Blast Internet Services CEO Named Outstanding Environmental Educator of the Year
EENC says that innovation and sustainable living are a way of life for Lyle Estill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Diane Pettus
Voice: 919-542-7463
Email: dpettus@pettusinc.com

Pittsboro, NC – 12 October 2004 – During its 14th annual conference, held October 2-4 in the mountains of western North Carolina, the Association of Environmental Educators of North Carolina named Blast CEO/President Lyle Estill as the Outstanding Environmental Educator of the Year. Laura Webb Smith, membership chair for the association who oversaw the awards’ process, stated “The Outstanding Environmental Educator Award goes to an individual for whom innovation and sustainable living are a way of life. What’s great about this awardee is that he not only experiments with greener ways of doing things, but he also shares his experiences and knowledge freely.”

Lyle Estill first addressed the NC Recycling Association Annual Meeting in 1992 discussing ways that businesses can incorporate recycling into daily operations. At his first company, EMJ America, which he located in an abandoned school house that he reclaimed and repurposed (The old Triangle School), Lyle instituted a recycling program with employees and vendors and a compost pile for organic recycling that is still in use at his current company, Blast Internet Services. He also commissioned NC State professor Dr. Hal House to construct a wastewater treatment system that is the first of its kind in North Carolina, and he gave tours to school groups and environmentalists from around the country.

At Blast's current location, Lyle designed the headquarter's windows to be filled with argon gas to reduce energy usage. A geothermal ground source heating and air conditioning unit makes the building even more climate controlled and energy efficient.

Today, Estill is very active in the production of alternative fuel sources and is entering his third year of making diesel fuel from waste vegetable oil. He has spoken at numerous conferences around the country and state. His organization, Piedmont Biofuels Cooperative, has a very active website (http://biofuels.coop/index.php) where Lyle maintains a daily blog. He also volunteers 20 hours a month to the refinery and gives talks at the Festival of the Eno. He is also beginning his 3rd semester teaching an alternative energy class at Chatham County Community College.

Estill lives in a recycled farm house with active solar (PV) deployed, passive solar, and solar thermal system. He uses LEDs around his house—some experimental, first of their kind, that he is testing.

He says about his award, “I am honored to receive this recognition from the Association of Environmental Educators of North Carolina. Because of environmental education, more and more individuals are becoming aware that for their own health and the health of the world, we must adopt sound and sustainable practices, and then lead everyone we know to do the same.”

About Blast Internet Services
Blast Internet Services (Blast) is an open source development company that unites the most sophisticated, robust, and reliable programming with targeted business strategies, visual design, and optimum Internet usability. The company also supports environmental issues, sustainable growth, family-friendly policies, and personal empowerment. Blast is located in Pittsboro, NC, at 220 Chatham Business Drive. www.blast.com