SustainLane - The Pros And Corns Of Biodiesel

July 2008
Edition 63

Greetings!

In the beginning, biodiesel glowed with the promise of ending our gas-guzzling, foreign-oil dependence. For awhile, it even seemed like America's fast food obsession might pay off at the tank! These days though, biodiesel is blamed for rising food prices, food shortages, and deforestation. But is biodiesel itself the problem?

We think biodiesel still has a place in America's energy future. In this issue we're looking at ways to make biodiesel serve the people again, with promising new technologies, high-yield crops, and ways to support your own biofuel needs at home.

Whether you want to make the switch to biodiesel, help school kids get access to greener transportation, or simply be in the know, there's some gold in here for you.

All we are saying, is give grease a chance!

Did you know? We are 100% paid-placement free. Featured products and reviews are intended to represent the views of the SustainLane community.

Featured Product: Biodiesel Conversion Kit

When you're ready to run your diesel vehicle on veggie-oil fuel, you'll want support from the experts. Plantdrive's claim to fame? They've converted just about every diesel model car ever sold in the US.

Plantdrive's components will have you wondering why you waited so long to make the switch. With so many reports of exceptional results and customer service, we're pleased to recommend Plantdrive to our community.

Click for Biodiesel Conversion Kit

Plantdrive Rocks!
Five Stars

"I power my entire fleet of plumbing vehicles -- three Cummins Turbo diesel utility trucks on Wast Vegetable Oil that we obtain from a number of the restaurants for which we perform plumbing service work. The Components Plant Drive is selling are..." click to read more

- Andrew C.

Installed a cenversion kit? How's it working out? Write a review for all to see at Sustainlane.com.

Featured Story: Biodiesel vs. Food

Biodiesel has become a huge business, and with massive economic promise comes intense scrutiny. Can we have biodiesel without starvation and deforestation? New methods of extracting plant oils prove promising.

One of the big problems with today's biodiesel economy is that the crops used are food crops (corn, sugarcane, coconuts, etc.). The demand for these crops drives up produce prices across the board. There's only so much farm-able land, right?

Enter algae, industrial hemp, cellulosic biofuel and other non-food crops. These sources aren't perfect yet; we still need to hone and distribute the technology for their large-scale plant oil extraction. When we do though, it will mean thousands of new jobs, lower prices on food, and less competition for farmland. In the words of the great landscape painter, Bob Ross, "look at all the happy little trees"!

Is this topic a hot button with someone you know? Forward this newsletter or have them sign up for themselves.

Featured Business: Biofuels4schools

Berkeley-based Biofuels4schools is an organization dedicated to converting America's school buses to biodiesel. Since most school buses already run on diesel, switching over is easy, once community support is in the bag.

Founder, Lindsay Hassett, began this quest a few years back with marked success from California to Chicago. Her concern for the future of fuel extends to the future of our children and their health. Reducing asthma and other childhood diseases tops her list of reasons to run biodiesel buses.

Click for Biofuels4schools

Our Most Precious Cargo

"So much of Biodiesel is being geared to private car owners and private fleets, however our most precious cargo (our youth) deserve the first flow of Biodiesel. The school bus is known to be more polluting than any other public transportation. . ." click to read more

- Lindsay H.

Agree? Disagree? Share your review at Sustainlane.com.

Spotlight: Biofuel Sources And Their Impact

In addition to being food crops, our most common sources of biofuel are some of the least efficient. While corn, soybeans and canola are cheap and ready to harvest, they demand more resources for less yield.

Corn's greenhouse emissions are 81-85 kg of carbon dioxide per energy unit produced, while other food crops like soybeans, rapeseed and canola are in the 37-49 kg range. Compare that to algae, a non-food crop that can actually absorb CO2 emissions, which comes in at -183 kg.

Of all the possible fuel crops, corn also requires the highest levels of water, fertilizer, pesticides and energy. Other sources, like switchgrass and wood residue, require significantly less resources. Some, like industrial hemp, actually replenish resources by adding nitrogen and essential nutrients back into the soil.

Corn also has the lowest fuel yield at 18 gpa (gallons per acre). Sunflowers get 82 gpa, coconuts get 230 gpa and palm oil gets an impressive 508 gallons.

The science is still out on the best sources for biofuel, but we're waiting with baited breath for new technologies to make biofuel harvesting more energy efficient and scalable without starving us in the process.

We want to hear from you. Email your thoughts to community@sustainlane.com.

Staff Pick: Biodiesel

Ever wonder if driving a biodiesel car is a hassle? Are biodiesel drivers really as satisfied as they seem? In this week's staff pick, Jay G. answers these questions and more, as he dishes about his five year (and counting) journey with biodiesel.

Biodiesel: Fuel or Fool?

". . .I finally sucked it up and bought a biodiesel-ready car. In other words, I bought a diesel. Now I'm five years in, and while the road has got some potholes, I'm enjoying the ride. . ." click to read more