The California Biodiesel Consumers' Conference sparked a small explosion in enthusiasm among local Biodiesel hackers. To create their community, they're holding workshop/class/potluck events where people can gather, socialize, and learn about an alternative fuel that's not just "green" but works in existing diesel engines, without modification.
The conference highlighted the business and policy challenges that small-scale producers (who make less than a million gallons of fuel per year) are facing from the growing biodiesel cartel, which is dominated by large corporations.
Biodiesel is a diesel fuel created from vegetables, or used vegetable oil, that is a replacement for diesel fuel. It's considered extremely "green" because it releases no new carbon dioxide into the air (the plants took it from the air originally).
Alert: Report From the California Biodiesel Consumers' Conference by Ross Plesset
A survey of the current scene from Jennifer Murphy.
Photos from Ross Plesset
Special thanks to local peace activists Ross and Jennifer for writing these stories for IMC.
On February 18th, in La Jolla, the California Coastal Commission will evaluate a "triple fence" at the border, designed to bar people from crossing. The ORGANIC Collective of San Diego is asking for people to show up at this meeting and support their effort to challenge the wall on environmental grounds. From their post:
The ORGANIC Collective Statement on the triple border fence
We believe that people who wish to enter this country through legal or extralegal means are still human and deserve the same human rights as anyone else in this country. They do not deserve to be shot at, hunted down, driven into the desert, or harassed and intimidated by border patrol agents.
The Triple Border Fence embodies the most racist and violent face of so called "Free Trade" which allows capital to flow freely across borders, but not the people who create the capital. In addition, it embodies the full spirit of militarism for the sake of economic gain.
Borders between nation-states are arbitrary and only divide families and friends while allowing corporations to exploit workers for more profit.
The construction of the border fence will hurt the human rights of people wishing to enter this country, will cause massive ecological destruction, and will continue the racist policies embodied in the border patrol today.