Peanuts for fuel ... pun intended

"More than a century ago, German engineer Rudolf Diesel designed an engine to burn peanut oil. The green movement and surg ing petroleum costs are reviving the concept. Actress Daryl Hannah has a veggie car. "

That's an excerpt from From a frying pan to the gas tank in today's—Saturday, May 06, 2006—New Jersey Star-Ledger written by Kevin Coughlin, Star-Ledger Staff.

There is a path out of oil addiction if we are willing to take it.

The first thing is to recognize that there are alternatives to the energy that is controlled and distributed by oligarchies.

For oil we have various natural sources including energy-rich sugar that figures into Brazil's energy independence ... as well as used cooking oil from the local fast food joint a la the reference quoted above.

For nuclear we have solar and wind and thermo a la Iceland.

I remember visiting a remote cabin on the Yukon River in Alaska—across the river and a little farther west than Ruby—where the facilities, including a complete wood-working shop with power tools, was run on a combination of wind, water, and solar energy stored in batteries.

Let me give you a hint though ... screwing in energy saving lightbulbs in 3000+ square foot homes with a three car garage is not going to put us on a sustainable path to saving the environment.

But I keep coming back to Pogo: "We have met the enemy and he is us."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pogo#.22We_have_met_the_enemy.....22