- Biodiesel is great, but there are a few things we should
include in every conversation about Biodiesel:
-
- 1) Imagine if just 10% of the people using petro-diesel
switched to biodiesel - that would create demand for twice as much as the
supply of waste oil available. While it is a great idea to process waste
vegetable oil and use it again, promoting biodiesel as a replacement for
petro-diesel with no modification in consumption is unsustainable and socially
irresponsible.
-
- 2) In that case, (even now already), oil formerly grown
for food will be used for fuel instead. Example: a company named World
Energy provides biodiesel to the Marine corps that is made from virgin
soy oil. The military can afford it, regular folks can't. Using food as
fuel to preserve overconsumptive lifestyles is unsustainable and socially
irresponsible.
-
- 3) America already consumes 6 to 10 times per capita
the amount of energy consumed in the rest of the world, teaching people
they can keep this up is unsustainable and socially irresponsible.
-
- 4) It would be foolish to burn biodiesel in a stationary
generator - it would run fine on vegetable oil with no processing beyond
filtration. To promote biodiesel for generating electricity is unsustainable
and socially irresponsible.
-
- 5) Conservation. Again, western culture simply consumes
too much. Devising alternative sources of energy to support unsustainable
living is unsustainable and socially irresponsible.
-
- To be clear, biodiesel is far superior to petro-diesel
in many regards, and will in fact help reduce climate change. However,
to offer it as a replacement for petro-diesel at current consumption rates
would be a disaster. It is imperative that consumption is reduced significantly,
otherwise the legacy we will leave our descendants is unsustainable and
socially irresponsible.
-
- Tim Castleman
- www.fuelandfiber.com
|
