Science & Song Move Biodiesel Industry

SAN FRANCISCO– The role of policy, science and song in biodiesel sustainability came together on stage here today at the National Biodiesel Conference and Expo's second day general session. "Shades of Green: Ensuring a Sustainable Future for a Sustainable Fuel" featured a telecast by North Dakota Governor John Hoeven, remarks from life cycle analyst Don O’Connor as well as an inspirational performance by biodiesel user and Grammy® and Academy Award® winner Melissa Etheridge.

The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) released its Guiding Principles for Sustainability today. NBB Sustainability Task Force Chair Emily Bockian Landsburg gave an overview of the NBB's commitment to continuous improvement in industry sustainability. "The best is yet to come," she concluded.

Governor Hoeven, chair of the Governors' Biofuels Coalition, stressed the Coalition's plan to continue working with the NBB because of biodiesel's benefits for job creation, the economy and the environment. Hoeven recognized biodiesel as already reducing the equivalent greenhouse gas emissions of taking nearly 1 million vehicles off the road.

O'Connor is working with NBB to ensure life cycle assessments applied to biodiesel are based on sound science. "Some tools are trying to be adapted to something they were never meant to do," said O'Connor, who also emphasized the importance of transparency in assessing land use and more.

Etheridge told the attendees about how and why she has used biodiesel in her last three concert tours as well as in her personal vehicle. "It's easier than you think. Any diesel engine can run on biodiesel," says Etheridge, who received a standing ovation after her performance of "I Need to Wake Up", which she wrote for the documentary, An Inconvenient Truth.

NBB CEO Joe Jobe honored Etheridge with this year's Influencer Award and later presented her with a BioTrucker Fuel Card.

Jobe explained to reporters that NBB and Fleet One developed the new BioTrucker Fuel Card for over-the-road fleets and owner operators who want to find biodiesel. The card promotes truckstops that carry biodiesel by providing information on the fuel stops that accept the card offered at www.biotrucker.com. The card offers a 2 cent rebate at almost 1000 truckstops and several biodiesel truckstops offer an additional 2-cents-per-gallon savings exclusively to BioTruckers.

New Holland Agriculture continued the connection between biodiesel and music by sponsoring a reception featuring Rolling Stones keyboardist and conservationist Chuck Leavell who commended the industry for its sustainability work.

High-tech music executive and musician Emily Richards closed the evening for conference attendees with a return visit and performance for the crowd.

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