Hightower Lowdown

Have you got "BioWillie" in your tank?

I'm talking about a cleanburning alternative fuel that Willie Nelson is helping to market through a new company called Willie Nelson Biodiesel. What is it? It's essentially vegetable oil, mainly from soybeans, though the used frying oil from Dunkin' Donuts or Sid's Greasy Spoon also works.

ExxonMobil and the like don't want you knowing this, but if you take veggie oil and process it slightly to remove the glycerin (which is what soap is made of) you have a ready-to-go fuel for diesel engines. Whether you have a diesel pickup truck or a Mercedes, it'll run on this stripped-down veggie oil without requiring any modification to the engine. Just tank up and go!

French inventor Rudolf Diesel's original engines ran on vegetable oils. Nelson and partners are following suit, working with truck stops and convenience stores to market their veggie-based fuel. Sold under the BioWillie brand, its average price is $1.79 a gallon. The major concentration of biodiesel pumps is in the Midwest, but Nelson hopes to spread distribution from sea to shining sea.

Not only do you get a fuel that is better for your engine at a competitive price, but biodiesel also is much better for the environment, and your exhaust fumes can smell like donuts! Oh, and Willie notes that there's one more big plus —we can put "farmers back on the land growing fuel and keep us from having to start wars for oil." Rep. Denis Kucinich is preparing legislation to help develop this new product. For information, call 202-225-5871.