Objectives Describe how biodiesel may help improve public health

2. Objectives • Describe how biodiesel may help improve public health • Describe the benefits of biodiesel to the environment • Explain how biodiesel may help stimulate the economy • Describe what energy security is and how using biodiesel can help attain it • Explain the future of biodiesel • Explain the suggested actions to support biodiesel

3. Why Consider Biodiesel? • Cleaner-burning fuel • Domestically produced from renewable resources • Promotes energy self-sufficiency • Creation of jobs in agricultural sector • Almost any diesel vehicle can use biodiesel with little or no modification • Easiest fuel to implement due to existing infrastructure and blending

4. Figure 1: Emission reductions achieved by the use of biodiesel blends. Source: NBB.

5. Advantages of Biodiesel • Energy self-sufficiency • Creation of jobs within the U.S. • Reduced exhaust emissions • Use of domestically grown crops • Growth within the U.S. agricultural sector Special Note: NEVER use any clean or used grease or vegetable oil that has not been processed for biodiesel usage.

6. Biodiesel Compared to Conventional Diesel Figure 2: Biodiesel and petro-diesel facts and figures. Source: Fueleconomy.gov.

7. Biodiesel Benefits • There are many benefits of using biodiesel to fuel vehicles: • Betterment of health and environment • Benefits to the U.S. economy • National energy security • Reduce dependence on foreign oil

8. Health Benefits • Biodegradable and nontoxic • Exhaust hot as strong smelling as conventional diesel • No threat to human health • Reduces emissions that cause respiratory illness • In 2000, biodiesel became only alternative fuel in U.S. to complete EPA health effects testing under the Clean Air Act

9. The direct benefits from the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments are estimated to reach almost $2 trillion for the year 2020, a figure that dwarfs the direct costs of implementation ($65 billion). Source: EPA Second Prospective Report, released April 2011.

10. Environmental Benefits • Carbon-neutral • Plants remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere • Made from plant material • GHG emissions are reduced because biodiesel releases carbon dioxide that crops originally removed • According to EPA, biodiesel can reduce GHG emissions • Can be used with SCR systems to reduce NOx emissions, which lead to acid rain Figure 3: Clean air quality. Source: NAFTC.

11. Biodiesel is less toxic than table salt and biodegrades as fast as sugar. National Biodiesel Board, 2011

12. Economic Benefits • Supports U.S. agriculture and rural communities • According to National Biodiesel Board, the biodiesel industry is expected to create an additional 74,000 jobs by 2015 • Will increase household income by $4 billion • Will generate nearly $7.3 billion in GDP

13. Energy Security Benefits • U.S. is one of the greatest agricultural product exporters • Increased demand for transportation • Dependency of foreign oil to meet transportation demand • Use of existing agricultural production and infrastructure

14. U.S. Gasoline and Crude Oil Prices Figure 4: U.S. gasoline prices versus crude oil prices. Source: EIA.

15. Renewable Benefits • Renewable = can be produced and replenished • Energy balance = ratio of energy required to produce/distribute fuel compared to the amount of energy released when used • Very high energy balance compared to other fuels • 3.2 units of renewable energy • Compared to diesel = 0.83 units

16. Biodiesel – Today and Tomorrow • Biodiesel has contributed to the domestic economy • Currently roughly 52,000 jobs in biodiesel industry • Currently 800 million gallons of biodiesel produced • Growing consumer popularity • Production of biodiesel to increase to 900 million gallons by 2015 • Will support $7.3 million of GDP • Growth in fleets, school districts

17. Clean School Bus Program • Reduce children’s exposure to diesel exhaust and the amount of air pollution created by diesel school buses • School bus facts: • 24 million children in the U.S. ride school buses daily • On average, students spend 1.5 hours on the school bus every day • School buses travel more than 4 billion miles each year • School buses may leave their engines idling near schools – this creates indoor and outdoor air pollution problems

18. The Future of Biodiesel • Biodiesel will continue supplementing diesel technology • Higher blends available at fueling stations (from B5 to B20) • Changes at the pump – production increases, costs decrease • 50/50 mixtures

19. Figure 5: U.S. biodiesel production, exports and consumption. Source: NAFTC.

20. Suggested Actions • Recognize that biodiesel is not ethanol • Become aware of what vehicles are capable of using biodiesel • Check for biodiesel emblem on vehicle • Become a biodiesel advocate • Check with school districts to see if cleaner energy is used in transportation • Encourage school board members and government officials to attend PRT workshops

21. Figure 6: Diesel fuel cap. Source: NAFTC. Figure 7: Biofuel identification. Source: NAFTC.

22. There are roughly 450,000 public school buses in the United States; 390,000 are powered by diesel fuel. Source: EPA.

23. Upon completing this material, can you: • Describe how biodiesel may help improve public health? • Describe the benefits of biodiesel to the environment? • Explain how biodiesel may help stimulate the economy? • Describe what energy security is and how using biodiesel can help attain it? • Explain the future of biodiesel? • Explain the suggested actions to support biodiesel?

24. Test Your Knowledge • Give an example of a biodiesel vehicle that is successfully reducing carbon emissions. • True or False: Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel to go through the health effects tests under the Clean Air Act? • True or False: The key difference to remember about biodiesel and ethanol is that biodiesel is meant to run in gasoline engines, while ethanol will run in diesel engines. • True or False: The majority of diesel vehicle owners don’t realize that their car may run on biodiesel.