LC Biodiesel Iniative

Welcome to the Intial Stage of the first Biodiesel Facility in London Ontario.

 As Mentioned in the Sub-group heading, the Biodiesel initiative is considered a "special project".  This designation was created at the June 22nd London Commons meeting by consensus. With some strong persuasion and education by our friends from Ottawa, Mitch and Jay, I have decided to spear head this new project through the London Commons.

Check out Mitch and Jay's website for updates on their trip and much more at gobiofuel.org

I would like to operate the Biodiesel iniative through similar principles as the London Commons. In that, we would use the most current consensus decision making model that the LC is using but in due time adopt our own version to suit the needs of the people involved and the organization.

Why Biodiesel?

I would like to address a few key issues surrounding the use of Biodiesel as an alternative energy resource. I will not, however, discuss the geopolitical reasoning of our current oil prices as that would be an incredibly lengthy process.

What is Biodiesel? - Biodiesel is a renewable, relatively clean-burning, carbon-neutral fuel that can be obtained from a variety of oliseed plants, waste oils, and rendered animal fats. It is created through a chemical process called transesterification.  This is accomplished by combining Glycerol (alcohol) and up to three fatty acids to form mono-, di-, and triglycerides. Simply stated, biodiesel is produced by the reaction of feedstock oils with an alcohol in the presence of a catalyst to produce fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) or Biodiesel.

Biodiesel and the Environment - Biodiesel is biodegradable and nontoxic. According to William Kemp it is less toxic than table salt and as biodegradable as sugar.  So when a fuel tank spills the content begins biodegrading immediately. You can compost almost every byproduct of the production process (those byproducts that can't be composted can be used for a large number of natural products as an alternatives to harsh petrochemical byproducts currently being used). Using Biodiesel as a fuel creates far less atmospheric polluntants. In fact, The combustion of Biodiesel is considered a 'carbon-neutral; process, which means the amount of carbon  that is being released through the combustion method is the same amount of carbon that the orignal plant absorbed during the growing stage.

Biodiesel and Economics - As we have all noticed, the gas prices continue to rise.  Our entire economy rests on the shoulders of cheap sweet oil. As the oil prices continue to rise so will the cost of almost everything you are accustomed to buying. As prices increase we will consume less. This, in a way, could be terrific for the environment(as long as we don't resort to worse environmental practices as a result).  The major problem with a dramatic decrease in the purchasing habits of our society is that currently many individuals' income rests on the success of unecessary consumption(companies that are increasingly paying slave wages to people who are unable to unionize or defend their rights as human citizens..but thats another topic) So what we could possibly have in the near future is a society that will be buying predominantly the necessities (if not already); Food, water, heat, shelter and transportation are a few of those 'necessities' people would require.

Something we, as cityfolk, often forget is that farmers feed cities. Our food is the product of hard working often cash poor people living in a rural environment who are increasingly losing hope for their family farm as corproate competition is often impossible to match.  Many family farms are being lost to city developers who are building unsustainable suburbs in order to line their pockets with relatively quick cash flows. This means food production is happening further away from our cities increasing our dependence on cheap oil. Biodiesel could provide a relatively sustainable alternative for the good people feeding the urbanites. It seems to make sense that the tractors that are being used to work the land be fueled by the product of the farmers own hand instead of relying on the destructive practices of the oil tycoon. That being said, the family farm is where I believe we could begin our venture toward sustainable needs development.

Biodiesel as a source of revenue - The London Commons has been operating since November 2005. Since then we have made significant movements forward in developing a potential alternative to our current media of communication as well as, alternatve political, social and economic means of organization.  One component, which is still in its early stage of development, is how we will organize a non-hierarchical egalitarian place of work. We have been investigating different cooperative movements of the past and I believe that structure seems to be the likely direction for the future(although it is not stone). I believe the LC Biodiesel Coop will be our direction for organization(most definately up for discussion and debate).

In order to comply with the fuel regulations of the government of Canada, each batch of Biodiesel needs to be tested before being sold. At a price tag of $1500 per batch, making and selling Biodiesel at this stage, would be fiscally impossible.  Instead, we could concentrate on the research and development of building micro facilities that can be sold and serviced by the LC Biodiesel Coop.  This would be of economic and social benefit in so many ways I shall only name a few. One, we would be following one of our founding principles as a revolutionary organization by decentralizing the control over the means of production of fuel. Two, we would be enabling the family farms to have autonomy over their farm while at the same time helping to revitalize the old farming coop iniatives( this is not to say farm coops have been completely lost, moreover they have been rapidly disappearing).  Third, As a non-capitalist organization we would be paying ourselves fair wages and use any surplus finances to reinvest in the coop in order to hire more people.

How Do We Proceed?

          
At this point there are a handful of people involved and are wanting to help but are not sure what to do. In order to get this project off the ground, there are some important material components necessary to begin construction. Due to the size of this project we are going to break up the facility into five distinct, although equally important, sections.

The first Section is the creation of the Treatment Tank. The materials that are needed are as follows:

TREATMENT TANK (waste oil dryer and deacidifier) - Stage 1

1 - 25 feet of three quarter inch Braided clear plastic flexible pipe (number 2 plastic or HDPE)

6 - three quarter inch manuel ball shut off valves

"Gas fitters: tape (yellow) or compound

1- temperature probe (thermometer with cord)

8 - three quarter inch male 'hose to threaded pipe' adapters.

8 - three quarter inch hose clamps

1- spin on oil casting unit (available at the fuel supply or auto parts stores)

oil filters (car/truck... whatever will fit the casting unit)

1 - oil pump ( with or without motor)

1 - oil circulation pump (with or without motor)

1 - coupler (between pump and valve)

3 -  three quarter inch "T" Black pipe (gas pipe)

4 - 90 degree black pipe elbows (gas pipe)

1 - Black pipe cap for three quarter inch pipe

We are going to need all types of people all types of trades and skills. This is a list of some skills we will need:

Dumpster diving (garbage spotting), electrician, plumber, networkers, organizers, sales people, connections to many rural communities, connections to supply shops. Pretty much anyone who in interested in alternative non-hierarchical development would be a huge benefit to this iniative. 

By the way, most of the people who are involved have very different skills to offer. Don't discount yourself right away if you don't fit those profiles or don't understand this stuff. If you have something positive to offer then you have something this iniative needs.

Please reply to this forum if you are interested or just want to discuss the latest London Commons iniative.

Thanks

Jeff