Green Machines

Interest In Alternative Fuels Gives Birth To Many New Businesses

(AP)  Colette Brooks' sprawling ocean-view property is dotted with tricked out cars - from a low-rider Lincoln Continental to a Cadillac with plush leather seats.

But it's her 1996 Chevy Tahoe that turns the most heads with a rear window decal declaring "It's time to kick gas" and a personalized license plate reading "OFFOIL."

The petite 49-year-old business owner might be a car junkie, but she's indulging her obsession without polluting the air by running her rides on biodiesel and other alternative fuels.

"I feel so superior driving next to a Hummer and going, 'Dude, yo, look at this, this is what you should be doing,"' Brooks said.

With her earth-friendly car finder service, Biobling, Brooks is one of many entrepreneurs turning gas guzzlers into green machines as the interest in alternative fuel steadily spreads nationwide. Auto shops and online-based businesses are popping up in places as diverse as Maui, Hawaii, Louisville, Ky., Easthampton, Mass., offering do-it-yourself conversion kits, recycled vegetable oil, fuel delivery, and other services.

Current concerns about climate change, high gasoline prices and uncertain availability of foreign oil have brought increased interest in alternative fuels.

Hybrid vehicles such as the Toyota Prius are on track to achieve record U.S. sales this year, according to J.D. Power and Associates, and a growing number of gas-electric models are entering the competitive auto market.

Brooks and other small business owners like her want to appeal to people who love attention-grabbing cars but don't realize they can drive them and leave a smaller tread mark on the environment.

LoveCraft Bio-Fuels in Los Angeles has converted more than 1,400 vehicles to run on vegetable oil by installing a system of heaters, pumps and filters. Its most famous client was Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who modified one of his Hummers.

"To take the vehicle that symbolizes one of the worst environmental violators and get it to run on vegetable oil was pretty cool," LoveCraft co-founder Brian Friedman said.

Brooks runs Biobling with her husband, Eric Cadora, who scours the Internet to help clients find used cars that can run on biodiesel. The couple charge a 10 percent finders fee and more if the vehicle gets tricked out with custom paint, wheels or decals.

Brooks began promoting green cars when she bought a Prius in 2002. After discovering its benefits, she bought a fleet of hybrids for employees at her advertising and marketing company.

Two years later, she was amazed to learn that any old diesel car could run on biodiesel with little or no modification. That's because it's made with plant oil refined to remove a sticky compound called glycerin that would otherwise harm engines. The concept dates back to the late 1800s when the first diesel engine ran on peanut oil.

She set off by buying a diesel Mercedes. Her collection grew as she trolled through e-Bay and other Web sites for old muscle cars she's coveted since she was a little girl.

Today, at least 10 vehicles are parked on her property in Malibu. They include the Lincoln Continental Mark V designed by the late fashion designer Bill Blass. The gold luxury coupe has tinted windows to give it a "gangsta" look, Brooks said.

Her Chevy Tahoe demonstrates that it's possible to drive a jumbo SUV without fouling the air. And with an increasing number of filling stations in Southern California selling biodiesel, motorists don't have to go too far out of their way to feed their green machines.

[d1191962]

I must disappoint all would-be followers. Used oil has become a commodity by now, with steadily increasing cost (curently appx. $1.2 per US Gal). Also, there is no way currently available fresh or used vegetable oil can substitude gasoline - all Americans would have to eat burgers and fries 3xa day and still it would not be enough. As an opportunity for a small market niche, yes. As a viable option to replace gasoline it certainly ain''t.

[themurph2000]

As an opportunity for a small market niche, yes. As a viable option to replace gasoline it certainly ain''''t.
Posted by D1191962 at 08:53 AM : Sep 04, 2007

Maybe not now, but the original electric cars were highly impractical. Fortunately, people didn''t give up on them and started coming up with alternatives and improvments. I''m sure Toyota would be the first to tell you they they electric and electric hybrid cars can be profitable.

Also, the concept of biodiesel has been around for a long while. It''s only in the last few years that we''ve gotten the process down to a cost-effective system, although there are still things that need to be done, like safely transporting it across the country.

This may not be the solution, but it can be one step in the evolution.

[prolegomena]

Unfortunately, I''ll have to agree. Besides the downsides noted above, the consumption of that much bio-diesel would be a drain on the food supply... as would pure ethanol... which is not particularly responsible to our starving neighbors.

I''ll cast my vote with the electric technology... that really seems to be the cleanest alternative, and when coupled with base station solar generation and improved battery technology, I think the future is really there.

[infidel_us]

"I feel so superior driving next to a Hummer and going, ''Dude, yo, look at this, this is what you should be doing,"'' Brooks said.

That''s the BIGGEST problem with libs.....they all ''feel'' superior. ''Yo, chicky, it''s a free freakin country. As long as the Hummer owner can afford it and isn''t breaking any laws, it''s NOT your place to preach to people about what they should be doing."

Take care of your own business and leave everyone else alone!

[themurph2000]

Another problem that exists are large tariffs on South American sugar cane, mostly Brazil. They produce their ethanol that way, and it is extremely cost effective. If we can ease those restrictions enough to tap that source (without killing Hawaiian producers), we should give that a shot. As for starvation in the world, that''s a matter of the planet getting off its collective derriere and helping out. It''s not a matter of not having enough food; it''s dealing with the governments in some of these countries, compounded with making them self-sufficient.

More electric-based products are practical but not the lone solution. So far, there''s only one viable electro-gas car: the Prius. Other models out there haven''t improved gas mileage enough over their internal combustion counterparts to justify the cost of switching over, even with government incentives.

