Let’s face it, we are all creatures of habit and we like to take the “easier” route, if at all possible. It’s not that we don’t care about issues that we’re not sure we can do anything about, or might affect our heirs and generations in future, but we just don’t focus unless the chips are really down. This can lead to apathy and inaction, yet through education we can come to terms with the fact that we really should be proactive and make changes for the greater good.

What incentive is there for me to change over to biodiesel fuel? Today, there are numerous reasons for doing so and over the last few years these answers have gained additional credibility. We know that biodiesel has numerous ecological reasons to support its use, to say nothing of the economic benefits.

Firstly, carbon emissions are now definitely the enemy of the peace. The “green” movement has become main-stream. We may see government action to force a reduction in the use of conventional fuels, adding a premium to gasoline, for example. Looking ahead, government regulators have also said that cars must maintain a much higher fuel economy and it looks like greenhouse gas emissions are now going to be adjudged hazardous pollutants. In the light of these points, we should note that biodiesel reduces carbon dioxide emissions associated with traditional fuel options and by a factor of as much as 80%.

At present, homemade biodiesel fuels can be created from such waste products as cooking oils and thus help to cut down on recycling costs or other issues associated with disposal of wastes. Biodiesel may also be derived from vegetable products, such as soy, which is readily available within our agricultural communities. Just think of the incredible changes that we could bring to those communities by using their crops to full advantage for our transportation needs.

Alternative fuels such as biodiesel should be considered for our vehicle transportation needs in much greater quantities, and if this occurs, we will not be so vulnerable to the ups and downs associated with oil production prices when manufactured in foreign lands. How times have changed, in the US we would never have dreamed about four dollar per gallon gasoline five years or so ago. We can do much for our energy security by concentrating on making biodiesel from domestically available sources.

The US automotive industry is changing significantly and we can expect to see an introduction of smaller and more economically viable cars there, similar to those seen in Europe for the last decade. On that continent, more than half of the vehicles actually run on diesel and can readily accept biodiesel fuels. We can fully expect the trend within the United States to be toward this type of vehicle and as such will see a growing trend toward making biodiesel widely available. By 2020, biodiesel fuel will be a staple part of our economy.