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Ithaca Biodiesel will host the first annual Grease Wrestling Tournament in Ithaca from 1 to 5:30 pm. And, it will be a family friendly affair. In addition to the matches taking place in a pool of fresh vegetable oil, there also will be local alternative exhibitors, games, children's activities, and a raffle. A presentation on Peak Oil theory and biodiesel use will be given by Meghan Murphy, editor of Biodiesel America.
Ithaca Biodiesel, a relatively new nonprofit that has just recently signed its incorporation papers, produces biodiesel fuel and promotes alternative approaches to commercial industry.
According to its mission statement, the organization is "an employee-owned, democratically run, cooperative corporation, committed to providing the highest quality vegetable-based fuels to our members." This is said to be achieved by operating one or more manufacturing and distribution centers, a retail dispensing station, and an automotive service garage.
As of now, the cooperative operates at 102 Cherry St. in Ithaca, but is hoping to expand and upgrade operations to a facility in Enfield. According to Micaela Cook of Ithaca Biodiesel, members are trying to raise funds to help pay for renovations needed at the Enfield facility so they can legally produce biodiesel fuel there. She says the organization needs approximately $3,500 for renovations and an additional $2,500 to gain licensed approval from the National Biodiesel Board for their operation.
Cook says the cooperative is hoping to raise $3,000 at the Grease Wrestling Tournament, which would be twice as much as it raised last year when it held a sustainability fair at the Haunt.
Ithaca Biodiesel is hoping to be at the forefront of a cleaner, more ethical economy that can provide consumers with sustainable and affordable energy alternatives. According to the National Biodiesel Board, it is estimated that the amount of biodiesel fuel sold in the U.S. has jumped from 500,000 gallons in 1999 to
25 million gallons in 2004.
Unlike ethanol, which is an alcohol derived primarily from corn and is limited to gasoline engines, biodiesel is vegetable oil-based and limited to diesel engines.
"We thought that this was a novel and unique idea because people would have fun and be able to learn about what we're trying to do," says Cook. "It fits in well with our mission statement because there's vegetable oil involved."
Cook said this will hopefully become an annual event, in which case they could re-use the vegetable oil used in the tournament, if it's not turned into fuel, of course.
The event is family-friendly, so to the dismay of some, there won't be any naked wrestling, although bathing suits are encouraged. Wrestlers are still being recruited, so if you have the urge to roll around in a greasy pit of alternative energy, you can get involved by contacting the Haunt or Ithaca Biodiesel through their Web sites.
- Jon West
