Environment
Biodiesel represents a shift towards sustainability in the transportation industry. Since biodiesel is made from products such as waste greases, animal fats and oilseed crops, biodiesel is renewable in nature. In addition, biodiesel’s climate mitigation, low toxicity and clean burning properties add to its overall positive environmental effect.
Decreasing Emissions
The reduction in emissions seen through the use of biodiesel is remarkable. Biodiesel alters the combustion properties of diesel blends causing significant decreases in emissions produced by all types of diesel equipment. Included in these reductions are decreases in nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (nPAH), which have been demonstrated to cause cancer. The reduction of sulfur release reduces the potential for acid rain production. Ozone reduction translates into less smog since ozone is one of the requirements of smog formation. Particulate matter exposure has been linked to asthma, a condition that has hit epidemic proportions since the widespread adoption of petroleum as a fuel over a century ago. Reducing its production would have an impact on this condition’s frequency. Carbon monoxide is a poison and unburned hydrocarbons contribute to respiratory irritation and climate change.
Mitigating Climate Change
It is accepted that our society will have to face the reality of climate change. The repercussions from shifts in our climate include alteration of crop patterns, increasing sea levels and severe weather conditions. The process of global warming is believed to be exacerbated by anthropogenic (human) influence, mainly the combustion of fossil fuels, which release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere when burned. The use of biofuels made from existing biomass are considered to be “carbon neutral”, meaning that unlike their petroleum counterparts, they are not contributing to the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels since they are made from carbon sources that are cyclically occurring in our ecosystem.
Biodiesel is particularly effective at mitigating climate change through carbon dioxide emission reductions. For each litre of biodiesel consumed, the accepted value of this reduction is 78% when compared to petroleum diesel (independent studies by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the National Research Council (NRC). This translates into a 154,000 metric tonnes (MT) of reductions yearly from the Kyoto biodiesel facility, the equivalent of 25,000 cars off the road!
Less Toxicity and Increased Safety
Biodiesel shines again when its relative toxicity is compared to the petroleum counterpart. Biodiesel has 1/10th the toxicity of table salt (LD50 value, NREL data). Biodiesel has a flashpoint three times higher than petroleum diesel making it much safer to use and store than petroleum fuel.
