The Scolded Blogger

I've been informed by a couple readers that I am not a very prolific blogger on this site. I have to agree. Because most of my blogging has been reserved for the "Recent Articles" at the homepage of bioTrekker.com, I only use this site for content that might not be quite suitable for kids or content that isn't as professionally written. I do a lot of talking to younger audiences, and didn't want to feature anything off color on the main page, so I opened this blogger account just in case I felt like saying something off color. Also, as someone who gets paid to write and tends to be extremely anal as far as editing goes, sometimes it's nice to completely forget about that internal editor and let the free thought rambling go on without worries. The truth is, though, it's really difficult to write something without taking the time to go back through and edit it, so the free thought blog idea has become a casualty of that fact.

Excuse number two: As sad as this is, because I don't get paid for any of the writing or design work on this website, and in fact, because I'm spending money to do it, it sometimes becomes a lower priority than the things that do pay the bills. For those who would like to change that, you can email me to arrange an address to send checks. : ) Or ... send in your own articles about biodiesel and renewable energy, even if they're articles you haven't written. I'll post them here if they're good!

I admit that I'm getting a bit defensive here, but it tends to happen when you throw all of yourself into a project with a big scope while already working a full-time job, and then catch a little heat because you aren't providing daily updates. (Maybe I'm stretching it here, it has been four months.)

I am honored that people are reading the site and would like more content, and I'll be doing my best to continually improve on what I've got. The experiences have been coming at me faster than I can write them down, so there is definitely a delay, but this fall and winter I'd like to take the time to slow down and catch up.

In the meantime, my immediate future plans are to set the wheels down in my homebase of Portland, Oregon while I work to get more partners involved with the Eco-RV project, especially an RV manufacturer. I'd like to organize a team of local Northwest folks to work with me on this project to amplify the volume, and I'll be posting the specific needs I have in the near future.

Once a manufacturer is on board, I will probably sell the existing bioTrekker motorhome, because ideally, I'd like to see an Eco-RV built from the chassis up. If we need to do a retrofit, that's definitely possible, but I would rather start with a slightly smaller, more fuel efficient model. My current mileage in a 34-foot diesel is 10 to 13 mpg, but I'd prefer to have something between 20 and 25 feet that gets better than 15 mpg.

After a year on the road in the bioTrekker, I have a much better idea for my own RVing preferences, as well as my limits. Turning this Eco-RV project into a team project is something that is a necessity in order to see it finished correctly, so that's what I'll be setting out to do. With Nash Evans from Rocky Mountain Institute on board, I have a great start, but the more help we get, the more impressive the Eco-RV prototype will be once it's finished.

So, to those who wrote and asked, "what's up with the blog?" thank you for lighting a fire under my ass. To be honest, in the age of YouTube, I wasn't sure if people still read these things. Now that I know you are, I'll make sure to bring on the updates.

There's No Place Like The Road

We are in Kansas, Toto. It's the Wakarusa music and camping festival set in beautiful Lawrence, Kansas. We've got a crack team of biodiesel advocates: Allison, Nash, and three new friends, Theresa, Suzy and Kenny. The weather is fine and the festival folk are friendly, although we've had a couple stumblers walk up. One girl looked at the biodiesel samples and thought we were selling apple juice. Another late-nighter walked up to Allison and said, "Will it make me go 'vroom?'” Wobble, wobble, wobble. “Will you go 'vroom' with me?"

Tomorrow, we'll do some hands-on demonstrations and make some biodiesel batches with the leftover grease from the vendor tents selling curly fries and coney dogs and funnel cakes. Mmmmm. There will definitely be photos to follow.

Lovin' Lovins

One of my newest heroes plays with Orangutans. In addition to being an advocate for 'higher primates,' Amory Lovins is one of the foremost energy experts and renewable energy advocates in the country -- he's written several visionary books and founded the Rocky Mountain Institute, which I recommend everyone have a look at online. There are some amazing things happening at this place.

Lovins house near Carbondale, Colorado is also an amazing example of the possible. I just parked the 'trekker there for a few days to visit my latest business partner and 'brother in bio' Nash Evans, who is the in-house contractor at RMI. The house is 4,000 square feet and has an average utility bill of $5 a month. It's an earth bermed building with an indoor greenhouse that acts as a passive solar heater. It also has several enormous solar PV arrays, and solar thermal hot water heating. There's an indoor stream and koi pond (with turtle!) a hot tub, an enormous energy efficient fridge, etc. Basically, it's the kind of house I've been building in my mind for several years now. It's also got a 500-year life span. I did get some photos, which I'll be posting soon, but the house is being remodeled, so it doesn't look quite as beautiful as it will in a year.

Lovins' residence also serves as an office for RMI employees, and will soon re-open to the public for tours. It's a huge inspiration, and I'd recommend it (and all of Lovins' work) to anyone who is looking for an example of uplifiting human progress.

If We Have to Hear About Hilton

I don’t seek celebrity news and gossip, and I avoid most traditional news outlets, but I can’t avoid knowing about the latest saga of Paris Hilton. It could be infuriating if it weren’t so amazing. Maybe she’s really got the heart of Mother Theresa, or maybe she’s the antichrist in Gucci. I don’t know, and — until the day that Paris Hilton rescues my grandmother from drowning or is elected head-of-state, forms an army and organizes mass genocide — I don’t care.

