Why go electric?

I spent another $50 earlier this week to have the Toyota dealership service my Prius. Normally, this doesn't bother me too much, but the charge came just after finding the "Service" section of the Tesla Roadster entry while browsing Wikipedia:

Electric vehicles require much less service and maintenance than internal combustion engine vehicles. They do not require routine oil changes. They do not have any tailpipe emissions and therefore do not require any muffler or exhaust system work. They do not require replacement spark plugs, pistons, hoses or belts. The conventional parts of the car—including the brakes, body work and any interior and HVAC work—can be performed by any qualified automotive technician.

I already know that I can't fit into a Tesla Roadster, but the Model S could be my option for breaking free of auto maintenance costs forever. That, and instant torque propelling a sedan from 0-60 in 5.6 seconds!

Rainier Biogas gets carbon offset support courtesy of NativeEnergy

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt., March 22, 2011 — A project in Washington State will support local dairy farms and reduce approximately 4,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year. eBay, Stonyfield Farm, Brita, and Effect Partners are enabling this project through the purchase of NativeEnergy’s "Help Build" carbon offsets.

Conventionally, manure storage on dairy farms results in the release of methane, a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than CO2, into the atmosphere. The Rainier Farm Biogas Project in Enumclaw, WA, will avoid this pollution through the construction of a manure digester.

Three family-owned farms will feed their manure to the sealed, heated system. None of the farms is large enough to support a digester by itself, but through collaboration, they can jointly support it. The digester will capture and burn the methane to produce electricity in a 1-megawatt electric generator, which will deliver renewable energy to the region’s electrical grid.

The developer, Rainier Biogas LLC, turned to NativeEnergy to help provide financing for the project. By selling the carbon reductions that will result from the digester, NativeEnergy was able to provide critical upfront funding for construction. Through NativeEnergy’s innovative "Help Build" carbon offsets, eBay, Stonyfield Farm, Brita, and Effect Partners were able to purchase a share of the verified emissions reductions that the project will produce over a 10-year period.

Jeff Bernicke, President of NativeEnergy, said: “This project shows that, through a cooperative effort, our "Help Build" carbon offsets bring new carbon reduction projects on line.

Kevin Maas of Rainier Biogas, the project developer, noted: “Everyone in the community will benefit from this project. It will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect the area’s sensitive rivers and streams, and provide low-cost bedding for local farmers.”

To learn more, view the Rainier project page.

About Native Energy

NativeEnergy is a leading provider of verified carbon offsets and renewable energy credits. NativeEnergy’s "Help Build" carbon offsets help finance the construction of Native American, family farm, and community-based carbon reduction projects. For more information, visit: www.nativeenergy.com.

About Rainier Biogas

Plugging into the century-old dairy community nestled at the foot of Mount Rainier, Rainier Biogas is the third anaerobic manure digester developed in Western Washington by Farm Power Northwest. The two previous projects improve manure handling on partner farms while each producing up to 750kW of electricity. Rainier Biogas is proud to commit to more long-term investment and cooperation with the family-run dairy farms in the Pacific Northwest. For more information, visit www.farmpower.com.

CONTACT:  NativeEnergy Contact:
     Thomas H. Rawls
     VP, Sales & Marketing
     802-861-7707 x215
     tom.rawls@nativeenergy.com

     Rainier Biogas Contact:
     Kevin Maas
     360-424-4519
     farmpowernw@gmail.com