Fueled for Thought

ACTION ALERT

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:11:54 GMT

If you have a moment, please get involved in this:

Biodiesel Action Now!

Everyone,

I’m sorry for the impersonal email, but I don’t have the time for an individual email to all of you in the biodiesel community as I have to get out over 3,000 emails this weekend. I have written each of you as a Bcc: to keep your email private.

I am asking each of you to take a little of your time to take action on this important issue facing those of us in the state that have made the personal decision to use biodiesel.

Recent rulings by the California State Water Resource Board have resulted in the closing of B99.9/B100 stations in the state.

Do your part to keep biodiesel stations open in the state.

Go to Biodiesel Action Now! and educate yourself about the issue and take action, write letters and make your voice heard.

Also ask your partner, relatives, friends, co-workers and others to join in this letter writing campaign. The more letters on this issue that are received by the recipients, the more our cause will rise to be heard.

Our goal is to get a fair hearing for B99.9/B100 users and to level the playing field.

Copy and paste the letter template and modify it as needed to fit your situation. Bcc: me on at least one letter so I can get an idea of the effects we are having.

Thanks, from a fellow member of the biodiesel community.

Kent Bullard
CFO (Chief Founder & Operator)
Southern California Biodiesel Users Group, Inc.
A 501c3 non-profit corporation
kent@socalbug.org c 805-218-6945

Yokayo on the FM dial

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:40:17 GMT

I apologize for the late notice, but I will be on the radio tomorrow night on the "Ecology Hour" on KZYX (91.5 FM) from 7-8 pm. The subject of the entire hour will be biodiesel, and the second half hour will be open for callers. Hopefully, they'll ask me some tough questions!

The host of the show is Ed Nieves. He spoke with me about biodiesel about 2 years ago, and figured that enough has happened between then and now that it's a good time for an update.

If your internet connection is better than your radio reception, you can find streaming audio links at www.kzyx.org

The Newest Member of the Family

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 18:25:22 GMT

And, yeah, my thumb:

2000 Freightliner FL 70, replacing the 1996 FL 70 that we got rid of. This one has 1000 gallons greater capacity (3000 gallons total), a more desirable (at least to our mechanic, Art) Caterpillar engine, as well as two compartments, enabling us to deliver both winterized and unwinterized fuel on the same route. Also, the ability to pump to either side thanks to the hanging reel in the rear cabinet. And our very first preset meter. Huzzah!

Profile in Biofuels Journal

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:48:49 GMT

(click picture for zoomable image)

Multi-Talented

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 22:55:36 GMT

Art admires my dad's handiwork. The area around the headlight, comprised of fiberglass, had been punched through in a minor accident. My dad applied the "wet lasagna" bandages, structure aided by a piece of an old plastic bowl he cut to form, bondo and sanding (with help from Barry), and then the "Freightliner white" coat of paint. Nahss!!

Not Much Posting- Been Busy Though

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 21:18:34 GMT

Knee-deep in Financial Accounting (love the "official" name of the class: BAD 1), personnel changes, engineering projects, and all the other daily grinds.

We just had a "power lunch" management meeting at Oco Time, home of the locally famous "Oco" and green tea cheesecake, among many other things. The meeting felt really good. We filled in some blank spots in the business plan, and had a great meal. Cesar had never been there before. Saw some people we knew, and realized that somehow that place isn't already a grease account (I had thought it was). Sunny and my dad both walked there (Sunny from the Perry Street office, my dad from his house). We all ended up feeling something along the lines of this is why we live here.

By the way, I just visited the website of our production plant's neighbor to the east, Shady Brady. Pretty cool. Nice hats. I got a tour of the manufacturing warehouse a while back. Support local manufacturing!

June 13th- Save the Date!

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:00:07 GMT

From the Biofuel Oasis:

URBAN FARMER GET TOGETHER and "FARM CITY" BOOK RELEASE PARTY

Urban Agriculture is in the air! Come celebrate urban farming in its many forms in the Bay Area

On June 13, 7:30pm, the Biofuel Oasis will celebrate the grand opening of their Urban Beekeeping and Feed Store. Purveyors of quality biodiesel since 2003, the BFO’s new location on Ashby Ave will now feature supplies for your urban farm, including: honey supers, beekeeping gear, hive tools and smokers, kelp meal, salt licks, goat and chicken feed.

