Postal Service & Watermelon Fuel

The U.S. Postal Service delivers a report on greenhouse gas emissions.

This is The Environment Report. I’m Lester Graham.

The post office are the first government agency to report how much of the
global warming gases it emits. Five-point-three metric tons a year.

It plans to reduce emissions by 20-percent by the year 2020.

Sam Pulcrano is the Vice President of Sustainability at the Postal Service.
He says the plan is in the next six years to cut fuel consumption by
20-percent and energy use by 30-percent. Some post offices are
closing—that’ll certainly cut energy use. And… it’s already doing
energy audits of the 500 largest postal facilities.

“And where it makes business sense, we’re replacing things like roofs,
the HVAC systems, replacing windows with more energy efficient windows and
lighting with high-efficiency lighting.”

LG: There’s been some consideration of eliminating Saturday delivery.
Is that figured into your calculations on reducing greenhouse gases?

“It will if and when Congress gives us the ability to do so.”

The Postal Service is getting no stimulus money for retrofitting its
federal buildings to make them more energy efficient. It’s all going to
be done with the revenue it makes when you buy a postage stamp.

(((STING)))

This is The Environment Report.


EVERY YEAR IN THE U.S., MORE THAN 750 MILLION POUNDS OF WATERMELON ROT AWAY
IN THE FIELDS because they’re damaged goods. BUT NOW Gail Banzet has the
story of SCIENTISTS IN OKLAHOMA who ARE WORKING ON A WAY TO USE them as
fuel.

GROWERS SAY IT WAS A PRETTY FAIR SEASON FOR WATERMELONS IN 2009. A LOT OF
RIPE, JUICY MELONS WERE ENJOYED DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, BUT EVERY YEAR,
20 PERCENT OF A THE CROP NEVER MAKES IT TO BUYERS.

NAT SOUND OF DRIVING …

RESEARCH CHEMIST WAYNE FISH STEERS HIS TRUCK AROUND THE USDA’S
AGRICULTURE RESEARCH LABORATORY IN LANE, OKLAHOMA.

NAT SOUND OF WAYNE DRIVING UP TO FIELD … “THIS IS WHAT GETS PLOWED BACK
INTO THE FIELD …”

THERE ARE 320 ACRES OF DIFFERENT CROPS AND VEGETABLES HERE, AND ONE ACRE IS
DEDICATED TO WATERMELONS. WORKERS HAVE ALREADY PICKED THE GOOD ONES. THOSE
THAT ARE LEFT ARE DISCOLORED, MISSHAPEN OR DAMAGED BY RACOONS OR BIRDS.

NAT SOUND OF LOOKING AT WATERMELONS … “THERE’S ONE WHERE A CROW HAS
PECKED ON IT …” “THAT MELON IS OVER-RIPE SO IT HAS TWO STRIKES
AGAINST IT.”

BUT WAYNE FISH SAYS THAT WATERMELON CAN STILL BE USED.

“IT’LL STILL MAKE ETHANOL FINE.” (FISH) 10

FOUR YEARS AGO, THE NATIONAL WATERMELON ASSOCIATION STARTED STUDYING THE
ETHANOL POTENTIAL OF WATERMELON SUGARS. WHEN THE PROJECT SHOWED FAVORABLE
RESULTS, A TRIAL PROCESS BEGAN AT THE RESEARCH STATION IN OKLAHOMA. BOB
MORRISSEY IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL WATERMELON ASSOCIATION.

“IF YOU’VE GOT THAT FULLY DEVELOPED WATERMELON THERE, IT HAS ALL OF THE
COMPONENTS – THE WATER, THE SUGAR AND THE FIBER TO CREATE ETHANOL.”
(MORRISSEY) 8

THERE ARE A LOT OF GROWERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO ARE WORRIED ABOUT WASTING
MELONS. JIM MOTES IS FROM OKLAHOMA. EVEN THOUGH HE’S NOT A HUGE FARMER,
HE SAYS HE’S ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO MAKE THE MOST OF HIS CROP.

“IF THEY CAN FIND A LARGE ENOUGH QUANTITY TO MAKE IT EFFICIENT, THEN
IT’S A GOOD IDEA BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF WATERMELONS LAYING THERE WHEN
THE FIELD DISKED UP THAT OUGHT TO FIND SOME USE.” (MOTES) 13

RESEARCHERS SAY WATERMELON ETHANOL IS DRAWING A LOT OF ATTENTION. A
TEXAS-BASED COMPANY COMMON SENSE AGRICULTURE IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON A
MOBILE UNIT THAT WOULD PROCESS THE MELON SUGARS AND PRODUCE ETHANOL RIGHT
IN THE FIELD. FOR THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT, I’M GAIL BANZET.