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Okay, well maybe our highways don’t smell like French fries. Yet. However, the streets of Southern Pines, NC are starting to. This little town has embraced a local retailer’s move to sell biodiesel. If you are like me, you are probably wondering what the heck biodiesel is. Well, it is a form of fuel made for compression-ignition (diesel) engines. In its purest form it contains no petroleum, however it can be mixed with petroleum in any percentage. It is made from renewable, domestic resources. According to the U.S. Department of Energy biodiesel fuel can be made from new or used vegetable oils and animal fats, which are nontoxic, biodegradable, renewable resources. It is frequently made out of recycled cooking grease, hence the omnipresent jokes linking biodiesel to French fries.

At this point I am pretty sure you are looking for the so what. You are thinking that even if you are someone who owns a diesel engine it must be very expensive to modify your engine to run on biodiesel. Actually, one blend of biodiesel called B20 can be put directly into many diesel engine cars produced before 2007 with no modifications. B20 means that it is 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent regular diesel.

The major advantages associated with biodiesel are:

1. It produces less airborne pollutants than regular diesel. Less airborne pollutants equals cleaner air for us all. B20 blends reduce carbon dioxide emissions, one of the main green house gases contributing to global warming, by as much as 15 percent.

2. Unlike most other forms of alternative fuels, some mixes of it can be put directly into existing engines. Other, stronger mixes don’t require new types of engines, only modifications to existing engines.

3. It is made out of renewable, domestic resources which lessens our dependence on foreign countries for our fuel.

The major disadvantages associated with biodiesel are:

1. Blends above B5 (which means 5 percent biodiesel, 95 percent regular diesel) are not yet warrantied by automakers.

2. Most websites state that it is currently more expensive to purchase (I would like to point out that when I visited America’s Fuel in Southern Pines, they were selling biodiesel for $2.85 while conventional gas stations in that town were selling regular diesel for $2.89).

3. In America, a limited number of people drive diesel engine cars.

Back to Southern Pines, North Carolina. This little town of around 11,000 people has really started to embrace the alternative fuel movement. According to Naveen Raja, an employee at America’s Fuel, the first month or so that the business was open people were wary of trying the new fuels (America’s Fuel also sells E85 and E10, which are ethanol fuels. Stay tuned to fuelmonger.com for information about ethanol). However, as the word of mouth about biodiesel spread, more and more people began fueling their vehicles with biodiesel. Now, according to Raja, people from towns are far as 30 miles away are coming to Southern Pines to purchase biodiesel. They say they get better gas mileage out of biodiesel and that it is better for their engines. Even some of the local businesses are using the biodiesel in their fleets.

I come from a military background and we are always taught to give the So What. Hence here is my So What on biodiesel. The future of regular petroleum is uncertain. Some argue that there is a huge supply that will last for years to come while others warn of an impending oil crisis. Whatever the case may be, we can help guarantee stability in our economy by taking control of our fuel needs by lessening our dependence on foreign sources and finding alternative fuels. Additionally our world’s love of the automobile has been a major contributor to air pollution and global warming. Alternative fuels such as biodiesel help us preserve the freedom of movement that petroleum gives us while leaving a less harsh foot print on the environment.

Sound off. Are you a business owner who uses biodiesel in your fleet? Do you use biodiesel in your private vehicle? Tell us about your experiences, both good and bad. We would love to hear from you.

Information for this article was taken from the following websites:
www.fueleconomy.gov and www.biodiesel.org.

Some of our favorite sites related to this article are:
http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/altfuel/bio_made.html
http://i-r-squared.blogspot.com/2006/03/biodiesel-king-of-alternative-fuels.html

And if you’re really into the technical aspect:
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/models/analysis/biodsl/p02001.pdf

www.forbes.com
Crude oil inventories for this week are expected to show decline while demand increases. In ten of the last eleven weeks, inventories have shown decline. Distillate fuel (diesel) inventories increased last week with expectations to continue slight increase.

Next time you fill up your car, pull up to the air station and check the air pressure of your tires. Most air stations come with a tire gauge. If your tires are low, fill them up. Driving with your tires properly inflated can improve mileage by 3.3 percent, according to fueleconomy.gov. All in all a win-win situation…you are conserving energy, saving money and improving your safety on the road.

www.cnn.com
Iceland embraces hydrogen vehicles to get their car-dependent population around the island. The vehicles convert hydrogen and oxygen into water to create electricity, so the only emissions on the vehicle are water vapors. General Motors, Toyota, and DaimlerChrysler plan on using Iceland as a testing ground for their new fuel cell technologies.

Taking care of the environment ranks high in importance when thinking philosphically. But when you ask individuals what habits they have that reduces energy waste, the answers remain scarce. Here are my top five reasons why people don’t act.

1. There’s no immediate reward. We can make two trips to the end of the driveway with the trash and the blue recycling bin week after week during our morning rush. Or we could just make the one and still get rid of all that waste!

2. The long term reward is immeasurable to a regular person who isn’t involved in some crazy science experiments. If the reciprocations were more tangible, motivation wouldn’t dwindle.

