PARIS (Reuters) - French President Jacques Chirac has joined the country's push to boost biofuel use -- converting his own luxury Citroen C6 saloon and many of his officials' cars to run on cleaner-burning biodiesel. Fuel pumps at his Elysee palace in central Paris have been modified to provide the alternative fuel.
"The president's car runs with biodiesel made from rapeseed, as do half the Elysee cars," a spokeswoman said on Friday.
France, Europe's biggest agricultural producer, has announced plans to become Europe's leading biofuel maker by 2010, when it wants green fuels to fill seven percent of total consumption.
France produces both biodiesel, made from mostly rapeseed, and ethanol derived from sugar beet or cereals.
France's powerful farm lobby is pushing the new technology, and Chirac is a former agriculture minister and champion of farmers' causes.
Poster Comment:
No wonder the Bushies hate him.