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The answer to America's gasoline addiction might be in the hands of a legendary Texas country musician.
Willie Nelson, the man who put Luckenbach on the map, is now putting his name on biodiesel pumps across America.
Nelson and Peter Bell of Distribution Drive, a subsidiary of Earth Biofuels, have joined forces to form a company called Willie Nelson's Biodiesel.
The clean-burning, renewable fuel is made from vegetable oils, mainly soybeans, or animal fats that can be burned without modification to diesel engines.
The fuel, called BioWillie, is the singer's unique brand of B20, a fuel made of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel and is available in various Texas cities including Austin, Dallas and Gonzales.
Today, Nelson's rapidly growing network of BioWillie biodiesel pumps spans seven states.
The BioWillie Revolution began in 2003, when Nelson's wife bought a biodiesel-burning car in Hawaii where the singer has a home.
Nelson was intrigued by the alternative fuel-burning car and decided to use the fuel not only in his Mercedes, but also in his tour bus. Several other musicians, including Bonnie Raitt and Neil Young, have also jumped on the bandwagon for this ecological cause by using the fuel on their tour buses.
Nelson emphasizes that the benefits of biodiesel as an alternative fuel not only drastically reduce carbon dioxide emissions and improve air quality, but biodiesel production may help save family farms.
Although biodiesel sounds like a great alternative, it is not without potential problems.
Some of the drawbacks include insufficient availability, sensitivity to climate that causes the fuel to gel in the winter, and it has an inclination to degrade rubber hoses in engines.
However, the benefits, over time, can far outweigh the disadvantages.
Biodiesel can drastically reduce the dependency on foreign oil as a source of energy.
It is more cost-effective than gasoline, and can be produced in the Midwest.
It may be difficult to picture the 71-year-old, long-haired, Texas rebel as an energy company executive, but the singer's new gig is in many ways about social responsibility.
For more than 20 years, Nelson has helped raise support for the American farmer, both as the founder of Farm Aid and, more recently, as one of the nation's most recognizable advocates for the use of biodiesel.
More recently, in his funny, informative and inspirational new book, "On the Clean Road Again: Biodiesel and the Future of the Family Farm," Nelson sings the praises of biodiesel, both as an earth-friendly alternative fuel and a lifeline for family farms.
Nelson helps make his point in the book through facts, stories and interviews with everyday Americans.
Nelson has been a national treasure, contributing many memorable songs to Americana and country music.
His impact, however, extends far beyond the range of his music.
"On the Road Again" means something more to socially conscious Americans who want to make the oil industry more environmentally friendly.
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