It’s Thanksgiving week and I’m psyching myself up to condense a week’s work into three days. Suffice it to say, I’m giving my legs a reprieve, gingerly setting aside my bicycle, and opting instead for our other eco-friendly delivery vehicle: a 2003 Dodge Sprinter. If you read last month’s newsletter you saw pictures and its be-spangled glory and you know that it runs on soybeans grown right here in Minnesota.

I experienced a minor revelation when I learned that biodiesel technology has been around since the invention of the engine itself, nearly 100 years ago. That revelation was compounded when I learned that any diesel engine will accept specially processed vegetable oils, even recycled Mac-Fryer grease, for combustion. How had this knowledge eluded me? I blame the petroleum industry. Who else would blind us from a renewable, clean-burning, biodegradable and non-toxic means to move our cars? One which the common man could produce on his own with a little simple chemistry, a strainer, a 50-gallon drum, and a Volvo 240 DL?

Of course we’re still getting used to the switch. Our gas comes in a 50-gallon drum from which we hand-pump the fuel out of, through a garden hose and into the tank. Obviously less convenient than pulling into a Mobil or Citgo and filling up, but then I remember our pioneer forebears, pumping water from wells as they staked claims in new territory, and I perservere.

Then there is the cold weather issue. At around 30-40 degrees the gas begins to gel and cannot be pumped into the engine. This happened a couple weeks ago and the van simply didn’t start despite our pouring hot water on the fuel line. That afternoon, once it had warmed a bit, the van did start. Without any other options, I took it to a local station and put ten dollars of dino-diesel in the tank as this is said to be the easiest remedy. Beth has since found some additives that should do the trick, but we haven’t tried them yet.

Personally I’ve experienced mixed reactions to the new van. Some vendors worry that it’ll make me soft, that I won’t be out on the bike so much anymore. Others tell me now that we have a van I won’t need to use the bike again. I’ve received commendations on our commitment to biodiesel. Others chuckle, roll their eyes, and blaspheme when I divulge how much we pay per gallon. There are a lot of things I could say in these situations, so many good things I don’t know where to begin -- whether to dispel doubts, offer gratitude, or engender a more positive outlook. So mostly I just smile.

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