February 12, 2009 Written by Hillary Newman

The sneak peak was held at Kris Muller’s Conserv Gas Station in Brentwood, CA. I’ve never seen a gas station looks so sexy! Mazaradi’s and Tesla’s lined the station and the entire production ran off battery power- Ouh la la.

After accidentally stealing Tickells mother’s reserved seat, we began speaking. Her eyes lit up as she spoke about her son and his dedicated work directing the documentary—something I would understand after seeing the film.

In FUEL, Tickell takes us back to his roots in Louisiana where he introduces, “Cancer Alley” or the “fallout” a term coined from the EPA. The polluted land dubbed its nickname from the toxic cocktails released from the 150 petro-chemical facilities within 100 miles. It soon became obvious why the community is suffering from high levels of cancer.

Tickell’s journey explores our Nations’ addiction to oil. Americans make up 4.5% of the worlds populations and emits almost 50% of the worlds automotive CO2! Why? It might have something do with the interest of some governmental leaders (no names, of course). Here is another scary fact for you, Americans consume 25% of the world’s oil and yet only have 2% oil reserves left. Tickell’s film is full of wowing stats and captivating information.

This is where biodiesel comes to the rescue. Not only does biodiesel have better fuel economy by %30, but more importantly, it burns clean. Biodiesel can be made from a number of resources, such as, vegetable oils, biomass (organic material like wood), and algae. Algae is the most promising…

FUEl is more entertaining than the video above, I swear! The documentary features interviews with Richard Brandon, Van Joes, Robert F. Kennedy, Sheryl Crow, experts, scientist, and of course Tickell’s lovely mother, just to name a few. The film is a must see. Go see it. Take you friends, and carpool!

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