biodiesel

The last time I rented a car, I was able to help the environment by tacking on a mere $1.25 to my rental cost. Granted, I’m still driving and spewing CO2 — but that small amount allowed me to offset my contribution to the carbon emissions generated by the typical rental car: about 300 pounds.

Every time I pass a gas station I count my blessings. Since I’ve had my own biodiesel tank at my house for the last two years, I’ve almost never had to endure the dubious honor of queuing up in line to fill up my car with fossil fuels shipped from politically unstable countries in the Middle East knowing full well that oil is a rapidly diminishing resource. It’s a unique joy that most biodiesel users tend to take for granted.
 
And I have the further satisfaction of knowing that my biodiesel doesn’t come from virgin genetically modified soy but instead is wholly recycled from vegetable fryer waste oil from my own Mendocino County. Plus it costs less than most gasoline or ‘dino-diesel’ fuel at the gas pump because I buy a large quantity when it’s at a low price, locking in those prices for a long time.
 
Did you know you can make your own biodiesel for only $0.70 per gallon (if you gather your own recycled veggie oil) with a processor that Real Goods sells? And did you know that you can run B-100 (100% biodiesel) in your VW Jetta, Mercedes, old Ford truck, or tractor without doing any conversions whatsoever?
 
Now biodiesel may not be the panacea for the future of fuels as we need land to support our food supplies, but it sure is a great transition fuel for those of us who are sick of using gasoline and supporting the decaying oil infrastructure. Next time you buy a vehicle, consider a diesel powered vehicle, and next time you fill up at a gas station, think about how how simple biodiesel could be!
 
For the Earth,
 
John Schaeffer

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America’s 10 Best Eco-Neighborhoods

It’s that time of year when we all vow to purge our weaknesses and get back to the business of doing the right thing. While 2007 was a pretty good year for me in the scheme of the last decade, still there are myriad ways to improve. I thought I’d share a few of the things I intend to do in 2008 to be a more environmentally conscious being. While living in an off-the-grid solar house with no electric company and no gas powered vehicles is a start, there is always a long way to go to lighten the proverbial footprint. For starters I intend to:

Welcome to my blog!

It’s been nearly 30 years since I founded Real Goods, a renewable energy and ecological living company — and I have been living “off-the-grid” on solar and hydroelectric power most of the time since. I live on a 320 acre working biodynamic farm we named Sunhawk Farms. Here in the hills of Mendocino County, Calif., my wife Nancy and I (and frequently my 20-something daughters Sara and Ashley).