Thought I'd better go ahead and make a post about biodiesel, since that's what I came here to do.
And more specifically...the necessity of testing fuel (yes, a plug for Fleet Fuel Testing, but a worthwhile one).
In Ashland, Oregon, where I live, there seems to be a big underground culture of home fuel brewing. Which is awesome. Depending on the raw materials you're using, you end up with a wonderful, renewable fuel for 70 cents to $1.50 a gallon. And this fuel is an excellent solvent, so it helps clean your engine and lines at the same time. Some studies even show it to out-perform diesel #2 in certain situations. And all you need to create it are a few simple tools and some time and experimentation.
However...
...there is a chance that something could be a little off in your brewing. And before you put the fuel to use, you need to be sure that it's not going to damage your engine. That's why testing is so important. Gasoline and Diesel fuels are kept in spec by tests done at refineries. They've mastered the art of making fuels that are clean and engine-ready...and not biodegradable (although Diesel is susceptible to water and microbial contamination). So why shouldn't we perform simple tests on our home-brews and local products? It's a small price to pay for reliable fuel performance.
The other reason that testing is so important (and I know I've gone off about this before) is that making sure that Biodiesel is in specification helps build a good reputation for Biofuel. There are, in my opinion, two main reasons why this alternative fuel has not been explored more:
1) Many people assume that the oil required to process Biodiesel must come from crops that need to be grown on thousands of acres of land that we need desperately for food crop production.
2) People have seen less-than-perfect Biodiesel destroy engines.
The first problems can be addressed with simple facts: Biodiesel can be produced from many different kinds of oil crops (including algae, which reproduces at a remarkable rate and can be grown in standing vertical tanks), as well as from waste oil, which is normally just thrown out.
The second problem will take some more doing. We are so used to filling up at the pump, letting cars sit for weeks at a time, being able to drive with ease in all weather without regard to the condition of our fuel. This is a huge benefit of gasoline -- you just don't have to worry about it. It's so convenient. But Biodiesel is a way of life. You make modifications to your schedule to get out to that pump that's ten miles down the road. You bring 5 gallon containers with you to fill up, and they're damn heavy to lift (*benefit: biodiesel can be stored almost anywhere since it's far less volatile than gasoline). You end up spending extra money on the fuel (unless you're home-brewing), because although it's relatively easy and inexpensive to produce, it's still so difficult to market. And you pay a little extra to test it, for your own sake, and for the sake of the fuel itself.
But I take pride in all of this. The inconveniences amount to a small sacrifice that I'm willing to make for the sake of...yes...the planet.
--Nell
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It's a shame that so many people are still in denial about global warming. I think that, if they weren't, and if they fully understood the repercussions, these small sacrifices wouldn't seem like an inconvenience at all.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment on my blog, Nell. I'm hoping that I find the answers that I'm searching for too, but we'll see.
ReplyDeleteThis biodiesel stuff that you're doing is really interesting. I hope one day people won't be so opposed to the small things, like testing, that help the environment.