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Running on E-Fuel: What You Need to Know About Biodiesel
It seems everyone excited over KLM announcing that it will run the first ever commercial flight using biodiesel fuel. For years we’ve been hearing all about biodiesel fuel, perhaps more so jokes about the french fry smell it emits when being burned. But what exactly is biodiesel and can it really help the environment?
First, let’s make a distinction. The biodiesel we’re referring to it the product made from vegetable oil or animal fat meant to be blended with regular fuels to run on diesel engines. It’s not the same as pouring that stuff you use to fry up your chicken into an engine that has been converted just for this purpose. The ingredients for the former are made from renewable sources (such as soybeans), which what makes it so eco-friendly.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
Biodiesel has actually been around since the 1900s, but it really wasn’t developed since back then, people relied on oil and coal – cheap, easy to find and readily available, not to mention it made those all those companies so rich, which meant good news for the economy. However, as we all have discovered, these aren’t exactly renewable or friendly to the environment. Climate change, pollution, lung and respiratory diseases, these are just some of the things our world is facing now because of our dependence on fossil fuels. Many people think biodiesel is some experimental form of technology, when actually it is one of the most researched and analyzed alternative sources of energy today. Agencies like the US Department of Energy and Department of Agriculture have conductive extensive studies on the matter and they found that using biodiesel reduces carbon emissions by as much as 78 percent, compared to petrol. It is also registered with the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) as an alternative fuel. And, the largest user of biodiesel in the US? The Army, of course!
Of course, there are definitely some disadvantages to using biodiesel. First off, in cold weather, biodiesel tends to gel together at temperatures below 10 degrees, which means if you live somewhere that experiences cold winters, then you’ll have to be extra careful when using biodiesels during the winter. Many people also say that biodiesel can degrade the rubber hoses found in engines – this is true mostly of older cars manufactured in the mid-90s. Most modern cars and machineries today have been modified to be able to use biodiesel fuels without any problems.Next, extra precautions will have to be taken in order to prevent the biodiesel from blocking your engines, especially the first few times you use it. Finally, biodiesel does tend to be more expensive than conventional petroleum, about one and half times more. For those who are on a tight budget, this may be a concern.
It should be mentioned, however, other disadvantages to creating biofuels. Not all sources of biodiesels are as green as you may think. Many countries have experienced rich profits from planting soybeans for this purpose and have opted to keep on planting soybeans or corn, rather than their food crops. Some have even cleared virgin forests and rain forests to create more farmlands and increase their soy production. It seems not everything is as black and white as you may think.
Still, considering that fossil fuel supplies will run out someday, using biofuels (those from responsible sources) may be a good option until we find a way to stop our reliance on petrol and oil and find ourselves running on empty. Our future depends on finding clean and renewable sources of energy and we should urge out leaders to make this a number one priority in the next couple of years.
By Maria Belgado
Additional resources:
National Biodiesel Board (USA)
European Biodiesel Board (EU)
BE Bioenergy (Australia)
Biodiesel Now
Other Greenfudge.org posts
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Alligator Monogamy Surprises Scientists
For years, it was believed that alligators were promiscuous and not all that interested in life or long-term partnerships. Luckily, beliefs and theories can be disproven, and they have been once again. A study that was conducted in the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana showed that 70% of the female American alligators chose to stay with their partner for long periods of time. The findings of this 10 year study shocked scientists, since the large reptiles live in such populated areas...
Amazon dam project pits Brazil’s quest for renewable energy against environmental and indigenous rights
Plans for the construction of a massive hydroelectric dam in the Brazilian Amazon have experienced some recent setbacks in the form of back and forth legal action as well as controversy over indigenous rights and environmental issues. As of Friday, however, bids for construction contracts are again set to move forward on the previously planned date of April 20th. The Belo Monte dam project, set to be located on the Amazon’s Xingu River, will be the world’s third largest hydroelectric plant...
Monkey news: Study says gorillas play tag
Video footage taken by researchers at five different European zoos shows gorillas tapping each other on the shoulder and then running away while the gorilla who has been tapped gives chase. The young gorillas appear to be playing a game of tag, just like human children. A group of scientists from European universities has published research in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters exploring how gorillas play and test what is socially acceptable behavior. From an article in the Telegraph: By playing both...
5 Gyres: A Look at the Pollution of Our Oceans
When we think of ocean pollution, our thoughts will most likely turn to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch: a rather large collection of plastic, sludge, and other debris floating about the North Pacific Ocean. While the Pacific Garbage Patch is probably the most well-known and most cited, did you know there are actually 5 trash gyres polluting our oceans? 5Gyres.org is educating the public about this very problem and what is being done to clean things up and prevent further pollution....
UN: Cut black carbon, save lives and slow climate change
The dirty, low-tech burning of fossil fuels, wood and other biomass produces poisonous pollution and “short-lived climate forcers”, mainly black carbon, methane and ground-level ozone. Black carbon (soot) from sources such as crop burning, dirty diesel engines and simple coal or wood burning stoves causes cardio-pulmonary diseases and low birth weight. UN figures put deaths due to indoor smoke from cooking stoves alone at 1.9 million per year – mostly women and children in developing countries. A study from the University...
The Great Plastiki Voyage: From San Francisco to Sydney in a Plastic Bottle Boat
Imagine a vessel made from approximately 12,500 reclaimed plastic soda bottles and you will have one of the most interesting creations (and story) of our time. The Plastiki started as an idea of David de Rothschild and thanks to further inspiration by the famous Kon-Tiki voyage (led by Thor Heyerdahl), the idea slowly became a reality. Since it would take a rather long time to explain the story and process of it all, you can read about it here (pdf file)...
Gigantic Iceberg Drifting off Antarctica towards Australia
Nine years ago a 54 square-mile (about 1,700 km) iceberg broke of an Antarctic ice shelf. Today, almost ten years later, this gigantic chunk of ice is drifting towards western Australia while similarly large icebergs have also been spotted off the coast of New Zealand. While the iceberg was “trapped” for several years east of the Mertz Glacier, it recentlybegan its latest drift northeast. It’s been more than a 100 years since such a big iceberg ever drifted so far away...
COP15 update (IUCN): Ocean acidification and mass extinction of marine species require deep and immediate cuts in emissions
According to ‘Ocean acidification – the facts’, a special introductory guide for policy advisers and decision makers released today at UNFCCC COP15 in Copenhagen, increased amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere are responsible for more acidic seawater and are threatening ecosystems and species precious for our food and economy. Moreover, the increased release of CO2 in the atmosphere is also reducing the ocean’s natural ability to absorb carbon dioxide and regulate our climate. In the past, ocean acidification has been...
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