What kind of emissions does biodiesel give off?
From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank devotes quite a few pages to this topic. There are no sulphur dioxide emissions from biodiesel, since biodiesel does not contain sulfur. Soot emissions from biodiesel are 40-60% less, while carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions are cut by between 20% and 60%. Vehicles running on biodiesel still emit the same amount of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) as they did while running on diesel fuel. The difference is that the CO2 from burning biodiesel will be captured in the next batch of crops grown to make biodiesel. Then it will be emitted and captured again and again ad infinitum. The key here is that no new carbon dioxide is added to the Earth’s atmosphere. We’re not digging up fossilized Carbon and dumping it into the sky. Instead, we’re just cycling Carbon and Oxygen through the ecosystem.. This is why biodiesel is called a renewable fuel.
