Hi again Mark >Hi Keith and others,
<snip> (see previous) >Also another heads-up: someone whom I know in the NBB >contacted me about their winter convention- they're having a >'small producer panel' discussion in the convention. They're >trying to get Jim Caldwell to be one of the speakers,and didn't >know yet who the others would be. > >My acquaintance in the NBB read the official statement about the >panel to me- and it said something like 'while we recognise that >small producers have a role to play in the development of the >biodiesel market" (which I read rather cynically!), We can be useful and are worth coopting for such worthy issues as pushing for the continuance of the soy subsidy, the passing of the Energy Handout, er, Energy Bill, and so on, and also we generate more good publicity for biodiesel for free than all those expensive PR agencies they employ seem to do. From actual discussions on "collaboration" between industry and "the grassroots movement": - "We are extremely eager to get involved in the grassroots movement for biofuels. I would be highly interested in discussing further a collaborative effort to pressure the ultimate decision makers from the flanks." - "We want to corral the efforts of these advocates." Note "corral". - "While we have the supply, we can only go as far as demand will take us. We believe that a grassroots effort will generate this needed demand." You need us, but do we need you? >but [I >paraphrase here cause I can't remember the actual language] >the issues of quality need to be addressed' or something like >that. I think they must be programmed that way or something, probably by Microsoft. Despite hell and high water they're STILL saying that, at least since this, from an ex-President of the NBB, relayed to me privately, date Dec 1999: "One word of caution, however. When dealing with the biofuels industry it is very important to always speak of fuels that have been certified to meet the specifications as set by testing and standards organizations, e.g., ASTM, or that is warrantied by engine manufacturers. Proponents of "make-it-yourself" fuel or not looked upon as serious because there is no way to ensure consistent fuel quality. Of course, these groups can be very helpful when approaching government to demonstrate community-wide support." - and on and on, through the "Perils of Homebrew" BS that's STILL posted at their site, through the whole Graham Noyes of World Energy saga where Graham was finally forced to retract his claims of "actual cases" of sub-spec homebrew causing widespread damage and wrecking the market, admitting it was baseless industry rumour-mongering, and that we can and do make quality fuel, through his then undertaking to inform industry that we are indeed to be "looked upon as serious", through repeated instances of sub-spec industry/NBB brew causing widespread damage and wrecking the market (and you say they haven't noticed it yet!!), down to this foolish letter to the editor written by an NBB flunky following Tom Leue's accident: >http://www.gazettenet.com/story.cfm?id_no=11170004 >GazetteNET.com | Opinion > >Homemade biodiesel fuel not a good idea > >Monday, November 17, 2003 -- To the editor: > >Backyard biodiesel producers should heed Tom Leue's advice in an >Oct. 20 article to shut up shop. After an explosion in his backyard >operation, he said he would not try producing biodiesel again, and >wouldn't recommend others make homemade biodiesel. >Biodiesel, a cleaner-burning alternative to diesel that can be made >from any fat or vegetable like soybean oil, is the safest fuel to >use, handle and store. However, the production process involves >reacting methanol and is not something that should be taken lightly. >Additionally, fuel quality is critical. > >The only way for consumers to know they are getting biodiesel that >meets the national standard is to buy it from a reputable, >commercial facility whose biodiesel product is registered with the >Environmental Protection Agency and meets the quality standards set >forth by the American Society of Testing and Materials. > >It is difficult to maintain consistent quality control with homemade >biodiesel. Usually, it is not properly tested and often does not >meet commercial-grade quality standards. More than 350 fleets >nationwide use commercial biodiesel successfully in their diesel >vehicles. > >Biodiesel is a great way to reduce pollution, contribute to the US >economy and protect domestic energy security. Consumers just need to >protect themselves by buying it from reputable producers. > >Paul Nazzaro >Representative >National Biodiesel Board >Lynnfield , MA As if that was the point!!! - as you remarked at the time: http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/BIOFUEL/29955/ And now they're including (are they?) the small fry in their convention with the same proviso. I think we can give up on them, don't you? >Now this was amusing to me to hear. I guess that's the right response by now, what the hell. I find I can giggle and curl my lip at the same time. :-) (Can't make a smiley for it though.) >We've had serious >problems with bad quality substandard non-spec biodiesel >coming out of NBB member Imperial Western Products' plant >this summer and fall, with drivers having big repair bills as a >result, but the NBB has no clue that this is happening and still >believes that small producers would have quality control >problems. I asked my acquaintance in the NBB if he had any >idea about this issue and of course no one had told them. As >usual the NBB is somewhat out of touch on B100 issues. > > Amusingly, the next thing scheduled on the NBB convention >agenda right after the small producer discussion is suposed to >be a tour of the IWP plant. I realy think they all have no idea that >this sort of thing has been happening. Remember it also >happened with World Energy this spring, causing some >consumers to question 'yellow grease'-sourced B100 after >THEIR repair bills occurred. ALso remember that those who >cught the problem were basically watchdog grassroots people- if >no one was watching, or everyone was getting their B100 from a >regular gas station, it would have taken a lot longer to figure out >that there was a problem. > >By the way my reading of the above NBB statement is that the >NBB lumps homebrewers in with small producers so all the >usual quality control rumors take over, I think they're primarily >worried about homebrewers. I don't think they're worried, as such, or surely they'd have taken some trouble to inform themselves (such as open their eyes to what's been shoved right under their noses). Just prejudiced? - with the usual industrialist bias? Patronising, certainly. >Again this is a place where >redefinition might be handy strategy-wise- defining small >commercial producers as a different thing than homebrewers. I've been reffing your wonderful "Homebrewer on a sdoapbox!" post that did make that distinction rather eloquently. I think I'll repost it in full. > IN reality a few folks in our budding consumers group think that >local smaller producers would probalby be more accountable >than the industry is, as far as quality goes. I think quite a lot of people think that. It's generally one of the pluses of being small enough to be part of a community, where people know each other, rather than centralised/distant/impersonal. By the way, here's the letter Thor Skov wrote to the NBB about their trying to drum up support for the Energy Handout Bill: http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/BIOFUELS-BIZ/3828/ Best Keith >mark <snip> ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark Printer at MyInks.com. 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