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Education for a Sustainable Energy IndependenceOur MissionTo create awareness and understanding and to promote usage of clean, renewable energy by providing education and information about types of clean renewable energy, companies that produce and use clean and renewable energy, and ways that individuals can change their current energy usage so that we and future generations can live in a cleaner, healthier environment. Why are we doing this? Energy Aware Organization was created as a result of our personal quest for knowledge about renewable energy and how we could pursue our goals of sustainable living. What we discovered was that while there are many resources available the information is fragmented, some is very technical, and it was difficult to find a single source of information about renewable energy that was concise, educational and practical. As we spoke to people about renewable energy most support the idea but don’t know how it affects them or what they can do to help bring about change. Energy Aware Organization was formed to become a single source of information on energy. Best of all the EAO web site is a dynamic web site that is user driven. People can post events policy issues, questions/answers, and share tips on conservation, and information about the various energies through the wiki and forum. We want to hear from you, what are you doing? What do you think? Share this information with the EAO Community and the world. We believe in what Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Join us and lets change the world! What are we doing? In addition to providing this remarkable online community dedicated to the pursuit of truth and complete understanding of all energy related topics, the Jenkins family has embarked upon a coast-to-coast tour in a biodiesel-powered RV to promote energy awareness. (Biodiesel is a nontoxic, plant-based, renewable fuel.)  Christina & Taylor, their four children, and Taylor’s Parents, a brother, and sister left Nampa, Idaho on June 25th, 2007 and will be stopping at several energy fairs, research labs, and energy facilities, and just talking with people as we travel across the country to the Atlantic coast and back to the Pacific coast, before returning home. Looking at it one way, it’s much like any other summer family road trip, except we’ll be spreading an important message of energy independence and environmental respect. While this is our first year, we hope to start a tradition for our family and nation and make these tours in coming years, with more stops. Our family has a commitment to public service and the environment and we believe we can make a difference with our tour. We invite you to join our community! About EAO Taylor Jenkins
Taylor has always loved the outdoors; gardening, hiking, camping and skiing. He is the eldest of seven children and has had the opportunity of living in several states and Canada. As a child some of his best memories are of family road trips. They were always fun and educational. He has traveled much of North America by car. After attending High School and college in southern Utah, Taylor attended Brigham Young University where he studied and received a bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering. He also met and married Christina. Taylor is now the father of four children. Taylor is a professional innovator. He has over ten years experience in project management and product development, with particular experience in the industries of petroleum containment, electronics equipment manufacturing, and consumer goods. Taylor is currently the president of I Corporation, www.icorporation.biz, an engineering and product development consulting company. He has experience with intellectual property issues and is currently named as an inventor in several pending patents, and one granted. He has been heavily involved for the past year and a half in renewable energy research with particular interest in the area of extracting usable energy and chemical products from algae. The focus of his research is to develop technology and create solutions to global energy issues. Taylor has a passion for renewable energy and believes that Energy Aware Organization can help promote the development of better, more sustainable energy technologies that will contribute to global security, stronger economy, and a cleaner, healthier environment.  Christina Jenkins
Christina was born in Provo, Utah and grew up with opportunities to live in several different states and countries. She is the eldest of five children. She attended Brigham Young University and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Geography. After graduating Christina worked as an administrative assistant, event coordinator and fitness instructor. After the birth of their first child in 1998 she became a full-time mother. Christina and Taylor now have four children; Sarah (8), Lisa (7), Caleb (4), and Jessica (2). In addition to her job as a family manager she does administrative work for several businesses. Christina has always been very interested in the environment, especially as it relates to health. As an avid organic gardener and recycler, she has learned that if we take care of the Earth, it will take care of us. She actively teaches her family about energy conservation, treating the earth respectfully, and recycling. Over the past five years, several events in her life have taken Christina to a turning point where she has a deep desire to give back, to make a difference, and to teach her family and other something truly meaningful. It started with the birth of their third child, Caleb. He was born with a cleft lip and palate and soon there after Taylor was laid off from his job. Then almost two years ago her youngest child, Jessica, was diagnosed with leukemia. The treatment for the cancer has been long and painful with some serious setbacks, but Jessica in now well on the road to a complete recovery. Through these events people everywhere, family, friends, and strangers gave generously in many ways. The kindness shown to her family during this difficult time was very humbling and moving. When a person and their family go through a traumatic experience, they come through it changed and hopefully, improved, with a renewed sense of mission in life. For the Jenkins family that means a desire to make a difference in the world by increasing awareness of renewable energy and energy conservation. They have formed the Energy Aware Organization with a mission to educate the public about and promote users and producers of clean energy to help make the world a better, cleaner place. The RV Energy Aware is using a 2006 Gulfstream motor home. It's the same vehicle as it was when purchased - the difference is what's in the tank.  Our motorhome runs on biodiesel, an environmentally friendly diesel fuel which is made from ethanol (fuel alcohol distilled from plant material), vegetable or animal oil (typically soybean, corn or restaurant grease) and lye. Using biodiesel results in a substantial reduction in pollutants such as unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulate matter. In addition, the exhaust emissions of sulfur oxides and sulfates (major components of acid rain) from biodiesel are essentially eliminated compared to petroleum diesel. Unlike fossil fuels, biodiesel does not introduce new CO2 into the atmosphere, but only reintroduces the CO2 that was previously sequestered by the plants from which it was made. Diesel engines can use many oily fuels. When Rudolf Diesel unveiled his engine at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900, it ran on peanut oil. But the rapidly developing American petroleum industry produced a cheap by-product "diesel fuel" that has become the standard. "The use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today," said Diesel in 1912, a year before his death. "But such oils may become in the course of time as important as the petroleum and coal tar products of the present time." Biodiesel is attractive because it lubricates the engine as it burns. Petroleum diesel has usually contained sulfur to lubricate the engines, but sulfur pollutes and regulations are phasing it out.  According to the European Biodiesel Board, Europe produced about 3.2 million tons of biodiesel in 2005, with Germany alone producing about half the total. By comparison, about 350,000 tons of biodiesel was produced in the U.S. in 2005 according the U.S. National Biodiesel Board - a little more than 10 percent of the amount in Europe. American farmers are already supplying us with biodiesel and there's much more potential. We're the most agriculturally productive nation on earth and we could be supplying a lot of our energy needs with it. |
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