The world is experiencing shortages of natural resources and the search for alternative fuels is going stronger than ever. Prince Charles is doing his part by supporting some creative efforts and fueling his 38yr old Aston Martin with of all things, wine.

Due to strict wine limits set by the EU excess wine cannot be sold on the regular market and instead ends up getting converted into environmental fuel. Besides his Aston Martin (which he only drives an average of 300 miles a year) Prince Charles has also converted several of his other cars to alternative fuel: his Jaguars, Audi, and Range Rovers all run on biodiesel made of cooking oil.

I've been a fan of the Earthrace boat since before I finally got to climb aboard back in 2006 so I'm particularly pleased that the biodiesel-powered trimaran and her crew set a record fastest circumnavigation of the globe by speedboat recently. The boat raced around the globe in just 60 days, 23 hours and 49 minutes which means they beat the old record by 13 days, 21 hours and 9 minutes. This was the second attempt by New Zealand skipper Pete Bethune who had to give up his first last year after a bunch of problems that included a pirate attack and a collision with a fishing boat. Congratulations to Bethune and his crew.

Yesterday I mentioned distilleries that use old whisky casks as barbecue chips and it got me thinking about winemaking leftovers. That's when I ran across this story, on Apres Vin, a new company in Washington that specializes in using winemaking leftovers. The company creates gourmet grape seed oils based on varietals such as Riesling and Merlot infused with chipotle. The ground-up seed meal from creating the oil can also be dried to make varietal flours such as Merlot and Chardonnay, which can create purple tinted baked goods. The flour is also high in antioxidants. The company is also exploring other options such as wood stove pellet fuel made from grape stems and seeds, paper and ink from the grape skins and even Chardonnay biodiesel. The company's website isn't live yet and so far the products aren't available in a lot of places but I think this is a brilliant idea and one I hope takes off.

I love situations in which luxury and conservation mingle, proving that it is possible to do good and give well. Green Limousine, which was started by Seth Bounds in Vail, Colorado offers rides in a Ford Excursion that runs on biodiesel. The drinks and snacks served in the car are organic and the car is cleaned with environmentally friendly products. An article in the Vail Daily News says that for the most part, the clientele aren't looking specifically for a green service but that they are glad to know what he's doing.

Bounds isn't the only one creating a green limo company. A recent LA Times article profiled Y Fray and her company Eco-limo, a Santa Monica, California company that uses hybrids, biodiesels and any cars that are seen as environmentally friendly. Ecolimo has become a big hit with celebrities who want to be seen doing something positive for the environment.

I first wrote about the Earthrace biodiesel boat last year and ever since I have been following the project so when I found out that the boat was making a United States tour I had to check her out. The Earthrace boat is a wavepiercing trimaran that runs on biodiesel fuel. The plan is to have the Earthrace break the world record for circumnavigating the globe in a powerboat, and using only renewable fuels. They are currently involved in an 18-month tour raising awareness about sustainable use of resources before the attempting to break the 75-day record next March. The Earthrace crew is hoping to complete the journey in less than 65 days. The Earthrace boat hits a top speed of 40 knots and the unique design lets her smash through the waves (up to 24 feet high according to one crew member I talked with).

At the Lido Yacht Expo in Newport Beach, California the Earthrace was definitely attracting attention even among the gleaming white luxury yachts on display (more on those later in the day). Unlike other boats at the show where you just take off your shoes and climb aboard, the Earthrace crew was charging $5 a pop (to help fund the project). And unlike other boats, this one wasn't for sale. As I checked out the boat I heard one little girl say to her mother, "Mommy, this boat smells. No one is going to buy this boat." It definitely did have a college-dorm funk to it but the New Zealand-based crew seemed to be in high spirits. After the jump, some more shots of the Earthrace including the tight quarters of the interior.