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August 30, 2008 Old timey radio and late night CB songs. by moe. There was some debate amongst the crew as to whether to stay in Denver to listen to Obama's speech. It was expected to be historic, but logistics suggested we spend the time packing and head out ahead of traffic. In the end we gathered in out empty lot, the collapsed structures and boxes and tubs and all, and sat together eating falafel and veggies while listening to the speech on the radio. It was indeed impressive, with a relatable rhetoric. But once he mentioned Clean Coal and Safe Nuclear we put down our plates and started packing for the long drive to St. Paul. Truly renewable energy sources should be the first ones mentioned. The landscape of sustainability becomes more and more complex. Is the answer to energy independance really reliant on technology that creates hazardous waste? Are we bound to unsustainable practices for the sake of not importing foreign oil? At the Green Frontier Fest I spent some time discussing biofuel feedstocks with the guys at Blue Sun Biodiesel. Currently they encourage the growth of biofuel crops in rotation with crops like winter wheat. This can sometimes reduce dependancy on herbicides, but they're still regarded as essential to industrial agriculture. We argued a bit about Waste Vegetable Oil (I could not be convinced that lipstick or dog food is a better use for it), but we both expressed hope for the future of algae oil. Sustainability isn't simple. We woke up the next morning in Nebraska near Lake Ogallala and took the opportunity to jump in for a morning swin, relax and have a meeting. It was really the first deep breath since we left for Denver, and a welcome opportunity to check in (and throw Zach in a lake). In the water we all stuggled to stay buoyant while goofing around and giddily swimming ourselves clean. Back in the buses with new walkie-talkies, we wiled away the hours discussing McCain's choice for VP, quzzing one another on the history of the 13 colonies, and singing the drivers awake. Jonathan Youtt and Russel Howze got all of Priscilla cracked up with their rendition of "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." I laughed so hard I swerved a little. Next stop: a campground near the largest amusement park in the Midwest, and then . . . St. Paul. More Blog Entries: |
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