Bio Pick-Me-Up

Thought I'd better go ahead and make a post about biodiesel, since that's what I came here to do.

And more specifically...the necessity of testing fuel (yes, a plug for Fleet Fuel Testing, but a worthwhile one).

In Ashland, Oregon, where I live, there seems to be a big underground culture of home fuel brewing. Which is awesome. Depending on the raw materials you're using, you end up with a wonderful, renewable fuel for 70 cents to $1.50 a gallon. And this fuel is an excellent solvent, so it helps clean your engine and lines at the same time. Some studies even show it to out-perform diesel #2 in certain situations. And all you need to create it are a few simple tools and some time and experimentation.

However...

...there is a chance that something could be a little off in your brewing. And before you put the fuel to use, you need to be sure that it's not going to damage your engine. That's why testing is so important. Gasoline and Diesel fuels are kept in spec by tests done at refineries. They've mastered the art of making fuels that are clean and engine-ready...and not biodegradable (although Diesel is susceptible to water and microbial contamination). So why shouldn't we perform simple tests on our home-brews and local products? It's a small price to pay for reliable fuel performance.

The other reason that testing is so important (and I know I've gone off about this before) is that making sure that Biodiesel is in specification helps build a good reputation for Biofuel. There are, in my opinion, two main reasons why this alternative fuel has not been explored more:

1) Many people assume that the oil required to process Biodiesel must come from crops that need to be grown on thousands of acres of land that we need desperately for food crop production.

2) People have seen less-than-perfect Biodiesel destroy engines.

The first problems can be addressed with simple facts: Biodiesel can be produced from many different kinds of oil crops (including algae, which reproduces at a remarkable rate and can be grown in standing vertical tanks), as well as from waste oil, which is normally just thrown out.

The second problem will take some more doing. We are so used to filling up at the pump, letting cars sit for weeks at a time, being able to drive with ease in all weather without regard to the condition of our fuel. This is a huge benefit of gasoline -- you just don't have to worry about it. It's so convenient. But Biodiesel is a way of life. You make modifications to your schedule to get out to that pump that's ten miles down the road. You bring 5 gallon containers with you to fill up, and they're damn heavy to lift (*benefit: biodiesel can be stored almost anywhere since it's far less volatile than gasoline). You end up spending extra money on the fuel (unless you're home-brewing), because although it's relatively easy and inexpensive to produce, it's still so difficult to market. And you pay a little extra to test it, for your own sake, and for the sake of the fuel itself.

But I take pride in all of this. The inconveniences amount to a small sacrifice that I'm willing to make for the sake of...yes...the planet.

--Nell

Late Night Rumination

I finally joined Facebook. With my real, full name.

I know that this shouldn't have been such a difficult thing to do. But I like anonymity. What if I was contacted by or became tempted myself to contact people from high school? What strange and buried memories, secrets, embarrassments would rear their ugly heads? Would I lose that bizarrely comforting nostalgia if my first crush sent me a message to say that he's married and has three children? I don't want everyone to know what I'm doing or thinking or where I am all the time. 'But,' I thought, 'might as well jump on the damn band wagon.' Create a few cyberspace tattoos that I'll regret. It's all part of growing up in the 21st century.

There's a good chance I'll cancel it...

But, being a voyeur at heart, I will enjoy it in the mean time. What do we lose with this new networking? What do we gain? Will we ever be the same? Politicians 20 years from now will have to scramble to explain the bongs and beer cans and lascivious slogans that are plastered to their profiles right now...

Computers were little more than first a source of entertainment and then a marginally helpful tool for most of my youth. I was reprimanded in high school because for awhile I refused to type papers up -- I preferred to hand-write them.

I know that it's useless to resist the tide here. There's no point in going back. And it's silly to write about this, because most everyone has. But I still can't help being surprised by the feeling that we've fallen unquestioningly into something that we don't fully understand yet. A uniquely human pattern, and one that's gotten us into trouble many times before.

Must my Encyclopedia Brittanica lay fallow forever?
-N.

Dilly-Dallying

Today we are undertaking a run in the hall with a small audience. To stave off the nerves, I thought I'd come here and ramble for awhile.

On the morning walk with the dogs, I noticed how comfortable I felt moving through this new city. We traveled a lot when I was a kid -- I spent so much time in hotel rooms, motel rooms and guest houses, that it was sort of the norm.

My roommate and I talk all the time about exploring more of this country. I am certain it would be a form of political and environmental activism to familiarize oneself with the different landscapes, climates, and attitudes here -- and perhaps it is our duty to do this, as Americans with the freedom to move as much as we like. In the 1950s, everyone took to the new highways like mad, in their big station wagons and cadillacs, enjoying the plentiful beauty of the United States, because they could easily do so for the first time. Now, our road trips are usually of the practical sort; occasionally we head out for fun, but more commonly it's to get from point A to point B.

That kind of wandering exploring -- I want to do more of it. And I'd like to do it without the use of gasoline. Take in the sights of America, the national parks, small towns, monuments, lakes, rivers...the world's biggest ball of string. It would be good to remind myself what I'm fighting for.

-N.

The Local Views

Overlooking Kentucky and the Mighty Ohio

Clearly, I am finding it difficult to post regularly now that I am working full time. However, I am dead set on getting something up here at least twice a week.

We celebrated on Sunday night after our first stumble-through of the The Foreigner. It's always a relief, and as our amazing director Ken Albers says, 'These are rehearsals to survive. You don't have to do anything but be standing by the end of the day.' And to tell the truth, while some things are difficult at this early stage ("seeing text on your retina" -- again, Ken) we've been having a ball.

