Biodiesel rules go into effect
It has been over a year since the Portland City Council set down a mandate that stated that virtually all diesel sold within the City be at least five percent biodiesel. Well, the deadline for the new fuel requirements went in to effect last Wednesday, marking yet another first for Portland, and showing the rest of the nation what it means to be a 'Green City', i.e. a leading city in protecting the environment. With biodiesel coming mostly from biological sources like mustard seed and canola oil, burning it produces far fewer hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide than burning standard petroleum diesel. And since it can be manufactured from home-grown products, biodiesel may be the key to relaxing our dependence on foreign oil, as well as possibly being the answer to environmentally charged issues, like drilling for oil in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge.
In addition to the requirement that all service stations supplement their standard diesel with biodiesel, last year Portland became one of the first cities in the nation to convert nearly all of its fleet of trucks and large vehicles to run on biodiesel. Most of the City trucks are currently running on at least a fifty percent biodiesel/petroleum diesel mix, while some city vehicles are running on nearly one hundred percent biodiesel fuel.
Portland's biodiesel revolution is truly a positive step and, hopefully, more cities around the country will use as a model for their own 'Green' blueprint. For more information, check out The Portland Tribune.
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Portland to run on Biodiesel – http://pdxtransit.com/wordpress/2006/11/02/portland-to-run-on-biodiesel/
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I think biodiesel is still way more hype than substance. It takes energy to make it and it is a lot less efficient than traditional gasoline.
I think we should concentrate our efforts on developing better traditional gasoline engine technology and change how we drive. Do we really need 225hp to get around the city?
Thanks,
Khun
This is silly and it angers me. Mandates like these come from the government all the time and they make absolutely no difference. These rulings end up costing Portlanders more money and will not help.
Does 5% really matter, will it make a difference in the cost or availability of bio-diesel.
-Khun
I think this is a fantastic idea because we have to get the ball rolling with the use of
bio-diesel. If the government leads then the people will follow. I feel that it basically comes down to ease of use: Make it cheaper and just as easy as buying gasoline and people will start using it.
Regards,
Susan
I think Susan is exactly right. Is five percent biodiesel the answer to all our energy problems? Absolutely not. Does it get the ball rolling on petroleum alternatives? Absolutely yes. And that’s what is needed right now. We need to get people used to the idea that we don’t have to rely on Saudi oil or drilling in wildlife reserves to supply our fuel needs. It’s thinking outside the box, and it’s what this country needs.