Coast to coast on Biodiesel

2005-07-13T08:27:00.000-07:00

Coast to Coast on Biodiesel

On July 15, Johannes Wheeldon and his 2000 VW TDI will drive across Canada beginning in Halifax, N.S. and finishing in Vancouver, B.C. using various biodiesel blends from B5 to B100.

Throughout the journey, Mr. Wheeldon will be leading and participating in biodiesel information sessions and plans to give interviews to local, regional and National media outlets. Key messages will include the importance of quality biodiesel, existing availability coast to coast, and the role of community groups to develop awareness and a market for biodiesel.

An important element of the trip will be the development of a Canadian network of biodiesel enthusiasts who armed with knowledge and examples from existing biodiesel sites can continue to further the use of biodiesel throughout Canada. Check out www.biodieselsolutions.ca!

To get more information, arrange a meeting or offer assistance to this venture, please email johannes@biodieselsolutions.ca!

Road Trip Diary

2005-07-13T08:23:00.000-07:00

Halifax to Moncton

In Halifax, I had been lucky and my trip had garnered some media attention, including CBC radio (Information Morning) and the Chronicle Herald. My ugly mug also graced Global TV and ASN's Breakfast Television. Looking dorky on TV is a high price to pay to spread the word on biodiesel, but my pride is long gone. (Ahem!)

I was lucky enough in Halifax to hook up with the Maritime Biodiesel Coop(www.maritimebiodiesel.com) who helped secure me some premium B100 (100% biodiesel). Because you can blend biodiesel and regular diesel in any amount, starting with B100 was great. Al and the crew there at MBC are great folks and sent me off sporting some stylish magnetic strips advertising my trip from the back of my car.

Returning to Wolfville, NS I was able to visit some family and friends and wake up to a nice article about my trip in the Valley Advertiser, before heading out to Moncton.

The drive to Moncton was a mere 350 km and though I only used a 1/4 tank of fuel (gotta love that diesel mileage), I very much wanted to see the Mapleton Road Esso station. The station is right off the highway (although not the way I went!) and is clean and comfortable with friendly staff. At a seperate filling area to the left of the regular pumps, there are three types of biodiesel (B5, B20 and B50) available ready to pump for the low, low price of 97.8 c/l. After seeing gas and diesel at over $1/L in NS, I was happy to make the economical and environmental choice.

I filled with the B50 and went inside to chat with the staff. They were amused at my trip and mentioned that a few trucks and cars use the biodiesel but that not many people seemed to know about it. If you are in Moncton and drive a diesel vehicle...check it out...good and clean fuel at your doorstep.

Off to Ottawa where I will spend a few weeks visiting friends and colleagues and preparing for the journey westward.

Moncton to Ottawa

For those of you who know the highways and biways of eastern Canada, many of you (like me) may have dreaded the Northern New Brunswick/eastern Quebec leg of any journey. While in the past this stretch of road has not been user friendly, this time I found things easy and the roads in good condition. Besides a few ridiculously short passing lanes (what exactly is the point of a 10 m passing lane?) my drive was quite and calm. During this leg, I listened to Malcolm Gladwell's book "The Tipping Point" on CD and found myself happy to be able to connect some of the things he suggests and the nascent biodiesel movement in this country. In his study of popular movements, he identifies a time when movements tip and become mainstream or widespread and points to certain characteristics that seem to be present in many successful social movements. Is biodiesel at the tipping point in this country? I think we would have to say no, but we are getting there.

With half a tank of B50 and 200 km outside Quebec city, I decided to fill up with regular diesel, bringing me to B25 and ensuring that I would make to Ottawa with more than B20 in the tank. The gentlemen and the service station paid me an immense compliment by listening to my french (avec un accent de l'est du Canada) and deciding to respond en francais. I was pleased.

Rain, rain and more rain greeted me as I approached Quebec city. I noticed some beautiful historic towns off the side of the highway and wished the weather was a bit more conducive to some leisurely strolls down a main street or two. This is a side of Quebec that I have rarely seen. Not the bustle and joie du vivre of a Montreal and not the quiet diginity of a Quebec city...something else. The rain kept me from exploring, but I have resolved to go back.

