Issue link: http://resourceworld.uberflip.com/i/1058321
D E C E M B E R / J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 9 www.resourceworld.com 75 The many solar panels powering the orca research laboratory, OrcaLab, on the coast of British Columbia, Canada. Photo courtesy OrCaLab. GREEN TECHNOLOGIES used by Formula 1 Racing Teams in the European Union. And, as costs come down, this fuel will be more widely available. Gevo has developed renewable carbon-based para-xylene, a key ingredient in converting petro-based polyester for fibers and bottles to 100% renewable content. This development work, sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company [KO-NYSE], and Toray Industries, Inc. [TRYIY-OTC] has proven the technology works. The company states this market will matter in the future when low-carbon chemical products and materials are valued like low carbon fuel. Gevo's raw materials suppliers, for example corn plant suppli- ers, use sustainable growing methods wherever possible, building soil quality and carbon levels. The process captures the protein produced by the plants and supplies it to the feed markets and eventually to the food markets. They separate carbohydrates from the protein and ferment it via specially designed yeast to make low-cost alcohols like ethanol, isobutanol and or higher alcohols. The alcohols can be sold directly for chemical or fuel use. Around the Luverne plant, soil carbon is increasing because farmers use sustainable farming practices. Carbon is building in the soil, while crops are growing. Healthy soil also enables renewable, sus- tainable, carbon raw materials. ORCA RESEARCH FACILITY RUNS ON SOLAR POWER Located on the coast of British Columbia, the not-for-profit OrcaLab recently made history by becoming the first Canadian orca research facility to run primarily on solar power. The facility can now examine orcas with minimal species interference. The solar project was made possible through Bullfrog Power, headquar- tered in Toronto, Ontario and their community of green energy supporters. Bullfrog is a provider of power from renewable energy sources, such as wind, low-impact hydro, and green natural gas. This is a unique use of solar power. It is not a solar- powered home or small factory – it is a research laboratory that can directly benefit the endangered orca (killer whale) population in British Columbia. As noted on the OrcaLab website, orcas in North America are facing a decline in numbers and are struggling to cope with the issues facing them. These issues include toxic contamination, noise and disturbances from boats and climate change (affecting the temperature and salinity of water, and ultimately limiting food supply). The southern pod has only 74 orcas left, according to the Center of Whale Research. This is particularly disturbing because the pod is not reproducing as it should. In 1970, Dr. Paul Spong founded OrcaLab, a small land-based whale research station near the evergreen forest of Hanson Island in the waters of the Inside Passage of northern Vancouver Island. Supplementing the acoustic data are visual sightings of orcas as they pass OrcaLab, and reports from land observation sites during the summer, as well as reports from other researchers and whale watchers who share observations and information. Since 1994, OrcaLab has operated a video monitoring station on Cracroft Point in Johnstone Strait that allows the unobtrusive collection of both surface and underwater images of orcas and other ocean life. A network of hydrophones, positioned around the orcas' "core habitat" helps the team monitor the orca's movements all year round. A network of remote video cameras streams live high-def- inition video from the orca habitat to the Internet, bringing live imagery as well as live sounds to a worldwide audience. OrcaLab's energy needs began to change as they started devel- oping the systems and capabilities to monitor the whales remotely. The goal is to get OrcaLab running on close to 100% renewable energy, using a mixture of solar panels and batteries. n