Comments on: Biodiesel, you’re letting me down!

By: a girl in stumptown about her way. » Blog Archive » What do alternative fuels and same-sex marriage have in common?

Fri, 14 Jul 2006 05:23:56 +0000

[...] The Portland City Council. I’m totally excited about biodiesel coming to the pumps in Portland, and that’s exactly what’s going to happen thanks to the counil’s 4-0 vote Wednesday night in support of Randy Leonard’s proposal (see my first post on this topic) to require diesel pumps to have at least 5% biodiesel and for gas pumps to include ethanol. The proposal also requires city vehicles to use alternative fuels and strengthens other public reliance on renewable fuels. [...]

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 17:06:47 +0000

When I did my alternative fuels round-up a while back, and availability was definitely the down side on biodiesel–but it won’t be a factor for a long time. Our current consumption is super tiny, and the article points out we could top out at 37%. In the meantime, it actually kills two birds with one stone by recycling the spent oils.

Biodiesel isn’t carbon neutral, and I would hope it’s only a transitional fuel–but it’s lightyears ahead of any alternatives in terms of energy utilization, emissions, and technological compatibility. For the life of current new cars, biodiesel should be totally adequate.

(And Wikipedia says we can make biodiesel out of algae and “photosythetic biodiesel,” which could expand the life and possibilities–though I’d prefer we just get to carbon neutral technologies. Because, hey, anybody check out the freakin’ temperature lately??)

By: Gary

Gary — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 04:13:23 +0000

Like so many other things: Love the idea hate the hassle of the reality.

Props to anyone that pushes for something better. Or even just something alternative. I think I voted Nader on that very principle once (gawd, not last time!)