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Book Reviews
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Biodiesel: Growing a New Energy Economy
by Greg Pahl
(ChelseaGreen Publishing; 2005; $18.00; 281 pages, forward by Bill McKibben)
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I was pleasantly surprised by the book “Biodiesel: Growing a New Energy Economy.” It taught a biodiesel-enthusiast like me quite a few new things. It mentions the major world players in the biodiesel industry and some local California biodiesel pioneers. The book has the best descriptions of Rudolf Diesel’s life and the development of what became known as the diesel engine. It contains everything about my favorite alternative fuel, biodiesel, from an in-depth world history to the actual process of brewing the fuel.
Basically, biodiesel is a very low-flammability fuel that is made from vegetable oil instead of petroleum. It is “brewed” at any scale from a couple of gallons at a time to thousands of gallons. It can be used in any diesel engine, from tractors to big-rigs to passenger vehicles. This alternative fuel is a direct replacement for diesel fuel and has about 50% of the emissions. Biodiesel also does not contain sulfur, so it does not contribute to acid rain. Does a cleaner-burning fuel made from domestically-produced crops sound too good to be true?
Greg Pahl also discusses the limits on production and the issues of sustainability. The book explains how different parts of the world are responding to biodiesel production in their area. Europe is already the world leader in biodiesel production, which explains why up to 70% of their vehicles are diesels. I was glad to see that Japan already had a functional closed loop production system, similar to the model I mentioned in my biodiesel article (in the last issue of HopeDance). Japanese farmers in the town of Hikawa grow winter oil crops in between their rice plantings to supply the town with local vegetable oil. After being used in the restaurants, the biodiesel producers turn the oil into fuel for the entire town.
The book also gives the history of biodiesel production in the United States, including the large role that soybean farmers have played in the popularity of biodiesel. It has a great section about the lobby groups that have popped up to support biodiesel and the politics of biodiesel. Pahl also includes his worries about long-term use of straight vegetable oil in diesel engines. He concludes the book with a chapter about the future of biodiesel, which looks like a bright future indeed.
Ryan LaPorte. See and hear him (and others) speak at the Biodiesel Evening on June 10th in SLO.
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