Domestic Fuel

As I told you a couple of weeks ago, the European Union for some time has been threatening to slap tariffs on American biodiesel coming into Europe… barring some deal today to derail the measures.

Well, this story from Reuters says that there was no last-minute reprieve and the duties are set to hit on March 13th:

The EU firms accuse U.S. producers of being involved in a “splash and dash” scheme, whereby they import cheaper biodiesel from countries such as Brazil and add less than 5 percent of U.S. diesel. The producers then qualify for a subsidy from Washington before exporting it to Europe.

“This simply is not the case,” Feraci said, noting some European producers are doing well, while others have been hurt by factors unrelated to U.S. imports, he said.

You and I both know this is not the last we’ll hear about this. Stay tuned…

The green ethanol flags were a hit with the crowd at the 2008 IPL Festival Parade, especially with the kids. Spectators could spot “e” flags waving at Monument Circle and along the parade route. Some kids were using the flags as drumsticks, beating in time to the college and high school bands that marched past. Well, keeping time in their heads at least. But, the kids weren’t the only ones eager to get there hands on one. Just as one of the brand ambassadors handed out the last flag, a woman came up demanding one for herself. She wasn’t too happy to find out there were none left!

2008 Indy 500 Photo Album

The Alternative Fuels Media Training Workshop was a wonderful session to attend. During these three hours, Jenna Higgins as well as a couple guest speakers, talked about how to have a successful interview with the press.

Jenna gave some wonderful tips and advice about having a clear and concise interview with the media. Here are some of the key tips you should remember when you are doing an interview.

The Media is the best way to get your message out about alternative fuels.
Remember to relate your message to your audience, you have to make an impact on them. You should always be prepared before an interview. Make a couple notes to yourself on the questions you might need to answer and always have 3-4 strong sound bites. Communicate with your body not just words. But most importantly, relax and don’t forget to breathe! When completing an interview, remember to answer in complete sentences and relate it to your audience. Be enthusiastic and correct a reporter if a question is based on incorrect information.

I learned a lot in this wonderful media training workshop and hopefully after reading this, you did too.

Domestic Fuel coverage of the Clean Cities Congress is made possible by the following sponsors:

Senator John McCain, future presidential candidate, delivered a wonderful speech on the future of alternative fuels. The United States is deeply dependent on foriegn oil. The U.S alone uses about 7.6 billion barrels of oil a year. By using alternative fuels, you reduce the greenhouse emissions. An option proposed to help our environment and economy is to raise Corporate America Fuel Efficiency standards. There are currently 5 million flex fuel vehicles on the road but more are on the way. James D. Boyd talked about domestic fuels and its problems. California is the 5th largest economy and consumer of energy in the world. California is the second largest consumer of gas and diesel, the largest consumer is the United States. Many alternative fuel vehicles will be taking up the roads in California within the next year.

Domestic Fuel coverage of the Clean Cities Congress is made possible by the following sponsors:

Did you attend Sunday night’s opening reception? If you didn’t, then you missed out on a stomping good time! From admiring the beautiful artwork, to the energizing entertainment, many people went back to their hotels smiling. General Motors gave out $20,000 to the top three Clean Cities Reward recipients. The food was great, a big hit was the cute little cakes with the GM Logo on them. Overall, the GM reception was a wonderful night, and many people had a great time!

Domestic Fuel coverage of the Clean Cities Congress is made possible by the following sponsors:

Hi, my name is Lauren Ciemniak and I’m a sophomore at Stevenson High School, who’s interested in journalism. Do you ever talk about alternative fuels in your household? This is a common subject at my dinner table. My mom always talks about E85, hybrid, and fuel cell vehicles. These dinner conversations made me curious to learn more on alternative fuels.

So here I am in beautiful Phenoix at the National Clean Cities Conference, ready to learn. I am anxious to hear from guest speakers like Senator John McCain and Dr. Robert Hirsch regarding their views on alternative fuels. Many high school students don’t know anything about these options to reduce dependency on foriegn oil. Hopefully after this conference, I will be able to share my knowledge and help the next generation care more about keeping our air clean.

Domestic Fuel coverage of the Clean Cities Congress is made possible by the following sponsors:

The Clean Cities Congress & Expo is coming up starting this weekend in Phoenix, AZ. I’m looking forward to bringing you all the action and information I can. And guess what? I’ll have help! Guest bloggers. Guest student bloggers. They will bring a fresh and interesting perspective to our coverage of the event. I want to take this opportunity to introduce them to you.

First of all let’s meet Peter West. According to Peter’s bio he sent me: Peter West grew up in a log cabin at the top of a cliff in Colorado. Though the mountains were an amazing place to be, he left them for city life on the East Coast. Currently he is a marketing major at Emerson College in downtown Boston. Welcome to Domestic Fuel Peter. I’m really looking forward to meeting you and working with you.

And our next student blogger is Lauren Ciemniak. I am a straight A student with a 4.0 GPA. I received the outstanding citizen of the year award. I plan to major in journalism in college. I have been dancing for 13 years and I love to travel!Welcome to you too Lauren.

They’ll be writing on Domestic Fuel by the end of the week and start out providing their expectations for this experience. After we get together in Phoenix we’ll work out who will cover what and you can expect to hear and see more. So stay tuned.

Domestic Fuel coverage
of the Clean Cities Congress is made
possible by these sponsors.