Newsletters: March - April 2007
Are We Ready for Biodiesel?
By Paul Rutkovsky
The United States is number one.
In 2001, 522 gallons of petroleum transportation fuels were expended for every man, woman and child in this country compared to 421 gallons per capita in Canada, 211 gallons per capita in Germany, and 196 gallons per capita in Japan.
According to the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, biodiesel is a renewable and environmentally friendly fuel. For this country to change its future energy habits, there must be major policy and practical habit changes. It would take an "enlightenment style sea change" to get this country to commit to energy efficiency in every facet of American life. After a century of built-up bad habits, it may take a massive shock to its economic system before citizens become involved in broad changes in food production and delivery systems, including a commitment to mass transit and an increase in mileage efficiency for vehicles.
It is not widely known that U.S. farmers switched from gasoline to diesel powered farm equipment in the late 1970s and '80s. This may help precipitate a conversion from gasoline-powered automobiles and light trucks to cleaner burning diesel autos. Other energy-saving techniques might be required, such as retooling current food production and distribution systems. For instance, creating local markets for locally grown foods will create shorter distances to deliver the food, resulting in lower energy consumption.
What is Biodiesel?
Biodiesel can be produced from nearly any kind of vegetable oil, new or used. By mixing vegetable oil or animal fat with alcohol, which is usually methanol or ethanol, and a catalyst (usually lye), a high energy yield liquid fuel can be created. There is a slight decrease in performance for most vehicles using biodiesel-5 percent less torque, power and fuel efficiency. However, biodiesel reacts more rapidly in the engine chamber with less combustion delay than most petrodiesel fuels, resulting in a higher ignition quality (high combustion efficiency)-equaling cleaner burning. If the United States is going to use less foreign oil, biodiesel may be an important "clean crop" to help build a strong source of diverse and sustainable energy resources.
This was a brief article about a complex subject. All facts came from the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service's web site. For a more complete understanding of biodiesel go to: www.attra.ncat.org.
