More and more Americans are turning to biodiesel.

[NNadir]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - A growing number of Americans are setting up mini-refineries in their homes to produce biodiesel, a fuel made from waste cooking oil which is cleaner and cheaper than the petrol sold in gas stations.

The sky-high price of crude oil is scaring everyone.

Biodiesel has Hollywood backers like actress Julia Roberts and Morgan Freeman, is sung about by country star Willie Nelson but also meets the political correctness of the American right wing which has made the campaign against imported oil a mantra.

"It's better for the engine, way better for the environment, it's cheaper, but it depends how you price your labor," said Dan Goodman, an entrepreneur in residence at the University of Maryland Business School who runs his Mercedes on biodiesel.

There are two ways to get on the biodiesel bandwagon, Goodman said.

Either you change the engine and just put in waste oil, which would not be strictly legal in the United States, or you can modify the fuel into biodiesel, which is legal and works in any diesel car.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060722/sc_afp/afplifestyleusautoenvironmentfuel_060722022536

I think the risk of point source pollution is much smaller than the risk of global climate change. Of course you could get the road tax "revanoooers" after you.

All of these tales need a note about scale:

According to the National Biodiesel Board, biodiesel production has tripled since 2004 to 75 million gallons (280 million liters) last year. This year, it is expected to double to 150 million gallons (56 million liters).

In comparison, US consumption of traditional diesel fuel extracted from crude oil stands at 60 billion gallons (227 billion liters) per year.

[Autumn Colors]

1. Here you go -- make your own :)

http://www.journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_make.html

[eppur_se_muova]

2. It's all that greasy fast food. Oh, you mean ... nt

[NNadir]

3. Hey, I didn't write the headline. Yahoo did!

:spank:

:rofl:

On edit: I did write the headline. :blush:

Something's happening to my writing lately and it ain't good.

[Javaman]

4. This fine and dandy..

but be prepared for the day when this gets heavily regulated. And at some point there will be "revanoooers" coming after you. Until some sizable corp sees the real money in this, it's no issue, but as soon as some previously known oil giant gets it's claws into bioD, look out, it will be the 1930's all over again and instead of moonshine it will be bioD.

We are entering into the wild west of energy very soon. BioD stills will be the new crack house busts of tomorrow, mark my words.