The Biofuels Puzzle: Piedmont Biofuels Create a Jigsaw
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 11.25.07
Piedmont Biofuels are clearly a multi-talented bunch. Not only are they creating locally brewed sustainable biodiesel for the Piedmont area of North Carolina, but they have also turned their hand to community supported agriculture and even soap making. Now, as part of their fund raising efforts, they’ve even created a jigsaw puzzle which is, apparently, “much easier to solve than world hunger, but more challenging than a blender batch from virgin oil.” Created by local artist Phil Blank, with creative input from co-founders Rachel Burton, Lyle Estill, and Leif Forer (see our three part interview with Lyle here, here and here), the puzzle is a humorous celebration of the sustainable biodiesel scene:
Grassroots biodiesel is a puzzle. Some folks are meeting their fuel needs with little more than some used vegetable oil, some methanol from the racing shop, some lye from the drain cleaning section of their local grocery store, a fifty-five gallon drum and a canoe paddle.Others are teaching classes and workshops on how to “homebrew” high quality fuel. Some people are setting up “filling stations” to make biodiesel available to the public. Others are forming co-operatives to get fuel produced. Giant agricultural interests are racing into biodiesel, chasing after government incentives and increased profits from global commodity markets. It’s all happening now. There are lobbyists and researchers and trade associations popping up all over the land-and there are now lots of biodiesel bills in play in legislatures across the country..
Some come to biodiesel in the name of sustainability. It’s a cleaner burning fuel made from renewable sources. Some come in the name of air quality. Others come to biodiesel so they can be “off the petroleum grid.” Some like it because there is no war required is get the stuff. Some like it because it is made in America. Some come to biodiesel because it can be made from a waste stream.
Whatever draws you to biodiesel, we are glad you are here.
The puzzles are available for purchase online now for $29 each, and will be shipped from the end of November onwards. As the Piedmont crew put it, how else can you take your obsession with biodiesel on vacation with the family? ::Piedmont Biofuels::via site visit::
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OK, maybe I'm just being cynical, but I bet this item is made in China and shipped over here. Anyone know otherwise?
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Author's Comment
Nope. It's made in the USA, you can follow a link from the Piedmont Biofuels website to the original manufacturer. I was disappointed though, not to find more information on what it's made of etc.
The puzzles are made in Minnesota by a small company and the image was created by a local artist in Carrboro and the material is recycled newspaper. Pretty cool!
Tami
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Author's comment:
Thanks for the clarification Tami!
But what about the tin the puzzle is packaged into? There does not appear to be any information about that component on the Piedmont site, which takes up the most space and is more than likely manufactured in China, then shipped halfway around the world as Willy had suggested.