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BANG FOR THE BITE
If 10,000 Biters switch from gas to pure biodiesel, in a year we'll avert the amount of CO2 caused by 5,846 Hummers during the same period of time.
COCKTAIL FACT
In addition to soy, biodiesel is made from canola, mustard, palm and fish oils, hemp and lard... and they are testing certain weeds.
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home › tip library › Eco-Friendly Cars - Biodiesel Fuel
Have you ever licked your gas cap?
The Bite
Neither have we, but now you can. Often made from renewable sources like soy or even straight veggie grease, running your diesel car on biodiesel gives one more excuse to hang around your favorite french fry joint.The Benefits
- At $3 a gallon, biodiesel costs about the same as gas, and offers up to 50 mpg.
- Not your grandma's diesel. Compared to 1988 diesel technology, today's diesel cars offer 100% more power, 60% less noise and 30% less fuel consumption.
- Everyone's doing it. Biodiesel stations are popping up everywhere, and since its use is on the rise (from half a million gallons in '99 to a projected 150 million in '06), it won't be long before there's one on every block.
- Reduces pollution like gangbusters.
Personally Speaking
Never one to turn down a dare, Ideal Bite team member Sara has promised to lick the gas cap next time she rides in a pure biodiesel. GreenFest San Francisco, anyone? (The whole team will be there… join us!)Wanna Try?
Full disclosure: biodiesel still causes smog, and we don't have the infrastructure to create enough of it to serve US fuel needs, but it's still more planet-friendly than gas.- The Freedom Fueler - the cheapest biodiesel is the stuff you make at home ($1996).
- From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank - covers all aspects of running your car on veggie oil ($25).
- (Bio)Diesel Vehicles - list of new cars that require no conversion.
- Biodiesel.org - map showing biodiesel stations.
- Collaborative Biodiesel Tutorial - biodiesel buffs answer newbies' questions.
- LoveCraft Biofuels - one of the first finest conversion shops for your retro diesel.
- Volkswagen - their Golf TDIs make the top of the list for mpg.
Sep 12,2006
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All editorial suggestions in this tip are the result of testing and a preference for the tip topic. No advertiser has paid to have its company referenced in the tip. For more information, please read our Editorial Policy.
Are You Kidding? I Can’t Bike These Hills.
It is utterly disgusting how much waste is created by moving. As I sit here in the midst of books strewn about my office floor, I'm a bit embarrassed by the sheer amount of STUFF that I have. Although, I gotta say - I did give away all my boxes and packing papers on Craigslist, so I'm feeling a little smug about that. (Next time you move - seriously - do this.)
But really... it's an utter disgrace that I have this many books and all these THINGS. So, in recompense, I guilted myself into thinking I'd survive without a car in order to offset my move. I even had fantasies of tuning up my bike and riding it everywhere.
Well, I had those fantasies for about a minute... until I realized that Portrero Hill is, well, really, really REALLY steep. No bike for me. (Did I mention this is a steep-%!$ hill?)
So yes, I am in the market for a biodiesel convert. Saw a great one on Sunday - fingers crossed there. If you know of any on the market for a song, give a shout, since I want a pimped out 70s ride with biodiesel and a wooden steering wheel.
-Heather... off for a walk on these knee-knocking steep hills...
Biter Comments...
So, I'm not knocking the use of biodiesel, really. I just think that when converting a car, there are things to think about. First off, the only biodiesel to use would be the "greisel" (or waste veggie oil) because this can go into the tank after filtration (mind you, that you still need a tank that hold regular diesel to start your car). If you run your car off of biodiesel that you get at the pump (as you can at so many gas stations now-a-days) thats when I have issues. First off, that is usually an 80/20 blend. 80% of dinodiesel and 20% of biodiesel. Okay, so now you're probably thinking, that 20% is better than none, right? Wrong. So the benefit of using virgin oil biodiesel is pretty much slim to nil when you look at a life cycle assessment (LCA)of production for the fuel. First, soybeans are not an easy crop to grow. They require lots-o-water and drum roll please, pesticides (lots and lots of them). Then you look at the energy spent spraying these chemicals (how the pesticides were created factors into an LCA too) and then harvesting and then creating the oil. The energy balance dosen't add up, and the amount of pollution generated and resources spent to create this fuel doesn't make this, in my opinion, a valuable option.
This goes for ethanol, too. 27% more energy is used to create this fuel than it actually produces...hmm
Bottom line, used waste oil if you're gonna run an alternative fuel car. I just bought a '81 300 SL and I'm working on finding sources for my cooking oil...
with the tip today about biodiesel, a link to bio willie is in order. check out this link: http://www.wnbiodiesel.com/index.html.
I'm ALL for using alternative fuels and applaud the biodiesel folks for their forward-thinking efforts. (I take public transportation to work and walk those San Francisco hills home, am a member of The Better World Club and have offset the little emissions I do put out on the rare times I use my car.)
I used to be a big biodesel fan and have several pals with biodiesel cars. But, I've recently read several credible studies (non-partisan funded)about how growing the crops to make the biodiesel fuel is going to tap out our ever-dwindling water supply.
Water shortages from drought, corporate overusage, such as in bottling plants, monoculture farming and polluted and thus abandoned sources, are already real in much of the world, including the United States.
We need to create alternative fuels that don't drain vital resources, particularly water that none of us can live without. (Private corporations are fast gobbling up water rights, which is the scariest thing of all. Water should never be a private commodity.)
As silly has this sounds, I had no idea that you lived in SF - I just moved here in May from the East Coast. I don't believe that you and I have ever chatted before, but I have talked to Jen a number of times.
I saw in your email today that you will be at the SF Green Festival in November - I'll be there as well :)
My fiance and I had our '82 diesel Mercedes converted with Lovecraft's single tank system and we've been running on veg oil (not biodiesel) since June: http://www.tikitony.com/vegcar.html
We recently drove from Ventura, California to Monterey and got 34 mpg! Our car runs better, we get free fuel from restaurants, and our emissions are 75% cleaner than a gas burning engine. We love our car and are so happy when people stop and ask us if our car really runs on veg oil.
I agree that veg oil is not the long-term answer, but because so many people are seeking out alternative fuels I hope our society and government will soon see the urgent need to invest in a green future.
MagneGas is another interesting alternative: http://www.magnegas.com MagneGas recycles liquid waste (sewage or used motor oil are some) into a gas similar to hydrogen. A gas powered car would need to be converted, and fueling stations would be required (you can't make MagneGas yourself). Ideas like this will hopefully be the way of the future!
I recently heard about a do-it-yourself gas tax. You assume that the price of gas is $5 a gallon, like it is in Europe (or whatever price you choose). When you buy gas you calculate how much you would have paid for the gas if it had actually been $5 a gallon. You subtract how much you actually paid for the gas, and you set the remainder aside. The woman who me told about this used the money she "saved" to buy better tires for her bicycle, and bought other bike related things. If gas costs this much ($5 a gallon), it makes you think twice about using your car, and may prompt you to seek alternatives. And you can do fun or eco-friendly things with the money you save.
I haven't bit the bullet yet on this gas tax, but I'm thinking about doing it (and buying carbon offset credits or supporting solar energy with my savings).
Bike sounds great but when we have all these people on motorcycles that dont know how to ride them our death rate will skyrocket. The voice of America will continue to get louder and will eventually force the rich to spend some of that money on alternative measures to keep the economy from going down the tube.
Texas Junk Yards
PHOTO ALBUMS
Posted by: Patrick Sinz | September 12, 2006 at 04:00 AM