The Deseret News recently ran a story on Biodiesel (an alternative fuel for which I happen to be a huge advocate and I am also a member of the Utah Biodiesel Co-op) and completely made a mess of it. (story below) A while back I had the opportunity to meet Graydon Blair whom they interviewed for the story. He is an extremely knowledgeable person and had a pretty impressive operation for 'homebrewing' his own Biodiesel. The machine made it so simple that it looked almost as easy as doing the laundry.
However, I read the article and it seemed that from what I knew and had researched about the fuel myself (and Eric can attest to this as he met Graydon with me), as well as what I have learned through email messages from other members of the bio co-op such as Graydon himself, that the paper was completely off and was casting biodiesel as a completely illegal fuel. The article made me mad because there were so many errors and so much mis-information about the kind of people involved in bio- production. You can't tell me that the article doesn't cast every person who makes their own fuel as a tax-evading criminal, or some tinkering-renegade-liberal-hippie. Actually, they are mostly highly-educated and savvy people, including scientists, engineers, and businessmen. As well, biodiesel is not really some 'underground' operation, as there are very large, national associations that have paid large sums of money for all kinds of biodiesel fuel to be EPA certified.
Read what Graydon had to say about his own interview. He sent this to all of the Utah Biodiesel Co-op members in a thread regarding the article published over the weekend. This is why more and more I am switching to periodicals and online news services (such as press releases and rss feeds directly from the institution involved) to get my news. Something is amiss in our current journalism schools - they all think that writing for a paper is the same as writing for a blog or something. Too much opinion, not enough facts! Someone ought to start a research news paper that actually does research and is filled with relevant information. Something like what that Phil Steele guy has done with Sports magazines.
On Aug 18, 2008, at 10:55 PM, Utah Biodiesel Supply wrote:
Yep. And it pissed me off royally too because she took what I said & twisted my words.
I explained with extreme explicitness too and she STILL managed to screwed it up!
Somehow that chick had it in her brain that running Biodiesel was against the Clean Air Act & nothing I could say would change what she thought.
I even clarified the differences but no, she STILL had to go & twist it up.
Just for the record....
If a fuel has passed the Health & Human Testing that the EPA requires for a fuel, then it technically doesn't violate the act.
Biodiesel HAS passed the EPA. The National Biodiesel Board PAID for this to be done (millions of dollars too!)
If someone uses Biodiesel in a vehicle, it DOES NOT violate the Clean Air Act (contrary to what was published).
I explained that to her over & over but she still didn't get it.
Also, when she asked me about taxes & the EPA, she misquoted me.
I told her that while the EPA isn't an issue, possibly running fuel without paying road taxes would be the thing that could catch up to a person first.
She misrepresented my quote and made it sound like you'd be violating the EPA AND owe taxes but that the IRS would be the one to get you first.
I also told her that to SELL the fuel without it passing ASTM is against the EPA rules, but somehow she had it in her head that even if you used it, it'd be against the law.
I clarified that over and over with her but she still seems to have it in her mind that if you make it & burn it you're violating the EPA clean air act.
I loved how she handily lumped SVO and Biodiesel into the same thing too....damn reporters!
Man, I'm so damn mad at her right now! That's the last interview I'll ever do for the Deseret News in relation to Biodiesel.
Damn paper!
-GraydonUtah Biodiesel Supply
Offering Innovative Ways To
Produce, Promote, And Use Biodiesel
Phone 801-820-5753 Fax 866-872-8505
Email info@utahbio.com
Main Site http://www.utahbio.com/
Bumper Stickers www.cafepress.com/utahbdsupply
Guys,We had a somewhat unfortunate news article make it on the front page of the D-News today. I would stress in the future that any local biodiesel producers please use extreme caution when speaking with the news media about any possible "illegality" and tax issues related to biodiesel production and vegetable oil use. I am not asking anyone to lie but please use caution in implicating yourself and others in activities that could be termed as illegal whether they are or are not. The article unfortunately did no one related to either any justice.It has also been picked up by AP, KUTV 2, and KSL on their web sites. Again if we could please use caution in the future.Thanks,Andre
_________________________________________________________________
This is an email list of Biodiesel Supporters and Users in Utah hosted by http://www.utahbiodiesel.org/
To unsubcribe, modify your subscription, or switch from indiviual emails to digest mode (one email a day), see http://utahbiodiesel.org/mailman/listinfo/list_utahbiodiesel.org
Also see http://www.utahbiodiesel.org/ for more info.
--
Tijs Limburg
Chairman and CTO of DMX - Digital Media eXceleron, Inc.
Get eXcited!
www.dmxed.com
Blogs:
http://phystrings.blogspot.com/
http://getoutofthedark.blogspot.com/
The "Don't Tread on Me" Flag: The First Navy Jack is enjoying renewed popularity these days thanks to an order from the Secretary of the Navy that directs all U.S. Navy ships to fly the First Navy Jack for the duration of the War on Terrorism.
No comments:
Post a Comment