Bob Teixeira decided it was time to take a stand against U.S. dependence on foreign oil. So last fall the Charlotte musician and guitar instructor spent $1,200 to convert his 1981 diesel Mercedes to run on vegetable oil. He bought soybean oil in 5-gallon jugs at Costco, spending about 30 percent more than diesel would cost. His reward, from a state that heavily promotes alternative fuels: a $1,000 fine last month for not paying motor fuel taxes. He has been told to expect another $1,000 fine from the federal government. (News &Observer)
Search this blog
Profile
Enrique Gili is a freelance writer covering Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS), issues for regional magazines in the Southland and beyond. I live in Ocean Beach, San Diego the coolest beach town around.
Recent Posts
- N'Orleans A Center for Creativity
- Useful Mutants Alter Crops
- Cracking Red Wine's Double Helix
- A Piggy Went to Market
- In Brazil Biopiracy Laws Stifle Scientists
- Counterfeit Nation
- China Chokes As Economy Roars
- Food or Fuel, the Farmers Dilemma
- Cheap Thrills in the Garden
- Stuy High Cherishes Nerds
Recent Comments
- Lab Cat on Cracking Red Wine's Double Helix
- left_Wing_Fox on Cracking Red Wine's Double Helix
- Dunc on Counterfeit Nation
- Jonathan Vos Post on Stuy High Cherishes Nerds
- Enrique on Burning Man's Greener, Sensitive Side
- vika on Burning Man's Greener, Sensitive Side
- 6EQUJ5 on Cheap Thrills in the Garden
- vika on Burning Man's Greener, Sensitive Side
- Ahcuah on Food or Fuel, the Farmers Dilemma
- vika on Burning Man's Greener, Sensitive Side
Categories
Archives
Blogroll
Fellow Travelers
Are you worthy? Suggest a link.
« Fuel Economy vs Car Safety | Main | Beyond the 100 th Meridian »
N.C. Man Fined for Coverting to Biodiesel
Category: Energy • Transportation
Posted on: June 12, 2007 3:45 PM, by EJGili
Send this entry to:
Email this entry to a friend
View the Technorati Link Cosmos for this entry
Comments
It'll be interesting to see how states pay for things like road repair when people are using electric vehicles and other alternative fuels. At the moment, taxing gas is seen as a "progressive" tax, with people driving more or larger vehicles having to pay for the infrastructure.
Posted by: Adam Miller | June 12, 2007 04:19 PM
When my neighbor converted to bio-diesel via fryer waste oil, he made sure to track and log all the fuel he made and to pay the state and federal taxes.
It is too bad Bob is getting fined, but a little investigation would have revealed that he was still liable for the fuel taxes.
Posted by: Madrocketscientist | June 12, 2007 04:42 PM
There's been a series of cases similar to this in Wales over the years. As far as I can recall, the issue is fuel tax, non-payment of.
This BBC article briefly mentions some of the cases at the end: Biodiesel fuel plant opens.
Posted by: blf | June 12, 2007 07:31 PM