Deep-Fried Fuel

Sometimes a story is just too good to pass up, too colorful, too much fun -- such is the Kitchen Sisters' NPR piece, Deep-Fried Fuel: A Biodiesel Kitchen Vision (7/24/06 - 6:44). Part of what makes the piece so much fun is the cast of Texas characters collected here, including Carl Cornelius and his one-of-a-kind truck stop, Carl's Corner; Kinky Friedman, "a self-described 'compassionate redneck,' guitar player, songwriter, mystery writer, entertainer and leader of the band Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jew Boys"; and country singer Willie Nelson, the founding spirit of BioWillie Diesel Fuel. Maybe things in Texas really are larger than life!

Much of the atmospher is added by the music in the piece, including songs, which can be played individually, by Roy Garrett and Linda Elaine, Bill Kisinger ("Biodiesel Rebel"), the Sons of the Pioneers ("Diesel Smoke"), and Los Strait Jackets.

Classroom thoughts

• Bio-diesel may or may not be a solution to our energy needs; here is a serious article on the subject from Wikipedia.
  
  
• One point raised in this piece is the value of grass-roots activity, people acting in their own interest without the sanction of either government or corporations. What grass-roots activities are you aware of?