BioDieselNow - Renewable biodiesel fuel

From the articles I have read Trucking Associations, Automobile Manufactures and politicians are all calling for a biodiesel standard.  They are all calling for it as if it's holding things up.  The real question is that if the standard they want beyond ASTM existed today, what exactly would they commit to?  Not some well it opens up...  vague answer.  It's just posturing.  The reason Biodiesel has progressed is that it's so tough to find excuses not to use it.  They all want to push the risk off themselves and appear in the best possible light.  Their "call" is only a thinly disguised request for government regulation.  If they call for standards from their podiums, ask them for a commitment that all truckers would use it where available or all their vehicles would have a diesel option.  What they are offering in return for a standard is just a token.  They also try to change the topic by suggesting all the other efforts they are making.  This is nothing to be admired because what they are admitting is that they are spreading themselves too thin, too far behind and too weak to commit to a particular solution.

Please provide links to the articles you mentioned. I'm left to speculate without more information. Regardless, I have to disagree. The current ASTM standard isn't something that is enforced; once a Bio-diesel producer demonstrates that their production facility can make ASTM standard fuel, they are free to produce and sell whatever they want, with no quality enforcement. (I'm not sure what the BQ9000 standards are, so perhaps they are different.)

This article, among many others that can be found, discusses the issue: http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/business/15984811.htm

Quote from the article: 

...word came of large-scale [Bio-diesel] quality problems elsewhere, based on a series of tests on pure biodiesel performed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and co-funded by the biodiesel industry. "[Fuel samples] were taken from all over the country," said George Douglas, a laboratory spokesman. "And the failure rate was about a third."

Having a voluntary standard isn't working. Realistically, we need enforcement of the standard to have consistent, quality Bio-diesel. It's inconvenient, but changing to alternative fuels requires the two largest industries (vehicular and energy) in the US to retool; It's difficult to fault them for wanting a quality alternative to change to. 

Keep in mind you're free to make and use whatever quality of fuel you want. In my opinion, this is likely to remain, as regulation of independent producers would be difficult, expensive, and would provide little in the way of "public good".  

 

Aside, an article discussion fuel problems and standards:
 
http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=1179 

Great post, ebztz. BTW, is that you in the picture? If so, what are you doing in the photo?

Thanks for reading Natescape; the boards have been rather slow, and discourse has slowed to a trickle, so it's encouraging to know people are still participating. I'm really looking forward to the changes you mentioned in another thread - thanks for that too.

 
The image is a screenshot from Gladiator; I've used that avatar since college - an inside joke of sorts; I've been told I bear some resemblance to Russell Crowe. I suppose it's about due for a change.