January 29th, 2010 12:36 am
In this day and age, it seems that every one of us is turning into an environmentalist. It seems like it wasn’t that long ago when those who preached about sustainability were derided or at least were partially ignored. Some of them were called “tree huggers,” and as we had little to worry about back then and a somewhat devil may care attitude, we disregarded climate change issues almost entirely. Times have certainly changed and more especially in the last five years or so. These days climate change news is everywhere and the subject is the darling of the mainstream press, with climate protection issues likely to result in stringent legislation before long.
Everybody wants to be green these days and we know that we have to cut down on the use of fossil fuels, coal, oil and gas that result in pollutant greenhouse gases and temperature change. Energy is so much a part of our lives and our existence is so complicated, yet we are still mostly unaware of the size of our individual carbon footprints.
Our methods of transportation are primary emitters of carbon and we are fully reliant on individual and public forms of transportation on a daily basis. Gasoline and conventional diesel fuel are very expensive commodities and as we mostly rely on foreign sources for these fuels, external influences can directly affect availability, pricing and our very economic security.
Change will be slow to come, unfortunately. We have got to learn how to change our habits and to wean ourselves off our reliance on these fossil fuels, even though our very infrastructure relies so heavily on the sourcing, generation and distribution of these fuels. It’s fair to say that the oil industry in particular has a very strong political lobbying support and newer, alternative options face an uphill battle to get their message out to a largely uneducated public.
Biodiesel fuel as an alternative is, at face value, very attractive. It is produced by mixing vegetable oil or animal fats with methanol and a process of separation derives this alternative fuel. In many cases, biodiesel fuel is originally derived from soybean products, which grow and are plentiful in the United States.
Biodiesel is essentially carbon neutral and has very low sulphur rates, especially compared to its alternatives. It can be used in conventional diesel engines without any issues at all and can be mixed in various solutions with petro diesel if required. Such an alternative is not available on a widespread basis at this time, as the infrastructure is simply not in place and distribution solutions undeveloped. We’re becoming more and more aware and interested in hybrid vehicles, and we’re also generating a buzz around biodiesel as an excellent alternative option.
You may be able to consider homemade biodiesel within your household as it is within the reach of most. For some, making biodiesel is more than a labour of love and thousands of people consider it their contribution in the war against carbon emissions. Although making biodiesel can be very rewarding, personally and financially, keep in mind that if you do decide to try making it for yourself, always carefully review what the experts call, “essential safety advice,” before you begin!
Tags: biodiesel, diesel, engine, environment, fuel