It seems like the solution to a lot of problems. If it's without any drawbacks we should be all over it like stink on a monkey.
2006-07-14 01:30:26 · 7 answers · asked by MAC 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Commuting
I do work for and attend a lot of meetings at the Department of Energy Biomass Office. There are no terrible downsides to it. There are a lot of researchers doing this work and have been doing it for years. The only true barrier to it are oil companies. As you know our President has dealings with oil and therefore instead of using pure bio diesel they want to find out if it can be mixed with oil.
This is actually why we still see an increase in our gas prices. Companies like shell and bp etc are doing the research to see if it can be mixed. So they are charging us more money to do research that other companies with no oil interest are already doing.
Bio diesel is a great option but it may take several years to get there.
2006-07-14 01:40:42 · answer #1 · answered by Natalie R 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It depends on what version of biodiesel you're talking about.
If you mean ethanol, if it is from corn, it is just handing agribusiness another competing use for corn, while still discriminating against the vegetable products that could be cheaply imported from developing countries by high tariffs. Prices will not go down.
If you mean reused vegetable oil, there would be fewer problems and it would be hard to maintain an oligopolistic structure to control prices. Every Chinese restaurant could sell its oil instead of paying to dispose of it.
There are two main problems with both: you have to have a diesel engine in your vehicle (not for ethanol so much) and you have to have a distribution system so people don't run out of fuel in between feuling stations.
Truck drivers don't like ethanol because it does not give them the same horsepower for heavy loads.
2006-07-14 08:42:08 · answer #2 · answered by thylawyer 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When Rudolph Diesel invented his engine
design it was designed to run on vegetable
oil. Its a great and economical idea to use
bio diesel. But, its going to take energy to
make energy, and I believe the best answer
so far is to decrease demand.
2006-07-14 08:41:24 · answer #3 · answered by TonySha 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No downside.
Bush and the Republicans in Congress are bought and paid for by big oil. That is why we don't use this renuable energy source.
Their 2nd biggest campaign contributors were the Military Industrial Complex (weapons builders), and suprise, we're at war.
The corruption of the Republicans is absolute. The rich get richer and you get poorer. Welcome to their Nobles/Surfs society.
2006-07-14 09:09:15 · answer #4 · answered by mykidsRmylife 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Heck ya there is a downside. If you drink a glass or two and then light a cigarette right away, you could blow yourself into the middle of next week. Don't try it--it may just be your last cigarette in life.
2006-07-14 08:46:04 · answer #5 · answered by EMAILSKIP 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It smells like french fries.
2006-07-14 08:32:40 · answer #6 · answered by Hunter S. Thompson 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The saudis dont like it much.
2006-07-14 08:34:46 · answer #7 · answered by willroch2003 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