SWEET EXHAUST:

Responding to pressure to operate in a greener fashion, Santa
Barbara City Hall announced last week that it will be powering all
of its diesel trucks on a cleaner burning bio-diesel fuel blend.
The shift came in response to escalating gas prices – which made
the more expensive bio-diesel more competitive – and increased
pressure from within City Hall to operate in as green a way as
feasible. Late last year, City Hall announced the formation of its
“Green Team,” a group of high-level managers from all departments
charged with finding environmentally preferable ways of doing
business. Bio-diesel fuels – some of which are created using old
french fry and donut grease – are typically mixed with standard
diesel fuels to create a blend. Two years ago, city fleet managers
cast a skeptical eye on bio-diesel, questioning its cost and
performance. While the change of heart now makes Santa Barbara the
only city in the county – and one of only a few statewide – to use
bio-diesel, other municipalities throughout the nation have been
using such alternative fuels to good effect. In Clark County,
Nevada – home of Las Vegas – the county, school, and water district
fleets have been powered by bio-diesel for years.