Monday, my day off, I took the pups and we explored Mt. Adams. Here are a few things we saw.



A panorama of the river and across, from near the top of Mt. Adams.



Houses -- these seem to typify the style on Mt. Adams. Many of them are very old, dating to the mid-late 1800s.



On the edge of Eden park, I came upon this crumbling bridge, leading to nowhere. The parking lot and modern road right next to it could be a summation of what you'll see up here. Very very old structures surrounded by super-modern architecture. In the west, I think it's less common to see things like this. Yes, in San Francisco and tucked away in places in Los Angeles, but in Cincinnati, this strange juxtaposition seems to be everywhere. Being a newbie, I'm still fascinated by it. In Manhattan it's certainly present, but everything is so overwhelmingly crammed there, that I'd never really appreciated it.

Best to you all, and thank you for reading,

Nell

FUEL!

Here's my latest recommendation:

The Fuel Film

I saw what I believe was a rougher cut of this in the winter of 2007, and it's simply the best movie around about Biodiesel and fuel independence and sustainability. Josh Tickell, the writer and director of The Fuel Film, is essentially the foremost expert on Biodiesel in the country, having driven thousands of miles in his "Veggie Van" on his own biodiesel. He's a scholar, an activist and an extremely brave person, and it was his book From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank that inspired me to quit it with the gasoline and move over to biofuel. I just ordered his other title, Biodiesel America, so I'll probably be blabbing about that on here when it arrives and I gobble it up. Unfortunately, I won't be able to see The Fuel Film for awhile, as it's only playing in select theaters for the time being. Josh's history is pretty amazing, and although the movie encompasses a lot of excellent science, solution and testimonial, his personal story is in some ways the most important part. If you have interest in seeing this amazing film, check out the site; there are showings in Santa Monica, CA right now, with upcoming dates in WA, NY and a few other places.

I've been car-less for almost a week, and I can't tell you how nice it is! I feel healthier and happier walking up these hills to the theater. Soon I'll be running them, I hope, with the little terrier muts in tow. They had to put on their sweaters for the first time today...there's a dusting of snow, and it's crisp and clear. Lovely!

--Nell

On the Absence...

...oh, it's been so long.

Getting myself and two dogs to Cincinnati ended up taking most of my time over the last two weeks. It was an incredible (nerve wracking) adventure, and I am glad that we are here and settling in and won't have to do it again for another couple of months.

Rehearsals began for The Foreigner on Friday the 13th, with an incredibly well-cast bunch in the miraculous hands of Kenneth Albers (who was in the original cast in Milwaukee and was a friend of Larry Shue) and a capable and courteous stage management team. I feel rusty and scared, but I think that I'll pull myself together and have a wonderful time with this. It's such a funny, dear play.

There is no recycling here at the apartment, though! So...I'll have to figure out how to get around that. I've already located a paper bin along a trail that leads to the theater. The plastics and aluminum will prove more difficult. But this might fortify my Reusing abilities.

Cincinnati is a surprisingly striking and beautiful town, for the most part. Its sister city is Rome, I am told, because both are built upon seven hills. I have the fortune to be staying on one of said hills, Mt. Adams, which looks out over the Ohio river and into Kentucky, which is just a bridge-walk away. There are wonderful museums within walking distance for me to explore, and being on the edge of Eden park has made taking the dogs out a breeze.

More later. Glad to be back...

Nell

O-Ring...yeah...you know what I mean

So I changed the fuel filter in my 2004 VW TDI Jetta myself (well, my roommate helped me).

I mention it because it was MUCH easier to do than I thought -- yes, I cursed a fair amount, but I'm told that that's to be expected whenever you work on a car. Also, I learned that fuel filters are not always in the same place (yeah, I'm a moron), depending on the make and model; while my filter is easy to change because it sits over the right wheel in the engine compartment, my roommate's is not so easy because his is in the trunk under a lot of other machinery.

This is a large step for me towards self-sufficiency. I purchased the Haynes manual for VW Golf, GTI, & Jetta 1999-2005 which is pretty comprehensive. Since I don't have a warranty for the vehicle, none of my repairs are ever covered when I take it in for service (I didn't want to buy a warranty and have the dealership tell me that Biodiesel use voided it...which sometimes, but not always, happens -- if fuel is foudn to be out of spec, the manufacturer can claim that you're liable for the repairs). Here's the kicker: I paid $25 for the fuel filter itself and spent probably about 30 minutes doing the work...but I figure I could do it in 10 or 15 now that I know how.

When I had a dealership do this, it typically came out to around $100 for parts and labor.

So, for a little elbow grease and a quarter (!) of the cost, I figure I don't mind doing it myself. Next time I'm at it, I will photograph the whole process and write up a primer for anyone else who might be reading that owns a similar Jetta and wants to give it a go. However, I do plan to check the job every couple of days -- none of my viton o-rings would fit under the fuel control valve. So I'm o-ring-less. But I couldn't find any o-ring when I pulled the valve off, so I'm wondering if maybe my model doesn't require one here...?
Old, crusty filter...

...with black particulates inside. The new filter, which I didn't photograph, looked perfectly white through that little hole. My car is idling a lot more smoothly and starts more easily since (I was truant and had not changed it for over a year -- VERY bad...with Biodiesel, you want to change it about every six months, since Bio is such an amazing solvent; it takes all the gunk out of your lines and dumps it in the filter -- which is a good thing for your engine but can be bad if you overload the filter).

I think I'm hooked on this auto mechanics thing. Next, it's replacing a front headlight that's out. Of course, I'll still leave the big jobs to the professionals (like when my clutch when out last year...ehhh...)
-- Nellamity and Horace the Jetta.