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Let’s face it, we are all creatures of habit and we like to take the “easier” route, if at all possible. This is not to say that we simply do not care about issues that we seem to have no control over, or that may affect other people out of our sight or even generations in the future, but we just don’t seem to have as much focus when we are not directly affected. This can lead to apathy and inaction, yet through education we can come to terms with the fact that we really should be proactive and make changes for the greater good.

What is in it for me to switch over to the use of biodiesel fuel? Today, there are numerous reasons for doing so and over the last few years these answers have gained additional credibility. We know that biodiesel has numerous ecological reasons to support its use, to say nothing of the economic benefits.

Principally, carbon emissions are now known to be very dangerous and unwanted. Today, it is very politically correct to be green. Governments are talking about forcing a reduction in the use of regular fuels and adding taxes to the cost of gasoline, as an example. Looking ahead, government regulators have also said that cars must maintain a much higher fuel economy and it looks like greenhouse gas emissions are now going to be adjudged hazardous pollutants. Biodiesel helps to reduce carbon dioxide emissions associated with traditional fuels, by a factor of almost 80%.

Nowadays, homemade biodiesel fuels can use waste products such as leftover cooking oils, helping to cut down on the issues associated with waste disposal. We can help the agricultural communities by noting that biodiesel can be made from vegetable products such as soy. Turning to this fuel for our transportation means could provide a fantastic shot in the arm to these communities and farmers, as the crops could be used to full advantage.

If we could rely on alternative fuel methods such as biodiesel for more and more of our vehicle transportation, we would not lay ourselves open as much to the peaks and troughs associated with oil production, often in far off overseas lands. We now know what regular diesel here in the UK at ?5.00 a gallon or $8.00 represents, but five or 10 years ago could not even imagine such a thing. We can do much for our energy security by concentrating on making biodiesel from domestically available sources.

The US automotive industry is going to change significantly over the next five years and we’re likely to see an influx of European style - smaller, more economical cars. On that continent, more than half of the vehicles actually run on diesel and can readily accept biodiesel fuels. We can fully expect the trend within the United States to be toward this type of vehicle and as such will see a growing trend toward making biodiesel widely available. When the next decade ends, biodiesel fuel will be a staple part of all our economies.

Filed under: Hobbies on March 4th, 2010