Change Your Dirty Motor Oil: Veggie-Based Motor Oils, Transmission Fluids, and Hydraulics . . .

I used to travel around the country, or rather the western half of the United States, in a 1963 Dodge Power Wagon.  Four-wheel-drive, PTO winch on the front and a camper on the back, and nicknamed "The Miraculous Beast Shanti Mama" (originally given the name "the Beast Mama" by a sister named Katy who was along for the truck's maiden voyage with me as driver, though went through a series of name changes until arriving at the aforementioned), this incredible truck served to convey myself and numerous other wandering hippies, punks, anarchists, slackers, and others from high mountains to ocean shore, to hot springs and Rainbow Gatherings, music festivals and Hindu temples.  Many fond memories were made in this vehicle and at the places said ride conveyed many bohemian free-spirits, young and old and in-between.  Then came the onset of the seeming ceaseless wars fought largely to acquire the commodity required to fuel said gasoline consuming beast, and despite so many wonderful times rolling around the west through desertscapes, rolling hills and mountain country, and so much love shared via this magical ride, I decided the right thing to do was to quit my dependance on such an unethical fuel.

Now mind you, I understand that not everybody is at liberty to drop their gas-driven rides at a moments notice, but I felt this was one of those causes for which I ought to take a stand.  Though mostly a vegetarian (unless I kill the animal myself or similar conditions) I do still consume cheese and other dairy products that come to the consumer at the cost of cows suffering inhumane conditions.  I haven't protested the ongoing unjust wars lately by carrying signs or attending marches.  I have not done a tree sit, nor have I lent more than blogging lipservice to many of those causes I believe in in recent years.  Conscientious folks gotta choose their causes, I suppose, and for numerous reasons I felt compelled to give up gasoline. 

At first I intended to quickly make the switch into a biodiesel bus conversion.  Without going into to much detail, suffice it to say a notion to take the cash I had for said endeavor to fund a trip to India to do a yatra around Mount Kailash, buy some tapestries and murti and other items and then resell them upon returning to the States fell through, and I didn't get the bus.  Designed a biodiesel amphibious sailbus, but have yet to get the funding.  And now I'm seeking to get into a saiboat, a vehicle which utilizes about the environmentally friendliest means of conveyance you can get, clean as a fresh ocean breeze:  wind.  Only issue is, to get in and out of harbors, unless a master sailor, one must use a motor.  A good portion of sailboats with inboard engines are diesel powered, which can of course be fueled by biodiesel.  The motor oil was still an issue I had with the idea, as a leak of such directly into the water is obviously a pollution issue.  Did a bit of research, however, and discovered that in fact their are at least two companies in the Unites States now making environmentally friendly vegetable-based motor oils which can be used not only in diesel engines, but in gasoline powered vehicles as well.

Point I'd like to make and information I'd like to share with those of you haven't chosen or haven't the financial means to switch to an electric car or biodiesel ride is that you can lessen the impact of your current gas-powered ride by changing out the old petroleum-based, highly polluting motor oil and even transmission fluid with high performance alternatives which if inadventantly lost onto the ground won't pollute the water or the earth, and will not reduce the functionality of your automobile.  Check out the links provided below, and help make a difference.  Lets help stop things like the decimation of the Gulf of Mexico from happening and take away the motive for wars over resources by changing consumption habits, as well as by those many other modes of letting it be known, we love Mother Earth, clean water and air, and want to give these precious things to future generations, too!!!!

http://www.renewablelube.com/motor.html

http://getg.com/

environmentally clean vegetable based hydraulic fluids:

http://www.hydrosafe.com/

Snorkeling . . .

Sitting by water's edge after first full on swim into the ocean's swells, to over my head at times, snorkeling (and sputtering) and gazing through goggles intermittently filling with briny effluence, tiny tiger-striped flat bodied fish, barracuda and one funky fish I believe was a parrot, schools of tiny darting dancing fingerling sized swimmers, several spotted schooling species, and not a single shark nor stingray in sight to cause a fright.

Waves lifting my scarcely buoyant body, then down again, blowing hard to clear the airway and standing tiptoe to empty goggles blurred by leaks around beard hairs, rubbing saltiness out my eyes, then down again to gaze at the wonder of what just a few boulders draw in from the depths.  And whilst enjoying these new experiencings, hoping the waves will wash away sorrows and ills of the world have sullied me lately, that perhaps they'll sink to the ocean floor as I'm elevated with each swell of the surf, floating back to freedom.