Image from: http://clearnet.co.nz/news/editorial/2009Mar/630bd6fa-f9a8-41d6-8404-02c1e3e244e3.html
A report from the New Zealand Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Dr Jan Wright, is calling for a more strategic approach to biofuels. The report, “Some biofuels are better than others”, addresses the pros and cons of various biofuels and biofuels policy. The report concludes, and Commissioner Wright emphasizes in an overview of the report, that if biofuels are to play a significant role in New Zealand’s energy future, then drop-in synthetic diesel made from wood is the pathway on which the country should concentrate.
The purpose of the report is to consider strategically how biofuels might lessen the country’s dependence on fossil fuels and thus reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, New Zealand still imports virtually all its liquid fuels; while domestic crude oil production has expanded, it is not nearly enough to meet local fuel demand. “…New Zealand’s liquid fuel bill will certainly increase again, and there may be security of supply difficulties. Replacing imported fuel with locally produced biofuels would reduce this risk,” the report notes.
I think there are still problems in the commercial technology of making biodiesel out of wood and grass, but it is being worked on. Notice the image for this article, very descriptive.
Harrison Dillon (left) and Jonathan Wolfson, founders of Solazyme in South San Francisco, hold a beaker of the firm's jet fuel that is derived from algae.
Photo: Michael Macor / The Chronicle
In the race to replace oil, electric cars seem to be leaving biofuels in the dust.
Five years ago, biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel looked like the best bet for breaking the world's addiction to oil. Biorefineries turning corn into ethanol sprouted across the Midwest, while startups trying to make fuel from wood chips or grass soaked up venture capital. Big automakers considered electric cars a lost cause.
Now the situation has been reversed. The buzz surrounding electric transportation has never been louder, while the biofuel industry struggles to regain momentum after two brutal years.
Toward the end of the article, it is mentioned that Americans like to take long trips in their cars, and that calls for liquid fuel. Electric cars require that you buy a new car, and that leaves most people out of the picture.
Photo from: http://www.flansburgdesign.com/ATLAS_BIODIESEL.html
My next car may very well run on diesel -- biodiesel, that is.
As a starving student who can't afford a hybrid, I've long fantasized about buying an old Mercedes and jumping on the biofuel bandwagon. Those devastating images from the British Petroleum oil spill have only increased my sense of urgency. And, I'm not alone.
Early this month, the Environmental Protection Agency announced it would require the domestic use of 800 million gallons of biodiesel in 2011. But, before jettisoning my old tried-and-true but gas-guzzling Ford Taurus, I decided to investigate biodiesel to determine whether it really is as environmentally friendly as the hype would lead one to believe.
Biodiesel Basics
Biodiesel is made from animal fats or vegetable oils. Or, more formally, according to the National Biodiesel Board, it is "a fuel comprised of mono-alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from vegetable oils or animal fats, designated B100, and meeting the requirements of ASTM D 6751."
I agree with this writer, my next car will burn biodiesel, and I am particularly interested in experimenting with B100 pure biodiesel. But I would like to buy American—what are my choices, if any?
This might go down in the history books as the year when heavy-duty trucks went green.
Most new trucks offer turbo-diesel engines compatible with biodiesel fuel while still maintaining plenty of muscle.
The new models also have added luxury packages for drivers who crave creature comforts after a long day on the job.
Here are Bankrate's top five work trucks.