[Centrobiodiesel] Trip Report - Biodiesel Education and Networking in Central America

[David Tetta]

Had a very successful trip to Central America.

On March 22, presented a at the CentralBiofuels conference describing
biodiesel in the Pacific NW and how our experience may related to
developments in CentralAmerica. The url for the conference agenda is at:
http://www.centralbiofuels.com/pagedetail.cfm?iConferencesConferencesNavigat
ionID=8

On March 24 & 25, I worked with Arturo Seguro and Luis Carlos Montero to
meet with schools in three small towns south of San Jose, Costa Rica.
Collegios in these three towns will be working with Naom Gundle and students
from Ballard High school to work together to build a 55 gallon processor in
July. 

DSC01238.JPG - Gretel Salas, from the Collegio in San Pablo,  learning how
to titrate oil

DSC01239.JPG- Arturo Seguro, Luis Carlos Montero, and other members of the
local community who will be working with Noam and his students

During with week of March 27, I worked with Alberto Rodriguez and Lesley
Rodriguez to give presentations at UNAH in Tegucigalpa, and the
Pedagological University in San Pedro Sula, both of which are in Honduras.

Alberto set up a training where we had  over 80 students work in groups of 8
each to make their own batches of biodiesel.  Alberto also translated all of
the information on the slide show I prepared into Spanish, and did the on
site translations as well.  In San Pedro Sula, Leslie Rodriguez worked with
the Pedagological University to set up a lecture with about 40 students,
where Alberto and I gave a presentation and a demonstration of making
biodiesel.  Some of the students in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula will be
participating in the conference that Whitman Direction Action and
Sustainable Harvest International's Honduras branch will be putting on in
Santa Barbara de Copan in July.

SPS-Class1 - Alberto and I presenting to the class as San Pedro Sula

SPS-Lite Pro Display - A shot of one of the slides we presented

During the week of April 3, I gave a presentation at a INTECAP in
Chiquimula, Guatemala, which Nida Villeda arranged.   Eugenia Diaz was the
coordinator at INTECAP for this presentation.  About 20 diesel mechanic
students participated in the lecture and demonstration.

Later in the week, I gave a presentation to several students from
Universidad Rafael Landivar at the offices of Ricardo Asturias.  These
students will be working with Bill Levin, a teacher in Seattle, who will be
going to Guatemala this July to help these students build a processor there.

DSC01269.JPG - Two of the students from Universidad Rafael Landivar, with a
batch of freshly made biodiesel from the demonstration!

DSC01266.JPG - The students, along with Alex and Carlos, engineers working
on the biodiesel facility at Ricardo Asturias' office.  In the background is
the reactor that Alex and Carlos built.  We made the first batch of 300
liters of biodiesel there on Monday, April 10!

DSC01270.JPG - Another shot of the students, Ricardo and myself at Ricardo's
office. 

On Monday, April 10, Alex and I also met with Humberto Castedo, Director of
the Guatemala City Transmetro Project.  He is interested in working with
Centrobiodiesel to develop a grant project for demonstrating biodiesel on
some of their newer busses.

I have also attached a copy of the short version (no photos) of the slide
show that Dana Warn of EPA and I developed, and which Alberto translated
into Spanish.  

Thanks to all of you for your help in making this a successful trip!

Dave

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