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BioTour visits Equal Exchange |
By Lisa Valdez, Interfaith Customer Service Representative
On March 12, three visitors from BioTour came to Equal Exchange to talk about their organization. Ethan Burke, Maya Stills-Royal, and Alan Palm came rolling up to our building around 8:30 a.m. in an old school bus powered by waste vegetable oil, biodiesel, and solar panels for electricity. The colorful bus took up the majority of our visitor parking spaces. So what exactly is BioTour? I think they’re best described in their own words:
"BioTour ... is an educational non-profit of 13 young people that traverses the country on two awesome school buses that we've converted to run on waste vegetable oil (WVO) and solar paneled electrical power. We go to colleges, high schools, and local community events giving presentations to people young and old, working towards building a national movement in sustainability - through both smart policies and realistic practices in renewable energy."
We spent the morning hearing about their mission and sharing stories and ideas about creating a more sustainable future. We at Equal Exchange really connected to these ideas, as we’re working every day to create a green and more just food system by working with small farmer co-ops in the U.S. and abroad.
They told us about witnessing mountain top removal in West Virginia, trips to Chinese restaurants for fuel (apparently Chinese restaurants have the best veggie oil), stories of bathing in rivers (there’s no bathroom on board the bus), and the recent Power Shift protest in D.C. to demand a green economy and raise awareness about climate change. More than anything, though, we heard stories about making new friends of every class and creed, and a deep love affair with a beautiful country seen at its best from the tall seats of an old school bus.
Ethan, Alan and Maya then led us outside to see the infamous bus. We kicked some tires, asked some questions, found out that all of the electricity in the bus comes from four solar panels mounted on the roof, then about 20 of us clambered aboard and got to see inside - what is home and office to about six people at any given time.  There are lots of books on politics, sociology, sustainability and more. There are maps everywhere, the old school bus seats have been turned into shelving units, and two rows of cushioned benches line the walls. The floorboards underneath our feet were made of bamboo, which is being used more and more as a wood alternative, known for its strength and its speedy growth.
It was sunny, clean, and comfortable. What more can you ask for? We're delighted to hear that they welcome temporary crew members to travel with them for a week or so at a time. We lingered a bit inside, thinking about living on the road, seeing the beauty of this country and working to preserve it.
We then showed them the roaster, where Lead Roaster Thomas Lussier told us all about the complex coffee roasting process over the roar of the large machinery. Afterward, we headed to the Quality Control lab, where Quality Control Technicians Danielle Lafond and Mike Mowry talked to the BioTour folks about coffee cupping and then led them in a tasting.
We talked for a while about Equal Exchange’s model of worker-ownership. It was very energizing to share stories and ideas with such an interested and interesting group of people and I think we all walked away feeling empowered to change the world.
Sometimes working for social justice can be very exhausting. Your work isn't just a job, but an extension of your values, and road blocks in getting your message out in the mainstream can be really discouraging. But visits from friends who are working to create the same world you are can be not only energizing, but illuminating.  There is a huge network of brilliant, creative, impassioned people out there, all working for a sustainable, just world, regardless of whether it's through Fair Trade or climate change awareness. We all need to support each other, even if it's through something as simple as sharing stories and ideas.
We said goodbye to our BioTour friends after plying them with coffee and bumper stickers, and wished them the best of luck as they left to start their journey westward to California, spreading the word about climate change and connecting people of all sorts all over the country.
For more information on BioTour, see their Web site
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