Desert Biofuels Initiative, Inc.: a nonprofit social venture advancing sustainable regional biofuels

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Desert Biofuels Initiative, Inc. a non-profit
social venture advancing sustainable regional
biofuels through policy analysis, education and
applied research projects
Brad Biddle (brad_at_desertbiofuels.org) / Eric
Johnson (eric_at_desertbiofuels.org) ASU SkySong,
1475 N. Scottsdale Rd. Ste. 200 Scottsdale AZ
85257 480.205.2740 http//desertbiofuels.org
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Three Things

• Goal Converting all local WVO to biodiesel
• Individual producers safety concerns
• WVO Too small to collect? An opportunity to make
  an impact

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The Goal
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Converting all WVO to B100

• Between 6 and 16 million gallons of WVO produced
  in the Valley annually
• WVO causes sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) cost
  real - and -
• Nearly 100,000 tons of CO2 could be removed from
  local air by converting that WVO to biodiesel
• An Arizona B5 mandate could happen just using
  WVO

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Individual producers safety concerns

• Feb 2009 Desert Biofuels Homebrew Safety
  workshop
• Keypoints
• Being a good neighbor is mostly common sense
  and regulation doesnt create that
• Increased regulation ! increased safety
• Regulation could drive potentially compliant
  individuals underground
• Outreach educational opportunity
• At 4/gal (plus) we will have homebrewers
• Do the regulators want them to self-disclose?
• See website for more details http//desertbiofuel
  s.org/workshops/16-workshops/49-homebrew-roundtabl
  e.html

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WVO Too small to collect?

• What can I do?
• Lots of mom and pop establishments with 5
  gal/week.
• Individual collections lots of 5 gal/week
• Example 25 gal week fuel use equals B20 just
  from one collection

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"In the great chess-board of human society, every
single piece has a principle of motion of its
own, altogether different from that which the
legislature might choose to impress upon it. If
those two principles coincide and act in the same
direction, the game of human society will go on
easily and harmoniously, and is very likely to be
happy and successful. If they are opposite or
different, the game will go on miserably, and the
society must be at all times in the highest
degree of disorder. Adam Smith, The Theory of
Moral Sentiments