Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => The Environment => Topic started by: Don_1 on 05/03/2009 10:47:06

Title: What is the true cost of biodiesel?
Post by: Don_1 on 05/03/2009 10:47:06

I have been watching the Orang-utan Diaries on BBC2 over the past couple weeks and am amazed at the devastation of the Borneo rainforest for the production of Palm Oil. This oil is being used for the production of biodiesel. One acre will produce 500 gallons of biodiesel.

In 2004 in the UK, 150 gallons of diesel was sold every second. That would equate to 18 acres of biodiesel production being sold every minute, or 25,920 (approx) per day. Or if you prefer 105 sq kilometres.  This means the UK alone could use 38,325 sq k per year.

How can this possibly be regarded as an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuel?

If you have the BBC iplayer downloaded, you can watch the Orang-utan Diaries here:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00j3lxm/Orangutan_Diary_Series_2_Episode_2/ (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00j3lxm/Orangutan_Diary_Series_2_Episode_2/)

Title: Re: What is the true cost of biodiesel?
Post by: Karsten on 05/03/2009 21:03:25

 I think the environmentalist who pay attention do not consider it an alternative to power individual private vehicles. Too many cars.

Title: Re: What is the true cost of biodiesel?
Post by: Mazurka on 10/03/2009 09:16:21

I think the problem is that there is a "good" biodiesel made from waste vegtable oil from fast food restaurants/ food factories and "bad" biodiesel made from (oil palm) plantations in what would have been rain forrest.

There is a chap hippie i know, who gets the oil from his local chip shop a passes it throuh a complex (solar driven) filter system in his back yard, which he then fuels his bus with during the summer festival season.

Title: What is the true cost of biodiesel?
Post by: Karsten on 10/03/2009 20:25:32

Quote from: Mazurka on 10/03/2009 09:16:21

I think the problem is that there is a "good" biodiesel made from waste vegtable oil from fast food restaurants/ food factories and "bad" biodiesel made from (oil palm) plantations in what would have been rain forrest.

There is a chap hippie i know, who gets the oil from his local chip shop a passes it throuh a complex (solar driven) filter system in his back yard, which he then fuels his bus with during the summer festival season.

But very few people could do that. Not enough fast-food restaurants per capita I guess. Well, it is reducing waste, so that is a good thing.

Title: What is the true cost of biodiesel?
Post by: Mazurka on 11/03/2009 11:04:36

Absolutely - it is like any energy from waste scheme - mass burn incinerators take waste from say 120,000 households and produce enough power for 30,000.