Green Grease Guzzlers Report Back #2
Green Guerrillas are closing out Summer 2010… things have been so busy that it feels good to take a few moments to stop and reflect!
Our crew is in transition… so we started riding the down-hill energetic wave toward the Summer Solstice a few weeks early this year, knowing that we were treading new ground preparing for some teen members to leave us for college after 3 – 4 years in our collective while welcoming new young people to join the team.
In early June, to prepare for our Green Grease Guzzlers Tour stops in Detroit (at AMC2010 and USSF II), we made another series of upgrades to our bio bus.
We replaced a few windows…
. . . applied a lil more paint and caulk,
. . . designed a new 15 foot banner (made 100% from recycled plastic bottles) to accent the bus,
and purchased and installed a 410 W Photovoltaic (PV) array…
with batteries (to store our electricity when the sun is not shining) and a battery box,
a power center (to control the charge of our system and convert the direct current (DC) energy from the solar panels to alternating current (AC) for use on the bus), and
panels (2 @ 205 W each):
Most of our upgrades were made in alignment with our vision and our values, with the exception of our wrap…
Because we could not afford a $15K paint job, we decided to go with vinyl (yikes!) after much deliberation and research. What is the problem with vinyl, you ask? PVC (polyvinyl chloride, a.k.a. plastic) is one of the most environmentally hazardous consumer materials ever produced. With over 30 million tons produced annually on a global basis (little of which can be recycled), PVC production
- is the largest use of chlorine gas in the world
- creates by-products that are highly toxic (health hazards include reproductive impairment, birth defects, immune system suppression)
- forms dioxins during numerous stages of its lifecycle (dioxins are a potent carcinogen, meaning there are no safe levels… ever!)
- significantly impacts indoor air quality in a not-so-good way (contributing to asthma, and increasing exposure to heavy metals and toxic mold)
Of course this is not to say that there are no plastics associated with our bus. But we continually strive to raise our awareness of the many ways we contribute daily to the environmental degradation of the planet, and how we can shift our consciousness to make more sustainable life choices… and encourage others to do the same.
So… we were excited to end our fourth year (and, subsequently, start our fifth)
- challenging natural gas exploration and exploitation by interviewing Josh Fox (available soon) and checking out/promoting Gasland, and offering Natural Gas… clean enough to drink? at USSF II:
- initiating, organizing, and co-sponsoring an eco-justice track at the 12th Annual Allied Media Conference
- showcasing our green ride and premiering our latest film in the motor city (meeting up with Grace Lee Boggs, John Trudell, Bernadine Dohrn, Bill Ayers, Jessica Care Moore, and many others…)
- co-organizing the Third Annual Northeast Climate Confluence
With special thanks to Sustainable Tompkins and Shaleshock Action Alliance for helping us set up the interview with Josh Fox of Gasland; Acorn Designs, Dream Green Fabrics, and Kettle Foods for “corporate sponsorship” (fabulous donations… journals to document our journey, banners made 100% from recycled plastic water bottles to demonstrate our creativity, and healthy tasty chips to share with others along the road); Renovus Energy for helping us size our PV system and providing valuable technical and in-kind support for our DIY solar project; Lottie Spady, Jenny Lee, and Allied Media Projects in Detroit for supporting our track at AMC2010, especially the Roots of Resistance cd benefit project; the Program & Culture Working Group for USSF II (special shoutout to Oya, Darryl, and Nadir) for hosting our bus on Hart Plaza and hooking up a source for waste vegetable oil for the fuel to get home; and, the Confluence Network for working with us in Detroit and beyond to create a unique cooperative space for people of color to build community on principles of sustainability and social justice!
Green Guerrillas have lots more in store for the months ahead, with upcoming tour stops this Fall in Ithaca (2) and New Bedford… the sky is the limit, stay tuned!
