Winona LaDuke runs her car on biodiesel and vegetable oil, and hopes to spread this practice to the fleet of tribal vehicles on the White Earth Reservation. "In my reservation in Minnesota, we have a casino which produces l0,000 gallons of grease - that's a good start for our tribal school buses and the like," she told Sundays Energy in July 2006.

"In my reservation, the main thing I work on is how you build a self-reliant, culturally revitalized community that's going to survive in the post-petroleum economy. And the reality is that in the largest energy economy in the world, you've got to transform the economy to a renewable economy." In 1996 and 2000, Winona ran for election to the office of Vice President of the United States as the nominee of the United States Green Party, on the ticket headed by Ralph Nader.

Willie Nelson says he began learning about biodiesel around 2002, after his wife purchased a biodiesel-burning car in Hawaii. "I got on the computer and punched in biodiesel and found out this could be the future," said Nelson, who now uses the fuel for his cars and tour buses.

And not only does Willie Nelson use biodiesel, he also sells it!

Perry Farrell, lead singer of the band Jane's Addiction and creator of music festival Lollapalooza, steered the alternative music event to use the alternative fuel. In 2003, Lollapalooza made rock 'n' roll history by running the entire show - amps, spotlights and all - on generators powered by B100 biodiesel.

The plan was originally to only run the generators at the festival's second stage with B100, but Perry and his fellow musicians decided wherever possible to make the whole concert go green. "In certain states, we have the ability to run the entire festival on biodiesel fuel and that's what we're doing," Farrell says proudly. "We're trying to create a coalition, and we're also securing petitions to demand that government vehicles and buildings are transformed to run on alternative fuel and energy. We're amassing signatures to present to each and every senator in the country."

Neil Young began using biodiesel on the 2004 "Greendale" tour, powering his trucks and tour buses with the fuel. "Our Greendale tour is now ozone friendly," Young said. "I plan to continue to use this government approved and regulated fuel exclusively from now on to prove that it is possible to deliver the goods anywhere in North America without using foreign oil, while being environmentally responsible."

Following the success of that tour, in 2005 Neil won the National Biodiesel Board Influencer Award. A NBB press release stated "the legendary singer/songwriter has shown outspoken support for biodiesel and the family farm, articulately sharing his knowledge of the benefits of biodiesel with millions of Americans." He was also instrumental in Farm Aid using the fuel in 2004, where he and Willie Nelson told thousands in attendance that "It's clean, it's American grown fuel, it doesn't damage anything. This is so obvious."

In 2006, Melissa Etheridge toured the United States and Canada, crossing the countries on B99 biodiesel. BioDiesel Blue and Sundays Energy supported her stop in Minneapolis.

Etheridge is an advocate for the environment, among other social issues. Her song "I need to wake up" is featured in Al Gore's movie exploring global warming "An Inconvenient Truth." Her touring company is Roadshow Productions.

The quick facts on Melissa Etheridge's biodiesel usage for her 2006 tour:

• Running on B99
• Vehicles: 2 busses and 2 trucks
• Each vehicle takes on 100-200 gallons per fueling
• Biodiesel used per vehicle:
  • 2600 gallons as of August 11
  • Miles traveled as of August 11: 13,700
• Will travel another 5700-5800 miles
• 1,115.38 additional gallons per vehicle will be used
• Total estimated biodiesel usage:
  • 3,715 gallons used per vehicle at tour conclusion
  • 14861.5 gallons of total tour fuel usage

KT Tunstall Takes Biofuel Tour Bus To The Road In U.S. Live Dates

Sept. 10, 2006 -- When Virgin Records singer/songwriter KT Tunstallcriss-crosses the U.S. on a month-long headline tour starting (9/8), it will be in a bus that runs on environmentally friendly biodiesel fuel.

Tunstall says that making the effort to use a bus modified for biodiesel was a gesture of respect to the environment, the country, and her American fans. "It seems unacceptable to tour using non-environmentally friendly fuel when there's an alternative available," Tunstall comments. "I'm very excited about venturing into a greener touring lifestyle, and I hope sooner rather than later, it becomes the norm for all little traveling circuses like us."

Jack Johnson runs all his tour buses and trucks on biodiesel fuel.

"The singer has taken steps to make his tour more Earth-friendly with initiatives that include running all tour buses and trucks on biodiesel fuel, selling T-shirts made from organic cotton, printing tour posters and CD packages in 100 percent post-consumer-waste recycled paper, and providing venues with ideas on how they can reduce their negative environmental impact through on-site recycling and the use of low-energy light bulbs." - MTV News

Johnson, who is passionate about preserving the environment, says that all the tour buses and trucks will run on biodiesel fuel.... Rolling Stone

The Indigo Girls used B5 biodiesel as part of a tour focusing on alternative energy and Native American environmental issues. The two-week "Honor the Earth" tour began April 10, 2003 in Northfield, Minnesota, and wrapped up on April 22, Earth Day, in Greeley, Colorado.

The tour visited 8 college campuses, put on full-blown activist music events, and was able to mobilize thousands of students and communities around social justice issues and renewable energy. "We feel that biodiesel fuel and solar energy are important because they offer us a way to live peaceably and cleanly -- well into the future," said the girls in 2003. "These technologies also help to save our pristine forests and waterways from destruction."

• Daryl Hannah has been using biodiesel for years to fuel her 1983 Chevy El Camino.
• She has won a National Biodiesel Board (NBB) Influencer Award - For volunteer work as a spokesperson for biodiesel.
• She is involved with Grassolean Solutions - Biodiesel Gas stations
• Daryl has educated tens of thousands of people about biodiesel through her appearances on television shows, like Howard Stern and the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. She is featured with Charris Ford, founder of Grassolean, in the much-celebrated film about biodiesel "French Fries to Go."

Musician Bonnie Raitt started using biodiesel on her 2002 nationwide tour. She was one of the first U.S. entertainers to adopt biodiesel for tour fuel. Dubbed the "Green Highway Tour," Raitt traveled coast-to-coast, performing and raising awareness about alternative fuels.

"It's no accident that we're in danger of losing both our ecological and our economic well-being at the same time," explained Raitt in 2002. "I feel too many government and corporate policies are inseparably shortsighted and we've created Green Highway to demonstrate that working in harmony with nature can offer real solutions for preserving both our planet and our prosperity."