Category Archives: Alternative Fuels

Sustainability: A Force for Good in our Galaxy

Posted on December 21, 2017 by Jim Dexter | Leave a comment

WRITTEN BY: Katherine Gardiner ISTC staff   You may have heard that a new Star Wars movie came out last week. If you haven’t had a chance to see it yet, don’t worry, we won’t spoil it for you. But it … Continue reading →

Symposium to explore solutions to plastic recycling in Illinois

Posted on August 18, 2017 by Elizabeth Meschewski | Leave a comment

Written by Jim Dexter   Ideas for “Revitalizing Plastics Recycling” will be the topic for a symposium hosted by the Illinois Recycling Association and the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center at the I Hotel and Conference Center on the University of … Continue reading →

Illinois Governor’s Sustainability Award, Illinois R&D Demonstrate Growing Commitment to Sustainable World

Posted on November 7, 2016 by Jim Dexter | Leave a comment

  On Friday Nov. 4, the Paris Agreement on climate change became official. The U.S., China, and 53 other nations have ratified the treaty representing half of the world’s carbon emissions.   “The politically difficult step was Paris,” said Robert … Continue reading →

It’s Not Mr. Fusion, But It’s A Whiz at Energy Production

Posted on May 16, 2016 by Jim Dexter | Leave a comment

ISTC NEWS Pairing of Waste Processing and Algae Farming Offers ‘Clean’ Energy  CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — “Mr. Sewer” is a multi-stage waste-to-biofuel production system under development by ISTC which can extract 100 percent of energy from a wide variety of wastes.   No, … Continue reading →

Sharma Named Fellow of National Engineering Society

Posted on February 15, 2016 by Jim Dexter | Leave a comment

ISTC NEWS   B.K. Sharma, senior research engineer at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, has been elected a fellow of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE).   Fellows are selected based on their significant impact on the field. … Continue reading →

What ‘Back to the Future Part II’ got wrong (and right)

Posted on October 21, 2015 by Jim Dexter | Leave a comment

Happy Back to the Future Day! ISTC Senior Research Engineer B.K. Sharma is one of the University of Illinois researchers featured in a fun roundup of predictions made for this day by the feature film 26 years ago.   The … Continue reading →

Bioenergy Investments Bode Well for Green Economic Growth

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Jim Dexter | Leave a comment

There is increasing interest in biofuels not only to lessen dependency on foreign oil but also to promote sustainable fuels and the growth of a greener economy.  ISTC’s researchers currently are exploring greener alternatives for fuels used in the automotive … Continue reading →

New book cautions against the use of invasive biomass crops

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Lauren Quinn | Leave a comment

Across the globe, efforts are being made to find sustainable, renewable, and economically-viable sources of energy. Here in the U.S., Congress passed a mandate in 2007 (the Renewable Fuel Standard, or RFS) that requires refiners to blend an increasing quantity … Continue reading →

Events Promote Sustainability Awareness at Home and Far-Far Away

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Jim Dexter | Leave a comment

Director, writer and actress Angela Sun will visit the Urbana-Champaign campus at 6 p.m. on Tues., Oct. 21 for a screening of her film “Plastic Paradise: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” The documentary records the plight of the natural ecosystem of … Continue reading →

Middle Schoolers Celebrate Clean Power on Earth Day

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Jim Dexter | Leave a comment

On Earth Day, April 22, Jefferson Middle School hosted a ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of their 3.5 kW h wind turbine project. The clean energy project was funded by the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, ISTC, and high … Continue reading →