biodiesel

we're officially running our beautiful 2005 volkswagen golf on 99% biodiesel... and man does it feel great! conception to inception has taken a bit longer than anticipated, but has been well worth the gained knowledge and confidence that our conscious intentions provoked.

joel said the other day, of driving our biodiesel-powered vehicle, that it felt like he was in this environmental bubble... making a fresh contribution to our dear mother earth. i love it.

my personal top 10 for the biodiesel switch:
considerable health benefits to both the public and our environment
absolutely ZERO reliance on foreign oil!
for every unit of energy used to produce biodiesel, 3.24 units of energy are gained
biodiesel is a renewable fuel derived from organic sources
the major components of acid rain, sulfur oxides and sulfates, are completely eliminated with biodiesel
with biodiesel, there are also significant reductions in carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and unburned hydrocarbons
within 28 days, pure biodiesel degrades 85-88% in water (which is faster than sugar) and it is 100% biodegradable
biodiesel is less toxic than salt
increased utilization of biofuels results in a beautiful balance of trade between both urban and rural sectors
awesome fuel economy

some other interesting facts on biodiesel:
"biodiesel is made through a chemical process called transesterification whereby the glycerin is separated from the fat or vegetable oil. the process leaves behind two products -- methyl esters (the chemical name for biodiesel) and glycerin (a valuable byproduct usually sold to be used in soaps and other products)."
"biodiesel is the only alternative fuel to have fully completed the health effects testing requirements of the 1990 clean air act amendments [and] is legally registered with the environmental protection agency."

pacific northwest biodiesel happenings:
http://159.54.227.3/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060504/NEWS01/60504006

other happenings in the world of biodiesel:
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_4672135,00.html
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/ba1cb504-dafe-11da-aa09-0000779e2340.html

more information:
http://www.biodiesel.org/pdf_files/fuelfactsheets/emissions.pdf
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/models/biodsl.htm