was reading the bible of biodiesel—From the
small businesses interested in making biodie-
Fryer to the Fuel Tank: The Complete Guide
sel readily available that meets monthly and
to Using Vegetable Oil as an Alternative Fuel
maintains a public online discussion forum.
(Tickell Productions, 2000) by Josh Tickell, a filmmaker and writer who, having grown up in the shadow of a Louisiana oil refinery and
iodiesel usage is growing at a surpris-
lost several relatives to petroleum-related
ing rate, says Skip Hauth, CEO of BioEconomy
cancers, began promoting biodiesel nation-
Development Corporation, a Grand Island,
ally via his own Veggie Van in 1997. Walsh
New York-based company that provides
also explored diesel-to-biodiesel conversion
demonstrations, advice, and facilitating
instructions available online through firms
for large-scale biodiesel conversions and
like GreaseL.com and GreaseCar.com. “The
biodiesel manufacturing. “A lot of what’s
biggest thing I’ve learned is that converting
going on in biodiesel in the US is patterned
to biodiesel is totally doable for anybody,” he
after what’s going on in Europe, where major
says. “I paid less attention to the mechanics
industrial-scale manufacturing of biodiesel
in class—I was more interested in testing the
has progressed,” says Hauth. Today, for in-
different oils—but it was still easy.”
stance, 50 percent of Austrian and German diesel vehicles, including passenger cars, are running on biodiesel; and use of 100 percent pure biodiesel (as opposed to biodiesel diluted with various percentages of regular
and using about $600 in parts from the local
diesel to keep it from gelling into glycerine)
Auto Zone, but he advises other converters
in 2003 was 50 million gallons compared with
to buy a $700 kit (available online), which
60 million gallons of petroleum diesel used.
can be installed yourself or by a mechanic.
According to Hauth, whose company is
(“Most people who are trying to do this are
looking to buy, blend, and deliver biodiesel
like me—idealists without much money,” he
to sites throughout the Northeast, including
says.) Walsh filters the discarded cooking oil
the Hudson Valley, biodiesel usage and man-
he collects twice a week from a New Paltz
ufacturing rates in the US look promising,
restaurant with a device that “looks like a big
largely thanks to federal tax incentives and
sock or stocking,” lasts for about 6,000 miles,
federal and state-run programs that call for
and can be purchased online for about $7.
increased biodiesel usage. Already, he says,
Two cars and two conversions (his first
the Department of Defense uses biodiesel
biodiesel car was replaced by an ’82 Volk-
in its nonmilitary vehicles, and highway de-
swagen Rabbit), a bumper sticker that reads
partments and school bus fleets have been
“Powered by Biodiesel,” and 30,000 to 40,000
targeted to switch to biodiesel.
biodiesel-fueled miles later, Walsh’s switch to
“In 2003 we used 50 million gallons of B100
alternative fuel has more than paid for itself.
[100 percent biodiesel] and 60 billion gallons
He gets 35 to 40 miles per gallon on a long
of petroleum diesel,” Hauth says. “New fed-
trip and has driving and filling-up experi-
eral tax incentives mean more people will
ences that are both “sweeter-smelling,” and
be blending and delivering biodiesel to gas
“relatively guilt-free.”
stations and fleets to satisfy the consuming
And in a little over two years, Walsh no
public. They also represent opportunities for
longer feels alone in making mileage out of
businesses to manufacturer and distribute
vegetable oil. “Now I know five or six people
biodiesel, as well as grow soybeans or other
in Ulster County alone who are doing it,” he
crops to make it. These tax incentives are a
says. Local examples of biodiesel user-activists
way to bring biodiesel’s prices down on a par
include Polly and Jay Armour of Four Winds
with petroleum diesel, so that more consum-
organic farm and CSA in Gardiner, who have
ers will be willing to buy biodiesel and the
converted their Mercedes sedan to biodiesel;
demand for it will grow. These incentives are
Sloop Clearwater captain Scott Cann, who is
important—we need people to see that it’s
working toward running the boat on 20 per-
very good for the environment to displace
cent biodiesel; a group of northern Ulster
fossil fuels.”
County small business owners, organized
Back in college, Eddie Walsh con-
by Jim Kricker of Rondout Woodworking,
ducted experiments comparing biodie-
that imports biodiesel from World Biodie-
sel and fossil fuel emissions. “Biodiesel
sel in Massachusetts to run their trucks and
still emits some bad things”—namely,
buses; and the Hudson Valley Biodiesel
carbon oxide, carbon dioxide, and hydro-
Co-op, an informal group of individuals and
. . . C O N T I N U E D
O N
P A G E
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alsh completed his biodiesel conversion himself, spending two days on the job,
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3/05
Chronogram 31