Biodiesel produced by conventional means may use an inordinate amount of fossil fuel, as described in the Cornell/UCB study.  But what about biodiesel produced by alternate means, i.e. tractors driven by solar-electric and processors heated by solar-thermal?

We must think in a new way to achieve energy independence or we'll be hurtin' for certain sooner than later.  I'm no tree-hugging hippy...in fact I think to the right politically, but it pains me to think we now send 60 billion dollars a year overseas to buy oil that could be better invested here.

And I'm still wondering whether or not vegetable-based biodiesel burns cleaner than petro-based diesel.

Anthony

Mike S <mikes@FLATSURFACE.COM> wrote: At 09:17 AM 6/26/2007, Anthony Egeln wrote...
>What about diesel made from vegetable sources?  Are they more green
>(no pun intended!).  I see a huge opportunity to produce vegetable
>diesel on a very local level, not nationally for some time, but as a
>cottage industry relatively soon.

While recycling fryer oil from the local fast food might be "green,"
large scale biodiesel (or ethanol) production is not.
http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/node/8353

---------------------------------
Be a better Heartthrob. Get better relationship answers from someone who knows.
Yahoo! Answers - Check it out.