Biodiesel

Currently the American way is to be on the go, constantly. On average Americans drive their cars 15,000 miles a year. That’s a little over 40 miles a day. Gas consumption is on the rise while our fossil fuels, our highest used fuel source, is diminishing. Realistically people will not stop driving. Our lives rely on our traveling to and from places via automobiles. The alternative that comes to mind that, some Americans use, is the use of Biodiesel to power their vehicles.

Ninety percent of our energy comes from fossil fuels. The crazy thing about fossil fuels is that they are from plants and animals that roamed this earth over 300 million years ago. What happened was animals and plants died and would sink to the bottom layer of the ground, ocean or swamp. Then due to high pressure and heat the dead animals and plants turn into a carbon rich fuel for us to use. We just have to dig down under the earth’s surface and collect the coal and oil. Experts say that the use of energy is increasing about 3% per year. This is a big downfall for fossil fuels because they will not always be there. It takes millions upon millions of years to create a fossil fuel and we will be running out soon.

The solution would be new, reliable, and renewable energy sources. A perfect example of this reliable and renewable energy would be biodiesel. Most biodiesel cars run off of used oils from local restaurants. Once the oil is put through a simple process you have access to, usually free, biodiesel. Also people love fried food so there will always be an endless supply of vegetable oil rather than our diminishing supply of fossil fuels.

In Carrabasset Valley, Maine, Sugarloaf resort is using their restaurants oils to run one of their shuttles. They created a biodiesel production plant in the summer of 2006. This was great for Sugarloaf because they are saving money on gas, saving money on waste oil disposal, and helping “keep Sugarloaf Beautiful.” If you ever find your self in the area take a trip on a tour of the biodiesel production plant. It is an eye opener to anyone. Just think by switching to biodiesel you can go from running your car off of plants a brontosaurus used to eat to the left over waste oil from the millions of Americans that feast on fried foods.

Links

Links:

-http://www.reed-reed.com/rvideo.asp

video from reed and reed

-http://www.reed-reed.com/5/5i.asp

links of all wind projects from reed and reed

-http://www.nrcm.org/issue_windpower.asp#indepth

wind power in maine

-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power_in_Maine

-http://www.maine.gov/doc/mfs/windpower/summaries.shtml

-http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.bowdoin.edu/news/archives/images/Mars%2520Hill530.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.bowdoin.edu/news/archives/1bowdoincampus/004927.shtml&usg=__SvIdpWnP5tActQ7wuah0FAlRzoM=&h=330&w=530&sz=125&hl=en&start=1&sig2=90DDsvKkjn8K-W981AA0vw&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=d9MU4PcHj4EatM:&tbnh=82&tbnw=132&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwind%2Bturbines%2Bin%2Bmaine%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=bTrTS7eLMIGglAeV-7y-Dw

-http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://alleghenysc.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/wind-turbines3.png&imgrefurl=http://alleghenysc.org/%3Fp%3D1435&usg=__bpyC_ItvScqORNkMKQhQzKUsD0I=&h=400&w=372&sz=272&hl=en&start=7&sig2=JcxSk1tu0yyuMge_zZEGhg&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=seYzCitWjIEkOM:&tbnh=124&tbnw=115&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwind%2Bturbines%2Bin%2Bmaine%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=bTrTS7eLMIGglAeV-7y-Dw

-http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.mainebiz.biz/lib/download.php%3Fuuid%3D0001-4298f02a-497dc5ba-dad0-87c41ecf%26top%3Dcred%26tsize%3D399&imgrefurl=http://www.mainebiz.biz/news44046.html&usg=__SOjTTKQKfb1vZvK2OOfNlz_b9gY=&h=414&w=399&sz=59&hl=en&start=8&sig2=GpGwfJ4oCRtS6RrbpQ28QA&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=8C2DNVqsNxAfpM:&tbnh=125&tbnw=120&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwind%2Bturbines%2Bin%2Bmaine%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=bTrTS7eLMIGglAeV-7y-Dw

-http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.celsias.com/media/uploads/admin/hywind-floating-wind-turbine.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.celsias.com/article/floating-wind-turbines-set-sail/&usg=__WEssjAI_a5B2HnD8LCv8Olto2XQ=&h=450&w=450&sz=22&hl=en&start=13&sig2=EQAsCSnffpM95qx4puGARw&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=m3w7hzgmnlMHjM:&tbnh=127&tbnw=127&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwind%2Bturbines%2Bin%2Bmaine%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=bTrTS7eLMIGglAeV-7y-Dw

-http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Public_Opinion_Wind_Farm_Redington_Mountain.jpg&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugarloaf_Community_Wind_Farm&usg=__4FImDftJxZef1i3GHlCI8ZQEmfw=&h=307&w=720&sz=34&hl=en&start=9&sig2=bj26aHtnIWj1c9AvNLdFJA&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=0K8mCAD-k5ZkzM:&tbnh=60&tbnw=140&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dkibby%2Bmountain%2Bwind%2Bfarm%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=oTvTS5D2D8Xflgfz6vHFDw

