| Not Your Daddy's Diesel: Your Grandpa's | | | | |
| Biodiesel | | | | Performance wise, biodiesel has a higher |
| | | | lubricity than conventional diesel, |
| Tired of high gas prices? Want to save the | | | | subsequently acting as a bit of an 'enema' |
| earth? Want to support local economies and | | | | for the engine, cleaning out the dinosaur |
| clean the air while getting high performance | | | | residue, so be sure and replace the fuel |
| out of your vehicle? Try Biodiesel. It's | | | | filter after the first couple of tanks of |
| clean, sustainable, domestic, renewable AND | | | | biodiesel. After that, because biodiesel is |
| you can make it at home!!! Wave farewell to | | | | so clean burning, it actually may reduce |
| petroleum. | | | | maintenance costs and extend engine life. |
| | | | |
| Amidst the hybrid hype, there has been little | | | | Europe, which has traditionally been more |
| mention of one of the oldest 'alternative' | | | | diesel-heavy than the US, (currently diesels |
| fuels with some tremendous advantages. | | | | occupy about 40 % of the European market) has |
| Invented and patented by Rudolf Diesel in | | | | recently increased its emissions standards |
| 1893, diesel engines were first made to run | | | | and subsequently the use of biodiesel has |
| on various vegetable oils. Thus, almost any | | | | taken off in a big way. Europeans are |
| diesel engine outfitted with the right hoses | | | | supporting the growth of the biodiesel |
| is capable of cleaner, vegan, non-petroleum | | | | industry through farming subsidies of |
| based Biodiesel operation. (Most newer | | | | biodiesel feedstocks unknown in the US until |
| diesels have the right hoses). | | | | this week when Oregon introduced a similar |
| | | | bill in their State Legislature. |
| Diesels have tremendous advantages. Although | | | | |
| their pricepoint can be somewhat higher | | | | Another tremendous advantage of Biodiesel is |
| initially, it's well worth it in the long | | | | its blend-ability. Biodiesel can be used |
| run. Diesel engines are well known for their | | | | straight (called B100) or blended in any |
| consistent reliability, length of engine | | | | percentage with conventional #2 diesel, and |
| life, and perhaps most importantly, their | | | | even at low percentages (B5 or B10) has |
| fuel economy. In our ever-growing awareness | | | | incredible emissions benefits. Subsequently, |
| of planetary resources and taking | | | | if you're out traveling and don't have access |
| geopolitical circumstances into account, fuel | | | | to homemade or storebought biodiesel, you can |
| economy is beginning to take a place of | | | | use regular diesel in your tank with no |
| primacy. | | | | conversion issues. |
| | | | |
| When running on biodiesel, there are | | | | There are an ever-growing number of biodiesel |
| tremendous emissions benefits as well. | | | | filling stations available if you don't have |
| Traditional dinosaur-diesel powered engines | | | | space or interest in making your own. Check |
| have gotten a bad rap for their dark, smoky | | | | with for more information of what's |
| exhaust, smell and pollution of our air. | | | | available in your area. For more biodiesel |
| Biodiesel, on the other hand, reduces | | | | resources see |
| emissions significantly in every category in | | | | |
| which pollutants are measured except nitrous | | | | On a personal note, I've been running my VW |
| oxide (NOx) which can be adjusted with some | | | | Jetta TDI (Turbo Diesel Injection) on |
| slight modifications. Unlike their petroleum | | | | Biodiesel (mostly B100) for the last three |
| powered counterparts, biodiesel exhaust | | | | years with only good things to say. It's been |
| smells pleasantly like the feedstock of | | | | trouble-free and now it's actually pleasant |
| whatever vegetable oil is used. (There are | | | | to have the sunroof open. And if your |
| tales of people who have used recycled fryer | | | | outdated ideas suggest that diesels |
| oil for their biodiesel from their local | | | | compromise performance or speed, feel free to |
| doughnut shop and subsequently end up with | | | | sniff my doughnuts. |
| visions of Krispy Kreme.) | | | | |