BioDiesel

Note, this is something I wrote in reply to someone's unyielding support of BioDiesel.

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Are you prepared to look at the other side of biodiesel?
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First off,
Is recycling waste vegetable oil good? Yes!
But it's hardly the best way to use it.
http://www.greyfalcon.net/biodiesel.png
http://www.insidegreentech.com/node/376
http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/18589/

Second, what's your position on using Coal to make diesel?
http://www.sierraclub.org/compass/2007/03/ctl-wtf.asp
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0302/p02s01-ussc.html?page=1

Third, whats your position on using something much worse than Coal?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQIKWe-wYTA
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/2214
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,5673,1659036,00.html
http://news.independent.co.uk/business/analysis_and_features/article2516619.ece

That said, how about Soy Beans?
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17404
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3900919.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4561189.stm
http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=3016&language=1
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7907725/

A real irony with Brazil?
Biofuels capital of the world, and they have HORRIBLE air pollution.
Their solution? Electric Hybrid Buses, and only allowing people to drive every other day.


At best, even Algae wouldn't be possible to grow in the oceans
(Cause the ocean ecosystem is fragile enough as is)


And on land, you'd need to feed it a concentrated stream of CO2 emmisions
(Something which would only come from fossil carbon. Coal powered biodiesel)
One of the best experts on this subject says bluntly that, much like cold fusion, the claim of practical Algae anytime soon are primarily hype.

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That said, are you aware of where that Seattle BioDiesel would come from? (specifically Imperium Renewables)

20% from Malaysian Palm Oil
79% from Canadian Canola
1% from American Soy/Canola

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And what are the supposed benefits of BioDiesel?

Low Sulfur?
Thats already mandatory in existing diesel fuel since October 2006 to a degree comparable or better than biodiesel.

Reduced Particulates/Carcinogens?
Advanced Particulate filters are already mandatory in all diesel vehicles produced after January 2007.
For which there's plenty of federal grant programs to retrofit in new filters.

Certainly CO2 emissions can't be claimed.

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So what do we have left?
Poor cold weather performance.
Expensive taxpayer subsidies. (Billions of dollars a year)
Nearly all the Methanol comes from fossil fuel Natural Gas (Which is fast becoming more price-volitile than Oil)
http://www.naturalgas.org/overview/uses_industry.asp
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/03/10/business/wbmarket11.php


And incomplete tranesterification leads to clogging of fuel injectors. (Perhaps the real killer since it's near impossible to test for)
http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=1179

Perhaps the one benefit from biodiesel?
A 1-2% blend is a cost effective additive to restore lubricity to the post October 2006 fuel. (i.e. No need for a subsidy)
http://www3.me.iastate.edu/biodiesel/Pages/biodiesel4.html

For everything else, we're better off not using biodiesel.

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Believe me, I very much wanted to believe in BioDiesel.
But I can't find myself supporting it now that I know better.

Just like hydrogen, it has absolutely nothing to do with creating sustainable alternatives. It's all about creating something which "Sounds Good" but is technically impossible.

Funneling billions of tax dollars into projects which will do nothing to move us forward.
All the while deflecting attention and funding away from real solutions. (Like Electric Cars)

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