Carrie's Coverage of Biodiesel Fuel Conference Featured in Bay Area Business Woman

My article highlighting the 6th Annual Biodiesel Conference at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Feb 1-4, is now published in the February 2009 Bay Area Business Woman. See my web site under the Portfolio link, also linked to the article image at left.
Did you know?...

*Biodiesel fuels are half as toxic as petroleum based fuels
*Boeing recently launched experimental flights using plant derivatives instead of traditional petroleum, and not only were they successful, they proved more fuel efficient
*Melissa Etheridge is a spokesperson for biofuels, and traded in her "fancy cars" for a biodiesel van

Other important links of interest:

• National Biodiesel Board
• BQ-9000
• BioTrucker.com
• AskBen.info
• National Biodiesel Foundation
• AllThingsBiodiesel.com

Highlights from Biodiesel Fuel Conference

I was invited to cover one day of the 6th Annual Biodiesel Conference at the Moscone Center on Tuesday, Feb 3, for a local newspaper. It was truly a great day...at the Opening Session, the highlights included songs by Melissa Etheridge, who traded in her luxury vehicles for biodiesel, which she now uses on her tour buses as well. Daryl Hannah also provided commentary.

"You know, I used to think that biodiesel was a kind of a gas," she stated. "Now, I know that it is."

Over 4,000 attended the conference, which also featured a packed exhibit hall and many programs and sessions.

Another highlight was a press tour I got to go on, a sightseeing tour around San Francisco Bay given by the Red and White Fleet, powered entirely by biodiesel. I can vouch for the fact that it did not smell at all, the way these tour boats sometimes do, and kuddos to this company for getting it right. See videos below for highlights, and for my interview with Tom Escher, owner of Red and White.

The National Biodiesel Board honored Mayor Gavin Newsom with the "Eye on Biodiesel Award" for Initiative. The annual awards recognize champions of environmentally friendly biodiesel fuel in five categories: influence, inspiration, initiative, industry, and innovation. In 2006, Mayor Newsom issued an Executive Directive designed to increase the pace of municipal use of biodiesel. Today, virtually all of the City's 1,500 diesel vehicles run on B20.

Female rock icon and Grammy and Academy Award winner Melissa Etheridge tours around the world, powered by biodiesel when she can. Etheridge, another biodiesel "influencer" award winner, said she liked using biodiesel in her tour vehicles so much that she sold her personal cars to buy a diesel SUV, which she calls the "Bio-Beast." "Biodiesel inspires me and I believe it will inspire others, especially once they get that you don't have to make any changes to the engine to use it," said Etheridge. "I think America is going to come back as an energy leader through renewable, sustainable fuels like biodiesel."