Biodiesel Power

Whether we are nearing the end of oil or merely nearing the end of inexpensive oil, it is becoming increasingly clear that we need to find alternative ways to meet our energy needs. Biodiesel is one such alternative — and is one of the fastest growing sectors of the US economy.

Biodiesel in North America is in its infancy. As air quality deteriorates in major centers, governments are scrambling for ways to reduce emissions and are embracing biodiesel in their fleets. Conferences on biodiesel are often “inaugural,” as society begins discussing this fuel in earnest.

Biodiesel Power is a chronicle of this emerging industry. Lightly touching on the technical aspects of the fuel, its qualities and specifications, the book is largely about the people and stories of the biodiesel movement. It explores the tensions between

• grassroots activists and their altruistic co-ops
• the profit minded commercial producers and the voices of agribusiness, and
• the current administration – or “the coalition of the drilling.”

Far from a third party account, Biodiesel Power comes from one who has experienced it from the grease dumpster to the boardroom. Lyle Estill has made the journey from back yard brewing, to being part of a producer and distributor cooperative, to commercial production.

Compelling and timely, Biodiesel Power is the history of biodiesel in the making. It will appeal to a wide audience including farmers, truckers, backyarders and commercial producers, investors, politicians and all those concerned about the end of oil.