Filed under: Biodiesel
Daryl Hannah, Willie Nelson pushing for biodiesel standard
We know Daryl Hannah and Willie Nelson are big into biodiesel. In Singapore recently, the Sustainable Biofuels Alliance (set up by the two celebs and biodiesel producers Bob and Kelly King) got its start by asking for sustainable standards for biofuels in the United States, according to Reuters.Obviously, biodiesel standards (a la ASTM) would go a long way toward getting the fuel to be more accepted by automanufacturers, many of which currently get the fits if anyone puts anything higher than B5 into the tank. But what SBA is calling for is standards on how the fuel is produced, not the quality of the end result fuel. As Hannah told Reuters: "I want biofuels that are grown and produced in a sustainable manner. I would not buy biodiesel made from palm oil... or from a bunch of animals poured in a vat."
SBA want "to have stringent norms for biodiesel in the world's top fuel consumer set up by September, backed by checks on the supply chain that will accredit firms seen as producing green fuels," the article reads.
[Source: Reuters via Ecorazzi]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
D 12:07AM (4/24/2007)
I thought palm oil biodiesel has a relatively high yield, so what is the concern with it?
Thanks
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Chris M 2:09AM (4/24/2007)
Oil Palms have very high yields, and since it is highly saturated oil, it is better used as fuel than for food.
However, it grows in tropical areas, and some well-off activists want to have all the tropical forests preserved pristine and untouched by poor native populations - unless they agree to live in the treetops. No, better that the tropical natives go live on bugs and berries in the rainforest than to actually set up palm oil plantations and earn some good money!!
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rgseidl 8:13AM (4/24/2007)
The good news: people are waking up to the fact that not all biofuels are created equal. If the objective is mitigating climate change - as opposed to merely diversifying our fuel sources - then a holistic, well-to-wheels analysis is the only sensible way to go. This exposes the differences between e.g. ethanol from corn vs. sugar cane or, biodiesel from beef tallow vs. oil algae. Ideally, such studies would help inform lawmakers and investors alike.
The bad news: without a push toward a strict technical standard on fuel quality, auto manufacturers will not assume the additional warranty risk associated with claiming compatibility with an alternative fuel grade. In Europe, the relevant standard is called EN14214; EU member states have already signed up to mandating specific biofuel fractions in the context of the "20 by 20" plan.
Instead, the SBA is advocating a separate procedural standard for certifying a given fuel's provenance. By definition, a standard must enjoy broad industry support. Therefore, both its scope and the process of its definition and must be narrow and as objective as possible. The stated objective must be to increase demand for sustainable production methods that certain consumers will pay a premium for.
By immediately voicing her subjective, negative opinions on specific feedstocks, Ms. Hannah has
effectively disqualified herself as a credible spokesperson for this yet-to-be-defined standard.
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Tim 8:39AM (4/24/2007)
rgseidl- Ms. Hannah has been studying biodiesel for many years. She is one of the very few in Tinsel Town that actually APPEAR to walk-the-walk. I have no doubt that she has spend countless hours researching the subject and unlike Al "Chicken Little" gore, she has no financial incentive and won't be running for President any time soon, (duck-n-cover) UGH.
Nevertheless, we would appreciate your comparative study. You should start here... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiesel
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rgseidl 11:14AM (4/24/2007)
Tim -
I don't doubt that Ms. Hannah knows a thing or two about biodiesel and how its made. She's obviously passionate about the subject.
My criticism referred narrowly to the process of establishing a new standard. For that to happen, the SBA needs to achieve critical mass, i.e. it needs bring as many biodiesel producers/importers on board as possible. That includes those who currently rely on feedstocks Ms. Hannah has reservations about and, working behind the scenes with them to effect change.
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Tim 1:28PM (4/24/2007)
Agreed. Varying feedstock seems to be one of the biggest problems while selecting a product "standard." Silk purse out of sow’s ear… Anyway, the "best" feedstock will in the short term depend on which makes the most economical and ecological sense in the region of production. Standards and thus product use may have to be regionalized. This should increase efficiency by lowering transportation costs. Passion is a wonderful thing as long as it is tempered with information, thought, logic and of course time.
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rachel smolker 5:48AM (6/04/2007)
After reading the entries here I hardly know where to begin, but suggest you take a look at the Biofuelswatch website, a European organization. The push for biofuel feedstocks, and palmoil is the biggest but not only culprit is wreaking havoc on the worlds forests, which are our critical carbon sinks, resulting in people being violently forced off their lands etc etc. Europeans have been working on sustainability criteria, not US though. It is a disaster in the making. Poor peole are not getting rich. Large mega corporate agriculture companies are. Oil, biotech and agroindustry..ExxonMobil, Shell, Monsanto, Cargill, ADM, etc etc. They love it. Do some researching on this and you will be shocked.
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