Saving My Biodiesel Earth Day

My children had to remind me that it's Earth Day today. You'd think that a "biodiesel company guy" wouldn't forget. Unfortunately, being a biodiesel company guy means that I'm on the front line of an industry in the ICU. When you're near death, you don't celebrate much more than the safe arrival of another day. So I wasn't especially motivated to wear green, as they were excited to do, but being a parent is more important than being a biodiesel guy, so I'm wearing a green shirt....with a black sweater - black symbolizing my concern for our industry's future...in this country.

Overseas, things are going gangbusters! Biodiesel guys have a spring in their step and are sporting green shirts and pants. European production is up; the Chinese are steaming towards a 4 billion/gallon target by 2020; Brazil and Argentina just upped and accelerated their mandated minimums, and a host of emerging economies are looking to avoid future dependence on foreign petroleum and are actively supporting biodiesel initiatives that help the industry.

So, here I am in Chico, CA - in black - on Earth Day, trying to do what you're supposed to do on Earth Day. Earth Day offers everyone a chance to reflect on the health of the planet. Unfortunately while trying to reflect, I heard a report that Spring will come two days early this year. Big deal? But the fact is the big old Earth is a pretty complex system, and it turns out that the interplay between temperature, water, agriculture, drought and fires is such that an early spring is not a good thing. Take this "minor"issue, multiply it by a number greater than 10 and "guestimate" where we are going to be in 20 years. Then add the unnecessary "erosion" created by an ineffective, constantly feuding government that's held hostage by the 24/7 news cycle, and you realize that the status quo is going to bring us to our knees pretty soon.

"I told you so" isn't going to be helpful to me, or my Earth Day celebrating children.

So what can we do - besides all the normal things like write our congressmen (do they really pay attention if the letter doesn't come on lobbyist paperwork?), cynically blog into the ether or ignore the present?

We could start a movement. We could strive to have 1,000,000 people converge on Washington with a pint (or litre) of biodiesel. One million people can still make things happen in this country.

But hold on - "converging on Washington" is logistically difficult and economically taxing on the participants. Instead why don't we conduct a BIODIESEL MAIL-IN. I think one million letters addressed to President Obama with the simple message: SUPPORT BIODIESEL! PASS THE BIODIESEL TAX CREDIT AND SAVE THIS VITAL INDUSTRY. IT MATTERS TO ALL OF US!

This is easy to do; it nominally helps the US post office and it shows people in Washington that there is a need for, a hunger for, biodiesel and the vibrant industry that creates jobs, reduces environmental pollution and helps bring energy dollars back into this country.

Happy Earth Day!
(my letter is going out tomorrow: President Barack Obama | 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue | Washington, DC 20500)