I would like to honor, thank profusely and cherish my connection with Kevin Woodson. He is not only the artistic visionary behind “Betty Biodiesel Visions”, but a good friend as well. My focus sessions with Kevin include laughter, sharing and brainstorming. Anyone reading this mini thanks blog must go to his website and go on the Kevin Woodson journey…you will be pleased you did.
I just sent a letter to the U.S. EPA asking the agency to allow California and 16 others states to implement higher auto emissions standards. These states are ready to take action now to reduce the pollutants linked to global warming and breast cancer — but the EPA won’t let them.
I encourage you to ask the EPA to reconsider its denial to the states. It’s in the best interest of our health and our environment.
Write to the EPA at http://www.breastcancerfund.org/emissions.
Here is what I added. A bit of a diatribe but has some truth aspects to it.
The EPA is our governmental body that is set up by the people for the people and the people want more efficiency, if not for the environment and the people that live within it but for the US to be able to compete in the global car market. The rest of the world is increasing efficiency and making us look like idiots with our cheap gas and low MPG and by the way they are selling these cars like crazy, just take one look at the Prius…it’s everywhere. This is a sign that people want it and the more the EPA (our protective agency) says no the more you look connected or “in bed” with the large corporations.
I am frustrated that my tax money goes to the salaries of the people that work for the EPA making these kind of bad decisions. Besides the way it is set up it’s like the state of CA (the kid in this story) is having to ask the EPA (the authority) for a hall pass. This is bad parenting and needs to be redirected to YES WE WILL ALLOW YOU CA (the Kid) TO DO WHAT YOU WANT WITH YOUR STATE.
I’m curious, how does the oilagarchy feel about CA, the 5th largest economy in the world, wanting to make a move that would help the people and the environment and cut into their profits…but then again isn’t that what the “no” is about. Keep digging deep for the reality of things and make your move for the people and planet leaving profit last for a change.
The good news…
Did you know that the largest transportation fleet in the nation is the school bus fleet? 24 million students ride the bus everyday.
The school bus is the safest mode of transportation compared to individually driving our kids to school.
The bad news…
Students who ride on buses that aren’t equipped with particulate filters or alternative fuels, are being exposed to dirty indoor air emissions far exceeding acceptable levels set by the EPA. These emissions are known to cause asthma and cancer.
Furthermore, the Reagan Administration put a cap on the fuel budget in the 80’s. For every fuel price increase since then the transportation budget competes with books and other resources the school needs to spend money on. Meanwhile, most schools still offer free transportation to and from school.
Basically it boils down to this… We are putting our most precious cargo (our future) into buses that affect their health and not giving schools the resources to do anything about it.
Now for the super Good news…
Betty Biodiesel is a new ecosuperhero on the scene looking out for our kids.
She is teaming up with other organizations to bring forth some sanity to this crisis. Here is the plan for what school districts across the US can do to remedy this problem.
1) Initiate an anti-idling policy in the school district to turn off the buses when not in use or waiting for students.
2) Install particulate filters on the bus to stop the crank case and exhaust emissions from going inside the cab
3) Start using a blend of Biodiesel to reduce Particulate Matter (cause of asthma, Carbon Dioxide (one cause of global warming), Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (cause of cancer)
RESOURCES for change
To learn more about the five scientific studies done on the air emissions inside school buses go to:
http://www.biofuels4schools.org/content/blogsection/6/12/
To learn more about Anti Idling policies, Filtration systems and ordering a free copy of “The magic school bus gets cleaned up” go to…
http://www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus/
To learn more about schools using Biodiesel go to…
http://www.biofuels4schools.org/content/blogcategory/8/9/
Organizations taking on the “clean up the school bus challenge”
http://www.greenaction.org http://www.momsforthefuture.org/
To help get Biodiesel into your school district buses contact Betty Biodiesel at 707-849-5234 or go to http://bettybiodiesel.org/contact.html
And you can help fund Biodiesel in school buses by offsetting your emissions that you put out from driving….go to www.biofuels4school.org and click on OFFSET NOW
Do you like dress up parties?
Betty does! Betty loves to go to the thrift store to find great items to buy for much less than you would when buying brand new. But Betty doesn’t stop there, she wants to use her creativity to design a new dress from the clothes she bought at the thrift store or what she has in her closet. Do you have clothes you don’t use anymore and would like to use your creativity?
Spending lots of money and buying more than we can afford is getting people into money trouble, not to mention that buying clothes from large department stores is connected to a larger problem of people in other countries making very little money to make the clothing. This is called sweatshop labor and it is no fun for those who work there.
Resources for change
Want to learn how to take old clothes and turn them into new ones
Check out the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) online connect for current fashion trends
www.threadbanger.com
Serious about reconstructed clothing? Purchase the RC handbook
Reconstructive Clothing for Dummies
Learn more about where the “Stuff” we buy comes from and where it goes
www.storyofstuff.com
Support the end to children laboring in sweatshops…
www.coopamerica.org/programs/sweatshops/
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