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Food for Fuel trade off.
The Biodiesel scam in the US.
The use of food crops to produce a petroleum fual alternative is a hotly debated issue and one that the average consumer rarely has all the facts to make an informed option. I will attempt to shed some light on this subject. It is unlikely that I will be able to do this in an unbiased way but I hope at least it will start some people thinking about what we and our government is really doing.
I have worked in the petroleum industry in one aspect or another for over 30 years. I have seen the industry from the inside and have been involved in many of the innovations and processes that has culminate in our current state of affairs. I won’t go into details of my experience or carrier, suffice to say that I do not approach this subject from a laymen’s or outsiders view point.
The concept of Alternative fuels is not new. It began in earnest with the development of the diesel engine by German inventor Rudolf Diesel in 1893. Although Diesel didn’t design or intend for his invention to work with vegetable oil or other types of renewable fuels, as is commonly believed. He did show that his engine was fully capable of operation on these fuels and was fully supportive of its use. In a 1912 speech Diesel said, "The use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today but such oils may become, in the course of time, as important as petroleum and the coal-tar products of the present time."
Since then pure vegetable oil has been used in diesel engines throughout the world in areas where petroleum fuel is difficult or expensive to obtain. Even before the invention of the diesel engine, the chemical process for converting triglycerides into methyl esters was conducted by scientists E. Duffy and J. Patrick in 1853. In 1937, G. Chavanne was granted a patent for what was the first efficient process for the production of “Biodiesel”.
Many countries without an abundant source of petroleum available within their borders looked to biodiesel as an alternative as early as 1920 and WWII served to encourage this approach.
Brazil is, in my option the world shining example of what can be accomplished with the use of bio-fuels. Their government mandate the use of 25% Ethanol in gasoline as early as 1931 and the country is currently the second largest producer of ethanol with the US being the 1st. In recent years they have cut their petroleum imports to Zero and have increased their ethanol exports. Currently they are improving and implementing the use of Biodiesel as a fuel source due to the increased value of the sugar needed to make ethanol. The majority of vehicles in Brazil run on pure bio fuels. This is a country that did it right.
In the US the situation is significantly different. The production of Biodiesel in the US has a negative sustainability and marginal beneficial effect on the environment. Here is why…
On average 1 acre of Soybean will yield 63 gallons of oil. It takes about 25 % Methanol to make Biodiesel. Methanol is made from petroleum at a net energy lose of about 35 %. Therefore the petroleum cost of Methanol to produce biodiesel is about 34 %. That leaves us with 42 gallons of Biodiesel per acre. It takes about 10 gallons per acre to plant and harvest soybeans leaving us with 32 gallons per acre. The production of Biodiesel requires heat, and lots of it, reducing the yield even further to 25 gallons per acre. Catalyst production, Transportation and delivery, Waste removal and disposal, all consume energy at an estimate 22 % of production rates leaving us with only 19 gallons per acre. A 30 % yield.
Biodiesel in a diesel engine is less efficient then petroleum diesel by as much as 10 % and it produces only 15 % less green house gases. If added to petroleum diesel at 5 % the effective reduction of green house gasses from the supplanting of the petroleum is less than 0.25 % and the increased fuel consumption offsets the benefits of producing and adding it to the fuel to begin with.
So why has the production of Biodiesel been expanding so rapidly in the US??
It’s simple. $$$$ and LOTS of it.
The cost of production of biodiesel cannot compete with that of petroleum therefore the government in its infinite wisdom has provided enormous grants, kick backs and subsidies to companies to produce biodiesel. An in the end it is WE who are paying for it.
The government and producers are feeding us false information about the benefits of biodiesel while at the same time driving up the price of consumer crops.
Yes we need to wean ourselves off of dependents on Mideast oil. Biodiesel could do that but as long as our government makes it enormously profitable true advances in the industry will not take place. Our environment is not befitting from our governments smoke and mirrors.
Even the traditional petroleum companies and getting to the Biodiesel market. Why? Profit !!! Not because they give a crap about our environment or imported oil dependents.
We can be as good or better then Brazil as far as Bio-Fuel production and us but we need strong leader ship supported by a well informed public.
Don’t take my word for it. Learn the facts. Get involved. Vote the money grabbers out if they’re not doing a good job.
It’s our country. It’s time to take it back from big business and their controlled government.
It’s time to do what is right for our country and the environment.
