What is Digg?Sponsored by Sony Pictures
Adam Lambert sings the 2012 theme song, "Time for Miracles" view!
whowillsurvive2012.com - Watch the Adam Lambert music video for the 2012 theme song. See 2012, in theaters Nov 13
92 Comments
- seltaeb4, on 05/01/2009, -7/+54That's 21 years away. How about 100% by 2030?
- JackGrinnan, on 05/02/2009, -3/+30A lot of things will be 33% more efficient in 2030, c'mon.
- mrshickadance9, on 05/02/2009, -4/+17cool. 2030. The polar ice will pretty much be gone by then. Lets see how many of us even remember this promise by 2030.
- Wolfcaster, on 05/02/2009, -3/+16nothing like a company predicting it's fuel percentages 21 years in advance
- Wolfcaster, on 05/02/2009, -0/+11heh, nice, i'm gonna assume that was sarcasm
- danieldantastic, on 05/02/2009, -7/+18How about 1/3 by 2013? And 100% a couple years later? Come on people, it's just chemistry.
- eco57, on 05/01/2009, -2/+9The more biofuels the better, so long as they're produced using sustainable practices. We also need a mix of high speed rail here in the US - not just for cargo, tho, obviously.
- bethaners, on 05/02/2009, -0/+7You are horrible at trolling. Try more subtlety until your skills improve.
- ThatEbayer, on 05/02/2009, -0/+6did you really just compare alternative fuels to video game systems?
- Torx, on 05/02/2009, -1/+7We'll be shipping with "Portals" by 2030.
- nurbsenvi, on 05/02/2009, -1/+61/3 junk food diet for me by 2030.
- zbeast, on 05/02/2009, -2/+7Well nice dream keep on dreaming.. the thing is part of the reason why jet engines don't melt is because
the fuel is not just a source of power it's a source of lubrication.
Try running any of the current bio fuel though an engine and you'll destroy it.
Jet engines are about 10 million each. The air force have tried running jet engines in an emergency on a bio fuel
blends but your maintenance costs skyrocket as the fuel eats and destroys parts and seals.
Thats fine for military equipment but kinds of sucks if your trying to run a business and that's your capital equipment
being disabled and its your budget that has to pay for it.
keep bio fuels out of the sky.. truck use only please. - matt2m, on 05/02/2009, -1/+6umm.. I dont know much about planes but I do know they have tank heating systems in place already.
- awseft, on 05/02/2009, -0/+4People forget that FedEx has the LARGEST widebody fleet of aircraft in the world.
Not to mention you can't develop an engine overnight. It has to be tested, then retested on an aircraft, then tested on the aircraft you want to put it on, then do trial runs. This takes a lot of time and money. - awseft, on 05/02/2009, -1/+5One third of the world LARGEST widebody fleet of aircraft is quite a feat.
You can't just slap a different engine on an aircraft. It has to go through years of testing (and TONS of $$$). - dannykeene, on 05/02/2009, -0/+4At least they are ***** trying, *****.
Jet engines are expensive as hell to engineer, building a biofuel jet engine that meets industry standards will cost millions, manufacturing 1000s of them will cost millions, fitting them in the jets will cost millions.
So, excuse the ***** out of FEDEX for not bankrupting themselves to build a billion dollar jet engine. - MAGZine, on 05/02/2009, -2/+6Exactly. Let's try not to drag our feet TOO much on the environment. We'll have something far better than what they're using by than. It's just publicity as far as I'm concerned.
- XkenX87, on 05/02/2009, -1/+5Its 21 years away. I just think they should have more advances. Compare 21 years ago with regular nintendo compared to 360, PS3 and WII
1/3 aint *****. - Synchro, on 05/02/2009, -0/+4You forget so many things in the equation. There is production, distribution etc of this new fuel. It is like saying that we should all switch to wind power. You know what one of the huge reasons we cannot do this yet is? The power grids in the US are not good enough to distribute it. You can generate all you like and it sounds great, but getting it someone who can use it is a different battle. Not to mention, generating the amount of fuel that FedEx would need is beyond the current capabilities of the next 10 years.
So step back a little and look at the bigger picture. For a company that size, with a fleet that size, with that much fuel consumption around the world, this is a good goal. They can possibly beat the goal set of 2030, but why give a too aggressive schedule and set yourself up for failure. The goal they are setting up is achievable. Plain and simple. It is going to take a long time for the infrastructure to be in place to produce and distribute in a cost effective way to fill the needs of a company like FedEx.
I do not hear Obama saying anything about the US Government fleet of vehicle running biofuels for 100% of their needs any time soon. It just is not feasible. - BossKey, on 05/02/2009, -0/+3You failed to notice that algae was mentioned in the article twice.
- inactive, on 05/02/2009, -5/+8i thought we didn't like biofuels anymore?
- Arkyll, on 07/16/2009, -3/+6One step closer, thanks for taking the lead Fedex!
- Aidanjalali, on 05/02/2009, -2/+5Yeah, I was under the impression that the damage to the environment caused by destroying the crops for biofuel and shipping it, was more that it was worth. Perhaps just a piece of propaganda I picked up :S
EDIT: Ahh, this is where I must have seen it: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5369284.stm
The disadvantages of biofuel seem to be almost as prominent as the advantages... - etatheta, on 05/02/2009, -0/+3The algae process is not in mass production and is still under development. As of now 95% of all bio fuels in production are created from corn, soybeans and other food products.
