| It would take 20 of today’s cars to generate the same amount of air pollution as one car from the 1960s, and while that may seem like a great advancement, there is still more that needs to be done to help our environment. Biodiesel is an emerging industry in Canada and the United States, and while it is not yet the norm, there is some debate as to whether this industry is beneficial for the environment. Biodiesel is a clean burning alternative fuel that is produced from renewable sources. Biodiesel does not contain petroleum, as regular diesel does, but it can be, and usually is, mixed with diesel at any per centage to create a biodiesel blend. Biodiesel is created when any form of natural oil or animal fat is mixed with a catalyst (usually sodium hydroxide), and an alcohol (usually methanol or ethanol). This breaks apart the oil molecules to produce methylesters (saturated fatty acid) and glycerol, a by-product used in soaps and cosmetics. Robin Speer, Director of public affairs for the Canadian Renewable Fuels association, said because any type of vegetable oil and fat can be used, there are many different varieties, all of which produce the same effects. “In the States they like soy, in Western Canada they use canola oil, in Montreal they’re trying animal fat, and one manufacturer in Hamilton is using soy, canola and recycled restaurant grease.” When biodiesel mixes are created they are called BXX, the XX representing the per centage. So B2 is a mix of two per cent biodiesel and 98 per cent petroleum diesel. Biodiesel-powered engines have the same amounts of torque and horsepower, and get the same kilometres per litre as petroleum-powered diesels, and no engine modifications are needed to make the switch. But even better than that is the environmental benefits. Carbon dioxide plays a large role in global warming, and using a B100 reduces CO2 emissions by upwards of 75 per cent compared to petroleum diesel, and a B20 blend reduces emissions by 15 per cent. But Speer said even a two per cent blend is worth using. “It makes the whole system burn cleaner, and it’s not just CO2 it reduces, it also reduces carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and acid rain causing sulfates.” Speer said biodiesel is completely biodegradable, and if it spills it doesn’t effect ground water or natural habitats as traditional fuels would. Speer said a two per cent blend is more realistic for now, and if everyone was using it at that small rate, it would significantly decrease the carbon footprint on a larger scale. Biodiesel is also easy to transport because it is much less combustible compared to petroleum diesel, igniting at 150°C compared to 77°C; it is less toxic than table salt, and if it touches the skin it would have less of an effect than soap. Biodiesel also decomposes 91 per cent in the first twenty-one days, and depending on certain conditions, will most likely not cost more than petroleum based gas does now. You may not be able to drive up to your local gas station and buy biodiesel as you would diesel, but it is available now from certain retailers, including one pump in Toronto (Petro Green at Queen Street East and Pape Street). Speer said we’re still kind of new at this and it may be a while before we see more pumps. “The reality is it’s an emerging industry in terms of production and availability, we’re just getting to the part where we start to produce it here at home.” Speer added that the government is starting to help raise awareness and incentive by giving tax breaks towards the purchase of biodiesel, and making room for the industry in its recent budget. “The government is creating a mandate for its usage and that will make it more readily available,” Speer said, “they want all diesel to be a two per cent blend by the year 2012.” And some provinces are already using biodiesel in their public buses like the TTC is planning to do early next year. Saskatoon is using it, and Montreal and Ottawa are planning to a start. Like everything else in life there is always a downside and for biodiesel there are a few. The first downside to biodiesel is agricultural. If we look closer we’ll see that ethanol, made form corn and mixed with gasoline, only contains a little more energy than is required to produce it. So, in fact, we use about a litre’s worth of fossil fuels to create a litre of ethanol after the growing, harvesting, processing and transporting. The same goes for the beans used for biodiesl. We also have to think, if everyone was to switch, we would still need just as much fuel as we do today, but we would need more land to create it. According to David Suzuki, “substituting just 10 per cent of fossil fuels to biofuels for all vehicles would require about 40 per cent of the entire cropland in Europe and North America. That is simply not sustainable.” An good alternative is using waste vegetable oils and animal greases from restaurant deep-fryers to make Biodiesel. That way we eliminate a waste-stream and create a closed-loop system. High biodiesel mixes, like B100 also need a very warm climate to run properly, and while you can use biodiesel in the summer, during the winter month a blend no higher than B50 is recommended. But for right now using a mix like B5 can be beneficial in decreasing CO2 levels in the atmosphere. But, as Speer put it, “any little bit will help. It’s not the silver bullet of the climate problem, but in terms of helping the economy and farmers and cleaning our air and environment it’s certainly an important piece of the puzzle.” If you're the industrious type and have a garage to dedicate to making biodiesel, it is something that can be done at home with the proper equipment and knowledge. This website is a great place to start. JourneytoForever.org |