I’d like to introduce my new ride. It’s a 2003 VW, dark gray, standard transmission (couldn’t adapt to my last car, the hybrid–an automatic!). Yes, it has windows, seats, and a hatchback, too. Most interestingly, it’s a diesel. I sold the hybrid for a diesel so I can fill ‘er up on biodiesel, the veggie fuel.

Unfortunately, I’m several months ahead of the supply side of the equation in my area. According to local grassroots biodiesel sources, sounds like we’ll be getting a retail pump sometime before December.

Fortunately, I was called to the thriving metropolis of the Bay Area, population: many. I got to spend the weekend with my good friend Leila who currently lives in Minneapolis. We cruised around to beaches, to San Francisco, and to yoga studios. She’s now at an Integrated Yoga Therapy training program at Mt. Madonna Retreat Center. Go, Leila!!

I was excited to be able to choose between several biodiesel fill up stations. The first one didn’t fly so well because they require that you sign up with them before filling up at the pump. The pro here is that since it’s cardlock, the pump can be open all day without an attendant. The con is that you can’t sign up right there for the first time, which I found out in San Anselmo. Drats!

Then in Santa Cruz, we found The Oasis (my name, not theirs). They have taken over a former fill up station and converted it to an alternative fuel, people-powered, organic promoting endeavor. COOL! Instead of selling cigarettes and beer, they sell Odwalla and organic snacks. Instead of greasy floors in the garage, they rent bikes. Their actual name is Pacific Biofuel, Inc located on the corner of Ocean and Soquel.

Will, the very friendly guy running the place made my first time easy and fun. In fact, he reached over the counter and gave me a big hug when I said it was the first time for my car and me. He answered all of my nervous, newbie questions and even posed for a picture to record the occasion.

He gave me a bumper sticker for my first fill up. Maybe they should make another bumper sticker that says, “Once you go biodiesel, you never go back”.

You can imagine my friend Leila and I had quite an entertaining adventure at my first biodiesel fill up. Happy car! Happy driver!

Now I’d like to be able to say, no more polluting! No more foreign-country-fossil-fuel dependency! How can you get more American than that?

Alas, ’tis not as rosy a picture than that. Perhaps I’m over thinking it, maybe I’m just ready for teleporting… My friend Mark summed it up with this Big Question (after hearing about my fill-up adventure), “I wonder if it was organic biodiesel?” Indeed. The more soy beans grown, the more likely they are to be grown on mono-crop, monolithic farms using GMOs and chemicals to heavily assist the growing process. Ah sigh. Need to make peace with the whole transportation thing at some point.

[Note: since I wrote the above this morning, I stopped at German Auto in San Luis Obispo for a burnt out rear blinker light.

They informed me that they've had increased business because of people switching to biofuel. The fuel is such a strong solvent that it not only cleans out the system, it also drys out the seals and leaves them leaking "like a sieve".

They said the new cars, with their rubber seals, just aren't made like the old school diesels which had steel parts and could take any oil for fuel. Their suggestion was to wait for the diesel-low sulfer that came out last month and should be making its way to fill up stations soon.] Not sure if I’ll completely heed their advice and cut out biodiesel altogether. Though car in shop is a sad car indeed.

What’s happening with new diesels going biodiesel? What are other people’s experiences?