I agree with that and if we can come up with a game plan that is able to ease into the switch instead of trying to go all gangbusters all or nothing, then it could help get us off(won't do it entirely, it will take a couple other sources as well, but it is doable). About the only good thing you can say about the price hike in fuel is that it is now making this alternative fuels more attractive to people to consider. There is a scientific website that I frequent about alternative fuels, both private and public sector, and their are alot of people working on this and I do believe that there is some hope, but it's just going to take time. Ironically with the boom of these "green" businesses, it might actually help us thru this economic downturn we are in now as well(as to how much help, who knows). I try to be optimistic(and there are some silver linings here to be so), otherwise I would have given up a long time ago if I believed half of the doom and gloom stuff circulating out there now(quite a bit of it circulated by people are not thinking logically about some things and just letting blind fear and panic hike everything up and worse).

 

National Biodiesel Board - www.biodiesel.org - www.nbb.org
So this is what I have done to get the ball rolling. I joined the nbb. They send out newsletters (email) about what is going on. One of them was generic letter to our legislators. I emailed my rep here in California and was amazed to get a letter back from her signed with her name thanking me for my support. It's a start.
So here is my thought, Peace starts at home. Give peace at home and it will spread to our children which in turn they spread to their schools and friends. It starts locally and grows from there. The same with biodiesel. Start with my self and spread the word to others. If enough of us do this maybe it will make an impact.

 

Yup thats what we need in this country more regulation

 

That is another one of those debatable instances. There are times where it is a necessary evil to have regulation because some things just won't get done if left up to individuals(even things that should get done). Also in this case when we talk about regulations(or atleast when I talk about it) I'm talking about setting up some uniform standard that everyone should abide by for production, quality etc. I do believe that that type of stuff is a big core credence of what the government should be able to do. Now it's not perfect, but it is what we have to work with today and there is only so many changes that we can make at one time.

 

There actually is a regulation in effect. At least here in Cal Biodiesel must meet ASTM D-6751. The one drawback is that Biodiesel is only approved to B20. Anything higher is considered an development fuel. This is from my supplier---

Biodiesel (B100) is a clean burning renewable fuel, which after August 18, 2004 will only be sold in California as a development fuel. Sales will be restricted through the variance procedures to centrally fueled fleets, at controlled access fueling systems, through co-op organizations or to qualified members of biodiesel users groups.
The California Department of Measurements Standards (DMS) is requiring that all vendors of biodiesel and biodiesel blends apply through the variance procedure to receive authorization to sell non-specification fuels. This variance procedure will be in place until ASTM issues stand-alone fuel standards for B100 and/or B20 as fuels. Although biodiesel currently has an ASTM standard (D-6751), the standards title is "Biodiesel Fuel (B100) Blend Stock for Distillate Fuels". Without standards, which identify biodiesel as a fuel, special interest groups have been able to prevent the sale of B100 to the public and further require that biodiesel blends conform to petroleum distillate (D-975) standards. At this time California Business and Professional Code section 13450(a) requires that all diesel fuel sold in the state "shall meet the specifications set forth in ASTM D-975"