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Hi all,<br>
<br>
The Port has approved, and the San Francisco Supervisors will soon vote
on, a biofuels project which is bad news with a capital B. It will
promote the worst forms of big ag biofuels projects, including the
-most- environmentally damaging agriculture, factory farm animal
production. We must immediately move to stop this thing in its tracks
before it gets any farther.<br>
<br>
Here's an article about the project so that you can see why. (The
projected output of biofuels noted in the article could not possibly be
produced without huge amounts of factory and animal agriculture.)<br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://sfenvironment.org/our_sfenvironment/news.html?topic=details&ni=411">http://sfenvironment.org/our_sfenvironment/news.html?topic=details&ni=411</a><br>
<h2>Locally Made Biodiesel on the Way--SF Chronicle</h2>
<p>
<i class="small">(September 9, 2008)</i>
</p>
David R. Baker, <br>
<br>
A company that processes food scraps, animal parts and used restaurant
grease in San Francisco now wants to turn that waste into fuel.<br>
<br>
Darling International has reached a tentative agreement with the Port
of San Francisco to build a biodiesel plant on the city's southeastern
waterfront. The Port Commission is scheduled to vote on the agreement
today. <br>
<br>
For 38 years, Darling has run a rendering plant on Pier 92, at Amador
Street, that creates tallow by processing byproducts from dairies,
meatpacking facilities, butcher shops and restaurants. Darling's plant
ships so much finished tallow - 21,731 liquid tons in 2007 - that the
company has become the port's largest exporter.<br>
<br>
Tallow can be used to make biodiesel, a fuel that can be blended into
regular, petroleum-based diesel or used on its own in vehicles with
minor modifications. So Darling wants part of the pier to house a
biodiesel plant capable of churning out 7.5 million to 10 million
gallons each year. The project would cost roughly $7 million to $10
million.<br>
<br>
"This facility will serve as a model for cities throughout the world
who aim to reduce their carbon footprint and transform their grease
waste into useable, sustainable energy," said Mayor Gavin Newsom.<br>
<br>
The city government uses a blend of 20 percent biodiesel in all 1,500
of its diesel vehicles. The proposed agreement with the port, however,
does not obligate the city to buy biodiesel from Darling.<br>
<br>
Biodiesel has grown in popularity during this decade's historic run-up
in oil prices, which pushed the price of regular diesel above $5 per
gallon this summer in California. Biodiesel can be made from multiple
sources, such as soy oil or recycled restaurant grease. <br>
<br>
Under the proposal, Darling and the port also will collaborate on
creating a marine fueling station at the pier, for boats that use
biodiesel. Darling is based in Irving, Texas.<br>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
"I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves." – Che Guevara</pre>
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