 Biodiesel
Growing a New Energy Economy
By Greg Pahl
When Rudolph Diesel invented his engine in the late nineteenth century,
he envisioned a device that could run anywhere on a wide range of local
fuels. A century later, Greg Pahl recalls that vision and shows us it is
possible with Biodiesel: Growing a New Energy Economy.
Biodiesel is:
• more biodegradable than sugar and less toxic than table salt.
• produced from domestic feedstocks, reducing the need for foreign oil
while boosting the local economy and supporting the agricultural
community.
Biodiesel can:
• reduce net CO2 emissions by 78 percent compared with petroleum diesel
fuel, cutting greenhouse gases that lead to global warming.
• be mixed with petroleum diesel at any level to produce a
cleaner-burning biodiesel blend.
• be blended with No. 2 oil for home heating, usually without any
retrofits required.
Last month, the US government cast a grim forecast for heating prices
this winter, and Smart Money reported that average residential natural
gas prices are expected to be 11% higher than a year ago, heating oil
prices are up 29%, and propane is averaging 17% higher than last winter.
Meanwhile, we are repeatedly reminded that our increasing reliance on
unstable fuel markets is serving as the greatest threat to our national
security.
As the politics of energy grow bleak, visionary entrepreneurs in the
biofuels industry may very well become society's next great hope-heroes
to today's energy insecurity the way astronauts were to the Cold War's
space race. In Biodiesel, Greg Pahl delves into the history of the
biofuels industry. He assesses its recent successes and current
shortcomings, and stands well prepared to estimate its future. If the
political, environmental, or financial woes of our current fuel industry
have you concerned, it's time to take another look at biodiesel!
List Price: $18.00 + S&H
 About
the Author:
Greg Pahl has been involved with renewable energy issues for more than
20 years. He is a founding member and codirector of the Vermont Biofuels
Association. He is the author of Natural Home Heating: The Complete
Guide to Renewable Energy Options (Chelsea Green, 2003), and has written
about wind power, solar energy, electric cars, sustainable forestry
management, and biodiesel home heating. He and his wife, Joy, live in
Weybridge, Vermont. Visit Greg's Web site at www.gregpahl.com and offers
of a free bumper sticker!
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