To launch the store, we’re inviting Bay Area urban gardeners, beekeepers, chicken owners, and biodiesel users to come check out our new store. Local urban farming groups such as Spiral Gardens, City Slicker Farms, Urban Eggs, All Edibles, and many more will be on-hand to pass out information and answer any pressing urban farming questions. Light snacks like local, homemade goat cheese, olives, and beer will be served.

Novella Carpenter will read from her just-released book, Farm City: the Education of an Urban Farmer and show a slide presentation about her adventures raising vegetables, chickens, bees, turkeys, rabbits, pigs, and goats on her farmlette near downtown Oakland. There is some hope that we’ll be screening some slides and short films on our billboard as the night grows darker.

What: Urban Feed Store launch party
When: June 13, 7:30pm
Where: 1441 Ashby Ave (corner of Sacramento and Ashby in south Berkeley)

Back from trip

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:20:04 GMT

17 days on the road, over 5000 miles logged, around 1% on foot. Most of the trip spent above 5000 ft., with quite a few days spent above 7500 ft. Unfortunately, much of the trip was spent on diesel, since a number of biodiesel retail outlets have closed (I will be writing a letter to the National Biodiesel Board demanding that they do a better job updating their listings- several that they listed did not exist anymore). Thank goodness for Blue Sun in Colorado, and Bently in Nevada! Without them, we would have been entirely screwed.

Pictures will be up soon, with a link.

While the trip was 27 kinds of wonderful, abounding in good karma, beautiful environments, inspiring animals, etc., I do have to report that the Dragonfly stove did not work the way we had hoped. It never lit as well as it did prior to the trip. I finally found out that I was using the wrong nozzle, so I switched it out, and I haven't been able to get it to light since. I will be getting to know this piece of equipment, and report back my results.

Backpacking Stove Runs Beautifully on B100*

Tue, 12 May 2009 22:16:59 GMT

*UPDATE: Well, it did when we tested it prior to the trip. See 6/2 entry.

Here's our new MSR Dragonfly stove fired up on biodiesel:

Test

Mon, 11 May 2009 03:37:50 GMT

I'm posting this from my phone.

Here's Sunny after our hike this morning. We're getting ready for the long-awaited vacation, which includes some hefty hikes.

Should we do this?

Mon, 04 May 2009 21:38:27 GMT

From autobloggreen:

Polystyrene can be dissolved in biodiesel, boosts power and emissions

by Sebastian Blanco on May 4th 2009 at 10:19AM

Polystyrene is pretty much an environmentalist's nightmare. It's difficult to recycle in most areas and does not biodegrade if simply thrown away. But, because the stuff is so incredibly useful, it is produced and used in tremendous quantities. There's good news for biodiesel fans who want to reduce the amount of polystyrene in the environment and want to get a bit more kick out of their biofuel.

Two researchers at Iowa State University, Najeeb Kuzhiyil and Song-Charng Kong, have found that it is easy to dissolve packing peanuts into biodiesel; the enhanced biodiesel then produced more power in a diesel engine, as long as the polystyrene makes up no more than five percent of the biodiesel. The downside is that harmful emissions also increased. This is not too surpising, since petroleum is often used to make the styrofoam in the first place. According to Kong, quoted in New Scientist, the polystyrene cups dissolved quickly in biodiesel, "like a snowflake in water."

More discussion on this here: http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/419605551/m/604109921?r=999104131#999104131

Certainly an interesting idea. Perhaps a good use for Cesar's test engine!!!

New pictures up at website

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 22:26:30 GMT

My Head in a Beaker of Biodiesel

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:01:58 GMT

Post Earth Day Chatter

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:33:40 GMT

From the Ukiah Daily Journal:

Sandy Turner of Yokayo Biofuels was smart to wear a hat. "I guess global warming must be taking its toll," was the comment on the unseasonable 90-degree heat. The biofuel company had made a commitment to locally source as many of its business resources as it can. Owner Kumar Plocher hopes that soon, the creation of a locally based currency will "become the guiding principle on placing value upon the limitations of what we do." The company's "small is beautiful," decentralized business model currently recycles used restaurant fryer oil from more than 600 restaurants, and Plocher and his staff are working on creating other areas of recycling.

