In the battle against global warming, automobile users feel that they are part of the problem. This feeling is reinforced by reports such as that from the U.S. EPA entitled “Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990–2006” which stated “Transportation activities accounted for 33 percent of CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion in 2006.
Over 60 percent of the emissions resulted from gasoline consumption for personal vehicle use.” But by using alternative fuels, such as biodiesel, these people have the potential to be a large part of the solution to climate change
What is Biodiesel?
The following definitions of the term Biodiesel are offered by the industry and government bodies overseeing energy and alternative energy sources:
- The U.S. National Biodiesel Board in the “Commonly Asked Questions” of its website defines biodiesel as “a clean burning alternative fuel produced from domestic, renewable resources. Biodiesel contains no petroleum, but it can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend. It can be used in compression-ignition (diesel) engines with no major modifications. Biodiesel is simple to use, biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics."
- The U.S. Department of Energy, in its “Biodiesel Handling and Use Guidelines” booklet says “You can blend 20% biodiesel with 80% diesel fuel (B20) for use in most applications that use diesel fuel. You can even use it in its pure form (B100) if you take proper precautions.”
Benefits of Biodiesel
Biodiesel has several key benefits that make a good choice for the consumer:
- Biodiesel is a renewable fuel. According to the U.S. EPA fact sheet “Alternative Fuels: Biodiesel” published in October 2006, “Biodiesel is a renewable fuel produced from agricultural resources such as vegetable oils. In the United States, most biodiesel is made from soybean oil; however canola oil, sunflower oil, recycled cooking oils, and animal fats are also used.”
- Biodiesel is eco friendly. The book Life Cycle Inventory of Biodiesel and Petroleum Diesel for Use in an Urban Bus produced by the US Dept. of Agriculture and Dept. of Energy states that “Biodiesel reduces net emissions of CO2 by 78.45% compared to petroleum diesel.” The EPA in its “Smartway Grow and Go” website states that “B100 reduces life cycle greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50 percent, while B20 reduces GHG emissions by at least 10 percent.”
- Biodiesel gives equal or better engine performance. Biodiesel Basics and Beyond, by William H. Kemp, published by Aztext Press in 2006 states that “There are no material differences in engine performance resulting in the use of petroleum and biodiesel fuels. The only difference noted was that exhaust stack temperature ran approximately 50 degrees Celsius (90 degrees F) cooler when operating on biodiesel.”
- Biodiesel is readily available. The “Smartway Grow and Go” website of the U.S. EPA states that “In 2004, 25 million gallons of B100 were sold. By 2005, that number had tripled. Today, approximately 600 fleets nationwide use biodiesel blends in their diesel engines, and biodiesel is available in its various blends at approximately 800 locations across the United States.”
Unlike most other biofuels, biodiesel can be used without modification in most modern cars. The National Biodiesel Board, in its “Benefits of Biodiesel” website states that “Because it works with existing diesel engines, biodiesel offers an immediate and seamless way to transition existing diesel vehicles into a cleaner burning fleet."
Of course biodiesel is not just an alternative fuel, it is also a renewable source of energy for heating and generating purposes. Testing conducted by the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA) and published on their website found that a Bioheat blend of 80% low-sulfur heating oil and 20% biodiesel (B20) reduced sulfur oxide emissions by as much as 80% or more. Nitrogen oxide emissions were lowered by about 20%. In addition, carbon dioxide emissions can be lowered by 20%.
Of all the alternative sources of energy biodiesel is the alternative fuel with the most potential. Unlike other biofuels, such as E85, it can be used in all modern diesel autos without modification. Biodiesel can help motorists become part of the solution to climate change.
