"Willie Nelson Introduces Alternative Fuel"

[GreenPartyVoter]

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Country singer Willie Nelson introduced California to "BioWillie," his brand of clean-burning fuel made from soybeans.

BioWillie went on sale Wednesday at an alternative fuel station in San Diego where the 72-year-old singer filled his tour bus from a pump emblazoned with a picture of himself strumming a guitar.

"It is the future," Nelson said. "Through biodiesel, we can reduce dependency on foreign oil and adopt an energy source that's clean renewable and helps family farmers find new uses for their products."

Biodiesel is America's fastest growing alternative fuel, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. U.S. sales of biodiesel tripled last year to 75 million gallons, but account for less than 1 percent of the diesel fuel sold nationwide, said Jenna Higgins, a spokeswoman for the National Biodiesel Board.

http://apnews1.iwon.com/article/20060209/D8FLFNIO0.html

[SHRED]

1. There was a conference in town here

Here is an excellent interview:
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kpbs/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=875822

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. Cool, thanks!

[Bushy Being Born]

3. Here's to Willie!

I hope it spreads to more states than the 4 ones it's currently to be found in.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

4. Willie Fucking Nelson.

Coolest man alive.

[GreenPartyVoter]

6. Yeah. Sad how he was given the role of Jesse in the Dukes movie and

they stuck him with nothing but lame jokes. :( Course the whole movie was lame to me cause it veered so off-course from the original. (It might be a silly show but it's a fond childhood memory for me.)

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. One more reason

to switch to a diesel engine.

[PabloLego]

7. biofuel pollution?

I was all about biofuels and was shopping for a diesel to convert...until I heard a story that said that biofuels pollute just as much as petroleum products. The story was on NPR. Anyone else hear it? The jist was that besides the aruguably renewable aspect, they pollute just as much. Anyone? I'm trying to find the story, cause I may not bother going the BD route.

The "argulably" renewable point comes from the idea that what kind of conversion of arable land to biofuel source production would have to take place to produce biofuels to accomodate the present rateof consumption of petroleum products? and if biofules pollute as much..:-(

[GreenPartyVoter]

8. Was it a pure 100% bio-fuel or a mix? (And welcome to DU :^) )

[Ready4Change]

10. Well, think about it.

The pollutants in biofuels are composed stuff the plants biofuels are made of used to grow in the first place. Plants absorb it when growing, then it is released when they are burnt.

The problem with fossil fuels is that, when burning them, you are releasing stuff that was bound into plant matter millions of years ago, without having first bound anything from the present day.

That is assuming you accept, as I do, the idea that fossil fuels are bound plant matter. There are some who dispute that, claiming that oil is actually formed deep inside the the earth without an original organic source. In that case, burning fuels would be even worse, releasing stuff that was never in the atmosphere in the first place.

So, in terms of pollution: Biodiesel-Not so bad. Fossil fuels-bad, or very bad.

[Sinti]

9. Actually biodiesel is 75% cleaner burning

The only problem is there is an increase in NOx emissions. They are working on filters for that problem now. :)

[PabloLego]

11. cool!

Now that is good to know...diesel shopping shall re-commence!

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. Welcome to DU :^)