Big Sur Bio-Diesel Co-Op

Filed in archive Social Enterprise on August 29, 2006

I was down in Big Sur today and met with Adam Kirchner, who stands next to his creation in the picture above. This trailer houses a self-contained bio-diesel station on wheels which will soon be operational as part of the Big Sur Bio-Diesel Co-Op. Why did he put it in a trailer? Well, costs for permitting a below ground bio-diesel tank were too prohibitive and this trailer is small enough (by about 10 gallons) to get below the radar of bureaucratic red tape.

On September 1st the bio-diesel trailer will move into its permanent location inside the old Joli's garage behind the Village Shops (near the Big Sur River Inn), where the 20 members and counting (40 more are looking to sign on) will be able to access the fuel. The garage will also include a living laboratory and sustainable living center complete with bio-diesel, composting, vermiculture, and solar power displays. There's also a Big Sur seed bank in the works, and possibly a small algae pond, according to Kirchner, who says that could be a possible vegetable oil source.

"As long as you have a diesel engine you can run bio-diesel," said Adam Kirchner, the brains behind the Co-Op. "Anything like cars, house heaters, generators, tractors, and big trucks are running bio-diesel now." Kirchner said he averaged about 45 miles per gallon driving a bio-diesel powered Volkswagon across the country earlier this year.

The Co-Op will distill its own ethanol to mix with locally collected vegetable oil from area restaurants. Bio-diesel is a clean, safe technology made from vegetable oil mixed with small amounts of lye and ethanol. Not only is this the only bio-diesel fuel stop in Big Sur, it's the only diesel available period in Big Sur. And at $3.40 per gallon, right now Big Sur Bio-Diesel is cheaper than most other sources in the area.

"The price will fluctuate, but this is about as expensive as it will get," said Kirchner.

The bio-diesel trailer which houses the gas pump is also solar powered. See the small cell on top of the trailer in the picture below. Funding and input on design has been provided by local Big Sur community members and from the Wallace Global Fund, the Post-Petroleum Laboratory, and the Sustainability Council of Ventura County.



The Big Sur Bio-Diesel Co-Op will be at this web address in the future. Some information on the Big Sur Powerdown movement can be found here at Re-Localize.

On another note related to the Wallace Global Fund, please check in at Dropping Knowledge, which is run by one of the founding members. The votes are in for 100 questions that will be asked at the first international thought-summit in Berlin on September 10th called the Table of Free Voices. Be sure to tune in ...