Montreal is under construction. Hard to believe, right? Wrong. Montreal is always under construction. After past trips through and enough worng turns to want to give up, I have found a way to negotiate the traffic and get on the right road to Ottawa.
Exhausted, I exited the highway and found one of those end of the world motels that line the road outside Montreal.

Back to Ottawa. I have lived there for 3 years and yet never really felt at home. It is a beautiful, livable city and as long as one stays away (far, far away) from the politicos both young and old, one can feast on capital "C" culture and even catch a few good live music shows. Getting on the 416, I began to get excited to see old friends, check in at my former job and most of all see the retail biodiesel station that I had helped bring to Ottawa. It had been hard to leave before the station's grand opening, but it was wonderful to pull up to the Saab gas station on Cyrville road and see a sign saying "Biodiesel Now Available." I smiled from ear to ear as I filled up and went inside to chat.

International Ottawa

During my time in Ottawa, I spent a few weeks at my old job at the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. For three years I worked here on various international projects and programs, learning how to design international development bids, negotiate them with funders and deliver them in partnership with local officials and communities in a number of developing countries. In early August, AUCC asked me to assist them to organize a visit from two senior officials from the Government of Bangladesh. This visit was related to work Canada is doing to improve basic education for both youth and adults in Bangladesh. As one of the visitors said of his populous country (140 million people!): We are investing to turn our population problem into a human resources opportunity. As it turns out, they are also investing in alternative fuels.

These gentlemen both had an interest in environmental issues and I could not resist steering the conservation a bit. With little prompting, they described the investments Bangladesh had taken to develop clean natural gas fuel alternatives with pride. Today, all government vehicles run on natural gas. It heats homes and businesses and is even exported. We spoke about biodiesel and its potential as a fuel to run Bangladesh's vast rail network. Dr. Yousef from the Prime Minister's office has asked to me develop a concept paper with him to present to Secretary Shamsuddin, who authored Bangladesh's 1988 energy strategy document, which remains in effect. They have invited me to their country next year and I believe it will be hard to say no.

Ottawa to Sudbury

Well, I was worried. Anthony Germaine and the rest of CBC seemed uninterested in the biodiesel story and even the Citizen seemed unimpressed. I consoled myself with the idea that though the jaded Ottawa media was bored with biodiesel, that might be okay. With 2 stations in Ottawa providing biodiesel in both the east and west of the city, the Ottawa biodiesel community was doing well. During one stop, I even had the pleasure of watching some city of Ottawa vehicles filling up with biodiesel. While there is more work to do, it seems Ottawa has embraced biodiesel. There are other communities to visit.

Just when I had given up hope for any Ottawa media, the phone rang...The Sun! Ah the Sun...what to say about the sun. There are many things to say, ofcourse. However, in Ottawa the sun provides an unique news service with a focus on community stories. It has run a number of stories on alternative fuels and I was very pleased that they decided to run another. Thanks to Ann Howland and Geoff Robins who made it happen.

Lack of media was not the problem in Sudbury. Ms. Barb McDougall-Murdoch and Earthcare made sure of that. In addition to assisting me with getting some fuel, Barb had arranged media and was on hand to describe the current biodiesel demonstration project being run by the city of Sudbury. Buses and other fleet vehicles are being run on biodiesel and city mechanics are doing a comprehensive analysis of any mechanical problems caused by the fuel. None have been reported.

I was impressed by the way Earthcare was working with the city and with Topia energy. It is the kind of community involvement which is so important. In part, their efforts have resulted in a solid partnerhsip with Topia who have announced that they will be producing fuel at a new state of the art facility in Sudbury by 2006. Thanks to Barb and Andrew for helping me out. If you are in Sudbury and want to make sure biodiesel is available contact Barb to lend a hand. (barb.mcdougall@greatersudbury.ca)

Back on the 17 West, clouds threatened rain. 45 minutes east of the Sault, the threats became torrents and I was lucky to find refuge in the small internet cafe from which I am writing to you now. And now it is time to go...west, young man. Go west.

