Do It Yourself

by increased foreign competition, burgeoning fuel prices, regulations, environmental issues and the great recession.

In 1990, the revision to the Clean Air Act specified that fuels become more sustainable and that manufacturers begin replacing petro diesel engines with low sulphur alternatives. At that time, certain states had already restricted diesel engine sales, but this situation is likely to rectify as diesel pollution now slows. There are other factors to take into consideration and we saw during the terrible events of 2001 how vulnerable we can be to foreign interests and how we rely on such countries for fuel needs. Our energy security, our environmental health and our economic efficiency began to demand that we look for alternative fuel sources.

Equipment manufacturers have designed diesel engines and internal components much more suitable to the requirements of low sulphur diesel and alternative biodiesel. Nowadays, biodiesel fuel is gaining widespread acceptance and during the last decade production grew by over 700%.

Following this recession, the auto industry in the US has significantly changed. One of their big three manufacturers is now owned by a European company, Fiat, and it seems likely that we will see an influx of vehicles based on European platforms and wholly more efficient than what we have seen there previously. Diesel engine cars are very much in evidence in European countries and there is no reason to assume that we will not see a pick-up in sales there as well. While this happens, biodiesel, as a reliable alternative will undoubtedly push forward as well. Biodiesel may compare to conventional diesel, price wise, but the former represents a better option for the health of both our people and the planet.

Contrary to popular belief, biodiesel is not an experimental fuel. It is the only fuel fully certified by the EPA and can be traced back to the 1930s. Auto manufacturers welcome the use of biodiesel in their diesel engine vehicles as long as the biodiesel is manufactured to internationally accepted standards, and its use will not void an engine warranty, for example. Indeed, biodiesel has a higher lubricity than petro diesel and will help to ensure the longevity of your engine.

Proponents of biodiesel agree that it does not have widespread acceptance as yet and distribution stations remain relatively scarce. Production of the fuel should interest our army of entrepreneurs as the thought of making biodiesel fuel commercially is well within reach. Indeed, many who start off with homemade biodiesel move up to the production of this fuel in their local environments. It is possible to obtain certification from the EPA once you have mastered the task of producing the fuel reliably, and to progress by selling it to an increasingly interested public. Biodiesel is a superb alternative fuel, and it’s certainly an option which could radically change our impact on the Earth, perhaps more quickly than we might realise.