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The Environmental Drawbacks of Biodiesel Production

Biodiesel provides alternative fuel. It's intended to replace petroleum-based diesel fuel in various applications, including vehicles. Plants like corn, soybean and sugarcane are processed to create the fuel, as is cooking oil waste. The earliest known biodiesel fuel appeared in 1898, when Rudolf Diesel's compression-ignition engine, powered by peanut oil, debuted at the World's Fair in Paris, France.

  1. Taking Up Room

    • Between 2001 and 2007, ethanol production increased from 4.9 billion gallons to nearly 15.9 billion gallons, reports C. Ford Runge of University of Minnesota. Biodiesel production also increased 10-fold. Although the goal here is to decrease dependence on foreign oil, analysts like Earth Policy Institute's Lester Brown argues redirecting our grains into fuel instead of food can potentially generate massive global food insecurity. As of March, 2008, the demand for oil products is growing annually by 20 percent. Meeting that demand with biofuels would mean no resources left for food.

    Rising Food Prices

    • Using more grains for fuel instead of food contributed to a global food crisis in the early 21st century, when food prices rose 40 percent in 2007 and 83 percent in 2008. As prices rise and food becomes scarce, countries such as Vietnam, China, Russia and China are limiting exports. Food shortages have resulted in protests and riots in several countries, including Yemen, Mexico, Guinea and Morocco. In 2007 farmers in countries like Tanzania were being kicked off their land by large companies to grow sugarcane and jatropha trees for feed stock.

    Compatibility with Vehicles

    • Biodiesel can damage rubber hoses in cars made before 1994, so owners should take care before using it in these vehicles. You may need to switch out hoses and seals. When cars switch over to biodiesel after petroleum diesel use, dirt is cleaned from the engine and collects in the fuel filter, risking a clog. You must change filters several hours after using biodiesel. As of 2011, biodiesel is not as widely distributed as petroleum diesel fuel, so it's not as readily available.

    Less Energy Output

    • Biodiesel contains 8 percent less energy per gallon than standard number 2 U.S. diesel fuel. Biodiesel is slightly denser than diesel fuel, so it gives 12.5 percent less energy per pound. Whether or not you notice the energy difference depends on whether you use B100 or B20 fuel. These acronyms stand for "blend" and the percentage of biodiesel used in a blend. B20, for instance, has 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel. With B20, you lose between 1 and 2 percent of torque, power and fuel economy. The lower the blend level, however, the less noticeable the difference in energy. B5 blends or lower show no noticeable performance differences than standard number 2 diesel fuel.

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