After the spam attack of last week, I’ve decided to turn on the anonymous comments feature again — at least until the next attack.

The Canadian Renewable Fuel Association, appearing before a Special Parliamentary committee studying surging gas prices, called on the federal government to mandate that all gasoline by 2010 contain 10 per cent ethanol. The group argues that embracing ethanol would provide some relief for consumers at the pumps, with the assumption obviously being that, as far as high gas prices are concerned, we ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

“A significant part of the solution to today’s high gas prices lies within our grasp,” said Kory Teneycke, executive director of the CRFA, adding that the “E10 by 2010″ initiative is a “realistic and achievable goal. It would diversify our energy supply, add to our refining capacity, and help moderate price.”

The assocation says ethanol can be easily integrated into our existing fuel infrastructure. Unfortunately, of the 40 billion litres of gasoline consumed in Canada every day only 300 million litres are renewable — less than 1 per cent. “A virtual crude monopoly and severely limited gasoline refining capacity have made Canadian consumers extremely vulnerable to disasters such as Katrina and Rita,” according to the group.

Call the group opportunistic, but the point is valid.

Vancouver-based VRB Power, maker of an innovative redox battery, has sold a 10 kilowatt-hour energy storage system to the Phil Little Design Foundation, a not-for-profit housing developer in Queensland, Australia. The unit will be delivered in January.

The system, known as the VRB-ESS, “will be installed in an energy efficient, modular, solar powered ‘kit’ home,” according to the company. “These homes which are powered by solar energy will use the VRB-ESS to provide an un-interruptible supply of electrical energy. The home contains many unique features that greatly assist in minimising the necessity for grid connections.”

For an overview of VRB, check out this post from May 05. The company has two battery technologies, both relatively “green” in design and function, that can handle different loads. Systems can be as small as 2.5 kilowatts or scale up as large as 100 megawatts, and are ideal as back-up power, time-shifting of energy use (for example, from peak to off-peak) and for providing “firm” capacity to intermittent renewable energy systems based on wind and solar. Depending on the size, the technology can appeal to individual homes or utilities and everyone in between.

“Upon successful completion of the demonstration phase of the modular solar home project, the VRB energy storage system could form a fundamental element in the commercialised final product. Where solar homes are grouped, the variable power and capacity features of VRB energy storage systems can allow for the economic interconnection of systems to accommodate flunctuating levels of power demand from home owners with differing energy use profiles,” according to the company.

Due to a major spam attack this evening, resulting in more than a hundred obscene spam comments (which I am actively deleting), I have had to disable the ability for visitors to post comments anonymously. You can still comment on my posts but will need to register, if you haven’t already. For those who visit and only intend to read my posts, this will not affect you.

Thank you.

Michigan is moving to ban Canadian garbage from the state. Considering truckloads of Toronto’s garbage flows to Michigan every day, now might be a good time for the city to look seriously at new waste-destruction systems, including plasma-based technologies. Toronto is successfully dealing with its organic waste using a combination of anaerobic and aerobic processes, but that’s not enough. Geoff Rathbone, a director of waste management with the city, told me last week there is a Plan B in the event that Michigan closes its border but that plan is so far a well hidden secret.

Closure of the Michigan border to Toronto’s garbage means it will cost the city more to find another location, meaning the economics of alternative waste-destruction systems suddenly become more favourable.