O2 Brings Crew to Sustainable Biofuel Summit

The biofuel movement is at a critical turning point, with national demand surpassing supply and more & more people turning toward renewable fuels. Biodiesel production in the U.S. tripled in 2005. But what is really “renewable” or “sustainable”? Are GMO fuel crops or plantations in rainforest clearcuts sustainable? Is “Big Ag” preferable to “Big Oil”? Is petrol diesel blended with 2%, 5%, or 20% biodiesel a renewable “alternative fuel”?

This week, many leaders in the rapidly expanding grassroots biodiesel industry came together in San Diego for a Sustainable Biodiesel Summit to discuss topics like these.

Joining us on the bus for the ride down to the summit from the Bay Area were Charris Ford “the Granola Ayatollah of Canola” (Grassolean Solutions), actress and biofuel activist Daryl Hannah, SarahHope Smith and Melissa Hardy of the Biofuel Oasis, Trevitt Schultz and Steve O’Shea of Unifried and the People’s Fuel Co-op, Christopher Murphy of the Sonoma County Biodiesel Co-op, Jora Roussopoulos of Mountain Feed & Farm near Santa Cruz, some other friends and a professional film crew.

Super Bowl Sunday we attended the National Biodiesel Board conference, also in San Diego. “The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) is the national trade association representing the biodiesel industry as the coordinating body for research and development in the United States.” The NBB was founded by soy farmers in the Midwest, and is driven by large seed and chemical companies and petroleum distributors who blend the fuel with regular diesel. These companies in turn drive national biodiesel legislation with their powerful lobbies.

This is the third year the grassroots biodiesel summit has been planned to complement the NBB conference and influence the direction of biodiesel production, regulation, and use. This year’s theme is “Sustainability and Localization of the Biodiesel Industry.”

"As we look to solutions for a solvent energy future, we need to see the sustainable choices available to us. The first choice is reducing our consumption of fossil fuels; second is using appropriate renewable energy sources like biodiesel,” said Kimber Holmes, the Executive Director of the Biodiesel Council of California, whose mission is to inspire socially, economically, and ecologically sustainable development of the biodiesel industry in California. “The BCC is pleased to help further the efforts of the grassroots biodiesel community by hosting the Sustainable Biodiesel Summit. Our goal is that together we will continue to develop a decentralized biodiesel industry based on local feedstocks, production, and distribution."

It has been inspiring to see the discussions unfold this weekend as small business owners, producers, distributors, and educators ask questions about the future of biodiesel and the sustainability movement. Should the grassroots biodiesel community integrate with the NBB and corporate industry, or maintain an autonomous voice and decentralized economy? Should we emphasize using 100% biodiesel fuel, or try to spread the available fuel as a blend throughout diesel fuel? What do current regulations allow, and how can we push forward regulations that support sustainable solutions and ensure quality fuel?

In an exciting wrap up session, groundwork was laid to create an alternative certification process and resource network based on the principles of sustainability and the goal to truly kick the petroleum habit. Now that the NBB and petroleum distributors have co-opted the name “biodiesel” as any blend of biofuel with regular diesel fuel, and Bush is giving his corporate allies the green light to develop “national energy security,” this alternative biofuel network will be a crucial resource for the future.

Of course, networking with old friends and new allies is a big part of a gathering like this. Priscilla, as always, provides the space to catalyze experiments in interpersonal alchemy.

As we traveled down from Oakland, we stopped at the Mountain Farm & Feed store in Ben Lomond, CA, where Jora Roussopoulos is supplying his community with biodiesel out of a solar-powered pump. That night, we stopped to sleep on the beach outside of LA, and met up with Daryl Hannah and the Kopali Organics bus, which has been promoting their conscious fair trade products from family farms in Costa Rica at Whole Foods stores. Operated by the Sustainable Solutions Caravan crew that has traveled from California to Costa Rica twice on straight vegetable oil, this bus opens the eyes and minds of shoppers who are entertained in the parking lot by educational puppet shows and demonstrations. Also on board were our old friends and supporters from Ashland, .

The next morning, we caravanned through Malibu with the two buses and Daryl Hannah’s black biodiesel El Camino. We visited a deserted gas station in LA that will soon become the nation’s first “Grassolean” station, offering a variety of renewable fuels and organic foods while using mushrooms to bioremediate the toxic remains of the previous inhabitants.

Saturday night at the conference, o2 musicians Becky White & Nathan Pundt played for a pumped up audience of greasers eager to make merry after a long day of presentations and discussions. The Big Tadoo Puppet Crew performed a medley of puppet theater and Charris Ford shared his eco-rap poetics.
As this update was written in the lobby of the hotel that is hosting the conference, people gathered around the TV to watch Daryl Hannah live on Fox News, promoting sustainable living and renewable fuels.

We are happy to continue being a part of this exciting movement to create earth-friendly fuels by & for the people!

Posted by laurel at February 10, 2006 02:01 PM | Category(s): Sustainable Biofuel