Josh Tickell

Josh Tickell is a professional speaker, author, film maker and authority on alternative fuels. His specific expertise is in biodiesel, a diesel engine fuel based in vegetable oil.

Growing Up

Tickell grew up in Louisiana where members of his family suffered from diseases linked to pollution from oil refineries. He began to look for alternatives to petroleum in college, when he discovered biodiesel while working on a farm in the former East Germany. Fascinated, Tickell started to conduct his own research. He translated documents written by the inventor of the diesel engine, Rudolf Diesel, and found that the first diesel engine had been designed to run on vegetable oil, not petroleum.

Tickell returned to the USA, bought an old diesel-powered Winnebago van that he painted with sunflowers and called the “Veggie Van.” He built a small biodiesel processor that he named “The Green Grease Machine” and then set off on a 25,000 mile, two-year tour of the USA powered by the biodiesel he made from used grease collected from fast food restaurants along the way. This journey became known as The Veggie Van Voyage. The 'Voyage' attracted the attention of numerous media outlets, serving to promote the publicity of biodiesel as a vialble alternative fuel.

Today

After the Veggie Van tour, Tickell wrote his first book, “From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank – The Complete Guide to Using Vegetable Oil as an Alternative Fuel.” This became a bestseller and jumpstarted the American biodiesel industry that now produces over 30 million gallons per year and supplies commercial fleets, the Navy and NASA. The book has served as bible for biodiesel do-it-yourselfers and Biodiesel entrepreneurs.After the publication of his first book, Tickell enrolled in Florida State University’s School of Motion Picture Television and Recording Arts where he earned his MFA in film. His second book is titled “Biodiesel America – How to Achieve Energy Security, Free America From Middle-East Oil Dependence and Make Money Growing Fuel.” The book examines the status quo of the oil industry, the automakers and the government and offers an alternative energy roadmap to wean the US off fossil fuels.

Tickell founded the [http://www.BiodieselAmerica.org Biodiesel America Organization] . In 2005, it was selected by President Bill Clinton to be part of his Global Initiative on Climate Change. Tickell mounted a biodiesel relief effort to aid victims of the hurricanes in Louisiana and Mississippi. His biodiesel-fueled relief ships delivered 20,000 meals, clothing and medical supplies to the hardest-hit areas of the disaster zone.

Based in Venice, California, Tickell continues to speak publicly to promote and educate on the subject of biodiesel. He has consulted for companies and organizations such as National Biodiesel Board, Arizona State House of Representatives, Solar Energy International, Quicksilver and Clif Bar. Tickell has spoken at numerous colleges and universities including MIT, Ohio University, Bard College, Vassar College and Colorado College and has presented in including Cuba, Argentina, Burma, and Australia.