Our car is fueled with bio-diesel made from recycled restaurant oil. We buy it at our local health food store in 5 gallon jugs. It's a hassle putting it in. I have to lift the jug up to pour it and sometimes it's a bit oily and dirty. I've slopped bio-diesel on my pants and shoes at times, but it cleans right off. The stuff also costs more than petroleum diesel. After six years of this drill it's been getting a little old.But now we've got this oil spill in the Gulf and I'm feeling a whole lot better about it.
I realize that there isn't enough used restaurant oil to power very many cars. A lot of smart folks are figuring out how to make oil from algae though. And others are working on getting electric cars to market. Ironically the big wind farm project off of Cape Cod just got approved - FINALLY - after years of NIMBY opposition. I wonder how those anti-wind folks would like drilling rigs instead?
I think we still have a chance. The solutions are pretty much ready and waiting for the political will to take them up. How many more wake up calls will it take? Will we be able to shake off the psychotic greed of corporate power in time? I guess we'll find out soon enough.
