Alternative Energy - Vegetable Based Biofuels

This is a very environmentally friendly fuel, made from natural vegetable oils such as soybean, canola, and animal fat that produces anywhere between 40 and 80 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fuels. And it generates a whopping 90 percent more energy than it takes to produce it. But there are still problems with the biodiesel industry. Since its produced from food crops, it has caused inflation in agricultural products in a time when all food costs are climbing. And Europe's demand for biodiesel is to blame for a group of Southeast Asian farmers who burned down acres of rainforest and replaced them with palm plantations, which released a huge amount of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere in the name of a biofuel meant to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. And production of biodiesel is still limited... only 250 million gallons were produced in 2006, a number that's not growing quickly. And demand for biodiesel is driving up prices for foods like vegetable oil, which can cause problems for poor countries who need it for food purposes. Biodiesel is one of the biofuels that is fueling the global “food vs fuel” debate about whether things like vegetable oil should be used to solve the energy crisis as an alternate fuel or used as food to feed hungry people first. Biodisel is a clean burning alternative fuel that does not take a lot of energy to produce... we just need to produce more of it so that there is enough to go around to satisfy both sides of the “food vs fuel” controversy. For more information on this exciting new fuel source, check out www.biodiesel.org. I'm Elizabeth Chambers. Check back here for more eco friendly news and tips, right here on LivingGreenChannel.Com.