-http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.colby.edu/colby.mag/issues/v98n4/Wind3_web.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.colby.edu/colby.mag/issues/current/features.php%3Fissueid%3D52%26articleid%3D1045%26print%3D1&usg=__BmgGh5gI0qy0esOI4dkEd5lfyAA=&h=334&w=500&sz=57&hl=en&start=10&sig2=CpJ_Cs6V2RA-3V2WdJaESw&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=_B1dYQNFaV3KZM:&tbnh=87&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dkibby%2Bmountain%2Bwind%2Bfarm%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=oTvTS5D2D8Xflgfz6vHFDw

“Tweet Tweet”

No folks this isn’t the sound of your peeps chirping from your Easter basket. This is catchy title for this piece, about the popular website Twitter. I’m not here to talk about what Chad Ochocinco said, or what the Kardashians are doing this weekend. I’m here to inform all of you how tweeting can be very helpful for communities during disasters.

As most of you know Twitter is a website that allows members to tell the world what they think, what they are doing, ask a question, basically just about anything they want to write about. Its like this webpage Blogspot, Twitter allows member to write short blogs, no more than 140 characters, that can be updated at anytime of the day. Yes, live updates, like the little tracker at the bottom of ESPN. (Do you follow? If not go to this link and learn more, http://twitter.com/about.) One can come to the conclusion that Twitter can be used for more than just telling your friends, “Watching Idol with my Favs!”

Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) is a perfect example of using Twitter to help the public. LAFD updates it’s Twitter page with tweets about fires happening in Los Angeles. They inform people with the building location, number of responding firefighters, injuries and casualties. A typical tweet would be, “12126 Burbank BI* No ‘formal’ evacuations; Firefighters maintaining 500’ exclusion zone pending LAFD Hazmat arrival.” This would be useful for people who live in or near that building and people driving home, they would know to avoid that area. Which leads me to my next point, the integration of Twitter, traffic advisory radio, and your car’s GPS.

Just think you are rushing home one afternoon to catch your son’s baseball game. Unfortunately you hit traffic due to a large pile up. You miss his walk off homerun and he never lets you live it down. This could be avoided if we create a third party company that works along with twitter, traffic advisory radio and your car’s GPS provider. Someone could tweet about an accident, the company then would inform the traffic advisory radio, who could send information to your GPS, telling you to avoid I-95 due to that accident. This is just another way how technology could be/is helping us Americans on a daily basis

Gondola, The Town’s People Speak

People of Carrabassett Valley haven’t seen a bottom to top lift since the 1980s. Currently Sugarloafers need to ride at least 3 lifts just to reach the peak of Sugarloaf. The first bottom to top lift was a Gondola. It was operational in 1965 providing skiers with a long ride of 8,340 feet from the base of the mountain, through the mid station, all the way to the top of Maine’s second highest mountain. Due to multiple maintenance problems the Gondola had to shut down and did not reopened until 1991. When it reopened the Gondola wasn’t the same. It still provided skiers with a ride to the peak, but it began half way up the mountain. The restored lift only lasted 6-seasons when it had to be shut down, due to the aging equipment. Needless to say Sugarloafers would be ecstatic to see a Gondola erected once again on the mountain.

This week my goal was to find out what local Sugarloafers thought of the Gondola idea. As I stumble into the local watering hole, Tofulios. I hear locals talking about how great the conditions of Sugarloaf are and how they can’t wait for tomorrow. Most of the people in the bar are sporting goggle tans and some are still in their ski apparel. Tufolios isn’t your weekender’s hot spot to get a drink; the bar is just crawling with locals that have been skiing since opening day. I know I have come to the right place to find how town’s people feel about a possible bottom to top Gondola on Sugarloaf.

The first man I speak with was Johnny, Sugarloafer since 1975. I first question him about his ski day. “Beautiful day today. I was only wearin’ a t-shirt today.” Johnny has been retired for 5 years now and tries to ski everyday he can. After a beer and trading stories about the mountain I bring up the idea of a Gondola on the mountain. Instantly his face brightens up with a smile from cheek to cheek. “I’d love to see one again. The only problem is in this economy. Where are we going to find the money for that? I’d be more than willing to pay more taxes because I know, in return the mountain would be more successful.” He then went on to tell me how Sugarloaf used to be the “hot spot” during the winter, when the old Gondola was running.

After finishing talking with Johnny I made my way through Tofulios asking Sugarloafers what they thought about the Gondola idea. Many of the response went like this: “How soon can we make this happen?!” “Let’s DO IT!” “Are you taking donations?” “I like the sound of that. How can I help?” “Heck Yah!”

Clearly Sugarloafers want their Gondola back and it seems they are willing to do just about anything to get it back. The town is starting to rally around their Gold Medalist Seth Wescott as the unofficial spokes person for the Gondola Project. The project will be costly but the return on it could bring an economic boom to Carrabassett Valley. Until the kick-off of the project you can show your support by E-mailing the town manager, Dave Cota at: towncvtm@roadrunner.com or call the town office at 207-235-2645.

