Melissa Etheridge to Address Biodiesel Conference
Musician “Wakes Up” to Biodiesel on Tour and in Personal Life

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Her soulful, unmistakable voice has made her one of the greatest all-time female rock icons. But musician Melissa Etheridge also uses her voice to raise awareness about biodiesel, a renewable fuel that first inspired her three years ago. The National Biodiesel Board is pleased to welcome Etheridge to the 2009 National Biodiesel Conference & Expo, Feb. 1 – 4 in San Francisco.

Etheridge said she first began using biodiesel in her tour vehicles in 2005, and liked it so much that she sold her personal cars to buy a diesel SUV.

"We call it the Bio-Beast," Etheridge laughs. "I live in Los Angeles, so I have to drive all the time. The feeling that I'm not using any fossil fuels just thrills me to no end."

Etheridge is known for such original songs as "Bring Me Some Water" and "Come to My Window," which brought Etheridge her second Grammy® Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 1995.

In February 2007, she won the "Best Original Song" category at the Academy® Awards for "I Need to Wake Up," which she wrote for the Al Gore documentary on global warming, An Inconvenient Truth. Etheridge says it was her work on that film that made her decide to find a way to stop using fossil fuels.

"Biodiesel inspires me and I believe it will inspire others, especially once they get that you don't have to make any changes to the engine to use it," Etheridge said. "I think America is going to come back as an energy leader through renewable, sustainable fuels like biodiesel."

The 2009 conference promises to offer its valuable educational and networking opportunities that attendees have come to expect. This year, one new feature is sustainability sessions supplementing existing educational tracks. For more information and to register, please visit www.biodieselconference.org.

Biodiesel is a renewable fuel for diesel engines, made from a variety of natural oils from sources such as plants, animal fats and recycled cooking oil. A study by the U.S. Departments of Energy and Agriculture found that life cycle carbon dioxide is reduced by 78% with biodiesel, compared to regular diesel fuel. The NBB is the national trade association of the biodiesel industry and is the coordinating body for biodiesel research and development in the U.S.

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