Introduction:

Rudolph Diesel designed his first engine in the 1890s to use the available local fuel sources such as vegetable oil and tallow. These fuels came from renewable feedstocks, easily accessible to the average person. His intention was to empower, both psychologically and economically, the small industries, farmers, craftsmen, and artisans who were struggling to survive the steam-engine's industrial monopolies. This humanitarian vision has been revived with the resurgence of the biofuel industry. Along with the revival of this vision comes the possibility of re-empowering our communities and ourselves.

In our highly complex society, it seems the "bottom line" is always economic or political. The human and environmental becomes incidental in the process. This is often true in a discussion on the benefits of biofuels - human beings and their surroundings become second thoughts to the "more important" issues of the day. We established Miami Biofuels with human beings, our community, and the environment as our focus with the usual "bottom line” of lesser importance (yet still recognizing its necessity).

Because the consciousness in this society -- including our own -- is founded on an economic reality, this section proved to be the most difficult to develop. It was hard to maintain the importance of the planet and its inhabitants in the discussion - the economic and political kept coming to the fore. Suddenly, the most obvious became apparent - start with the benefits to individuals and move in an ever-widening progression to the broader areas of economic and political. Yes, they will be the last discussed, but hopefully, the discussion will be done with a sense of being interconnected with the humanity that has gone before.