AS AMERICA'S appetite for power increases at four times the rate of energy production, and as expensive and risky "alternative" energy sources such as nuclear power, fuel cell technology and more oil drilling continue to be debated, there is a true alternative already in the pipeline. Yet it is relatively unknown and underfunded.
One of the simplest ways to combat the looming energy crisis is not yet in hybrids or electric cars or even the power of the wind and the sun. Short of running or walking to school and the workplace, a much more palatable solution is gaining popularity: biodiesel.
Biodiesel is a fuel composed of methyl esters - chemical structures - that can be substituted for petroleum diesel fuel with virtually no engine modifications except for changing some hoses to a more durable material. Biodiesel will run in any diesel engine in cars, trucks, buses and farm equipment, and it improves the vehicle's performance because of its higher viscosity and lubricating properties.
Production of biodiesel uses vegetable oil as a feedstock, methanol and sodium hydroxide. That's right, simple vegetable oil - which itself can fuel a diesel engine with the necessary dual-tank setup - might save the world.
Since vegetable oil is an agricultural product, farmers will benefit from increased production and profitability, as will the rest of the planet as we are less exposed to the environmental and geopolitical hazards of oil exploration, production and unfettered consumption. Though any kind of vegetable oil will work, the oil from palm trees is especially suitable, so warm-weather nations in the developing world could develop additional revenue streams to enhance their economies.
In addition to virgin vegetable oil, biodiesel can be made from waste vegetable oil, which can offset the expense to the food service industry of paying someone to take it away for disposal, if such a disposal service can even be found. Some of this waste vegetable oil is flushed into municipal water and sewer systems, which can cause expensive blockages.
The best part about biodiesel is its environmental benefit. Biodiesel emissions do not produce those ominous black clouds of diesel smoke. Rather, they emit an aroma that some describe as evoking french fries. The air quality improvements can be substantial. In B20, a formulation that is just 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent regular petroleum diesel, emissions have half the smelly, toxic pollutants, are 20 percent lower in sulfates and have 12 percent less carbon monoxide and particulate matter.
