Thank you!

Friends,

Thank you for the outpouring of support for the new blog. It meant a lot to me that so many of you are passionate about this subject.

Dave asked some great questions in an email, and I'd like to begin to talk about those, and open up the discussion -- if you know more (or more accurate) information, I gladly accept corrections or additions.

First, are some harmful biodiesel emissions more abundant than those of even the oldest crustiest diesel?

I checked with the National Biodiesel Board's website and with the EPA's section about Biodiesel emissions (click on the link, and then scroll down to the bullet entitled "Draft Technical Report, A Comprehensive Analysis of Biodiesel Impacts on Exhaust Emissions, October 2002 (PDF)" -- the findings are mixed, although there is a general consensus that CO2 emissions were unidentifiably different from those of Diesel (looking at a B20 blend), and that NOx emissions were actually a bit higher (again specifically for a B20 blend):

Emission impacts of 20 vol% biodiesel
for soybean-based biodiesel added to an average base fuel
Percent change in emissions
NOx.........................................+2.0%
PM...........................................-10.1%
HC...........................................-21.1%
CO...........................................-11.0%

So, as the volume of biodiesel increases, several toxic emissions are reduced, and at least one (NOx -- which is a generic term for a group of gases made up of both Nitrogen and Oxygen in different concentrations) rises. The in-depth report also points out that emission impacts varied depending on the type of biodiesel (animal fat, soy bean, rapeseed were the tested types), as well as the type of conventional fuel to which the biodiesel was added.

Again, this is just an opening of the discussion -- there is much more to be said and debated. For instance, in areas like San Pedro, where the cancer rate is astronomically high, would it really be beneficial to implement a new fuel that puts out more NOx? Maybe not...there.

"So, how can we get off foreign oil AND prevent more accumulation of toxic gases?" Dave queried.

Clearly, Biodiesel is not the cleanest alternative -- but for those of us who can't afford to go electric yet, it's a good start (in my opinion), if only because, as the National Biodiesel Board points out:

"Biodiesel is the first and only alternative fuel to have a complete evaluation of emission results and potential health effects submitted to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Clean Air Act...These programs include the most stringent emissions testing protocols ever required by EPA for certification of fuels and fuel additives."

And again, I think it would be wrong to put faith in biodiesel as the 'magic solution.' But at least we know what we're getting into -- we have the numbers, and at this point we can work to offset (I don't necessarily see the practicality or definite measureability of offsetting, but I think it's a principled notion) Biodiesel emissions if we wish.

Damn, I've written a lot, and left little room for knitting news. Chris, up at the top is a picture of some baby booties that I made up to sell in a local children's shop. My "company" (haha) is called Nettell -- and I will post information about the genesis of that whole shebang soon. The pattern is modified from a Debbie Bliss creation called "Snowflake Booties" in the Debbie Bliss book Baby Style.

Hope you'll comment!

Best,
Nellamity