Biodiesel: Growing A New Energy Economy

by Greg Pahl

Book Overview

Pahl's book explores the history and technology of biodiesel, its current use around the world, and its exciting potential in the United States and beyond. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1931498652
• ISBN13: 9781931498654
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Chelsea Green
• Length: 282 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.0" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

The best biodiesel primer available

Interest in alternative motor fuels has been rising even faster than the cost of gasoline. Biodiesel, a drop-in replacement for diesel fuel, is widely seen as one of the best renewable energy sources. Unfortunately, there is a good deal of misinformation and just plain nonsense out there. As a former big-oil-company research chemist with some experience in alternative fuels, I am often asked where good, reliable information can be found. I use and recommend Pahl's book as a source for trustworthy information written for the non-technical reader. In addition, his information about Rudolph Diesel is a very interesting introduction. Readers should know (and Pahl in fact tells them)that his book is not neutral: he is an unabashed biodiesel proponent. That's not a problem; there is a lot to be excited about when discussing biodiesel. Another warning: if you want to make your own biodiesel (easy to do, actually), go to the Internet, as Pahl concentrates on larger-scale operations. The book's biggest drawback is that the field is changing so rapidly that some of the information (particularly relating to political and commercial developments) is already out of date, even though it was published in 2005. Nevertheless, Pahl has written what I consider to be the best primer on biodiesel available. Anyone interested in learning about biodiesel should own or have access to a copy.

Great resource on Biodiesel and other alt. fuels

Greg does a great job of explaining what biodiesel is, how/where it came about, and why it is a good additive to our current petrodiesel. He also writes about what other countries are doing with and how they are (currently) ahead of the US in utilizing it. He also discusses other forms of alternative/renewable sources of energy. I would recommend this book as good reading, but I would probably recommend 'Biodiesel America' first....as it has a bit more current info than Biodiesel: Growing A New Energy Economy. But good reading nontheless.

Great Book on an Intrguing Topic

Below is my favourable take on Greg Pahl's "Biodiesel": Diesel-powered vehicles and equipment are everywhere, and are likely to continue to exist for years, if not for generations to come. Buses, trains, trucks, generators, and a growing number of automobiles use diesel fuel. Diesel engines tend to be more fuel-efficient, and last longer, than their gasoline-powered counterparts. Diesel engines get better torque than do gasoline engines, and devote more of their energy to propulsion (what we want), and less to wasted heat (what we don't want). In summary, diesel engines have a lot going for them. However, the challenge is that diesel, along with its cousin, gasoline, are fossil fuels, whose supplies are, by most reasonable estimates, finite and declining at rates greater than many of us feel comfortable to acknowledge. Diesel fuel, when burned by an inefficient engine, generates a lot of pollution, both real (e.g. particulate matter) and perceived (i.e. billowing clouds of smoke). Diesel has a bad reputation in some circles, and often this is deserved. Enter biodiesel, a renewable alternative to traditional "petrodiesel". Developed over the past several decades from various plant and animal "feedstocks", biodiesel is a relatively clean-burning fuel that can either supplement or, in some cases, replace the non-renewable petrodiesel. For example, B20 biodiesel, which I use in my 2004 VW Golf, consists of 20% biodiesel and 80% traditional petrodiesel. Overall engine performance is as good as, if not better than, what would be experienced using pure petrodiesel. The greater lubricity of biodiesel prolongs the life of engines that use it; this attribute will grow in importance as diesel suppliers are encouraged or forced to reduce the sulphur content of the fuel... the lower the sulphur, the lower the lubricity. Other big motivations for using biodiesel are that, as a locally-sourced form of energy, it reduces our reliance on oil from other countries; additionally, there is its tendency to emit fewer toxic substances than an equal volume of petrodiesel. Local farmers, supplying the soybeans or switchgrass that constitute the biodiesel feedstock to nearby refiners, stand to benefit financially. Even used vegetable frying oil from restaurants can be salvaged and, with minimal processing, converted to cleanly burning biodiesel. Greg Pahl makes the technology of biodiesel production accessible to the layperson; those of us who struggled through high school chemistry can grasp the concepts that Pahl presents so clearly. In a nutshell, many plants that are the beneficiaries of photosynthesis, such as soybeans and canola, hold in their cells energy from the sun, in a similar way that oil in the tar sands holds energy from the sun in the form of plant and animal matter that lived millions of years ago, and has been compressed and preserved. The future of biodiesel depends on a few factors: education of customers, and governments that offer subsidies to

Well researched and very readable.

The author has done a masterful job of building the case for a serious exploration of a bio-based energy economy. The book has a friendly not-too-technical style and it's incredibly well researched, carefully documented and very well organized. As an added bonus, Biodiesel starts off with an insightful forward by celebrated author and environmentalist, Bill McKibben. After setting the tone for the book by bringing to light the potential crisis of Peak Oil, Pahl begins to delve into part of the solution as he leads the reader on a great story ride through the life (and death!) of Rudolf Diesel, to the early pioneers of biodiesel across the European eco-industrial landscape and back to the present day biodiesel industry currently emerging in the U.S.. The book is full of personal interviews with key players that brings this rapidly evolving world of agriculture, science and alternative energy to life. And Greg Pahl does an excellent job of providing a balanced look at both the possibilities and the social and environmental challenges of drawing increasing amounts of energy from the soil. I've been pretty involved in sustainable development for years (and biofuels in particular) and I can only say that this latest book by the author is a real gift and a "must read" for anyone interested in or working towards a renewable energy future.

Must read for Biodiesel AND Diesel enthusiasts alike

I've learned more about the history of the diesel engine and biodiesel after reading the first chapter of this book than I have in the two years since I started reading about biodiesel. Anyone wanting to know about the complete history of biodiesel should read this book! It's obvious that the author has done his homework. Green G