Metrolina Biofuels | Charlotte, NC | Biodiesel | Alternative Energy

image credit: John

Warning: This is not an official mission statement.

I think it’s because it sounds a little bit too earnest, a little too manifesto-like. Several of the folks in the co-op got a slightly pained look in their eyes when I brought it up, like they didn’t want to hurt my feelings. My better-half suffers from no such reservations: she laughed out loud. Mostly, everyone just ignored it.

Still, I’m thinking that if we are a co-op dedicated in some manner to public service, if we are asking people to join us in our endeavor, we should have a mission statement. So I wrote one. And since the blog is about the exchange of ideas, I’m going to go ahead and post it.

Let’s get some feedback, have a discussion, and adopt something to say what we are about; you are not going to hurt my feelings—life’s too short to have your ego tied up in words and agendas.

Draft Mission Statement

We hereby organize the Metrolina Biofuels Co-op in Charlotte, NC, with the aim of educating the public about biofuels, promoting the expansion of the biofuels industry in a responsible locally-oriented manner, and providing to the public as high a blend of biodiesel as possible.

We are motivated by certain truths:

1. The current regime of fuel generation, distribution and consumption is detrimental to the interests of our city, our region, our country and our species.
2. The current dependence on traditional oil has forced our nation to pursue foreign policies that support human rights abuses, corruption, and the needless loss of human life (American and otherwise) throughout the world.
3. The current consumption of oil is undeniably harmful to our environment.
4. The current consumption of oil is unsustainable, with a dwindling supply which will eventually undermine our economy and stability.

The most rational reaction to these truths is to pursue a goal of reducing our consumption of energy wherever possible. Because it is impossible to completely eliminate fuel consumption, we believe that the second reaction should be to pursue a biologically-based fuel.

While this may not be the ultimate solution to our energy needs, it is the best solution within our grasp. And we feel that one of the best biofuel options available is biodiesel because it is carbon neutral, easily processed, and the most conducive to a locally-controlled production and distribution system.

The goals of our organization are simple:

1. The education of the public about biodiesel. The majority of the public do not fully realize that a viable form of biologically-based fuel is available to them.
2. The expansion of the biodiesel industry in a responsible, locally-oriented manner. Our fuel consumption should not depend on immoral policies in the Middle East. But further, even in an ideal world of biologically-based fuels, the distribution model should not depend on harvesting plants harmful to the eco-system here or abroad, the requirement of vast amounts of fuel to create and transport feedstocks and fuel, or the exploitation of farmers here or abroad.
3. Providing the public with as high a blend of biodiesel as possible for the best price. In order to prevent the biofuels industry from maturing into the same mistaken form of the current carbon fuel industry, we believe that it is essential for cooperatives to form in each region to establish an alternative distribution of biofuels.