Biodiesel refers to a fuel oil comparable to what is derived from crude oil, petrochemical diesel.  The problem with the latter, from the perspective of the climate crisis, is that continued use of all forms of fossil fuel add to the buildup of excess greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere of earth, and thus to the warming of the planet.

In contrast, biodiesel is derived from a plant source and the action of growing that plant removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.  So biodiesel fuels recycle carbon already in the atmosphere rather than introducing new sources.

Biodiesel fuel can also be made from used vegetable oils.  So rather than landfill all that used french fry oil from you favorite fast food outlet (if you’re into fast food), we could convert it into a fuel suitable for automotive use or home heating.

In order to turn this into an ‘action’ to remedy global warming you can…

• Purchase a diesel vehicle (new or used) one your next purchase instead of one that consumes ordinary gasoline.
• Whether or not you own a diesel vehicle, call around to fueling stations that carry diesel fuel and ask if they sell biodiesel.  If not, ask why not.  That will be the equivalent of an ‘economic vote’ for biodiesel.  The feedback will get back to managers, owners, and oil companies and eventually the demand will be met.

Here are some links to more information about biodiesel fuel.

• Official site of the National Biodiesel Board