Willie Nelson marketing environmentally friendly fuel to truck stops

[Kadie]

Willie Nelson marketing environmentally friendly fuel to truck stops
MATT CURRY, Associated Press Writer

Friday, January 14, 2005



(01-14) 10:58 PST DALLAS (AP) --

"On the Road Again" means something new for Willie Nelson these days -- a chance for truckers to fill their tanks with clean-burning biodiesel fuel.

Nelson and three business partners recently formed a company called Willie Nelson's Biodiesel that is marketing the fuel to truck stops. The product -- called BioWillie -- is made from vegetable oils, mainly soybeans, and can be burned without modification to diesel engines.

It may be difficult to picture the 71-year-old hair-braided Texas rebel as an energy company executive, but the singer's new gig is in many ways about social responsibility -- and that is classic Nelson.

"There is really no need going around starting wars over oil. We have it here at home. We have the necessary product, the farmers can grow it," said Nelson, who organized Farm Aid two decades ago to draw attention to the plight of American agriculture.

more...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2005/01/14/financial1351EST0167.DTL

[tlcandie]

1. Go Willie.. someone's gotta take the bull by the horns!!! n/t

[Sannum]

2. I LOVE WILLIE!!!

:loveya:

[Voltaire99]

39. Same here!

Every time I turn around, he's doing something good.

In Willie's decency and vision, the spirit of Johnny Cash lives on. :-)

[tk2kewl]

3. Cool!

[Liberal Veteran]

4. Why does Willie Nelson hate America?

And why is he peddling anti-American fuel to truckers when we could get patriotic fuel from ANWR and Iraq.

LOL

[KingoftheJungle]

5. Umm last I checked Biodiesel isn't "clean burning"

Whilst c02 products are lower than traditional diesel, biodiesel actually produces more n02, so the effect is sort of balanced out. The only real upside to biodiesel is the fact that it comes from readily available renewable resources instead of oil deposits.

[On the Road]

9. Another Long-Term Benefit

is that crude oil brings carbon from underground and releases it into the atmosphere. Biodiesel only uses carbon in the topsoil and contributes much less to global warming.

[htuttle]

10. It also doesn't put out any sulfur dioxide when it burns

And the CO2 it releases when it burns is only what it fixed when it was growing. Net of zero CO2 over the lifetime of the plant(s).

[satya]

18. The Upside? You can make it yourself. Takes control out of the hands of *

and his buddies. Reduces the value of their investments. That alone is enough for me.

[proud patriot]

6. Very Cool

:thumbsup:

[jandrok]

7. Willie is the MAN! (n/t)

[htuttle]

8. You're a damned good man, Willie Nelson

I've been waiting for an opportunity to say that about someone BEFORE they died, for once.

'BioWillie' -- Great idea! Perfect spokesperson!

[sandnsea]

11. Get your biodiesel (map)

It's $3.50 a gallon where I live, yikes!!

http://www.biodiesel.org/buyingbiodiesel/distributors/default.shtm

[satya]

19. You can make it yourself for under $1/gallon. Independent truckers

should be forming coops to do this and tell * and his buddies to f*@k off. Path to Freedom

[sandnsea]

20. Thank you, but, uhm

After reading the directions, I don't think so. Let's just say chemistry is not my thing. :scared:

But I think every town should have an oil recycling company. I'd definitely save my oil and take it in and have somebody else transform it.

[shleonny]

33. a coop could hire professionals

wages need to be figured in to the cost. Farmers should do this to run their own vehicles.

[girl gone mad]

23. from the article:

"The fuel's average U.S. price per gallon is $1.79."

Where do you live?

[sandnsea]

25. Oregon

I checked the fuel place in Eugene, $3.50 a gallon. Fuel is always higher out here.

[gaia_gardener]

12. I've been saying McDonald's needs to use biodiesel

apparently it can smell like french fries when it is being burned (good french fries, not burned ones). Can you imagine the marketing potential? You're driving down the road and you smell french fries, which triggers a craving. You start wanting french fries and you look up and see a McDonald's truck? Even people who hate McDonald's will occasionally give into that temptation.

