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Biodiesel Education

When Rudolf Diesel demonstrated his compression combustion engine at the 1900 World's Fair in Paris, the engine ran on peanut oil. Only later were Diesels engines polluted with fuels made from a petroleum distillate. Biodiesel is a fuel made from natural, renewable sources such as new and used vegetable oils and animal fats and is the only alternative fuel to have fully completed the health effects testing requirements of the Clean Air Act.

This fuel can be made from locally available materials which can keep the fuel dollars in our local economy. A biodiesel production test facility is coming online at Port Hueneme which will provide fuel to the local area. Local users of the fuel include Channel Islands National Park which has used the fuel for several years in the marine environment.

I have been using 100% biodiesel (B100) in my 1984 Mercedes Benz 300D for over eight years. I have traveled over 150,000 miles without using any petroleum fuel. It cost me $8.73 to prepare the car to run on the fuel which consisted of replacing three short fuel lines, one of which was leaking to begin with. I have had some problems with fuel in storage becoming contaminated due to some rusting drums but now have plastic ones. As with any fuel, poor handling practices usually results in poor fuel.

I also have a 1999 VW Golf TDI and a 2001 Dodge pickup both of which also operate on biodiesel (B100). If you are using biodiesel locally or are interested in the fuel contact me.

More information on biodiesel can be obtained from the following sources.

The National Biodiesel Board - nbb.org
The BiodieselNow.com Forum - biodieselnow.com
Biodiesel Handling and Use Guidelines - Biodiesel Guidelines in pdf
Department of Energy Alternative Fuel Data Center - Biodiesel Information
Cytoculture - Marine Biodiesel Handbook
Iowa State University Biodiesel Website including an online biodiesel course.

In providing others with education on biodiesel and its use I have given presentations at the following workshops or conventions -

Renewable Diesel Workshop, Sacramento 2002
Biodiesel Workshop, Vancouver WA, 2002
Bioenergy 2002, Boise ID, 2002
NBB Research and Brainstorming Workshop, New Orleans, 2003,
Department of the Interior Environmental Conference, Phoenix, 2003
Ventura West Marina, Ventura 2003
Displayed at Earth Day Events in Thousands Oaks & Santa Barbara, CA 2003
Channel Islands Sailing Club, Oxnard, 2003
9th National Clean Cities Convention, Palm Springs, 2003
CARB Alternative Diesel Fuels Symposium, Sacramento, CA 2003
UCLA Environmental Coalition, Los Angeles, 2003
National Biodiesel Convention, Palm Springs, 2004
Clean City Biodiesel Workshop, Reno, 2004
Biodiesel Workshop, Boise, 2004
National Biodiesel Convention, Fort Lauderdale, 2005
Earth Day Events, Thousand Oaks, Ojai, Santa Barbara, 2005/2006
AgrowKnowledge National Conference, Ventura, 2005
BQ-9000 Implementation Training, Dallas, TX 2006, Calgary, Canada 2006, San Diego, CA 2006
Ventura College, 2006/2007, Extended Education class, Ventura California

In 2004 Kent Bullard received the inaugural "Eye On Biodiesel" Award for Inspiration from the National Biodiesel Board.


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URL http://www.sustainableoptions.com/biodiesel.html
Last Update 06-10-2009