Green
Transportation: Biodiesel
by
Chuck Hall
 Did
you know that the inventor of the diesel engine, Rudolph Diesel,
intended it to run on pure peanut oil? His original vision for the
diesel engine was as a replacement for the steam engine that could
be run off of fuels that farmers would have readily available.
Peanut oil was one of those fuels. It was later discovered that his
engine could run just as well off of what later became diesel fuel,
a by-product of the gasoline distillation process. Since diesel fuel
was less expensive than peanut oil, Diesel’s original vision for
his engine was cast aside.
Diesel
vehicle owners worldwide are rediscovering Diesel’s original
intent as they search for sustainable fuel alternatives. A
sustainable alternative to petroleum-based diesel, known as
‘biodiesel,’ is gaining popularity as more people learn about
it. Even celebrities are getting in on it! Woody Harrelson of
television’s Cheers is a vocal supporter of biodiesel (www.voiceyourself.com)
and guitarist and songwriter Willie Nelson even has his own brand of
biodiesel, called ‘Biowillie’ (www.biowillie.com).
Biodiesel
can be used in almost any car or truck with a diesel engine. It is
non-toxic and biodegradable. Certain types of biodiesel may damage
gaskets in older vehicles, so before trying to run it in your diesel
vehicle you might want to check to see if yours is biodiesel
compatible. You can find a list of biodiesel-compatible makes at the
National Biodiesel Board’s site at www.biodiesel.org.
One
drawback of biodiesel is that it tends to gel in the engine fuel
lines in cold weather. A way around this is to use a heater on your
engine in cold weather. This heater assures that the engine remains
at a high enough temperature to keep the fuel from gelling in the
lines. Another method of dealing with this problem is to mix
biodiesel with regular diesel fuel. The problem here is that mixing
it with a fossil-fuel based product reduces its sustainability
factor, but since you’d only have to do this in the winter months
it shouldn’t be much of a problem.
 If
you’re a ‘hands-on’ sort of person, you can even learn to make
your own biodiesel at home from recycled fryer-vat grease! The
complete instructions are available at many places online. A good
place to start is http://www.homebiodieselkits.com/hobikit.html. I
personally know several people who have worked out deals with local
restaurants to cart off their used fryer grease so they can make
their own fuel at home. A word of caution if you go this route: you
might want to let the local sheriff’s department know what
you’re up to so they won’t think you’re making moonshine!
Another
drawback is that if you’re not the do-it-yourself type, it may be
hard to find biodiesel in your area. The National Biodiesel Board
maintains a list of filling stations that carry biodiesel, so you
can check with them first if you’re considering making the switch.
The advantage to burning biodiesel is that if your vehicle will run
on biodiesel, it will also run on regular diesel. This means that if
you can’t find biodiesel, you can always use regular diesel in a
pinch.
If
you don’t have a diesel vehicle right now, but are considering
purchasing one so that you may use biodiesel, I’d suggest buying
an older model first, after checking the National Biodiesel
Board’s list of compatible autos. The reason for this is that
using biodiesel will void most manufacturers’ warranties. An older
vehicle won’t be under warranty, so that won’t be an issue.
Manufacturers are slowly coming around, though. B20 (a blend of 20%
biodiesel and 80% regular diesel) was just approved under warranty
for some makes and models; however, progress is slow and it may be
some time before B100 (pure biodiesel) won’t void your warranty.
If you don’t mind taking a chance on an older vehicle, biodiesel
might just be your key to sustainable driving.
Chuck
Hall is a Sustainability Consultant and author. His latest book, Green
Circles: A Sustainable Journey from the Cradle to the Grave, is
now available at Booklocker.com.
You may contact Chuck by email at: chuck@cultureartist.org or visit
the Culture Artist Web site at www.cultureartist.org.
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