Cheaper Veggie Diesel May Change the Way We Drive
Japanese scientists may have found a cheaper and more efficient way to produce "biodiesel." The renewable, vegetable oil-based fuel can be used in conventional diesel engines, which are found in about 2 percent of cars currently sold in the U.S. and in about 40 percent in Europe.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has determined that the greener fuel emits only a third of the unburned hydrocarbons and half of the carbon monoxide and particulates that standard diesel fuel emits. Furthermore, biodiesel's sulfur oxide and sulfate emissions, which cause acid rain, are negligible.
The fuel is also biodegradable, so safety concerns and pollution issues are minimal.
ADDED 12/2: A company in Montreal has started producing biodiesel commercially. They anticipate nearly 10 million gallons their first year of operation.
ADDED 12/5: Austin BioFuels sells biodiesel, straight or blended, in Texas.
posted by Miles Baska 