Still, this celebrity stuff has a way of finding us all. Even if you politely ask the clowns to leave, the mainstream circus sets up the big top right outside your door and parades the screaming chimps along your porch rails until you pay attention. Somewhere, on an island off the coast of Indonesia, there’s a man in a loincloth eating roasted insects who knows that Britney Spears shaved her head.

Like Arnold the Governator, I also feel that I have “more important things to do,” than to closely follow the misdemeanors of the rich and famous. Some people think they deserve it, but I feel like it’s bad karma to revel in the low points of someone else’s life. I definitely wouldn’t have wanted press coverage during my early twenties.

But if we have to know about it, here is a very serious suggestion for the entourage of Paris Hilton or those in charge of her legal fate. If the point of her jail sentence is to make her feel like someone who doesn’t have millions of dollars in a bank account, it won’t be effective. Until the day that Paris Hilton is magically transformed into a poverty-stricken racial minority or someone born to a homeless mother or someone sexually abused by foster parents, she’ll never know how it feels to live like “the other half.”

Instead of trying to erase her fame and fortune with a 45-day jail sentence, why not put it to good use for a cause that serves her community and the world? Here is a recommendation for alternative sentencing that would do just that: Require Ms. Hilton to become a spokesperson for environmental building practices, greenhouse gas reduction and clean, renewable energy for one year. Just imagine the world stage you could create for spreading awareness of these serious issues.

First, Ms. Hilton could do this by spending her money to build a zero-energy hotel and conference center, featuring green building materials and the latest solar technology for heating and cooling. You could require that she organize renewable energy rallies to help pay for the project and mandate that a percentage of the profits return to the community. Second, she could be required to use only biofueled transportation. In fact, once she does return to driving, I know someone who can set her up a Porsche to run on 100 percent ethanol. But then she’d probably have to fund an ethanol station in Hollywood to fuel it.

There are some celebrities out there, like Darryl Hannah, who have chosen to focus their limelight in a way that also serves others. Rather than spanking those who don’t by trying to make them feel poor, doesn’t it make more sense to help them direct their considerable resources and popularity in positive ways? Rather than wishing the mainstream media outlets would give more attention to critical world issues and less to celebrity hairstyles, why not commandeer one of their favorite targets and do it for them?

April Absence

I know. I missed April entirely on the blog. No quotes from street walkers. No men in panties and cowboy boots. No close calls with semis. I'll do better in the future, I promise. In fact, soon I'll regale you with the dumbest maneuver a man has ever pulled in a motorhome. If you like narrowly averted disasters, you'll love this.

For the next month, I'll be catching up in my home base of Portland, Oregon. Doing some writing, waterfall hiking and overall maintenance before leaving on a summer concert tour in June. Anyone going from Portland to the Sasquatch Festival, the Wakarusa Festival near Kansas City or the Bonnaroo Festival in Tennessee, let me know. Rides are available.

Check out the updated Links section on the website, or if you're in the mood to advertise, check out the latest ebay auction by clicking here. Biodiesel doesn't pay for itself you know.

Midwest Madness

Wisconsin has been great for the last week -- full of cold, sunny weather and a lot of new friends. It's a beautiful, bucholic country up this way. Red barns, big silos and rolling pastures around every bend. It makes me want to eat cheese. The kids at Webster Elementary were amazing and we had fun singing the new "Biodiesel, It's My Fuel" song I've been working on. Look for it on MTV very soon.

Allison toured me around the area and I got to meet some of the family, including Mugga, who is not a fan of French Onion Dip. I also witnessed the untimely end of an opossum at the paws of Major, talked about the A-team with Dell, leafed through old photos with Dave and Diane, talked fishun' with Flip the Jazz Man and walked the lake with an Original Princess (it sounds much better than the Big Princess). My thanks to everyone for the hospitality.

On Monday, March 26 I'm stoked to attend the groundbreaking of Wisconsin's largest biodiesel plant in Evansville. It's a cooperative project coordinated by the crew of North Prarie Productions LLC. Talk about empowered and enterprising individuals.

The next day, I'll begin heading west, moving at a little faster pace. I'm looking forward to seeing my Montana clan and then moving on to do some solar thermal advocacy in California before setting the wheels down in Portland for a while. Early summer in Oregon is not to be missed.

Brain Still One Month Behind Body

It's true, the adventures are happening faster than I can write them down. I'm okay with that now. I've made my peace. Hopefully, you will too. Real-time is overrated anyway. I mean, how can you possibly fault me when I'm in the company of folks like Leslie, the Mayor of Mardi Gras? Have a look at other fun and well-shot photographs by my new friend and fellow freelancer Benjamin Arseguel, at www.flickr.com/photos/propelfilms

I had to forego Florida because it felt like too much of a rush. So I'm still in Austin for another week. That's when I'll head north where spring will have fully arrived, melted all snow and banished cold temperatures. I'll have your weekend forecasts later on tonight.