Note: we're actually over 850 restaurants currently.

Happy Earth Day!

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 19:08:58 GMT

Remember: we have all the answers to prolonged peaceful coexistence with this planet: we just need to implement them!

(picture by the ever-excellent Jonathan)

We're set up at Mendocino College. Click the pic below for more info.

Please Do This NOW:

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:42:35 GMT

Head over to savebiodiesel.org and sign their petition. Thank you.

4 Things...

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:56:14 GMT

1) Lyle from Piedmont Biofuels was on Democracy Now! this morning (click the picture to go to the website for the segment):

2) Out with the old, in with the new. So long old FL 70 biodiesel delivery truck: you were a good truck, but you were short in length and tall in height, which is dangerous, and you lacked a 2nd compartment and could have stood to have a little bigger capacity. Oh, and did I mention we prefer Caterpillar engines? C'est la vie. So we shipped you to Alaska, and will be showcasing the new and improved "you" soon.

Goodbye old friend...

3) We have filled all open positions! Now I just have to get to work putting pictures at the 4 new "photo not available" slots in the people section of our website.

4) Congressman Thompson wasn't able to make it, but his assistant, Heidi Dickerson, did stop by, and so we gave her the tour. She was impressed, and promised to get our legislator out here at the next possible opportunity. Thank you Heidi!

Thoughts on Cellulosic Ethanol

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 23:14:43 GMT

In the past, I've been tempted to think of Cellulosic Ethanol as yet another "white whale" - the thing that it's easy to want, to chase, but to never find. I've lumped it with algae biodiesel, a mythical product that I used to fantasize about, but not-so-much anymore.

However, I've been chatting with a local ethanol researcher lately, and it appears that fuel from paper and green waste may not be that far off after all. I can't say much more than that at the moment, but I am excited that Yokayo may be able to help in this effort!

Needed Updates

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 21:40:15 GMT

It's always kind of frustrating when so much is going on that I forget to keep the blog updated, and everyone assumes that nothing is going on. Here are a few updates:

We have filled the production plant assistant position. Interestingly, our newest employee is a chemical engineer who moved here from Georgia for this job. How did he find out about our job opening? "Reading your blog, I noticed you need a P/T production plant assistant." Sweet!
We have also hired a P/T mechanical engineer who is moving here from Washington State. He came to us unsolicited, although I had written a note to myself saying, "Find a retired mechanical engineer who can work part time for us." Funny that the exact embodiment of that description emailed me, looking for work.
We are still looking for a P/T (20-30 hrs/wk) barrel/dumpster delivery/pickup driver. No commercial license necessary, but a clean driving record is a must!

Also, unrelated to job openings:

I resigned today from the NBB Sustainability Taskforce, in order to make room for a number of accounting, business, and management classes that I will be taking.
Today, the management team will have a mini-retreat, focused on Cesar's plans for Honduras.
We sold over 25,000 gallons of biodiesel in March, which makes me feel cautiously optimistic about things.
The Obama reduction in payroll withholdings looks to save us nearly $1000/mo.
Congressman Mike Thompson will be visiting our plant a week from today.
The committee I formed in my Rotary Club, the Environmental Stewardship Committee, awarded its first ever Environmental Hero award to Rebecca Kress last month (would link to article in Ukiah Daily Journal, but it's archived already).

Sorry for the dull list format. That stuff was weighing me down. Here's something about the new Tesla offering.

These Boots Were Made for... Transesterifying??

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 23:08:02 GMT

I finally said goodbye to my original pair of Timberlands today, in favor of a shiny new one. The smelly, tattered, but largely-still-functional boots of yore finally gave up the ghost when a small tear emerged in one of them. They lasted 2 1/2 years, including much tromping around in biodiesel and biodiesel-saturated grease sweep without any sole degrading. Sandy wears the same boots, and his original pair lasted the same amount of time. Go polyurethane outsoles! Yeay Timberland! I heartily recommend this boot:

Timberland Pro "Powerwelt" 6" Steel Toe Work Boots (click image for more info)

The Latest biodieselSMARTER

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:13:39 GMT

This essential magazine is getting bigger and better (up to nearly 50 pages). In this, the 9th issue, I call on biodiesel activists to send letters to the car manufacturers, respectfully demanding biodiesel-compatible vehicles. What's this? You didn't realize that was a problem? Check out my article!

