National
Biodiesel Day takes place on Thursday, March 18, the date of Rudolf
Diesel’s birthday. The biodiesel industry chose his birthday to honor him for
his foresight in recognizing the valuable role of vegetable oil-based
fuel. He originally designed the diesel engine in the late 19th Century
to run on peanut oil. Only later did petroleum become the standard. In
a 1912 speech, Diesel said
“the use of vegetable oils for engine
fuels may seem insignificant today, but such oils may become, in the
course of time, as important as petroleum and the coal tar products of
the present time.”
Some eco-friendly information on Biodiesel
- Biodiesel is a clean-burning alternative to petroleum diesel made from
domestic, renewable resources such as vegetable oils, recycled cooking
oil and animal fats. - Soy-based biodiesel reduces
lifecycle carbon dioxide reductions by 78 percent, as shown by analysis
conducted jointly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S.
Department of Energy. This takes into account everything from planting
the soybeans to delivering biodiesel to the pump. - A 2007 update to this analysis found that for every unit of fossil
energy it takes to make biodiesel, 3.5 units of energy are gained. - Last December, with broad bipartisan support, Congress passed and the
President signed an energy bill that dramatically expanded the
Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). The RFS sets minimum standards for the
use of renewables in our nation’s fuel. At the urging of NBB, this
landmark initiative for the first time specifically requires a
renewable component in diesel fuel. As the expanded RFS was being
considered in Congress, the biodiesel industry worked closely with the
environmental community in support of a requirement that biodiesel
under the program reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent
compared to petroleum diesel fuel. We have every confidence our fuel
will meet this aggressive greenhouse emission standard. - Lastly, it is worthwhile to note that the U.S. biodiesel industry is
promoting job creation and economic opportunity in rural America. A
recent study concluded that in 2007 alone, the biodiesel industry
supported over 21,000 jobs and added over $4 billion to the nation’s
Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Maybe take some time today and learn more about biodiesel
Source: Biodiesel.Org
photo: Flickr by rrelam