Of course, I've also heard it said that it smells like popcorn, and I've not smelled it myself, so who knows?

[GoSolar]

13. Thanks, Willie.

A step in the right direction. Many miles still left to go... :)

[bushisanidiot]

14. Why Won't the Farmers Back Dems?! This is what WE are for!

good job, Willie!

[dbt]

17. Farmers get their "news" from Network Terrorvision,

just like too many other Americans do. And as long as ABCCBSCNNNBCFochs acts as a propaganda arm of the government, the message will be "Republicans good, Democrats baa-aa-ad."

This is the evil essence of why farmers won't back Democrats--complicated by the fact that the DNC will not lift a finger to correct the perception.

:argh:
dbt

[sandnsea]

21. WE don't market ourselves right

WE keep screaming "stop stop stop" instead of offering solutions. If we don't get out in front of the progress being made environmentally, Repubicans are going to rip the biggest issue we've got left right out from under us.

[CarpeVeritas]

31. because "the farmers" are actually giant agri-businesses like ADM

nt

[Mills Street]

32. Of course not all of them are

We need to reach out to the small farmer. They are better for the environment, treat their animals better, and are the hardest workers on earth.

We need to separate them from the corporate farms that * loves to give money.

[sandnsea]

34. Southern Sustainable Ag

Look at this group. I think maybe the left doesn't know just how successful they've been with some of their "newfangled" ideas. A group like this one could be leading the way on biodiesel too, probably are for all I know.

http://www.ssawg.org/

[whatelseisnew]

40. SSAWG's Annual Conf in New Orleans next week

If you're in the area, check it out. A "growing" group of sustainable ag folks doing good work.

[sandnsea]

42. I'm in Oregon

But if you're going or know people going, I'd love a first hand report for my blog. A few paragraphs are fine. Trying to promote things like this. I firmly believe we've got to get more positive about solutions before we can start winning again.

[HuckleB]

15. I ALWAYS LOVE THE PEOPLE WHO BRING THE SIGN:

RAISED ON WILLIE to his shows! Indeed, his music is one of the things I'm glad my parents exposed me to.

[Ironpost]

16. If my memory serves me well

Willie Nelson had a talk show on tv in the early to mid '50s, pony tail and all.

[sandnsea]

24. Uh, I don't think so

I don't remember that at all. Pic from his web site

[arcane1]

22. kick-ass!

:toast:

[evolvenow]

26. Now that's an ECO_Revolution!! Willie is my new Hero!!!

This is a huge step in the best direction!!

Love it, Sustainable, home-grown, war free Bio-Fuel!!
:bounce:

[Megahurtz]

27. He needs to modify it to work for regular cars

so we can all boycott these assholes.

[thoughtanarchist]

28. any deisel engine can burn straight veg with a conversion kit.

costing < $1000

you could convert an VW golf deisel to run on this stuff.

(better in warm climates)

http://www.pacificsun.com/frenchfriedfuel.html

[Megahurtz]

29. Cool!

:thumbsup:

[CarpeVeritas]

30. by rights, shouldn't "BioWillie" be derived from hempseed oil?

nt

[truthisfreedom]

43. heh.

[Vidar]

35. Willie is always in the forefront.

[illflem]

36. ******

[fishwax]

37. That's awesome!

Way to go Willie :toast:

[Zomby Woof]

38. I love Willie!

That is sweet!

[grace0418]

41. Very nice Willie! eom

[olddad56]

44. I swear I asy the image of Willie Nelson on a piece of burnt toast.

[gorbal]

45. Awesome!

Imagine how much better off we will be because of Willies if we have another Oil Crisis. I biodiesel pump at every truckstop might at least hold off the mass starvation in the cities until people wake up and develope alternatives.

And once it is mass produced it will probably be cheaper.