Going Green! The Environmental Impact of Bio Diesel Fuel

Posted: Oct 28, 2012
Author: Bumgarner Oil

Bio Diesel fuel is quickly becoming the oil of the future. Known foremost for its low effect on the environment, bio diesel fuel is being used in cars, agricultural machinery, and to heat homes.  The use of bio diesel can potentially decrease pollution, deforestation, greenhouse gasses, and the rate of biodegradation.

Pollution

Bio diesel fuel is the only fuel to have passed the requirements of the clean air act. It has a decreased amount of emissions, has a higher cetane rating than regular diesel and consists of fewer aromatic hydrocarbons. Because of these features, bio diesel can be seen as a positive alternative for the environment since it can improve performance and clean up emissions.

Greenhouse Gasses

How bio diesel lowers the amount of greenhouse gas emissions is determined by a few factors including the production process of the bio diesel itself. Simply speaking, bio diesel derived from rapeseed or sunflower oil has shown to produce 45-65% less greenhouse gas emissions than regular diesel. This does not take into account the potential creation of carbon dioxide during the manufacturing of the bio diesel itself; however, there is continuing research to find more efficient ways of producing bio diesel and creating a cleaner process.

Biodegradation

Bio fuel studies have shown that it leaves no mortalities or toxic effects on the environment. Since biodegradation rates of bio fuel are 5 times faster than regular diesel, the environmental effect of bio diesel is vastly less than its counterpart.