January 26th, 2010 4:21 pm
We know that we are all creatures of habit and if we can opt to take the easy route, we do. It’s not that we don’t care about issues that we’re not sure we can do anything about, or might affect our heirs and generations in future, but we just don’t focus unless the chips are really down. While this can lead to a certain amount of apathy and nothing seems to get done, if we are subject to education that really helps to focus our attention on the facts, then we can be pushed to become proactive and make those all important changes for the future.
What incentive is there for me to change over to biodiesel fuel? There are a number of good reasons for doing so and the answers have added credibility now, even compared to only five or 10 years ago. There are now a number of ecological and economical benefits associated with biodiesel, which did not necessarily mean as much to us a number of years back.
Firstly, carbon emissions are now definitely the enemy of the peace. 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. In the light of these points, we should note that biodiesel reduces carbon dioxide emissions associated with traditional fuel options and by a factor of as much as 80%.
At present, homemade biodiesel fuels can be created from such waste products as cooking oils and thus help to cut down on recycling costs or other issues associated with disposal of wastes. Biodiesel may also be derived from vegetable products, such as soy, which is readily available within our agricultural communities. Just think of the incredible changes that we could bring to those communities by using their crops to full advantage for our transportation needs.
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. Biodiesel can be made from domestically available sources and can help promote our energy security in no uncertain way.
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. In Europe, more than 50% of the vehicles run on diesel and as such are ready-made to 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.
Tags: Advanta, Agricultural Communities, Apathy, Biodiesel Fuels, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, Carbon Emissions, Cooking Oils, Creatures Of Habit, Credibility, Crops, Economical Benefits, Fuel Economy, Fuel Options, Gasoline, Government Regulators, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Hazardous Pollutants, Heirs, Recycling, Vegetable Products