BIODIESEL?
As gas prices continue to rise, recent studies have indicated that the existing economic strain resulting from the $100 to $150 billion spent each year purchasing petroleum oil from other nations is taking a substantial toll on the overall global economy.
This factor alone is indicative of the future success or failure of the overall global economy. These efforts will also be determined by human ability to develop alternative fuel sources. Developing alternatives to petroleum oil should be one of any nation's highest priorities.
For example, in the United States (US) petroleum oil is primarily used for transportation purposes. Recent studies indicate that over two-thirds of all forms of transportation still require petroleum oil use.
Currently, the best alternative fuel source for transportation is clearly biodiesel. Biodiesel fuel can be used in existing diesel engines (with no changes). This is manufactured from various resources such as vegetable oils (i.e., sunflower, canola or jatropha curcas) or animal fats rather than the current industry standard petroleum oil.
Biodiesel is about 5% to 8% less energy dense than petroleum diesel, but has greater lubrication properties and higher combustion rate which is leading overall to a fuel efficiency of approximately 2% higher than petroleum diesel.
One of the vast advantages of biodiesel is the fact that it can be used in existing diesel engines without modification and can be blended in at any ratio with petroleum diesel.
This is a cost that can be completely avoided all together by simply integrating liquid bio-fuels into the current infrastructure.
Some of the primary economic advantages of biodiesel production include:
Farmers that intercrop, can earn income from jatropha-based farming, along with self sustainability.
Farm workers will have steady employment in areas where jobs were once scarce.
Diesel fuel production will further potential global business opportunities by lowering transportation costs.
Costa Rica would be self sustainable due to the fact that 80% of all engines used here are diesel engines.
Costa Rica can take action in planting against global warming due to its carbon capturing 50 year plant yield.
Jatropha curcas (also known as physic nut), is unique among bio-fuels. Because oil can be extracted from over 80 known plant specie varieties, jatropha is currently the first choice for biodiesel due to its high yield. Jatropha requires minimal inputs, stabilizes or even reverses desertification, and has uses for a variety of left over products once the bio-fuel is extracted.
Another attractive attribute of Jatropha is that it is a drought-resistant and can grow in saline, marginal and even otherwise infertile soil, requiring little water and maintenance.
Jatropha farming has been most successful in the drier regions of the tropics with annual rainfall ranging between 300 to1000 mm. It grows naturally at lower altitudes (0 to 500 m) in areas with average annual temperatures well above 20C, but can grow at higher altitudes and tolerate slight frost.
Diesel fuel with biodiesel additives such as Jatropha causes far less pollution to the environment.
It can go into the same fuel distribution infrastructure by either replacing petroleum diesel wholly (as B100, or 100% biodiesel), or simply being blended in with the diesel fuel. Not only does this assist with eliminating existing gas-related problems, but these initiatives also contribute toward making biodiesel a much more feasible alternative while eliminating some of the associated costs of restructuring fuel distribution infrastructures.
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