Sometimes the best way to get a message across is on the big screen, or at least Martin O'Brien thinks so. He's the director and producer of Freedom Fuels, an educational documentary about biodiesel, ethanol, and straight-vegetable-oil fuels. If you ever wondered what Daryl Hannah, Willie Nelson, and Woody Harrelson have in common (hint: biodiesel), you should check this out. Here's the trailer:
I had the opportunity to meet Martin at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, where he was taking refuge from the cold inside a biodiesel-powered schoolbus. We chatted briefly about the film, the message, and sustainability issues surrounding biofuels. Energetic and passionate could describe Martin, and perhaps of the mindset that 'we've got to save the world so let's get started'. Needless to say, he was jazzed about me driving the 1,000 miles to the festival in a vegetable-oil powered truck. The film, which can be watched or downloaded free from http://www.freedomfuels.info/, speaks for itself and is well worth the hour – even for the most diehard biofuel enthusiast.