Makebiodieselathome asked:


There are many political reasons why biodiesel making has captured

the attention of both major fuel manufacturers and those who prefer

to make their own homemade biodiesel. Many car manufacturers are

seeing the wisdom of creating vehicles that can accommodate a

biodiesel product by creating a diesel car that is friendly to the

use of vegetable oil blended with diesel fuel. Perhaps one of the biggest benefits to biodiesel making is that it helps to reduce the United States dependence on foreign supplies of

oil. Making your own biodiesel is also a way of keeping your costs down in the case of a national emergency such as the devastating hurricanes that recently hit the Gulf coast. Biodiesel making also keeps farmers employed. Biodiesel production is self-sustaining because it is a completely renewable resource. Biodiesel product is made from soya and canola, which is a self-sustaining fuel. Best of all it provides a market for excess soya bean oil production. Unlike the burning of fossil fuels biodiesel making gives back more energy to the environment that it takes. Lifecycle studies show that for every unit of fossil energy it takes to manufacture fossil fuel, 3.2 units of energy are gained during the biodiesel making life cycle. This kind of lifecycle study would take into account the planting and harvesting of the soy or canola as well as its transportation, production and distribution to the end user. In addition to displacing North America’s reliance imported petroleum, the use of biodiesel product has been shown to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gases. According to the national biodiesel board a 1998 biodiesel lifecycle study, jointly sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, concluded biodiesel reduces carbon dioxide emissions

by 78 percent (compared to petroleum diesel.) The total fossil energy efficiency ratio of the production, manufacture, transportation, and distribution) for diesel fuel and biodiesel shows that biodiesel (diesel gas blended with vegetable oil) is four times as efficient as diesel fuel.

Burning just a 2% biodiesel blend in on-road diesel fuel will curtail all kinds of harmful emissions. Annually it has the potential to reduce poisonous carbon monoxide emissions by more than 35 million pounds, reduce ozone forming hydrocarbon emissions by almost 4 million pounds, reduce hazardous diesel particulate emissions by almost 3 million pounds and reduce acid rain-causing sulfur dioxide emissions by more than 3 million pounds. Given these

statistics about biofuel product it is quite baffling why more politicians don’t endorse biodiesel making as part of their political platform. Biodiesel product is available commercially but it is not available readily to everyone. This is possibly because the major gas companies are all too well aware that biodiesel making cuts into their profits. Until the day arrives when biodiesel fuel is made more readily available for everyone it seems that homemade biodiesel making might be a solution for those who are suffering economic problems due to disasters and unfriendly political decisions about the distribution of gas in general. The distribution of biodiesel is still sporadic but it is less so than it was before the turn of the century. The national biodiesel board contains a comprehensive list of locations where biodiesel

product is readily sold from pumps including an interactive point and click map that lets you find a biodiesel fuel station near you. Read more on how to Make Your Own Biodiesel



Caffeinated Content

Heather Colman asked:

It seems that not so long ago, electric cars were a very distant possibility. However, in today’s world, electric cars are becoming extremely popular and may very well be a large part of our not so distant future. Electric cars have been produced, tried, and tested by many manufacturers and consumers are excited about the prospect. Let us take a look at the many positives that can go with the future of electric cars and why we should consider it as a possibility in our own future.

Electric cars are all together cleaner and safer for our environment. By driving electric cars, our generation will virtually eliminate air pollution and make the air cleaner for future generations. Cleaner air to breathe is a necessity and electric cars can work to provide that.

Electric cars are more affordable than fuel powered cars. Studies on electric cars have shown that for a passenger vehicle it will cost less to run the electric cars, than filling your car up every week with gas. In fact, for about $30, electric cars can operate for one full month. With the price of fuel on the rise at a consistent speed, electric cars would offer our finances a nice break. Maintenance is more affordable as well; you will not have to worry about changing the oil, submitting your car for a smog check, or having a tune up performed on electric cars.

Noise pollution is something we all complain about, especially within the bigger cities. Electric cars provide a quieter environment for everyone concerned. The future of electric cars mean no more 3 AM wake up calls by our neighbor’s loud cars. Furthermore, those that live close to busy streets and highways will sleep and live easier without the extra noises from the cars driving down the streets.

More on Are Electric Cars A Part Of Your Future?

Michael Dappert asked:


Man invents 100 mpg carburetor! Disapperats down black hole!
Electric Cars Work! There just aren’t any.
Big automakers are looking out for your future!

Which of the above statements is false? Are any of them false? Well maybe number one is false. For years there have been stories of inventors that came up with a carbuerator that would get 100 miles per gallon but the thing never came to market. I know number three is false because look at our problem, air pollution. Look at our choices for transportation, a bunch of big gas guzzling cars and trucks.

Well, number two statement is true, mostly. In the 1990′s the State of California mandated a small percentage of vehicles sold in the state must release no emissions into the air. Some of the vehicles were leased and some were sold outright. GM had the EV1 which were leased. They canceled the leases and took the cars and crushed them. Perfectly good cars were destroyed.

There was a Ford EV Ranger pickup truck. Most of these were leased vehicles and Ford took most of them back but, I guess some of them are still around and there is a web site for EV Ranger drivers. Also, Toyota made a RAV4 EV which was discontinued in 2003. There are still some of these around and some websites about driving them. And there was a Honda EV car. All of these cars ran on electricity alone. Their range in miles varied but they were more than adequate for commuting, running errands, or just getting about on a daily basis.

I have never seen one of these vehicles. From my reading online about them it seems like they drove and performed about like any other gas powered car. Sure you had to plug them in, but, you have to put gas in a regular car also. What’s the big deal? GM has made lots of claims about why an electric car is not feasible. Since they produced a very capable electric car in the 1990′s and then destroyed them all you would think they know what they are talking about. Now they say they are going to produce an all electric car called the Volt. Well, probably someone else will do it before they do.

It is rumored that Big Oil destroyed the electric car and it was Big Oil that opened the black hole where the 100 mpg carburetor went. It probably is not that simple. But, the electric car threatened lots of entrenched interests. For one thing, the cars required very little in the way of servicing. No oil change, no anti-freeze, no air cleaner, just brakes and tires. So that whole service industry goes out the window with an electric fleet.

In 2006 the ZAP Xebra began importing from China. There is a sedan and a pickup truck. It is a 3 wheeled vehicle that looks like a toy car. In my opinion this is the kind of attempt that will turn the US public off to the whole idea. They do have some interesting features though, like a solar panel on the roof or over the bed of the truck to trickle charge the battery while running. Still, this is not what the American public will spring for in any kind of numbers.

A viable electric car will first of all have to look like a regular car. I would say the range would have to be at least 100 miles before charging. Top speed will have to be at Interstate Highway speeds or probably at least 70 mph. Also, there will have to be reasonable pickup from a dead stop. It seems like we have already had all these features in several of the vehicles listed above but for what ever reason they are no longer available. Contact your local car dealer and complain.

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