OK, I am back. Did you miss me? Colin is here. Colin, the clean energy freak. yes, that’s right – you heard correctly. To be as passionate about clean, sustainable energy, you have to be a bit freakishly dedicated to the cause.
I know I speak Chinese to some people who are new to biofuel/biodiesel ideas. Can’t blame you – it’s being spoken about almost everywhere by politicians and big company CEOs; however, not many people really understand what these terms mean.
Don’t worry, you are not alone. Most people on this planet do not get it. That is why Uncle Colin will give you the most important takeaway nuggets, so you don’t have to read millions of words.
Here is a great video to get you started if you prefer to watch and not read:
Here goes. Biofuel is made of vegetable oil. It has organic origins. Now, this oil can be of any source, i.e. rapeseed, sunflower, palm. You name it – you can make biodiesel from it. The kicker is that the final product is not completely organic. In simplest terms – you get the plants, press them, make oil and then add chemicals to the oil in order to make it ready to be used in cars. The difference between the various grades of the end product (biodiesel) depends on the process, type and amount of chemicals added to the plant oil. Some are cleaner than others. Some are not. All in all, biofuels are good for the planet because: a) they replace fossil fuels; b) they produce less toxic chemicals in the air.
Sounds great, doesn’t it?
It’s not as simple as I described it, but this crash definition of biofuels and biodiesel will be handy initially. Should you wish to go down the rabbit hole (and have the required millions of years of time to read everything), I will provide references to explore in your own free time. You have been warned, though :). …