BioTour Event at VCU - Wednesday - 10-29-2008 - Come Learn About Sustainable and Renewable Energy Sources!

Welcome to the VCU stop of the nationwide BioTour!

When: Wednesday, October 29th 2008
Where: Virginia Commonwealth University – Student Commons Plaza
Time: Starting at 10:00 AM with multiple indoor and outdoor events going throughout the day – concludes with Al Gore’s Live Web-cast to Clean Energy Student Leaders at 8:00 PM.
Why: To learn about and discuss renewable energy sources and other sustainable projects! Come see how climate change, peak oil, resource depletion, and environmental degradation are relevant for our community, our nation, and our future.

Thanks to the VCU SGA, VCU’s Green Affairs and the VCU Alumni Association for helping to sponsor this event!

**** Learn more at www.BioTour.org ****

What is BioTour?

BioTour is a journey that aims to enliven the Sustainability Movement while exploring the depths of America—the people, land, and cultures. BioTour addresses the vital issues of climate change, environmental degradation, and peak oil while presenting pathways toward sustainability in renewable energy, active democracy, and understanding the interconnectedness of all living things.

First on an exploration of the United States, and later visiting other countries in America, BioTour visits colleges, high schools, and community events across the nation; BioTour demonstrates a tangible example of renewable energy technology, shares information about sustainable projects and practices enacted by other communities across the country, and facilitates discussion concerning local, regional, and national implementation. During the Spring 2008 Tour, BioTour will travel from the North east up and down the East Coast, through the south, the Southwest and up through California and the Pacific Northwest on their quest to “explore the depths of America—the people, land and culture.”

As part of the group’s mission to enliven the sustainable energy movement, BioTour adventures and exploration of the cultural and natural diversity across America encourage people to break free of old patterns of thought and behavior and inspire creative action.

Get on the bus and become part of the journey into a sustainable future!

Fact Sheet:

- The bus runs on waste vegetable oil collected from restaurants across the country. The same stuff used to cook french fries. The bus warms up and shuts down on biodiesel (biodiesel is chemically altered vegetable oil) or petrodiesel when biodiesel is unavailable for purchase.

- An array of photovoltaic solar panels on the roof of the bus generates electricity that charges a battery bank. The battery bank is also charged by the bus alternator when driving the bus. The batteries provide electricity for lights, stereo, cell phones, laptop computers, and most other common electronic devices.

- Vegetable oil as fuel will only work in a diesel engine (the diesel engine was originally designed to run on a variety of fuels including vegetable oil). The fuel delivery system for the diesel engine must first be altered so that the vegetable oil is heated and therefore thinned. The BioTour Bus uses the waste heat from the engine to heat the vegetable oil.

- Advantages of waste vegetable oil as fuel - 1) it is a waste product that now being recycled into fuel, 2) it greatly reduces greenhouse gas emissions when compared to diesel fuel, 3) it has no sulfur (which causes acid rain), 4) it has fewer particulates than diesel fuel which causes asthma and other respiratory ailments.

- There is not enough vegetable oil to replace the 22 million barrels of oil the United States consumes each day. “There is no silver bullet to solve our energy needs, only silver buckshot.” (Lonnie Gamble, Big Green Summer Program)

Join the Journey Toward a Sustainable Future. Climb aboard the BioTour bus as an honorary crewmember. Book the BioBus for an interactive educational program at your community or school! www.BioTour.org

Schedule Update:

The Bio Tour bus will be in the Commons Plaza from 10 am to 4 pm.

At 4:30 pm we will be in Rodney's (bottom of Shafer) for a formal BioTour presentation and refreshments.

At 7:30 pm enjoy pizza and view the Live Webcast of Al Gore speaking to youth energy leaders across the nation in the Richmond Salons II.