Interlude 1

In both Ottawa and Sudbury I had filled with B20 from Topia. That means I had been using a quality fuel which has been tested and meets the highest biodiesel standard available in North America. Although, Topia had offered to help me locate fuel wherever I went, my trip had been planned in such a way as to build on the network I had started on the website. (www.biodieselsolutions.ca) For me, an important part of this journey is to meet biodiesel enthuisiasts from coast to coast, see their operation, buy their fuel, and get them as much media attention as possible. These enthuisiasts (mavens) are the ones in the community which are best placed to expand the use of biodiesel, and they are the local champions who can tip this movement from a handful of folks coast to coast using biodiesel to it becoming the accepted norm. (For more on mavens and tipping points, check out Malcom Gladwell's The Tipping Point).

While I am committed to meeting and in some cases relying upon enthuisiasts I do not know, I do so with some concern. Putting homebrew in a car which I still owe more on than I have paid is not something I do lightly. And yet...and yet, the folks I have been meeting know their stuff, are using it themselves are have years of experience. While I would prefer to be able (for everyone to be able) to buy biodiesel from a pump, I have met amazing people across the country who are making it happen themselves. One has to respect the time, effort and energy they have put into the process.

Sudbury to Thunder Bay

Freshly fueled and feeling good about media in Sudbury, I hit the road. The drive from Sudbury to Thunder Bay is not a short one and not really nice until you hit the Sault. After setting up camp, playing some guitar and falling deeply alseep, I awoke the next day stiff from sleeping on the ground, but well rested and invigorated.

On the road, I began heading North. The drive from the Sault to TB is a beauty. Long up hill climbs lead to magical vistas. The water below glistened as I drove along this stretch and I exclaimed outloud on more than one occasion. It's not the cabot trial, but it is pretty amazing. I continued to be awed until I began to encounter northwestern Ontario's program of summer road work.

Labouriously slow going for almost an hour, when we finally did speed up I had the distinct displeasure of getting nailed by a flurry of stones from the back of an unsecured dump truck working onsite. Calling the construction to complain about the chip in my windshield did no good and I will have a reminder of this leg etched on my windshield. Privatizing construction in Ontario apparently means privatizing responsability as well.

In Thunder Bay, I finally met Doug Niles (afsynergy@hotmail.com). He and I had been corresponding for many months and he had had lots of questions and concerns about how I would ensure that I got quality fuel as I crossed the country. He has been making biodiesel for years and has extensively researched its production and use. He and Daina took very good care of me. Doug provided fuel, a breakfast locale and directions. Daina was invaluable in coordinating media, especially as the CBC labour dispute begun to pick up steam. Doug has the capacity and knowledge to make high quality fuel and is a great good guy from back east. He has contacts in Thunder Bay and is a wonderful ressource. Thanks to both Doug and Daina for making my stop over in TB a good one. Loaded with B60, I headed out of town and prepared to meet the prairies.

Thunder Bay to Winnipeg

I was getting anxious to escape Ontario. The sheer size of its geography and ego wore me down. While I had enjoyed lots of beautiful parks and camping locales, I was itching for the west and the prairies and my friends Lana and Michelle.

I had met Lana and Michelle through a mutual colleague at SFU in British Columbia who told me about their restorative resolutions program. I was working in Latvia on a criminal justcie reform project at the time and wanted very much to explore a canadian model of community reintegration which combined restorative principles of justice with practical concerns for those returning to the community related to housing, job placement and addictions treatment. I could not have done better. The program on which they have both worked is totally unique in Canada and these ladies had the rare gift of both knowledge of their field and knowledge of themseleves including their strenghts and weaknesses. We had a wonderful time together in Latvia and shared more than a few G and Ts along the way. I was excited to see these wonderful people.

As I arrived in Winnipeg, I was met by Lana and ushered into the RR offices in downtown Winnipeg. Within two hours, I had three interviews set up, had spoken to everyone in the office and met with a guy off the street who had seen my car and had to find the biodiesel guy. It turns out Greg has been making his own fuel for more than a year. Something was happening in Winnipeg and it felt good.

