Would You Use Veggie Oil to Fuel Your Vehicle?

I wish people would get off the food or fuel argument when it comes to converting WASTE vegetable oil(WVO) to biodiesel. Using as waste stream to offset a very small part of diesel useage only makes sense. Biodiesel made from WVO will never amount to more than 1-2% if we converted all of it to biodiesel. But, just because biodiesel is not the green silver bullet to solve our alternative energy problem doesn't mean we shouldn't produce it. We need a whole host of technologies in the near term to reduce/replace our petro useage.

The more calories a substance has, the greater cost, including costs to grow, gather raw materials, and make the stuff. Consider, fats have been and are, valued foods: they embody energy stores, thus survival. Fats = food source valued by mammals. Harder to hunt or grow enough of it, it may be scarce and whoever goes to get it, may not come back.
Fats as fuels works very nicely. But it will never work for billions of people simultaneously powering their vehicles. Just not feasible. It can only work for a few, to be a small part of the Bridge to Better Developments.
Similar issues plague using alcohol as fuel.
ANYthing burned to make a vehicle run is nearing obsolete.
The planet just cannot sustain 6 billion people BURNing fuel to run vehicles, homes, industries.
We must, very quickly, discover far better solutions. At present, the compressed air cars being developed have great promise as commuter pods and small work vehicles. There could even be kits to convert small older cars to use it.

My neighbor makes his own bio fuel. He uses a combination of his food SCRAPS and used cooking oil. He does NOT rob food off his table. He powers his tractor, backhoe, trucks and generator from this bio fuel.

Granted the quickest and easiest way is to take the actual food item, but it can still be done WITHOUT doing this. And yes, he does have to filter more. But to say bio fuel takes food away from the table is false.

Bottom line, we need to do something.
Fossil fuels are finite.

Fossil fuels are being consumed faster than the earth can produce more.

Humans currently have no set of replacements for fossil fuels and all of their by-products. Like plastic, pharmacuticals, air and water filters, fertilizers, pesticides, over half of our composite materials and even pencils are all made from fossil fuels.

Based on consumption rates from 2002 we have maybe 50-250 years before fossil fuels are gone from the planet. Then what happens?

So, to me it is just a question of how hard are we willing to work for or pay for our fuel?

Well, Biodiesel and other Bio-Fuels are great. Problem is they are also food. There are still people going hungry in the world, and we are turing food into fuel so we can get around easier.

There is a part of that that bothers me, a lot.

No matter the source (corn, wood, switchgrass); the land used to grow fuel could be used to grow food. We humans can be pretty smart, I think we can find a better way.

Biodiesel is great, and being able to use waste vegetable oil is
even better, but there are drawbacks. Biodiesel cannot be used in
some of the newer diesel engines. The newest version of the Dodge
6.7L Cummins diesel engine can be ruined by using B100 (100%
Biodiesel), and even a low level blend of 50% biodiesel and
conventional diesel is tough on this engine. In cold weather, the
biologically-based diesel has to be mixed with conventional diesel
because it has a tendency to coagulate at very low temperatures.
Using waste vegetable oil requires a substantial initial
investment, especially if like me one is mechanically inexperienced
and must depend on others to do all the installation work. Finding
waste vegetable oil is labor intensive, and then the oil must be
filtered and have any water removed. I haven't started doing this
for myself yet, and buy my oil for $2 a gallon from a good source
that filters and boils the oil to get all water content out.
Changing the vegetable oil fuel filter is another expense that
can't be ignored. But in the end, it is worth it to me. I think the
diesel engine is the best thing we have in ending our dependency on
foreign oil, but it is not mainstream enough to beat the drive to
turn biological-based fuel sources into alcohol for use in
conventional gasoline vehicles (which by the way produces 20% less
fuel efficiency than using gasoline).

I do not see how this could be any more dangerous as far as
emmisions are concerned being that its refined plant material as
opposed to mineral material. this is just an uneducated guess. But
either way, im going to go this route. of course, the government
already has it ILLEGAL and considers it tax evasion. rediculous.
can they control the wind yet? nope, but they'll find a way im
sure. how about the sun? im going all in with venture. no way am i
going to pass this up. bye bye electric company and high gas
prices! The auto makers wont get behind it because of big oil
companies. or any oil companies. they make too much money. the evil
bottom line that drives the world. looks like florida is a
destination im willing to go to live for this. they have sun and
McD's there, right?

Just wanted to comment that I don't own biodiesel now
(http://www.biodieselnow.com) as was indicated in the article. I do
however own Utah Biodiesel Supply
http://www.utahbiodieselsupply.com Too funny! Someone really
double-checked the facts on this one.... -Graydon