Ray
Newkirk, co-founder and President of Pacific Biofuel, Inc.,
is a licensed California building contractor and owner of Building
Alternatives. His focus for many years has been on “green”
building encompassing everything from passive solar building design
and construction to alternative building materials from straw
bale to bamboo. His extensive research into new alternatives that
are healthier for humans and our environment led to his discovery
of other problems associated with petroleum products, namely air
pollution and associated health risks to humans through burning
fossil fuels.
His
studies and field applications of many renewable energies have
helped drive the honest progression of sustainable building and
energy production toward mainstream acceptance. Mr. Newkirk is
currently seated on the Santa Cruz Planning Department’s
Green Building Working Group charged with revising and improving
current building codes and conducts with an eye toward a more
livable future. He has appeared in numerous radio, television
and live events promoting the use of biodiesel.
Pacific
Biofuel Inc. is a small team of dedicated people who care
deeply about the state of our planet and the health of her inhabitants;
particularly school children who breathe extremely toxic petro-diesel
exhaust. The mission of Pacific Biofuel is twofold. 1) To educate
the public about the harmful effects of petro-diesel (from asthma
to war) and the many benefits of homegrown, vegetable-based biofuels
(including biodiesel and ethanol) and 2) To provide these fuels
to the public, which includes small and large industries, fleets,
maritime, agriculture, heavy equipment, school buses, generator
companies, commuters and more.
To
this end we are working with numerous private collaborators and
public agencies in every aspect of biofuel promotion from crop
growing and waste oil collection to fuel production and distribution.
We firmly believe the time for biofuels is now, as witnessed by
this ever-growing industry and ever-evolving favorable legislation.
Lisa
and Henry Carter, Owners. Water Star Motors is on its 12th
year in business in Santa Cruz.
Besides really caring about each customer and their vehicle(s)
here are some things that set Water Star Motors apart from other
auto repair shops:
· Green Business - and stay green daily
· Promote the use of Bio-Diesel in our community
· Husband and Wife team who work together in harmony 24
hours a day.
· They really like what they do and are excellent at it.
· When other shops can't figure out a problem they call
Water Star for help or the car comes here to be repaired.
· They look thoroughly at your car and advise you on problems
according to a priority of Safety, Reliability, Economy, Convenience
and then Appearance.
They
continue their quest for excellence: ASE Certified Master Technician,
ASE L1 Advanced Engine Performance Specialist, ASE Parts Consultant,
ASE Service Consultant, IMACA Certified Air Conditioning Technician,
Bosch Authorized Service Center, AAA Approved Repair Center, Automotive
Service Council Member.
For
more information about the Monterey
Bay Area Certified Green Business program
(www.ambag.org/greenbiz/). Green Business Standards for Vehicle
Service Facilities, Restaurants.
Mark
Moreno,
Co-founder, Earthbound Farms (invited); www.ebfarm.com.
Earthbound Farms uses biodiesel in their on-farm tractors and
trucks. This successful organic farming operation has taken the
lead in environmental and sustainable agriculture practices with
customers rewarding them with exceptional growth. See their website
for further details.
David
Fairchild, Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District
(MBUAPCD),
was educated at Harvard, MIT, and Berkely (masters in city planning).
David is a member of Institute of Transportation Engineers. Work
experience is as follows: Research Assistant, Smithsonian Institution
Tropical Research Center, Panama; Research assistant, Harvard-MIT
Joint Center for Urban Studies, Venezuela; Asst. Program Officer,
US Dept of State AID, Dominican Republic; Associate land use planner,
ABAG, Berkeley; Transportation Planner, Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico; Consultant, CLM Associates, Puerto Rico; Consultant, Puerto
Rico Environmental Quality Board; Consultant Transportation Planner,
Voorhees, Inc., Berkeley; Transportation Planner, City of Palo
Alto; Consultant Transportation Planner, Barton Aschman Assoc.,
San Jose; Director, metropolitan land use and transportation planning
study and feasibility study for the Tren Urbano, San Juan Puerto
Rico; Principal transportation planner, AMBAG; Consultant transportation
planner, CCS, Inc.; Air Quality / Transportation Planner, MBUAPCD
(current).
Why
the "Carbohydrate Economy" Matters
By
Daniel Robin
Carbohydrates
come from plants, not from petroleum, thus new stocks of raw materials
can be grown each year, providing a supply without end. Soy, corn
and sunflower are among the most efficient "factories"
for producing these materials. They take energy from the sun and
nutrients from the soil and convert them into carbohydrates, oils
and biomass. By way of an example, a single corn kernel produces
about 800 more kernels in one season. Using renewable resources
assures that we won't run out in the future and offsets the political,
environmental and social costs of petroleum extraction, refining
and transportation. The more renewable resources we use today,
the better off the world will be tomorrow.
The
term "carbohydrate economy" refers to shifting society's
engine toward renewable, environmentally benign materials, where
farmer-owned manufacturing enterprises process the crops they
grow. The time has finally arrived, as there are now numerous
examples where the market economies make sense; in addition, using
renewable materials has enormously positive ramifications for
people and the environment.
The
idea of making things from carbohydrates is not new. It may sound
odd now to use hot beverage cups made from cornstarch, or "high
tech" lubricants formulated from soybeans and other additives,
but 100 years ago plant matter was the basis of almost all products.
Petroleum increasingly replaced plants as society's fundamental
medium and by the 1980s, nearly eliminated biological materials
as a source of products and fuels. Now, due to a confluence of
factors - high petroleum prices, low crop prices, increasing costs
and risk factors associated with using petroleum, better technology
for making plant-based products, and government support - the
tide is turning again.
Innovative
products and effective marketing drive the shift in consumption
patterns that helps build the so-called "carbohydrate economy."
This shift would improve self-reliance, reduce environmental and
safety risks, preserve petroleum reserves and usher in an era
of increased energy security and geopolitical stability.
The
vision and values are well established - the term "carbohydrate
economy" was coined 15 years ago by David Morris, vice president
of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) - but what's truly
new and innovative are the technology innovations that make these
high performance products cost advantageous.
Hydrocarbons
are the class of chemicals based on hydrogen and carbon; petroleum
oil and gas are comprised of just these two elements in forms
such as methane, octane, etc., while carbohydrates are nitrogen
fixers that generate oxygen where they grow. While the hydrocarbons
contained in waste products can be recycled and reused, using
carbohydrates from the start delivers unique environmental, economic,
geopolitical and social benefits unavailable through petroleum.
The key is to reduce our petroleum "intensity" and diversify
what we use. Many believe that we are already seeing the beginning
signs of the end of cheap petroleum.
The
environmental costs associated with the production, use and disposal
of carbohydrate-based products are greatly reduced. Pollution
is no longer generated from extracting and processing crude oil
into chemicals, nor are there toxic side-effects from exposure
to petrochemical. End-of-life disposal is also not an issue --
the products are biodegradable.
Useful
Links and Resources:
