Prologue November 2001, A9 Autobahn between Frankfurt and Berlin: I notice exit signs indicating that “Biodiesel” is available here and ask my friend, in whose diesel car I’m riding, what it is. The reply: “I don’t know, but you have to have a special car to use it.”

Some 18 months later, I know more about biodiesel – including that the car I rode in could indeed have used it, and that what my friend knew then is still more than what most Americans know today. After all, at least he had heard of it.

The search for better ways to make vehicles run is as old as the horseless carriage. I believe biodiesel is the only alternative fuel that can make a big difference today in terms of three important goals: the environment, energy independence, and the economy. “Today” is the operative word. Futuristic solutions like hydrogen fuel cells may eventually make fuel-burning vehicles obsolete, or at least a minority. But for now, those solutions are in developmental stages, requiring special cars or expensive modifications. In most cases, the fuel is not readily available, perhaps requiring a whole new infrastructure to make it so.

Biodiesel is available now. It requires no special equipment and will fuel any diesel engine, from a massive earthmover to a sailboat to the diesel pickup that tows the sailboat, or a zippy new 50+ mpg Volkswagen. In fact, when Rudolf Diesel invented the diesel engine in 1903, it ran on peanut oil – diesel fuel as we know it was developed to use the nasty leftovers from oil refining. Biodiesel requires minimal new infrastructure, merely the switchover of a storage tank or public pump from petro-diesel.

So, what is biodiesel? It is a fuel catalyzed from vegetable oil or animal fat. The refining process is fairly simple. When you mix ten parts oil with one part of methanol and a pinch of lye (the catalyst), the mixture settles out into about ten parts biodiesel and one part glycerine. More technically, according to the National Biodiesel Board: Biodiesel is mono-alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from vegetable oils or animal fats, which conform to ASTM D6751 specifications for use in diesel engines. Biodiesel refers to the pure fuel before blending with diesel fuel. Biodiesel blends are denoted as, “BXX” with “XX” representing the percentage of biodiesel contained in the blend (B20 is 20 percent biodiesel, 80 percent petroleum diesel). While biodiesel can be made from any vegetable or animal fat, soybean oil is most practical for now, in this country. Thousands of farmers in the U.S. already grow soybeans, and the infrastructure for storing, transporting, and processing them is already in place. Soybeans are cheaper than most other feedstocks. A significant surplus of soybean oil exists in the U.S., and capacity could increase quickly to meet demand for soy biodiesel.

Some drivers on the cutting edge have converted cars to run on straight vegetable oil, either virgin or recycled from restaurant fryers, and others make their own biodiesel. Those are great ideas, but most people simply won’t go to those lengths. For an average American, soy biodiesel provides a promising solution to three different problems.

First, the environment: biodiesel is a renewable resource. More soybeans grow every year, compared to the millions of years it took to convert prehistoric plants to coal and oil. Agriculture has impact on the land, but a lot less than the impact of removing those fossil fuels. Biodiesel is significantly less polluting than petro-diesel. Of the three major problems with diesel exhaust, biodiesel solves two. It contains no sulfur, which contributes to acid rain. It releases no more carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, than the plants consumed to grow the soybeans. The only major pollutant contained in biodiesel exhaust is nitrogen oxides, which will be eliminated by processes now being developed. Just as importantly, pure biodiesel is nontoxic and biodegradable, and isn’t even handled as a hazardous material. Table salt is ten times more toxic and soapy water slightly more irritating to the skin than biodiesel. It biodegrades in water at the same rate as dextrose.

Second, U.S. energy independence: more than half of the oil Americans used last year was imported, and that is projected to increase. The recent war in Iraq and instability in the Middle East in general call attention to the dangers of relying on other countries for a basic component of our economy. Every unit of energy used to make biodiesel returns 3.2 units, the highest energy balance of any fuel.

Third, the economy: biodiesel is domestically produced, from soybeans grown domestically. The jobs and money stay in the U.S.—in rural communities, from Eastern North Carolina to Iowa, Missouri and Minnesota, which desperately need them. Farmers make more money from their crops, with a corresponding reduction in government support to them.

Put plainly, biodiesel is the automotive equivalent of free-range meats and fair-trade, shade-grown coffees. It costs a little more, but it’s worth it to me if it helps protect the environment and at the same time helps my neighbors afford a new home instead of building another palace in a faraway desert.

What can you do to help realize biodiesel’s potential benefits? Drive a diesel car and buy biodiesel to run it, and share the word with anyone you know who uses diesel, in a car, truck or boat. Of course, most Americans don’t drive diesel cars, because they’re difficult to find. Nearly half the cars in Europe are diesels, and diesel fuel in most European countries is at least B4. But many Americans do drive diesel pickups, and millions of diesel engines are on the water. Let manufacturers know you want diesel cars, and let distributors know you want biodiesel to run them. In 2003, the only new passenger cars available in the U.S. with diesel engines are Volkswagens – although Mercedes has announced the return of the diesel to their 2004 U.S. lineup. B100 does the most good, but any blend helps meet these goals – one estimate says that if only 4 percent of fuel were renewable, it would displace 302 million barrels of oil a year. Even a B2 blend, because of biodiesel’s exceptional lubricity, eliminates the need for sulfur. Unless consumer demand exists, neither cars nor fuel will be easy to find. Learn more about biodiesel. For all the facts and figures you can handle, including where to buy it, go to the National Biodiesel Board’s website at www.nbb.org. Sign up as a Biodiesel Backer and register for email updates. Become an advocate for biodiesel, even if you can’t use it now. Let your elected officials, state and federal, know that biodiesel is important to you, and encourage them to support legislation making it easier to produce and distribute. Tax credits to build processing plants, incentives for fleets to use biodiesel, lower fuel taxes at the pump, all make soy biodiesel more attractive and available. Join other advocates at www.BiodieselNow.com, a totally volunteer effort, and the headquarters of a National Biodiesel Relay planned for August 2003.

Epilogue July 2003 : I now work to increase public awareness and acceptance of, and demand for, soy biodiesel.

Susan Clizbe is a writer and communicator living and working in rural Eastern North Carolina. Her background includes print and electronic media, for employers and clients from a rural public school system to The McLaughlin Group.

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