Biodiesel+from+waste+vegetable+oil+Anthony+Garrity

__**Biodiesel**__ __**From Waste Vegetable Oil**__ __**By: Anthony Garrity**__
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__**What is the problem at hand?**__ The problem at hand is GLOBAL WARMING. __**What is the driving force of the problem?**__ The driving force behind the problem is us, humans and how we live. We use too much gas, use too much water, and are not careful enough in what we do to the earth. The earth does a lot for use and has been for a long time, and it is time that we do something for the planet ourselves. __**What are we (people) currently doing?**__ Some of us are buying smaller cars, buying hybrids, using alternative fuels, recycling, being more careful of how we use the earth resources, and inventing new planet saving alternatives. MOST of us haven't changed how we do things, and we need to change before it is too late. __**What aren't we (people) currently doing?**__ We aren't doing enough to slow down the process of global warming. It is happening, and we need to start changing the way we to things to try to slow it down.



__**An intro to Biodiesel:**__ Biodiesel is a fuel that is vegitable oil based and can run on an unmodified diesel engine, such as cars, boats, trucks, construction equiptment, buses, generators, and home heating units that run off of oil. It is usually based from soy or canola oil (can be recycled by filtering fry oil from a Wendy's or chinese food resturaunt), or animal fat. When using it, you can mix it partially, wholely, or not mixed at all with regular diesel. It can also quiet down your engine, keep your engine running smoothly, and improve your gas milage.



__**How it Works**__ : First off, if you think it is just simply vegitable oil, YOU ARE WRONG! It is made through a refinery process called transesterification, or reaction of the oil with an alcohol to remove the glycerin (a by-product of biodiesel production). Biodiesel must be produced strictly to industry specifications (ASTM D6751) in order to insure proper performance. It is also biodegratable and 100% non toxic. Older vehicles (older than mid-90s) need to have upgrades of fuel lines, an easy and fairly cheap upgrade, because biodiesel can eat through certain types of rubber hoses used in fuel lines. Almost all diesel new vehicles should have no problem with biodiesel.

Biodiesel produces no CO2, actually, biodiesel can help reduce CO2 levels in the atmosphere, in growing soy beans it takes four times the amount of CO2 out of the earths atmosphere than is released in the exhaust of the burning biodiesel. Scientists call biodiesel "carbon neutral". The one emission that goes up into the atmosphere from biodiesel is NOx. Sadly, NOx contributes to smog. Scientists say that they //"feel that a slight increase (up to 15%) in NOx is greatly offset by the reduction in all other emissions and the major reduction in greenhouse gasses"//. So, in other words, the benefits outweigh the bad.

This is the equation for biodiesel making Waste vegetable oil (WVO) -- used cooking oil, fryer grease, animal fats, lard Methanol (CH3OH) -- 99% + pure Sodium hydroxide (NaOH -- caustic soda, lye) -- must be dry




 * __The Best Aspects:__** There are many great aspects of using biodiesel from recycled vegetable oil, the best ones are you are recycling, reducing CO2 emissions, improving your diesel powered cars efficiency, cleaning your vehicle's engine, and slowing down the process of global warming. By using biodiesel you are helping yourself, your car, and the planet. The number of buyers of biodiesel have increased over the past few years.



__**The Critics:**__ Through out my research, the critics describe biodiesel as a great way to help the planet as an alternative fuel source, but it is only for diesel vehicles, and it costs more to be produced because of the cost of chemicals that are used to refine it.


 * __Why it Doesn't Make Up the the Worlds Fuel and Energy Supply:__** Biodiesel, even though it can help slow down global warming, reduce CO2 emissions, and help your car run better, and save you money, biodiesel is not a big enough item on the market. This is because even thought you can get the used cooking oil for free, the cost of the purification process causes the cost of biodiesel to be higher than regular diesel, i guess that people don't want to pay a little extra to help save the planet.



__**What it would take to do better on a larger scale:**__ Well, first off, everyone would have to use it, that means everyone would have to have a car compatible with biodiesel, you would have to have everyone use it to heat their houses, to heat their schools, and their offices.



"The National Biodiesel Board has released the following sales volume estimate for the U.S." 2006-- 250 million gallons 2005-- 75 million gallons 2004-- 25 million gallons 2003-- 20 million gallons 2002--15 million gallons 2001-- 5 million gallons 2000-- 2 million gallons 1999-- 500,000 gallons People use biodiesel because it is different and a great way to help the environment.
 * Who uses it and why:** There are people all over the world who are starting to catch on to biodiesel. The figures below will show the national buying rated from 1999 to 2006 thanks to biodiesel.org-FAQ




 * __What would i do next to change how it is used__**__:__ What I would do is I would make it more affordable so that more people would buy it. I would try to get gas stations to put biodiesel pumps in and have them endorse it. I also think that it should be offered by heating companies. I think it isn't used very much because people don't know enough about it. In educating people about biodiesel, we could lessen our dependence on foreign oil.

[|Carbon emissions]

http://www.biodieselnow.com/blogs/general_biodiesel/archive/2007/12/05/what-is-biodiesel.aspx http://www.biodiesel.org/resources/faqs/ http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel.html http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_mike.html
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