Sunday, June 1, 2008

Makin' BioDiesel and then onto Vermont!


Wow, what a busy two weeks it's been. After stopping in Atlanta to chat with The Weather Channel and then a quick stop to see an old college friend in Charlotte, I made it to a little town just southeast of Greensboro, NC, to find out first hand how biodiesel is made. The co-op is Piedmont Biodiesel (http://www.biofuels.coop), and I met some great people 'Saving the Planet, one French Fry at a Time'. There were staff, interns and local coop members eager to convert a lot of dark brown sludge into gallons of clear, yellow liquid that can power diesel engines. After two days of helping out, I received some fuel in payment and on up the road I went, to where I was raised... Vermont.


I arrived in the Green Mountain State just in time for a Memorial Day Weekend Parade, where I heard shouts of praise and cheers as the bioTrekker went smokelessly down the parade route, especially after following a group of military trucks belching black clouds of carbon monoxide as they shifted gears. I want to Thank Peter at Ehler's RV in Essex Jct., VT, for the opportunity to once again show off the bioTrekker, looking cleaner and greener than ever.


My final stop of this entry was a Reunion at my alma mater, The University of Vermont. For three days I explained how the bioTrekker was an educational platform to promote the use of biodiesel and other alternative energy solutions as well as ways to help save the environment starting right in your own home. While I was there, I met Gioia Thompson, Director, Office of Sustainability at UVM, who invited me to help her out this summer and fall to promote causes that impact positively on the environment here in Vermont, so check back for future updates!
Michael
East Coast bioTrekker