- awseft, on 05/02/2009, -0/+3@matt2m: No, we heat fuel right before it gets to the engines. Not in the tank.
Xken: See my other post. - FAT_PIGGY, on 05/02/2009, -0/+3Green nut jobs are never satisfied.
- loneraven, on 05/02/2009, -1/+4Well, the real solution is build an engine that doesn't succumb to those effects. You can't just expect to retrofit a current engine that runs on standard jet fuel to run with biofuel and expect it to work well.
You have to build a brand new engine from the ground up with the intention of running biofuel. - sodade, on 05/02/2009, -1/+4Algae biofuels are not the same as corn based.
- Synchro, on 05/02/2009, -0/+3The fact that companies like this are even having this discussion and taking a public stand is HUGE. 5 years ago this would have been unimaginable. So lets all settle down. The technology, resources, production and distribution needed to achieve the goal FedEx has laid out are not there yet. Like I said, the very fact that large companies like FedEx are even having this disucssion and willing to put their money where their mouth is, is a humongous step forward. Lets see what they do over time.
Now if the US federal government would take such a public stand and put some real dollars behind it,from the stimulus monies, well then, perhaps we might get there sooner. What we need is a Manhattan project style initiative to get off the Oil standard. Obama wants to show some real leadership? Set a goal of cutting the US's fossil fuel consumption is 10 years by 30%. Put 100 Billion into research and development on the means to produce and distribute the stuff. By the end of that 10 years we would have cleaner energy, less dependence on the middle east and have something to show for it all. If GW Bush had been a real leader, he would have done this just after 9/11. Every time you fill up your car, you support terrorism.
So I call on Obama to make as bold of a statement as the CEO of FedEx. - jasdf, on 05/02/2009, -1/+3With the money spent on the "stimulus" we could have transitioned to almost 100% renewable power in this country. The work created by this would have itself stimulated the economy and we would actually have something to show for it.
- syclonefx, on 05/02/2009, -3/+5By 2030? By 2030 the aliens should have come to earth and given us all their technology. We should have teleportation devices to send our packages by then.
- feezus, on 05/02/2009, -4/+6That's an odd statement from one of McCain's top supporters and economical advisors. I would have expected him to aim for 1/3 of the fleet to be powered by clean coal technology instead.
- sodade, on 05/02/2009, -1/+3Just think of the trillions we have dumped into counter-productive military spending over the past 60 years and what that money could have bought us instead...
- Ellrick, on 05/02/2009, -3/+5How inspiring. Did Fedex think this would be good PR?
- consciouseffect, on 05/02/2009, -0/+2they better not put food in the tanks or i might just have to go terrorist on their asses
- Barackalypse, on 05/02/2009, -0/+2Fedex should be concentrating on how they can move packages via the fastest and/or most economical method, not locking themselves in to using a specific fuel 21 years from now.
- TheOrion, on 05/02/2009, -0/+2Yes, I completely agree with you, but that article is specific to bioethanol. There are other crops that can be more efficiently converted into biofuels. For more information take a look at the pros and cons of creating biofuels from different resources.
http://www.seattlepi.com/dayart/20080503/biofuels_ ... - inactive, on 05/02/2009, -1/+3A huge waste of time, effort, money and safety.
- Ciryon, on 05/02/2009, -0/+2Who the hell are digging you guys down. It's an important discussion
- purpledoc, on 05/02/2009, -2/+4It really takes a very special set of chromosomal abnormalities to produce someone as stupid as you...
- gacorley, on 05/02/2009, -0/+2Corn ethanol does present serious environmental and social impacts. But there are technologies being researched that don't have so much of an impact. Algae and various grasses are being investigated that will use land and water resources that aren't suitable for food farming. In the end, no solution will be perfect, we just need to work out what solutions present the lowest risk for the greatest reward.
- kalkin, on 05/02/2009, -2/+42030 is probably the year after the current CEO plans to retire
- awseft, on 05/02/2009, -1/+3See my other comment. Also, learn about the stringent standards that need to be met before ANYTHING can be installed on an aircraft.
- rrouse, on 05/02/2009, -0/+2I'm surprised they can plan that far ahead.
"Man makes plans and God laughs" - meangreenbean, on 05/02/2009, -0/+2After looking at his name and his comments on other things i don't think it is.
But I half agree, I'm only 21 and 2030 is 21 years away, they are just blowing smoke up our tailpipes.
The part I don't agree with is "greenie-loving ***** gets you sent to hell".
I thought that hippies and tree huggers have guaranteed ticket into heaven. - dannykeene, on 05/02/2009, -0/+21/3 is better than none at all, at least they are taking steps unlike ANYONE else in the indusrty
- Super6, on 05/02/2009, -0/+2As someone who drops $1500 a month on shipping I only care if this makes fedex any cheaper, which I doubt it will even though they're already the most expensive of the big 3.
- whatignorance, on 05/02/2009, -1/+3Troll fail.Though I do like the concept that being an environmentalist is somehow against God's wishes
- pwnsey, on 05/02/2009, -0/+1Sick BRO!
- aekdbbop, on 05/04/2009, -0/+1the data was from the snow and ice data center in Boulder..
-
Show 51 - 96 of 96 discussions
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is 