Biodiesel in the Bay Area

Have you ever been behind a diesel car or truck? Then you know they stink and are highly polluting. But change the fuel from petroleum diesel (petro-diesel) to biodiesel and everything changes. With biodiesel the smell is similar to that of French fries or popcorn. And even better is the health improvement. Biodiesel is biodegradable and about as toxic as table salt, and biodiesel vehicles have significantly reduced emissions.

In the Bay Area, biodiesel is becoming increasingly important as a renewable transportation fuel. Several cities and counties are using biodiesel in their fleets. Biodiesel co-ops, and even a public biodiesel station, have sprouted across the area to supply the fuel to a growing number of consumers.

In September of 2003, at the urging of Marin County Supervisor Susan Adams, Marin's Department of Public Works began testing biodiesel in one of its diesel vehicles. After six months the department was so pleased that it decided to use B20 (a blend of 20% biodiesel and 80% petro-diesel) in more of its diesel vehicles, everything from pick-up trucks to large construction equipment. The B20 worked so well that the department decided this year to move to B30. Today about 40% of the department's diesel vehicles run on B30. The main limitation is that the county has installed a biodiesel tank at only one depot, but it hopes to have biodiesel at the other depots in the future. The only reservation was with seasonal-use vehicles; no one has done much testing on how the fuel will do if it sits in the vehicle for a long period of time without use. The biodiesel program has been a great success and has been incorporated into Marin County's Cities for Climate Protection action plan.

The city of Berkeley, with one of the longest records of using biodiesel of any city in the U.S., provided Marin with crucial support and guidance on Marin's transition to biodiesel. In 2001 the Ecology Center, which runs all the recycling trucks in Berkeley, converted to 100% biodiesel. Except for a few hoses and gaskets it required no investment in new equipment - simply a change in fuel. The trucks immediately quit spewing black, smelly smoke, and public support for biodiesel grew. In 2003 Berkeley decided to run all 180 of its diesel-powered vehicles on 100% biodiesel. Recently the city has temporarily reduced its use of biodiesel as part of a troubleshooting process, but hopes to resume full use when the problems are resolved.

At the urging of biodiesel advocates San Francisco began a biodiesel pilot project at Muni in 2004, which it is hoping to expand later this year.

And biodiesel is not just for government. Many thoughtful people have chosen to run their cars and trucks on biodiesel rather than petro-diesel. The cost is more, currently about a dollar per gallon more, but these early adopters believe that they are helping to improve the environment and the air we all breathe.

The Biofuel Oasis in Berkeley, open since 2003, is a popular place for Bay Area residents to fill up with biodiesel. At that time there were no public biodiesel pumps in San Francisco or the East Bay. SaraHope Smith and Jennifer Radtke, members of the Berkeley Biodiesel Collective, saw the need and filled it. For more information on Biofuel Oasis see www.biofueloasis.com or call (510) 665-5509. There are now also biodiesel pumps in Sonoma County, Mendocino County (Hopland and Laytonville), and San Jose.

Last June a group of San Franciscans who use biodiesel in their passenger cars and trucks, formed the San Francisco Biofuels Cooperative. They aim to increase public access to biodiesel, educate the public about it, and advocate for the city and state to use it. The co-op purchases biodiesel in bulk and resells it to its members, providing members with a viable alternative to the stinky petro-diesel sold by the petroleum giants. The Co-op welcomes new members. For more information, see www.sfbiofuel.org/ or call (415) 267-3998.

The Sierra Club applauds these efforts and we encourage our members to support biodiesel use in their local community.

Eric Bowen, Chapter Energy Committee member, and president of the San Francisco Biofuels Co-op
Much of the research for this article was done with the assistance of Biofuel Oasis.

What is biodiesel?

Biodiesel is a renewable fuel for diesel engines derived from natural oils (virgin or recycled). Biodiesel can be used pure (B100) or mixed at any concentration with petro-diesel in existing diesel engines with little or no modification.

Some of the benefits of biodiesel include the following.

• Biodiesel is easy to use. Biodiesel can be blended with petro-diesel at any time in your fuel tank. In post-1994 vehicles no conversion of the vehicle is required. Older ones may have rubber fuel lines and/or seals in the fuel system. Biodiesel will gradually swell rubber and degrade it. Viton is a biodiesel-resistant material you can replace your fuel lines/seals with.
• Biodiesel is non-toxic. It is the only alternative fuel to have completed the federal Environmental Protection Agency's Tier I and II health testing, which concluded that biodiesel is non-toxic and biodegradable, posing no threat to human health.
• Biodiesel is good for your engine. Tests show that biodiesel is more lubricating to your fuel-injection pump and engine than diesel fuel, and so may prolong engine life.
• Biodiesel is renewable. It is made from vegetable oil, virgin or recycled.
• Biodiesel has cleaner emissions. Greenhouse gases, particulates, and carcinogens are greatly reduced.
• Biodiesel is sustainable. In a cradle-to-grave life-cycle analysis, biodiesel comes out positive. For example, one study found that biodiesel yields 3.2 units of fuel-product energy for every unit of fossil energy consumed in its life cycle. By contrast, making a unit of diesel fuel requires 1.2 units of fossil resources.

So what are you waiting for? Find yourself a diesel and switch to clear-burning, American-made biodiesel.

Eric Bowen