Is Biodiesel The Answer To Unstable Diesel Fuel Prices?
Originally, the diesel engine was designed to run on vegetable oil. But since petroleum diesel was cheaper then, vegetable oil was simply not an economical choice. But now, pump prices have driven farmers to convert their lands into biodiesel plantations. On one hand, the production of alternative fuel like biodiesel is good since its use will reduce our demand for petroleum oil. And if the demand is low, the prices will follow as well. Since biodiesel comes from vegetable oil, it is 100% biodegradable. It does not hurt the environment. Furthermore, a wide spread use of biodiesel in the future will help solve air pollution in big cities because biodiesel help reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emissions. The decrease on petroleum consumption has a good environmental effect. On the other hand, experts say that while converting farmlands into biodiesel will ease the demand on petroleum products, it will drive the food prices up and may create food shortage. This is because
