Cover Story for Biofuels Canada Mag (June Issue)
We made the cover story for Biofuels Canada Mag!! Check out the whole story here:
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Inspiring Thousands, One Step at a Time
Hitting the Ground Running
As running partners, Hill, a seven-time Ironman competitor and actor whose credits include movies such as “Shanghai Nights” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III,” and Tait, an international speaker and personal success coach, often found themselves deep in discussion during their runs about the state of the environment and how small lifestyle changes could help change the world they live in. With the goal of focusing on inspiring children—the individuals who would ultimately pave the future of our environment, Hill and Tait combined their love for running with an educational program aimed at teaching elementary school students that “small steps add up.”
Kicked-off in Vancouver in May 2008, the duo set out to run eastward across Canada, down the eastern seaboard of the U.S., westward across the southern U.S. and then back up through the western U.S. coast to arrive back in British Columbia
Using the marathon symbolism to emphasize the message that the smallest of actions can make the biggest impacts, Hill and Tait encouraged children and adults to make a collective effort to improve not only their health but also their environment by taking small actions from practicing recycling methods such as composting to techniques and conserving energy to promoting the use of biodiesel.
Backed by Biodiesel
In alignment with the tour’s message of inspiring environmental practices, Hill and Tait took the opportunity to showcase the many sustainable alternatives available for vehicles and homes.
Ten months prior to the tour, Hill and Tait spent approximately $20,000 to retrofit a 28-foot recreational vehicle, which they would use as shelter during their run. Equipped with solar panel roofing, low-flow water systems, organic seats and bedding, and an engine capable of running on B5 to B80 blends of tallow-based biodiesel, the retrofitted RV, which the pair called the “E-volution RV,” was sponsored by a variety of green organizations such as BC Hydro and independent certified biodiesel providers around North America such as Vancouver-based biodiesel supplier company, Recycling Alternative.
The retrofitting process took approximately three months to complete with no major modifications necessary to run on biodiesel, according to Hill. “We didn’t encounter any problems during winter months,” Hill says. “We were careful about quality and cloud points and the producers we dealt with were very aware [of the product].”
Both Hill and Tait also researched a number of biodiesel producers prior to the onset of the trip and set up five biodiesel events in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia; Regina, Saskatchewan; Ottawa, Ontario; and Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada; and three in Marin and Los Angeles, California and Virginia, in the U.S.; aimed at promoting the Run for One Planet initiative as well as biodiesel awareness in Canada and the U.S.
When running on biodiesel wasn’t possible, the two fuelled the RV on ultra low sulfur diesel. In addition to the tour, the RV proved to be a good connection point between Hill, Tait and the public. “The retrofitted RV helped inspire people to do the same in their own vehicles and homes,” Hill says.
With the initial intent to partner with as many biodiesel organizations and companies as possible to run on as much biodiesel as was available, Hill and Tait soon realized the toll the economy was taking on the biodiesel industry, especially for small-scale producers across North America along the way.
“In Canada, we knew there were less producers [so were able] to use biodiesel at least five or six times,” Hill says. “By the time we hit [the U.S.] the economic downturn was at its lowest, which made us realize the reality that small producers were facing.”
Despite, not being able to collaborate with as many biodiesel producers as they would have liked, Hill and Tait did witness what Hill referred to as an unbelievable drive to produce the fuel. In Canada, the biodiesel landscape is small but promising with at least five operating biodiesel production facilities and between 15 and 20 commercial biodiesel fuelling stations across Canada. In the U.S. approximately 1500 biodiesel retail fuelling stations currently exist, most of which are found in the Midwest and along the eastern and western coasts.
Inspiring Environmental Awareness
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With the ongoing goal of educating and inspiring 1 million new actions and raising $1 million for environmental action, Hill and Tait have spoken to nearly 25,000 elementary students at 220 schools during their tour and have raised $90,000, which will support the creation of a Run For One Planet Legacy Fund, an action-backed mission to promote kid-centric environmental stewardship. Centering on funding and education, the Legacy fund will also allow elementary students the opportunity to provide regular input to the fund’s board of directors.