Blogs

Wed, 02/17/2010

Dear Ms. Feinstein, For your records, I am enclosing the letter I sent to President Obama. Let me reiterate my frustration with the Senate's latest round of inaction. Specifically, I am truly confounded by the Senate's decision to vote on a Jobs bill that excludes renewal of the biodiesel producer's credit - and by so doing immediately jeopardizes over 25,000 US jobs . Without this key piece of legislation renewed, my Chico, CA based alternative energy manufacturing company will be forced to seriously consider relocating - jobs, technology and tax revenues. I urge you to act proactively and not sit back passively and wait for America to lose the alternative energy technology race. Dear President Obama, I am the owner of a small alternative energy manufacturing company in Chico, CA. My company, Springboard Biodiesel, is a leader in its market niche - the manufacturing of small scale biodiesel processors that enable small businesses, farmers and fleet operators to make ASTM grade biodiesel out of recycled vegetable oil (grease). Despite our ability to produce the best products available in our market - here in the US; despite keeping and creating jobs during the recession; despite our exciting new technologies, and despite our efforts to support the biodiesel industry, my government is directly and negatively impacting my business. Specifically, the Senate's inability to get the biodiesel tax credit reinstated threatens my ability to do business in the US. I am strongly considering moving my business, my jobs, and my leadership biodiesel production technology overseas, where government support is tangible and not obstructive. I very much do not want to do this, but I refuse to lose because my government is short sighted, polarized and beholding to Big Oil lobbyists. I have historically voted the democratic ticket, and I have never been as politically enthused as I have been under your leadership, but I feel that the Senate's paralyzing polarization and inability to pass the JOBS sustaining and creating biodiesel legislation is inexcusable. I urge you to urge them to think of the good of the country. If we lose leadership in alternative energy technologies, we will find ourselves on the outside looking in as vast employment and wealth creation waves wash upon other shores. Respectfully, Mark Roberts CEO Springboard Biodiesel 2282 Ivy Street Chico, CA 95928

Fri, 12/18/2009

Committing yourself to anything takes a toll, but focusing that commitment on anything regarding changing the way people approach major problems is excruciating. Case in point:Read more

Wed, 12/09/2009

Ok, it's December 10th. I deep fried my turkey and processed the used oil in our BioPro™ and then "closed the loop" by burning the resultant biodiesel in my 1984 Mercedes 300 TD Wagon.Read more

Wed, 11/11/2009

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Tue, 09/01/2009

I spend a lot of time lambasting the US car industry for malicious, short sighted, failed policies. Today, I have a chance to spin 180º and laud Ford Motor Company, which today embraced B-20 in their 2011 F-Series pick-ups, http://bit.ly/ffwLR. Maybe there was a reason these guys didn't need to go bankrupt. It would be nice to see the others follow suit.

Mon, 08/31/2009

Biodiesel has had a tough 2009.Read more

Tue, 07/14/2009

I've recently gotten the Twitter bug.Read more

Mon, 06/29/2009

I read today with despair and remembered incredulity that there are people allowed a microphone and, more importantly, a vote who are wholly bankrupt - intellectually and morally.Read more

Thu, 06/18/2009

What if we lived in a world that depended on the use of a finite, costly fuel source buried in the ground in places that were governed by people who thought we were bad people?Read more

Tue, 03/24/2009

Are we being undone by our disdain for things deemed inconvenient - public transport, recyclingRead more