Geothermal energy the cheapest; Electric cars greenest; Biobutanol better than ethanol; Fuel Cell Plane; Tagging technology to track trash

Geothermal energy the cheapest. An NYU Stern study says geothermal energy is the cheapest renewable energy out there, and could compete with coal with about $3.3 billion in government research funding. Now that is an investment worth making!

Sorry, critics — electric cars really are greener. This is a great explanation of why electric cars are greener than ones powered by fossil fuels, and why every car should be an EV.

First Fuel Cell Plane Takes Off. The Antares DLR-H2 is the world’s first manned plane powered fully-powered by fuel cell technology. Cruising range was recorded at 750 kilometers within a span of five hours, and the plane can exhibit speeds reaching 105 mph.

Biobutanol Creeps Toward the Market. A type of fuel once used in Japanese aircraft during World War II is slowly making its way again toward the market, and its backers say that it will work better in automobiles than ethanol. BP and DuPont want to bring it to market by 2013. The fuel is made from butyl alcohol derived from plant materials rather than fossil fuels.

Tagging technology to track trash. The ebb and flow of thousands of pieces of household rubbish are to be tracked using sophisticated mobile tags. It is hoped that making people confront the final journey of their waste will make them reduce what they throw away. Initially, 3,000 pieces of rubbish, donated by volunteers, will be tagged in New York, Seattle and London. Would you want your trash followed? I would – if only it would make people buy and throw away less!