Greasestock Celebrates Alternative Fuel

The gathering in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., looked like any Sunday afternoon barbecue with kids, food, music and conversation.

At Greasestock 2008, however, the talk is about powering cars on transfat oil and biofuel.

John Pratt started Greasestock four years ago as an event where people interested in gas alternatives could come together and share ideas.

That first year, eight people showed up. The times they are a-changing, though. With Americans angry about rising gas prices, hundreds of people came to Greasestock this year.

"We've had them from Chicago, from Illinois, West Virginia, Kentucky, New Hampshire. We expect maybe about 100 vehicles and about 500,600 people," Pratt said.

Among the vehicles on display was a garbage truck powered on 100 percent vegetable oil instead of diesel. It's the first of its kind in New York state, and it saves the town of Mamaroneck about $10,000 a year.

Some states have responded to outraged commuters with financial breaks. Alaska is the first state to break the $4 a gallon barrier for gasoline, and the governor is proposing a $100 state fuel card for residents.

Elsewhere, drivers are looking for help with sky-high prices on their own, often going online to find the best deals.

Gasbuddy.com, a Web site that helps people find the lowest gas prices in their area, has seen a sharp rise in traffic. And on Craigslist.com, forums for carpoolers have sprung up with dozens of members.

At Greasestock, where many were already ahead of the curve, people are moving on to other frontiers, like home heating.

In another indication of how things have changed, Toyota's hybrid car Prius was introduced a decade ago. Last year, 1 million of the vehicles were sold, half of them in the United States. The Greasestock organizers wanted to show a Prius this year, but they all sold out at area car dealerships.