I agree with being local. That is the way to change things. One little block at a time. Of course, how big your local is, is dependent on how extensive your resources are.
Here in the Philippines, I am up against two or three big giants trying to push biofuels in a big way but unfortunately, their efforts are short. We are also up against government, as government seems to want to get the biggest bang out of the littlest buck. I am trying to do this from a finance and investment banking point of view. What I am trying to do is to get some local businessmen interested in the project so that I get funding. I have also learned, especially in the Philippine scenario, that unless something can be economically or financially demonstratable, there will be very little support. Of course, we know that biofuels are an economically feasible option. But it does take some work and effort to educate people, to tell them the story and to ask them to put their money where it counts. In another vein, I am in a small power generation company that generates power for a small island here in the Philippines. What I have learned is that we have to fit the local conditions to what suits them. The group could have taken great big hydro-electric projects, big wind projects or the like and just plunk it in. Unfortunately, when you do that, the longevity of the project suffers. When you have a white elephant, it doesn't become a good rallying point. What we have done is to take an existing small diesel power plant that was running diesel fuel and convert it to run heavy oil. Not only does it lower the cost of power (diesel is 55% more expensive than heavy oil) but it make the economic scale manageable. Next thing for us now is to start out a biodiesel blend for the heavy fuel oil. The economic side for my investors is that this lowers the cost of environmental compliance (I'd have to put in a great big scrubber instead if not biodiesel), it ought to lower my maintenance cost and it will prod development in the area with an increase in demand for vegetable oil. Then it increase demand for power. I guess, my "local" way of thinking is a little off-beat, but to you its local. my two cents worth. ----- Original Message ----- From: "JJJN" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "BIO" <Biofuel@sustainablelists.org> Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2005 12:38 PM Subject: [Biofuel] Local to Global > > I Quote Keith Addition's reply to Mike here as I think this needs some > more discussion, > > Keith says "Sure, if you want to play the game their way. Losing game > though, that's not how biofuels wins. Three rules: local, local and local. " > > I think that statement is really key to more than Biofuels, No single > person changes a world that is not ready to change or vulnerable to a > fear of a worse evil. So change only happens when people are ready for > it or when they change directions due to the fear of an unknown. We are > all afraid of the unknown. When we hear of something that is being > done in the outside or the big out yonder we have an interest but little > more than that. I heard about Biodiesel and it was interesting but I > feared it was beyond me and what would the community say about it and > thats where I stayed until fuel prices went to 3 bucks then I was ready > to change. I found JtF and played around in secret and found out my > fears were unfounded. Now as a result of that my little community has > changed I have been asked to teach and have formed a small Coop with > others. We are getting stronger every day and in a small town that can > happen real fast. Now consider if we just learn that if we want change- > then change ourselves first. Keep in mind this is just not for > Biofuels, If you want to be discouraged try to get the world to change > to your way of thinking by joining every group you can and give your > bucks in support. If you want to be happy decide what you want to be and > be it -despite what others think. It is easy to give that 50 bucks if > you have it and think you have done something good but try to give that > speech or help do a demonstration to help others with your interests > that are your peers. I didn't say it first- but if you believe in it > show it - don't be ashamed of it. > > Wisdom to all, > Jim > > _______________________________________________ > Biofuel mailing list > Biofuel@sustainablelists.org > http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): > http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
