This past Saturday, a few of us DtaSers went to a series of talks at Cal Day. One of the talks was on sustainable biofuels, featuring energy expert Professor Alex Farrell.

Sadly, the next day Professor Farrell died at his home in San Francisco. He was 46.

I am personally deeply saddened by this. He was one of my best friends’ thesis advisor. The attendees of that talk were probably some of the last few people to see him alive.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions in Farrell’s memory be made to the Alex Farrell Memorial Scholarship Fund, Energy and Resources Group, 310 Barrows Hall, #3050, Berkeley, CA 94720-3050. Please make checks out to “Regents of the University of California.”

You can read the obituary here.

For those lucky enough to attend Cal Day this past weekend, there was an interesting discussion on Biofuels led by Alex Farrell. Alex had just published an Op-Ed in the SF Chronicle last month. In the article, Alex indicates biofuel production is dependent on the land used. If we use arable land or clearcut rainforest to grow corn and soy….surprise surprise, we generate more GHGs than if we just stuck with petroleum oil.

At the Cal Day event, Alex argued the need for second generation biofuels…ones that use non-arable land or waste as feedstock. Then various processing can be applied to make a wide variety of biofuels, from ethanol to hydrocarbons similar to current day petroleum. It came off as “tolerate the current structure because it supports a brighter future”.

Rather than criticize the current system, I’ll focus on the future…here’s a clip from KQED QUEST’s report on 2nd gen biofuels.

I’m a Biodiesel newbie, and I have to say that so far my favorite thing is the smell. I love being stopped at a light at having the scent of french fries waft through the air. Maybe it’s cause I don’t eat at fast-food restaurants anymore that the smell is so appealing–or maybe it just reminds me of the happy days of my youth when I could put away a Super Size fries in no time.

You’d probably guess that saving the environment and reducing greenhouse gases is also high on my list of newfound satisfactions, but honestly that stuff is further down the list. What appeals to me more, actually, is being able to fill up my car and not give any money to the big corporate petroleum giants. When I pull into Biofuels Oasis in Berkeley, I come face to face with the people whom I’m supporting–a group on down-home women who cooperatively own the place. And the money doesn’t stop there; it goes down to southern CA to the place where the fuel is made. And I suppose a bit of it goes to the potato chip factory where the oil comes from. As far as sustainability, buying local is one of the biggest things we can to to empower ourselves and our path toward economic independence. I’m happy to pay more to support my community and keep money out of the hands of some Chevron executive.

Speaking of community, one of the other benefits of going Bio is the amazing community that I immediately became a part of. It’s like I’m instantly a part of the cool guy club, and whenever I see another biodiesel driving around we can exchange that knowing look. Also, driving around an old Mercedes gets me status points all over the place. My ride is already pimp! The ladies are all over me!

OK, OK, the environment: Yes, my car is carbon neutral*. Yes, my car spits out less pollution than most. Yes, I’m doing my part to help the environment. But honestly, I’m not sure that Biodiesel is the earth-savior that we want it to be. If we keep it local and use only recycled veggie oil, than I’m a wholehearted supporter. But, as with most things in this world, when there’s money to be made, bigger business creeps in. I’m afraid of the day when the Shell station starts selling Bio. It may be a step in the right direction, but I don’t trust the big corporations to honestly put the helping the environment on their list of company objectives. It’s kind of like going to Safeway and seeing their “O-Organics” line of products–something just doesn’t quite feel right about it.

Furthermore, there’s a kind of laziness or self-satisfaction that can come with running biodiesel (or a hybrid). I think we need to be careful of the “Well, I’m doing MY part” attitude. I would imagine that the environmental benefits of biofuels or hybrids are minute compared to what could happen if we all took a look at our lives as a whole–our homes, water consumption, waste, plastic bottles, etc. I mean, what about all those rich-folks in the hills pulling their hybrids out of the garage of their 4,000 square foot house?

My point is this: I’m not gonna stop the push for environmental justice and clean energy just because I drive a biodiesel. Yes, it helps, but it’s not the solution.

Until then, I’m happy driving a french-fry perfumerie!

*–actually, biodiesel isn’t carbon neutral when all of the processing and delivery is taken into account.

In West Oakland, many older trucks and ships spew diesel fumes into the air. The fine particles from the diesel contribute to higher asthma rates, especially among children in West Oakland. KQED QUEST is airing a segment tonight on the problem and a few activists stepping up to reduce diesel pollution. Watch the video below!

I am planning to have a cafe on Bay area air quality in the next few months. Consider this a primer.

Soyatech’s Biofuel Index, a group tracking biofuel production capacity, reports a 93% increase in planned ethanol production capacity. Total planned ethanol production rose from 6.761 BGY to 13.03 BGY. In addition, growth of ethanol capacity under construction grew from 2.417 BGY to 7.226 BGY. Total online capacity for ethanol is up to 5.853 BGY, up 6% for the quarter.

Biodiesel is also showing strong growth going from 890 MGY to 1.255 BGY, a 41% gain. The expectations are that a $1 federal subsidy for biodiesel will be extended later this year.