit their website at http://www.nissansglp.com/ or contact Jocelyn R. Coleman at 336-558-8063 or Phanalphie Rhue or at 336-884-0744.
About the Nissan Student Government Leadership Program
In August 2005, Nissan North America, Inc. launched the pilot session of the NSGLP. The innovative leadership development program includes leadership sessions, experiential exercises, nationally-recognized speakers as well as activities which will enhance the student's self-awareness, self-management, social-political awareness and interpersonal relationships. These aspects coupled with networking opportunities with Nissan executives, facilitators and government leaders; create a solid foundation for a successful career in Corporate America and beyond.
About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. More information on Nissan in North America – maker of top of the line Nissan and Infiniti vehicles and auto parts like Nissan truck parts can be found online at http://www.nissannews.com/ and http://www.infiniti.com/.
GM Sales Plunge for June
General Motors Corp. has reported Tuesday a 24 percent drop in June sales, becoming the automaker with the biggest monthly decline as U.S. automakers continue to lose share and overall vehicle sales because of the surging gas prices and a weak housing market.
GM’s Detroit neighbors also had sales going down. Ford’s sales were down 11 percent, while Chrysler's fell 5 percent. Both declines by the loss-making Detroit-based automakers proving true the expectations of some analysts as the industry closed out a weak second quarter.
While sales for Detroit-based automakers slipped for June, rival import automakers reported a positive turnout with Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. all gaining ground after taking the unusual step of increasing spending on showroom discounts.
Sales for Nissan- also maker of top of the line Nissan Altima parts, were also up several notches, in fact, to an industry-leading 18 percent. Fellow Japanese automakers Toyota and Honda reported gains of 6 percent and 7 percent, respectively.
Overall, the first-half sales were down 1.5 percent for the industry. Toyota however, bucked the downtrend with a 9 percent gain over the six-month period, putting it ahead of Ford for the U.S. market's No. 2 spot after outselling GM in the passenger cars segment.
Toyota’s aggressive discounting of its new Toyota Tundra -- offering zero-percent financing and cash rebates on its all-new full-size pickup truck in June and causing sales to double, has successfully rattled its rival automakers in Detroit.
According to industry data, GM paid the price for being the only major automaker to throttle back on incentive spending compared with May. GM sales analyst Paul Ballew attributed GM's shortfall to lost sales as its own all-new Silverado truck went head-to-head against the heavily subsidized Tundra.
Toyota for its part said that playing hardball with Tundra pricing was not a move to signal a shift for a company better known for controlling supply and allowing hot-selling models like the hybrid Prius to command a premium, but rather, was just a response to a tough market.
Surging gasoline prices at $3 per gallon in the United States, sales gains for passenger cars, and the shift by American consumers to more-fuel-efficient car-based crossover vehicles over light trucks, also did not help make things better for the troubled Detroit automakers. These factors however, greatly favored the Japanese car makers.
Nissan, for instance, recorded a 76 percent jump in sales of its Altima sedan. Honda saw a 34 percent jump in sales of its competing Civic.
