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by Jeanette Leland
By the year 2010, humans will have consumed about half of the crude oil on Earth. This is important news, considering oil accounts for about 40 percent of the energy consumed by Americans, and the bulk of that petroleum is imported from countries in the politically unstable Middle East. These facts, in addition to environmental concerns at home and abroad, have caused the search for alternative fuels to increase in magnitude. One fuel developed and found to be an increasingly important alternative to petroleum is biodiesel.
Biodiesel is an environmentally friendly alternative to petroleum because it is produced from renewable sources such as vegetable oils, animal fats, and recycled cooking oils.
One bushel of soybeans produces about 1.5 gallons of biodiesel, and Minnesota is the third largest soybean producer in the United States. Soybeans are the state's largest agricultural crop; Minnesota farmers produce more than 200 million bushels a year. To investigate the feasibility of a state biodiesel industry, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture has conducted several studies on the economic impact of soy diesel production on the state. As a result, the Minnesota legislature is considering a bill that would provide incentives for new production of biodiesel. One department study showed that the production and use of soy diesel in Minnesota could generate $185 million to $460 million in total economic development and include the creation of 900 to 2,000 jobs.
Biodiesel is created through a process called transesterification that involves mixing methanol with sodium hydroxide, and adding vegetable oil, such as soybean or canola oil, to that mixture.
Biodiesel is biodegradable, and produces significantly less air pollution than diesel fuel. Diesel exhaust is a potential carcinogen, and the use of biodiesel has been found to reduce risks of cancer because it reduces the production of cancer-causing compounds, such as carbon monoxide. Biodiesel also displaces production of greenhouse gases such as CO2. When either biodiesel or petroleum is burned, the carbon content of the fuel returns to the atmosphere as CO2. Plants grown to make oils for biodiesel draw CO2 out of the atmosphere for photosynthesis, causing a recycling process that results in less accumulation of CO2 in the atmosphere. Thus, biodiesel does not contribute to global warming in the same way that petroleum does. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, biodiesel produces 78 percent less CO2 than diesel fuel.
But can biodiesel perform as well as regular diesel? Pure biodiesel can be used in all the same places as regular diesel, including motor vehicles, boats, and generators. However, special systems are required for its usage, since biodiesel thickens in cold temperatures. Bad news for those of us in Minnesota? Not necessarily. Blends of 20 percent or 35 percent biodiesel with regular diesel can be used in almost any diesel engine. Biodiesel mixes well with diesel, and actually reduces the wear and tear on engines because it is a much more effective lubricant than plain diesel. Blends of 20 percent biodiesel have also been found to degrade twice as fast as regular petroleum based fuels. Pure biodiesel decomposes at the same rate as sugar.
But how much green is this green solution going to cost consumers? Unfortunately, since biodiesel is still so new, it is expensive. Pure biodiesel sells for $1.50 to $2.25 per gallon before tax. There is hope, however. The U.S. Department of Energy is working with the biodiesel industry to reduce the cost of biodiesel to less than $1 per gallon over the next five years. In Minnesota, the state government is presently working on legislation that would provide a reduction in the gas tax on biodiesel blends.
So where to buy this wonderful fuel? Biodiesel is not yet available everywhere. However, it is being sold in bulk to large customers such as school bus fleets. Also, a local petroleum distribution company or biodiesel producer can deliver B20, a 20 percent blend of biodiesel.
In Minnesota, the state legislature is currently considering a bill that would require that all diesel fuel sold in Minnesota contain at least 2 percent biodiesel by volume. So, if you are interested in buying biodiesel, begin asking for it at your local gas station, or email your state representative asking that he or she vote to pass meaningful biodiesel legislation. The greater the demand, the sooner biodiesel will become more available.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
www.greenfuels.org/bioindex.html
www.afdc.doe.gov/altfuel/biodiesel.html
www.cglg.org/projects/biomass/
www.ott.doe.gov/rbep/
www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/legis.htm
