Michelle Nijhuis’ ode to biodiesel and her
American-sized Mercedes is well-intentioned but misinformed (HCN,
8/8/05: The American dream, sans gasoline).
Biodiesel
aficionados claim that burning vegetable oil drastically reduces
overall emissions of globe-warming carbon dioxide because the
carbon in plant oils is already part of the natural carbon cycle.
But the carbon in vegetable oil that is left to naturally degrade
will take months, if not years, to make its way into the atmosphere
through the respiration of soil microorganisms that feed on it. If
that same vegetable oil is burned, its C02 enters the atmosphere
immediately. The massive human addiction to combustion pushes the
equilibrium between harmless soil carbon and global warming
atmospheric carbon toward the atmospheric side of the equation,
regardless of the fuel being burned.
In addition, it
would take over a billion acres of land to grow enough vegetable
oil to power America’s transportation sector.
The
current infatuation with biodiesel creates the dangerous illusion
of having done something about the massive problems of climate
change and resource depletion. It fools us into believing that we
can continue our fascination with big cars and RVs while still
maintaining a clean conscience.
Jeff
Falen
Lebanon, Oregon
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Biodiesel is not the answer.
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