[themurph2000]

As long as the Hummer owner can afford it and isn''''t breaking any laws, it''''s NOT your place to preach to people about what they should be doing."

Take care of your own business and leave everyone else alone!
Posted by infidel_us at 09:30 AM : Sep 04, 2007

Except it DOES affect others. That''s the whole situation that drives up the oil and gas prices: the demand for oil. I have yet to meet a person who gave me a practical reason for driving a Hummer. It''s all about status, same as for people who drive $500,000 sportscars, or even rub it in your face that they drive a Prius. (the new snob vehicle)

You can''t rely on the oil companies to do right because they''re going to try to make the biggest profit they can: hence no upgrades in their infrastructure. The government is in the back pocket of the oil companies, so you can''t rely on help there. But since WE''RE the ones who use the oil (which I always found funny about those people who scream "No blood for oil" at the government), we do have some control over how much the prices are. Oil is a drug we have to kick, plain and simple. Can we live completely without it? Of course not. But how much it affects our lives is still under our control. It begins with all of us.

(BTW, I usually vote Republican: I just see things with a larger perspective than liberals, conservatives, or any political party)

[gopack443]

We won''t convert to alternative fuels overnight but it will happen once it becomes profitable or fossil fuels become to expensive. Seems to be starting to go that way now.

[Krazcarl]

This is not a green machine basicaly your using gas just not gas from oil so all the problems remain. We put men on the moon we build bombs that can level cities so what is the problem in constructing a car that gets a 100 mpg or personal transportation that doesn''t destroy the planet. That''s right we need space stations orbiting the planet or on the moon or Mars get real it''s 60 below 0 at the equator when is the last time you considered a holiday on the north pole but we spend billions of dollars on this junk that no common man will participate in for generations. So lets take this cash and improve the Quality of life here. If we put billions of dollars in it it will be solved but a couple of biofuel cars or methane cars are not the answer. How many billions have we spent in Iraq for little or nothing price of fuel has gone up not down. The common man needs to speak out not shuffle leaders.

[enlightenu]

"Current concerns about climate change, high gasoline prices and uncertain availability of foreign oil have brought increased interest in alternative fuels"
"To take the vehicle that symbolizes one of the worst environmental violators and get it to run on vegetable oil was pretty cool," LoveCraft co-founder Brian Friedman said.

They are implying that biodiesel and vegetable oil are clean fuels, or at least cleaner fuels. That is not the case. Biodiesel emits 4.7% more CO2 than petroleum diesel, and believe it or not, but converting a car to run on vegetable oil is not actually legal under current EPA gudelines.

[olgreyghost]

"Except it DOES affect others." themurph2000

There in lies the rub. In a liberty-based society, like the U.S. is supposed to be, people are free to do as they please as long as they cause no direct and measurable harm to others and they are free to do what is necessary to prevent others from causing direct and measurable harm to them. Socialism turns this on its head.

Since socialists consider any action by anyone to cause harm to others - if I drink a glass of water I deny others the right to drink it - then everyone can do what they think necessary to stop the individual, including killing him, from enjoying his rights to his own property. When a group takes away a person''s control over his own property, they''ve stolen that person''s property.

Liberty-loving individuals need to prepare to fight this form of theft where ever it raises its ugly head...

[jvande7471]

This may have been addressed in a previous comment, but...

The article speaks several times about the driver not polluting the air because she drives a vehicle using bio-fuel. I believe bio-fuels reduce our dependance on foreign oil, but I don''t think they''re free of pollutants. The carbon footprint is about the same. This seems to be somewhat misleading. The way the article is written, I lean toward believing this was due to the author''s lack of understanding, and not deliberate.

[ispace-2009]

The US government already possesses technologies which could end our dependence on hydrocarbons. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vyVe-6YdUk for details.

[ispace-2009]

The US government already possesses technologies which could end our dependence on hydrocarbons. See
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vyVe-6YdUk

for details.

[olebd]

Now what is Nancy really holding there? Could it be a urine sample from Clanky Bolts Cheney?

[Syndicate]

jvande7471: Bio Fuels are considered green and non pulluting because they soak up carbon when the plant is growing. This carbon is reemitted when the fuel is burned. It is considered a closed loop so the actual amount of CO2 in the atmosphere doesn''t change. Of all the Biofuels Veggie oil is the best one. It takes the least amount of energy to produce and contains the most energy per standardized unit.

[donnie900]

Why can''t ya clean up and process cow shyyt?

[sparks224]

Most people need to whacked over the head with a two by four before they''ll pay attention to anything.
In the case of global warming, the two by four hasn''t quite made contact with the scull yet.
It''s going to be hilarious when it finally does.

[incog-nito]

That looks suspiciously like a bottle Jack Daniels.

[jvande7471]

cbscrash07, I appreciate the feedback. I had not considered the carbon plants "eat" while growing. I do think bio-fuels are a step in the right direction, however carbon is not the only byproduct of burning oil, wherever it came from. Plants don''t consume sulpher or soot.

[jvande7471]

cbscrash07, I appreciate the feedback. I had not considered the carbon plants "eat" while growing. I do think bio-fuels are a step in the right direction, however carbon is not the only byproduct of burning oil, wherever it came from. Plants don''t consume sulpher or soot.

[jvande7471]

cbscrash07, I appreciate the feedback. I had not considered the carbon plants "eat" while growing. I do think bio-fuels are a step in the right direction, however carbon is not the only byproduct of burning oil, wherever it came from. Plants don''t consume sulpher or soot.

[jvande7471]

Sorry for the duplicate posts...