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Southern Grease
Reviews
Biodiesel: Growing
a New Energy Economy
by Greg Pahl
Are you ready to get a complete history lesson on the origin and
development of Biodiesel? Pahl's Biodiesel: Growing a New Energy
Economy is the best text for a complete course on the history
and development of biodiesel across the globe.
Pahl starts out with a nice tutorial on the diesel engine and using
vegetable oil as a fuel. This is the most complete, well-researched
account of Rudolf Diesel's role in the development of the
compression ignition engine and its use of carbon-neutral fuels.
Pahl follows up with a good basic description of the basics of
making biodiesel and the many diverse uses for alkyl esters.
After laying this solid foundation, Pahl takes the reader on a tour
of the roots of biodiesel in most countries in Europe, Asia and the
Americas. His research helps with understanding methods by which
pioneering countries were able to get biodiesel to the retail pump
as well as documenting experiments with a variety of feedstocks from
waste vegetable oil to rapeseed (Canola) oil.
After taking the reader around the world on biodiesel, Pahl covers
topics including the politics and key figures involved with
advancement of biodiesel as an accepted source of carbon-neutral
energy. The future of biodiesel circa 2004 is also covered in the
final chapters.
Pahl does not try to educate the reader on the best process or best
practices for creating biodiesel. As most producers will tell you,
if you want to learn the latest and greatest methods for creating
biodiesel from any source of vegetable oil or animal fats, you
should turn to the internet and the
Collaborative Biodiesel Tutorial. Once you are comfortable with
the process, join the
InfoPOP Biodiesel and
BiodieselNow forums to learn what the Biodiesel innovators are
cooking up to improve creation, testing, storage blending and use of
biodiesel. Just browsing and searching these forums will get you to
the level of comfort to go out to the garage and make your first 2
liter bottle batch!
Overall, Pahl's tome provides both the biodiesel novice and the
seasoned producer with an exhaustive reference of the history of
biodiesel. I highly recommend this book both to the consumer,
producer and political advocate. After reading this book, put it in
your library and refer to it often. It makes a great resource for
preparing for any discussion on the viability of biofuels in today's
oil addicted generation. (from hallway conversation to political
debate)
For more information on Greg Pahl, you can visit him at his website,
http://www.gregpahl.com.
Rating: Highly Recommended, a great reference book for the
biodiesel enthusiast.
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