Mendocino College Job Fair

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 02:33:49 GMT

We were there, as was the Ukiah Daily Journal:

Even the exhibitors found the event to be educational. Kumar Plocher, owner of Yokayo Biofuels, was surprised by the size and diversity of the crowd.

"It seems pretty cool," said Plocher. "There's a lot of high school kids coming by, and we've spoken to a few older folks as well. We had to make a bunch more copies of our job opening listing, so that's good. It's interesting. More of the public knows about our product than they did a few years ago. It's definitely an opportunity to expand that knowledge and we brought a lot of information to that effect. We've had a lot of people coming by our booth and if they're interested in the job possibility they still ask a lot of questions about what we do. I appreciate the enthusiasm of the crowd here. It seems like a pretty good event. I think I expected it to be more sparsely attended, so it's nice."

Rest of article here. Yokayo is currently accepting resumes for a P/T production plant assistant (no experience necessary), as well as a P/T researcher/grantwriter (experience necessary).

Our Management Retreat, or, Llessons Llearned

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:50:37 GMT

Over the past weekend, Sunny, my dad Steve, Sandy, Cesar, our facilitator Sam, and I all held our management retreat at the Stanford Inn in Mendocino (click image for more info), a long-time customer of Yokayo, but one that, until now, I did not know enough about.

Some thoughts:

• Having an experienced, dedicated facilitator is critical. Sam was amazing, and we achieved several breakthroughs in our understanding of each other, our business, and our path for the future.

• We talked a lot about how the management of a business should start with its core values, and we spent a decent amount of time going over those values. Community, love, honesty, cooperation, and knowledge-sharing were at the top of our list. For a look at what happens when values do not run a business, or when the values themselves are deeply corrupt, see here. On the other hand, it is worth noting that the Stanford Inn appears to be living, or shall we say, OWNING its values better than just about any company I've ever seen. Everywhere you look, from the dining room, to the gardens, to the pool, to the rooms themselves, you see evidence of many of the same core values that Yokayo has. It was a beautiful place for us to be.

• We divided the conversation, for the most part, into business of the head, and business of the heart. We have been operating so much from the heart (definitely largely responsible for our heroic journey). It is time to balance things. One of the results of that conversation is that I am going to be taking some business classes in the coming months.

Interestingly, one of the many lessons I learned was kind of an unintended one. It became clear that it really is important to know, and to support the people you do business with. Kind of a "duh", but how much do we all actually live that one? While I had delivered fuel to the Stanford Inn on a number of occasions, and spoken to owner Jeff Stanford on the phone, I had never strayed from the route to the fuel tanks, nor met the man in person. To me, the Stanford Inn was a name in the computer and on the checks, and a paved turnoff that went by a llama pen toward a green tank that we fill with biodiesel. In retrospect, the llamas should have been a giveaway- there was a lot more to the story than had met my eye.

Two days is a pretty short time for a management retreat, from what I understand. It was at times intense, and at times, difficult and confusing. But it was also essential. I look forward to all of the work that arises out of it.

HAPPY MARCH!!!

Fat Tuesday Indeed!

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:11:31 GMT

Ever since I started being the fuelmaker on Saturdays a while back, Tuesdays have been my day off. And since I always have a lot of work to remove from my mind, I like a lot of distractions on Tuesdays, meaning I play a lot of Rock Band, do a lot of cooking, read, have fun- basically, it's my Bohemian day.

So it's pretty ironic that today of all days, I've already been involved in a lot of intense business in just the first two hours. I'm in the office today because I'm not working this Saturday, which is again ironic, because I'm actually going to be at our management retreat on the coast- I suppose in some ways the definition of intense work.

C'est la vie- Bon Mardi Gras!!!

Yokayo Biofuels Announces: Twins!

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:58:58 GMT

Look what the crane dropped in:

And they're each a whopping 2000 lbs!!!

Those are a couple of new (to us) stainless steel 2,250 gallon reactor tanks, complete with insulation, heating coils, and mixers. Special thanks to the folks at Piedmont Biofuels for helping us scope these out (all the way over in Yadkinville, North Carolina!!).