Biodiesel not the answer, professor says

[Cybergal]

Biodiesel not the answer, professor says
10/13/08

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. — Dr. Robert Allen's laboratory looks like something out of a bad sci-fi film: cluttered work desks, funnels and tubes, beakers filled with various substances.


But if you can look past the cliche, you'll see that this Arkansas Tech University professor is on the cutting edge of a subject that is becoming increasingly important to Americans: alternative fuels and energies.

http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stori...essorsays.aspx

[Mooney]

I could have told you biodiesel is not the answer, and I'm not even a professor.

[brtecson]

Originally Posted by Mooney

I could have told you biodiesel is not the answer, and I'm not even a professor.

If you actually read the article, the professor doesn't say biodiesel isn't the answer. He is saying that the current use of production has the potential to be more efficient, and that the use of crops other than soybeans is eminent.

[bullhaulerswife]

Yeah, like the algae production of diesel. Thats what he is referring to in the article. I still can't believe that this isn't in full swing yet.

[lego1970]

If you look at Soy Stats over the last 20 years it's pretty clear that biodiesel production has had little effect over the recent rise in soybean prices. Most of the price increase has been from rumors and speculation. It's hard to find a more suitable feedstock other then rapeseed or soybean in the midwest. In the northwest it's canola and in the midsouth blue algea could work. It's good to continue biodiesel production for replacing the lubricity in the fuel that was lost in the introduction in low sulfer diesel. As long as the feedstock of biodiesel remians high in price, biodiesel will never be a low price subsitute of petro diesel, however from a strategic point of view it is vital that we keep production up.

[goin2fast10]

It's kind of like "synthetic oil", we all know the virtues, but don't want to pay the price.