Gondola

Daniel Oakes

02-26-10

In a region where the economy rides the roller coaster of the changing, town’s people look for a new way to provide jobs and more importantly a better ride to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain. Carrabassett Valley’s locals are looking for the town to help them financially in efforts to build a bottom to top gondola for the Sugarloaf ski resort. Sugarloafers haven’t seen an operating gondola since ’97.

Seth Wescott, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and Carrabasset Valley resident, has asked the board of selectmen to provide financial assistance in the development of his “vision” of a bottom to top Gondola. He recently gave a speech on WSKI TV explaining his vision of a Gondola and asking for everyone’s support. Boyne Resort, owners of the Sugarloaf Resort, is very interested in Seth’s vision but need to overcome their financial hurdles with a successful season.

In sight of the Gondola project the program, Economic Recovery Zone Facility Bonds, is being used to make this project more feasible during this repressed economy. The project is estimated to cost from 8 to 10 million dollars. If this project gets enough funding, it could provide the area with jobs during the resorts off-season.

The Gondola project could be just what the region needs. Once it starts there will be multiple companies in the area working to complete the job in a single summer. This will fill up motels, empty shelves in grocery stores, fill restaurants- bottom line it will give a much needed boost to the economy of Carrabassett Valley.

Due to the lack of funding and support of the project will not hit the grounds in 2010. They are predicting to start in the summer of 2011. Until then you can show your support by E-mailing the town manager, Dave Cota at: towncvtm@roadrunner.com or call the town office at 207-235-2645.

The Roots... and who?!

Daniel Oakes

02-19-10

With spring break just around the corner, this can only mean one thing; the semester is coming to an end! In no time, work will start piling up and the nightly cramming for exams will take the place your endless nights of finding your way to bed at sunrise. Before you decide to end you social life for the last part of the semester why not come out and enjoy a night with The Roots at University of Maine. Their appearance is planned for 7 p.m. on March 20^th at the field house.

The decision to have The Roots for this year’s spring entertainment came from the students. The Facebook group “Bring The Roots to Umaine” has 2,158 members as of 4:20 p.m. Friday. Student Government’s vice president, Joseph Nabozny said, “This is democracy in action.” For once, in my four years as a student, the student government has listened to what us students want. In 2001 The Roots came to Umaine. The performance was great but the outcome was less than stellar. The lack of numbers for the show was a major disappointment for the artists. The main reason for the low numbers was mainly in part of the time of the show. The show had little hype and was planned for an inopportune night. Student government picked a night before the kick off of spring break; when most kids are skipping their Friday classes and making their way home for the next two weeks. The total turnout for the 2001 show was just over 1,000. But the bigger question is who will be the opening act for The Roots?

As a Wells, Maine native, I’ve been following my fellow Wellsian, Spose, since his first track. Most of us have seen that he too has a Facebook group titled, “Make Spose the Opening Act for The Roots @ Umaine!” The group has over 1,000 members and is still growing. Hopefully the student government will follow suite with their hiring of The Roots and get Spose to open the show for them. If the members of both Facebook groups attend the concert there will be three times turnout of The Roots previous performance at Umaine. Umainers mark the date on your calendar for a bumping show with The Roots on March 20^th!

The Not So Typical Student

Hello Followers!

First off I would like to apologize for this being a little late. Apparently I assumed I was going to set a record land speed on my way to sugarloaf today. This week’s blog will be a profile story on my roommate Andrew. Hope you all enjoy.

Andrew is not your typical senior at the University of Maine. For starters he is on track to graduate in four years and has already completed his capstone class. For most seniors they are on their fifth, sixth, or even seventh year with an easy workload. Andrew, on the other hand, has what seems to be a heavy workload; 8 classes that make up 18 credits that he needs to complete his degree. Yes this seems to be a lot but after further investigation one might see the brighter side of this spectrum.

Andrew came from the “free” state of New Hampshire to Orono, Maine in hopes of earning a degree in Political Science. During his freshman year he was enrolled in a class that almost all students at the university know or heard of, the Art of Listening to Music. But after two days of going to class he learned from a peer that you could enroll in an online section of the class. That night Andrew switched into the online section in hope to lighten his workload and to free up that hour block on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. He completed the class with an astonishing A and told me, “from then on I has always preferred the online sections of a class. Plus there is no denying it, I clearly dominate online classes!”

This semester, Spring ’10, Andrew is enrolled in eight classes. Seven out of his eight classes are online! You really could consider him a part-time student due to the fact he has one class a week that he has to physically attend. Besides every Tuesday night from six to eight o’clock, Andrew has the freedom to do what ever he wants. He enjoys the fact that he can control when he has to “attend” class. Meaning he has to sit down at his desk and do assignments for his online classes. He ended the interview with telling me about when he met with his advisor in the Fall to discuss his Spring semester. “He told me I had earned it and he would have done the same thing if he had the option to take online classes when he was a student.”

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