Biodiesel

Biodiesel: Growing a New Energy Economy by Greg Pahl (2004)

Greg Pahl " Pahl is a visionary, but a visionary with his feet firmly planted in the soil. May his vision flower, and soon! "

—William McKibben

When Rudolph Diesel invented his engine in the late nineteenth century, he envisioned a device that could run anywhere on a wide range of local fuels. A century later, Greg Pahl recalls that vision and shows us it is possible with Biodiesel: Growing a New Energy Economy.

Biodiesel is:

• more biodegradable than sugar and less toxic than table salt, and
• produced from domestic feedstocks, reducing the need for foreign oil while boosting the local economy and supporting the agricultural community.

Biodiesel can:

• reduce net CO2 emissions by 78 percent compared with petroleum diesel fuel, cutting greenhouse gases that lead to global warming,
• be mixed with petroleum diesel at any level to produce a cleaner-burning biodiesel blend, and
• be blended with No. 2 oil for home heating, usually without any retrofits required.

As the politics of energy grow bleak, visionary entrepreneurs in the biofuels industry may very well become society's next great hope-heroes to today's energy insecurity the way astronauts were to the Cold War's space race. In Biodiesel, Greg Pahl delves into the history of the biofuels industry. He assesses its recent successes and current shortcomings, and stands well prepared to estimate its future. If the political, environmental, or financial woes of our current fuel industry have you concerned, it's time to take another look at biodiesel!

"Finally, the book we've been looking for. Greg Pahl's new biodiesel book offers a comprehensive review of all things veggie oil powered. From the history of the diesel engine to the development of the biodiesel industry, past current and future. This is the ultimate primer."

—Rob Elam, Propel Project

About the Author

Greg Pahl has been involved with renewable energy issues for more than 20 years. He is a founding member and codirector of the Vermont Biofuels Association. He is the author of The Citizen-Powered Energy Handbook and Natural Home Heating: The Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Options, and has written about wind power, solar energy, electric cars, sustainable forestry management, and biodiesel home heating. He and his wife, Joy, live in Weybridge, Vermont.