On Paper & In the Air, It Works

Paper made from wheat straw and a helicopter that flies on bio diesel. How we can reap and sow in a new renewable way, treating ourselves and our planet in an appropriate way. These developments unearthed by Ken Hickson and ABC Carbon in the past week.

Firstly, here’s the story from Nature’s Paper. I met and talked to Dean Harmon, the company’s Managing Director after I saw their display of paper from wheat at the Going Green Expo in Brisbane:

 For centuries the farmer has been using the left-over wheat straw for alternative uses. He has put a roof over his head, using it for thatch. He has fed his cattle with it during the winter months. This is a story of recycling long before the word recycle existed.

Now, more than ever, people are looking for alternative resources to replace those that are in short supply. Nature’s Paper now offers an alternative to the traditional method of paper manufacturing.  Nature’s Paper uses zero trace of wood and is produced using only wheat straw.

Nature’s Paper is 100% different and 100% equal to traditional paper. By choosing this as your everyday stock, you are choosing to save the environment and give something to future generations, without the loss of quality to your printing and copying.

Whilst you will be making a difference to the future there will be no difference to your budget. Nature’s Paper is both environmentally and economically friendly.

Nature’s Paper was an idea 12 weeks ago for a unique eco opportunity to have an environmentally friendly business running in a short time, we went from idea to graphic design to marketing to production and we had product arrive in 10 weeks. We have copyrighted Nature’s Paper and trademarked our unique name.

The process is to capture water from the roof and heat it by burning wheat husks and rice hulls. Or we use Bio Fuel to turns the turbines to make power.

Then we add the important fibre wheat straw to the heated water mix it with Sodium (Salt) not bleach or chlorine and pump in Oxygen to help whiten the paper. Then the paper is produced and cut into the required sizes. The off cuts from the paper are recycled and we produce our Boxes from the bi product from production.

Unique points

1-     The Paper Plant Electricity 80% is produced by Bio fuel  and 20% coal fired Power

2-     The Paper does not have bleach or chlorine in its process

3-     The only mill of its kind in the world

4-     The only Wheat Paper to meet the new world standard Eco Pulp and Eco Processing

Dean Harmon says:

In our modern society we are becoming more concerned with the environmental impact of our lives on the planet. With the advent of the industrial revolution we became lost in the wonders of new technology, losing sight of the wisdom of our forefathers. We have come full circle and are not trying to reduce our carbon footprint.

Natures Paper can help your business become a better corporate citizen by utilising our 100% environmentally friendly A4 copy paper. Every business uses large amounts of A4 copy paper. Here is your opportunity to use a paper which has zero wood using only wheat straw.

Even in the manufacturing process our environment has been of prime concern. The recovery boiler and the power boiler are designed for low emission. The machinery is designed with a state of the art washing and screening system to consume less water and power and have lower effluent levels.

It is an ISO 9001-2000 and OHSAS 18001-1999 system accredited company.

Source: www.naturespaper.com.au

Then Ken Hickson attended Ryan MP Michael Johnson’s Renewable & Alternative Energy Symposium in Brisbane last Sunday. (More information from www.michaeljohnsonmp.com)

The highlight was undoubtedly seeing and hearing about the Australian-made helicopter Delta D2. Not only is this the world’s first diesel-engined helicopter, it is the first to be designed to use bio-diesel as well.

To add to the aviation emphasis there was Qantas’ Head of Environment and Fuel Conservation Peter Broschofsky, with Boeing’s Brad Wheatley in support. More on what aviation is doing to reduce its emissions in another issue.

The one day symposium had a wealth of interesting presentations and a good attendance for a serious Sunday session.

In spite of the Federal Member  for O’Connor Wilson Tuckey’s propensity to politicise matters, he did give some valuable insight into his favourite renewable energy source – the tides. I can only wonder  why does he advocate such a useful renewable source of energy, when he obviously denies the human contribution to climate change and strenuously opposes both the CPRS and the Renewable Energy Targets.

Solar and wind power had a good look in, as did Sidonie Carpenter with green roofs and the Brazilian Ambassador on his country’s success with ethanol.

But let’s look in a little more detail at the helicopter fueled by bio diesel.

The history of this significant Australian aviation venture goes back six years. It owes it genesis and execution to the vision and drive of Queensland property developer Andrew Reid and his technical associate Graeme Smith.

Six years ago Andrew and his family owned and operated a large live cattle export property on Cape York Peninsular. Andrew’s long association with aviation ideally suited him to operate and fly small helicopters for cattle mustering as well as personal transport around the large property and to available nearest commercial airfields.

Andrew started with a Rotorway helicopter of which Graeme was the then Australian distributor. Months of practical experience convinced Andrew and Graeme that, after experimenting with all the then available machines, none fulfilled the variety of roles required by a large remote cattle property.

One of the costly difficulties was the securing and transporting of Avgas fuel to the property particularly to remote helicopter mustering bases.  These problems were greatly increased in prolonged rain periods when roads across the Cape where unusable. If cattle were not available due to interrupted mustering, when arranged shipping arrived at the river jetty to load live export cattle the financial cost was enormous. The experienced unreliability of the then available helicopters was an additional drawback to successfully reliable mustering.

At this time Graeme became aware of the imminent availability of a newly designed aviation specific diesel engine, built by Deltahawk diesel engines of Wisconsin USA. Analysis of the weight and performance details, combined with the simple uncomplicated construction arrangement of the Deltahawk diesel engine, convinced Graeme and Andrew that they could design and build in Australia a relatively low cost helicopter, initially at the smaller end of the helicopter market, to ideally suit country property and Australian General Aviation requirements. The result is Delta Helicopter’s beautiful looking Delta D2 helicopter, first publicly displayed at the recent Avalon Airshow.

The diesel engine solved the AV Gas availability problem since remote area properties almost always have diesel fuel available for trucks, tractors and other property equipment.

 The Delta D2 helicopter structure and systems have been completely designed by Queensland Aeronautical engineer Bill Whitney ( CAR 35 Approved ) to fully comply with all the FAA and CAR requirements for normal airworthiness category certification.

 Graeme’s styling has created a beautiful looking and very stylish helicopter. Potential customer interest at the Avalon air show was accordingly high. Several hundred requests were placed on the data base, to be kept advised of completion of test flying, confirmation of performance criteria, new developments, and first kit availability. Encouragingly these requests included several contract cattle musterers who wish to urgently fly the first demonstrator as soon as it is available.

Analysis of the present diesel fuel operating cost of the DH200VA engine run out at approximately half the comparative fuel operating cost of the comparable Lycoming  0 360 petrol engine. Similarly the anticipated overhaul cost of the much less mechanically complicated diesel engine should be only a fraction of the overhaul cost of a similar petrol power plant.

Andrew and Graeme’s Delta D2 project only needs to see the prototype pass through test flight programme without difficulty, for them to be well on the way to commercial success. It is an example of a project of entrepreneurial boldness which at the present time Australia badly needs.

 Readers seeking information on flight test results, confirmation of performance criteria and further details of Delta D2 kits, go to the website:

Source: www.deltahelicopters.com.au