3. Human nature does not always easily embrace change. We’re accustomed to filling up with fuel at the local gas station. We know that works and it keeps our car running smooth.

4. It is unfamiliar territory. I haven’t filled my car up with ethanol before, so how can I be sure it won’t hurt it.

5. Our daily actions, whether we pollute or produce some sort of negative carbon footprint, are unsupported by big business and/or government. Certain fuels void car warranties. The cost of a hybrid off the lot verses the cost of a traditional economy car is several thousand dollars. And your only highway guarantee is diesel and plain old gasoline. So unless you’re a hypermiler and enjoy reducing emissions for sport, chances are only slim your daily habits have altered in the last five or so years.

So how are we going to reduce our carbon footprints to zero or even less? It’s an interesting time to watch environmental trends. Smaller countries such as Iceland are already making plans to reduce emissions one energy source at a time. Its plan to use hydrogen cell cars makes sense for a small country with a lot of drivers. This is only after its choice to use natural energy from rivers, waterfalls and volcanic activity to run its electricity. Iceland continues the quest to reduce emissions one energy source at a time. But what about larger countries like the United States, Canada, Russia, China, or Australia? Ridding the often-sought image of the American road trip isn’t going away in a finger snap. And neither are all those fossil-fuel-based gas stations on every street corner.

So what will the transition look like? I believe we’re watching it now. With a few extremist hypermilers, a slightly larger number of people willing to use biodiesel and an even larger number willing to purchase hybrids (tax write-off or not), this is just the start of a marathon length journey. Thankfully countries have competitive sides and every country has a different personality. Smaller countries like Iceland are able to take the lead and show larger countries that it’s possible. Australia, too, has initiated its large solar panel project to run its major cities. Every country seems to have its own creative way of making things work without subjecting its citizens to discomfort or revolutionary lifestyle changes. Additionally, we see businesses falling in on their role. With companies like GE developing technology that reduces emissions that can be used by NASA or in your kitchen, the evolution is happening now. Any business that wants to remain profitable is not just watching this transition happen without moving forward with it. Even oil companies are forecasting reductions of oil in the global market and offering alternative sources of energy.

So while a large portion of individuals are generally less likely to make those daily lifestyle changes to reduce emissions, the public is more in tune and aware of its importance. And with that, it will embrace the changes of government and major corporations as we watch the products that we buy become more and more socially responsible.

Some Related Links:

http://www.iea-pvps.org/ar00/aus.htm

http://money.cnn.com/2007/09/14/news/economy/peak_oil/index.htm?cnn=yes

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20706595

www.technologyreview.com
Scientists at the Tokyo Institute of Technology have developed a new laser that can be used to convert the magnesium from ocean water into energy. This new laser concentrates 80% of the sunlight onto the crystal instead of just 10% that larger mirrored lenses concentrate.

Take the biodiesel challenge…If you drive a vehicle with a compression-ignition (diesel) engine and you live near a biodiesel retailer (if you don’t know whether you do or not check out biodiesel.org to find the retailer nearest to you), try using biodiesel in your vehicle for a month. Give it a try and let us know what you think.

Did you know that reducing your energy use by 20% could add the same amount to your business’ profits as a 5% increase in sales? One of the easiest ways for a business to reduce costs is to cut down on the amount of energy that it uses. Increased profit is just one of the many ways that being an energy efficient company can benefit you. In an age of ever increasing environmental awareness, consumers are looking for green companies to give their business to and employees are looking for green companies to work for. Additionally, governments are beginning to respond to the global warming warnings and are implementing regulations requiring companies to reduce energy consumption. By taking the initiative and implementing energy saving techniques now, you can stay ahead of government regulations and potential fines.

Many people think that implementing energy saving measures is a costly and time consuming endeavor. It need not be. While there are plenty of high cost energy saving products that you can purchase, there are also plenty of free and low cost ways to cut energy consumption now. Lowering your thermostat (your heating costs will go up by 8% each time you increase the temperature by just one degree!), turning off equipment when not in use, and only keeping lights on that you need can quickly reduce your energy costs. All of these methods are free and easy to complete.

There are many energy saving solutions that are low cost to implement and can save you large amounts of money. Simply installing motion sensors in rooms that are not in constant use, such as bathrooms and copy rooms, is an easy way to reduce your energy consumption. This method allows for lights to be on only when needed and doesn’t rely on humans to remember to turn them off and on. As you tailor your business to become increasing energy efficient, there are plenty of other energy saving devices that you can purchase that may seem expensive at first but will save you money and energy in the long run.

Related Links:

www.sdge.com/business/ee_tips.shtml

www.avistautilities.com/saving/com_saving_tips.asp

www.sdge.com/forms/ee_bustips.pdf

www.murfreesboroelectric.com/comind/business.htm

www.carbontrust.co.uk/energy/whysaveenergy/business.htm

www.post-trib.com/business/361006,enviro.article

www.money.cnn.com
A few industry experts proclaim that oil production has either topped out or will do so in the next couple of years. They go on to surmise that with the decline in oil production will come a massive, world wide depression with billions starving.