(2009) Biodiesel requires neither war nor deepwater drilling. Though this documentary was completed in 2008 before the Deepwater Horizon explosion, mention is made of the uncertainty surrounding drilling at such depths in the Gulf of Mexico. Believing that "This could change the world," director Joshua Tickell narrates his film, beginning eleven years earlier with his journey across the US in his Green Grease Machine, a Winnebago running on used cooking oil, to discover solutions to America's addiction to oil as an energy source.

Dr Rudolf Diesel, the German engineer who patented the diesel engine in 1890 with the intention of operating it on agricultural-based fuels, demonstrated the first diesel engine in 1900 by operating it with peanut oil; in 1913 on his way across the Channel to England he died mysteriously. Shortly afterward Standard Oil manufactured dirty diesel from petroleum.

Henry Ford originally built his cars to run on ethanol alcohol, but when Prohibition took effect, the law also mandated shutting down ethanol production as well, forcing Ford to convert to gasoline engines. After Jimmy Carter left the White House, having gotten the US off to a good start at changing its old habits of profligate energy use with new, more efficient technologies and conservation, President Ronald Reagan had the solar panels removed from the roof. "First change your light bulb, then the law," advises Michael Noble of Fresh Energy.

But after two years on the road promoting biodiesel: "nothing significant happened." Until September 11, 2001, when people began asking: "Did our choice of fuel lead to this?" The US has only 2% of the world's oil reserves while consuming a quarter of all the oil being produced: we cannot drill our way out of this crisis as the planet's supply of oil is being depleted. In an effort to "kick the habit," Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Group, supplies his aircraft with biofuel.

Oil, a carbon-based fuel produced naturally from ancient single-celled organisms - phytoplankton and algae - under tremendous pressure in the Earth, has hidden costs not factored into the price of gasoline at the pump, including wars in the Middle East, government subsidies throughout its production cycle, environmental pollution, global warming, adverse effects on human health (such as women's damaged reproductivity and cancer), financial liabilities being left to future generations.

Back on the road, Josh drove his Veggie Van home to Louisiana where refineries produce more gasoline than any other state along with toxic waste. Along with governmental officials across the state covering up the pollution poisoning the population (Josh's mother Deborah Dupre, an environmental activist, had nine miscarriages), the Dept of Environmental Protection is funded by big oil.

As with agricultural subsidies going mostly to corn and wheat farmers, leaving the healthier fruits and vegetables unsupported, the federal government has made a habit of subsidizing heavy gas guzzlers while too long ignoring the improved designs of diesels and hybrids. Big oil funds political campaigns, in effect buying the politicians needed to have Washington legislate in its favor. New Jersey's Senator Frank Lautenberg refers to the practice as a "conspiracy," which has led to our current problems.

Referring to the administration of Bush/Cheney as "oil slaves" in the military-petroleum complex, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, an attorney for NRDC and president of the Water Keeper Alliance, decries that the US lost its greatness because it lost its goodness. The billions of dollars spent on the Iraq war could have produced more energy from wind farms alone than from Iraq's oil. Former Vice President Cheney met with his energy task force, made up of energy executives, 40 times in secret; they discussed Iraq's oil fields and pipelines in well in advance of the 2003 invasion.

Former UN weapons inspector in Iraq Scott Ritter gives Josh his view of the purpose for the war: "It's about oil in a big way." Noting the merging of corporate and state interests, Naomi Klein, author of The Shock Doctrine, says that our need for oil has created "an imperial mindset." Meanwhile, Senator (Alaska-R) Ted Stevens prevented energy CEOs from having to be sworn in before answering questions during an investigation into their activities. Former comptroller of the US (now with the Peterson Foundation) David A. Walker denounces the "fiscal irresponsibility" of America's continued reliance on oil for energy.

Looking to Europe for examples of greener energy, Tickell lauds Germany and Sweden, the latter determined to be free of petroleum dependence by 2020. Back in the USA, he teams up with celebrities - including Woody Harrelson, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, and Neil Young - to help get the word out to truckers and other major transportation firms, since most of "the stuff" we buy is largely moved with diesel fuel and biodiesel can replace dirty diesel without expensive conversions. Actress Julia Roberts advocates making all school buses run on biofuel because of the harmful fumes that currently make the interior of buses using regular diesel unsafe for children.

Unfortunately, just as momentum picked up, generating enthusiasm for biofuels throughout a range of industries, the media began publishing reports of biofuels as "a crime against humanity" with increased farming depleting forests and natural habitats for wildlife and the competition between corn and soy crops for food or fuel.

Since then innovative companies such as Hero BX have begun producing biofuels from waste and weeds. Perhaps the biggest technological breakthrough has come from a back-to-the-future development of the original source of hydrocarbons for oil, algae-based biofuel, which can be poured directly into the pre-existing energy infrastructure; every city's waste-water treatment plant could be modified to recycle water purified for drinking while producing algae for energy.

With the political and social will directed by economic incentives, we could have a combination of sustainable biofuels produced from algae and other biomass (e.g., megaflora trees) grown on marginal lands and vertical farms in cities, wind and solar power, plug-in hybrids/EVs, public transport (including bicycles), recycling, and greater energy efficiency and conservation, that could eliminate dependence on foreign oil.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in video and/or DVD format, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2010 Patrick Ivers. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

Patrick Ivers can be reached via e-mail at .