Well, there you go. That's exactly where Michael Moore falls short in his films. A perfect chance to educate people about alternatives. America in 2004 is a battle of information. Fahrenheit 9/11 would have been the perfect venue to introduce a mass audience to energy alternatives like BioDiesel.
BioDiesel is diesel oil that is produced from plant oils rather than petroleum. It's a concept that has been around since the introduction of the diesel engine. In fact, the father of the diesel engine (Mr. Diesel, really) ran his demonstration model at a World's Fair on peanut oil (a primitive form of BioDiesel).
Today, there is a growing movement of biodiesel producers and users in the United States. In parts of Europe, like Germany, BioDiesel is well established. You can drive on major roadways and buy BioDiesel just about anywhere. In the U.S. it's slowly catching on. There are retail pumps spread out across the country, but mainly concentrated in the Middle part of the country, where most of the BioDiesel is produced from feedstocks like soybeans or corn. It is also sold wholesale by many distributors who will ship it anywhere in the U.S.
Also, there is a homegrown movement of BioDiesel producers and users. People who take things like used cooking oil from resturants and turn it into BioDiesel. BioDiesel can be run in traditional diesel engines with no modifications. Older engines might have to have some of their seals replaced as BioDiesel is more corrosive. It is sold in various concentrations from B2 (2% BioDiesel, 98% petrol diesel), B20 (20% BioDiesel, 80% petrol diesel) to pure BioDiesel B100. There is also ethanol, which is a gasoline like fuel produced from corn. Usually sold as E85 (85% ethanol, 15% petrol).
For more info, see:
biodieselnow.com
biodiesel.org
grassolean.com
purdue.edu |