Later that afternoon I did two interviews with CBC and set up a media event with Paul Bobbee for Monday morning with the Winnipeg Free Press. Paul has been involved in biodiesel for a while, has participated in provincial biodiesel feasability studies in Manitoba. With his company Bifrost Enviro-Blends, he has been producing high quality fuel which has recently been ASTM 6751 certified. (Contact Paul at bifrostblends@innovationmanitoba.ca)

One of the most interesting things Paul is looking at is working with farmers to grow biodiesel crop, crush it at regional centres and then transport it to a central local to process the fuel. Farmers would then be able to buy back their crop as fuel at a significant discount. I love that model! Paul is well placed to work with provincial authorities who appear committed expanding the use of biodiesel throughout Manitoba. If reports are to be believed, Manitoba may be on the cusp of something big.

During my weekend in Winnipeg, I was so grateful to just be able to relax, do laundry and be mothered by dear Lana. I saw some of Winni, hung out with Michelle and some of her family and just chilled. Winnipeg has been good to me. They don't call it friendly Manitoba for nothing.

Winnipeg to Yorkton

I looked everywhere for the Winnipeg Free Press after leaving Winnipeg, but even in Yorkton, Sask the WFP is delivered a day later. On the internet, it appeared the story had been front page (a first!), but I had not been able to read it. Yorkton is a small town on the 16 (Yellowhead) and seems to be a stopping place between provinces. I was there to meet Brent Stumph, get some fuel and do some media but he was coming from Calgary and so I got to spend a day investigating Yorkton. During my travels I had managed to get my watch soaked in a down pour, pick up a stone chip in my windshield and rip off my sign advertising my trip from the top of my Thule. Yorkton was the place for me. I managed to sort out all my needs during my free day and met up with Brent later that night.

Brent and I talked shop and made some plans for the next day, got the media release sorted and prepared for TV. Brent is involved in lots of stuff, from worms to soil to biodiesel. He knows his stuff, heats his waste oil, washes it and runs it in his big diesel truck, making frequent trips from Yorkton to Calgary. (Brent can be reached at saskworm@hotmail.com)

Later that night on CTV I saw a piece on alternative fuels (driven no doubt by the ever increasing fuel costs) which described biodiesel as largely experimental...excuse me? Hundreds of studies in Canada, demonstration projects and use by the largest mass transport system in the country (Toronto) as well as in Halifax, Vancouver all informed by a comprehensive study by the city of Montreal. Preparing for CTV the next day, I looked forward to clarifying this issue.

Before Brent gave me some nice looking fuel, we chatted in Cafe 195 with a gentleman from Yorkton This Week. He was bright, knowledgable and pretty funny. He asled a lot fo great questions and promised to send me the article. Outside Brent filled me up, we smiled for the camera and got back on the 16 heading west. I hoped to hit Edmonton before night fall.

Yorkton to Edmonton

I was Alberta bound and made the trip in no time. Pulling into Edmonton, someone gave me a thumbs up as he squinted to read my Coast to coast on biodiesel logo. I had not been too sure of what to expect here, but this seemed a good sign.

Lance had kindly offered to put me up for a couple of days in Edmonton and before meeting the rest of the crew we had a no holds barred kind of chat that made me do some rethinking about my trip and my goals. Lance was friendly, smart and persuasive. For him, bio fuels perpetuate the myth that people can continue to live as we currently do. We cannot simply switch over to biodiesel tommorrow and he makes a strong case that without some serious rethinking about resources and lifestyle we are in trouble...

Joanne Olafson (ixian@compusmart.ab.ca) had been my main contact in Edmonton. As a founding member of the edmonton biofuels association (www.edmonton-biofuels.org), she was keen to expand the use of biodiesel and had recently purchased a diesel smart car, which sips fuel and gets over 600 Km for a 20 litre tank. She and her husband showed me great kindness, and we ate wonderful food and talked about my trip.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Adam, one of those genius types who can make anything from anything.

"School? Who needs school?" he asked me, as we peered over an extremely complex diesel generator converted to run on vegetable oil. "Just look it, is all there!" Adam has converted his truck to run on straight vegetable oil and with his designs to run a increasingly complex machines fueled on vegetable oil.

Later in that week, I met the crew at carbon busters (www.carbonbusters.org) who work with organizations to help them identify how to become more energy efficient. They then take a small percentage of the savings they help the organization achieve. It is a very nice model and I was impressed not only by what they do but who they are. They have recently begun working with schools, and some of our discussion centered around trying to get the school system to try biodiesel blends in school buses, to reduce emissions and tackle the alarming and rising rate of asthma. It was a good discussion.

That meeting helped me clarify in my own mind some of the issues that Lance brought up. It is not that biodiesel is a panacea or that using it means we can stop thinking about reducuing our waste and being smarter about our consumption. For me, biodiesel represents an easy to use opportunity for people to explore new kinds of energy production and use. If we can make fuel from oil we threw out in the past, what else can we do to get more out of the waste we have in abundance. Lance listened and was impressed. (I hope!) Lance is a very interesting guy whom I hope to stay in touch with. Check out his operation at www.thompsonvalley.com. You can see the boys are making farm equipment which runs on waste veg oil. Amazing stuff and yet so obvious.

Edmonton to Kelowna

After a couple of days in Edmonton and a useful meeting with the Edmonton biofuels group, it was time to press on. I was itching to get to BC and was looking forward to a stay over in Nelson to see a friend from back east and experience this oft dicussed town for myself.

After arriving and availing myself of laundry facilities, I headed to the town camp ground which is a small pice of land upon which numerous tents and RVs share space. There I met a family from Edmonton. The dad played such bass and we managed to bang out a few tunes before heading off to dinner. Nelson is small and comfortable with beautiful views everywhere you look. I was sad to pack up the car the next day, but managed to visit the local paper for an interview and picture. Nelson and biodiesel? A match made in heaven if you ask me.

On the road to Vernon, I was called by James and rerouted to Kelowna. James Stuart at flower power oil (james@flowerpoweroil.ca) had written me a note the week before offering me some fuel from his biodiesel driven truck. With a huge tank in the back he is a mobile fuel delivery service and we had a great chat. James doesn't need the media or more customers (for once!) as he is doing great on his own. He had seen an article about me though and wanted to help. The biodiesel gods provide and we did manage to get on the radio a few times. James may need an assistant soon.

Back at the hotel, the stone chip in the window was seemingly mighty trivial. During the night, depsite the security guard, security camera and well lit parking lot, someone had ripped my bike off my car, damaging my roof racks and scratching the paint. It turns out the gaurd gets off at 3am and the security camera was malfunctioning. Kelowna is not the place to leave valuables unattended, locked to your car or not.

Kelowna to Vancouver

Fueled and trying to overcome a bitter taste in my mouth, I headed onward. Arriving in Vancouver...it had been more than a month, more than 6000 KM and lots of memories. It seemed too soon somehow. I pulled up and parked at my friend Liisa's house and went inside to reflect.

What is biodiesel?

2005-07-13T08:22:00.000-07:00

Biodiesel is a clean burning alternative fuel that is produced from domestic, renewable resources. Biodiesel reduces greenhouse gas emissions and lowers hydrocarbons and particulate matter.

Biodiesel contains no petroleum, but it can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend.

For a more detailed explanation, click here.

Key Biodiesel Facts

1. Biodiesel is an alternative diesel fuel that is produced by chemically refining animal fats or vegetable oils including recycled restaurant oils. It is commonly made from canola and soybean oil.

2. The inventor of the diesel engine, Rudolph Diesel, originally designed the engine for use with peanut oil.

3. Biodiesel is widely used and available at the pumps Europe and is rapidly gaining popularity in the U.S. as an environmentally friendly alternative to petroleum diesel.

4. Biodiesel can be blended with petroleum diesel in any proportion. For example, B-100 refers to 100% biodiesel fuel and B-20 refers to a blend of 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel. B-20 is the same price as regular diesel, can be used in Canadian winters and reduces tailpipe emissions by more than 20%.

5. Biodiesel isn’t as of today widely available directly to the consumer in Canada. Energy companies, governments and local community groups are increasingly involved in using and raising awareness of biodiesel and its benefits.

Coast to Coast on Biodiesel

Coast to coast on Biodiesel

Road Trip Diary

What is biodiesel?

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