Nature's Only Free Lunch

Basically our cars are vegetarians.   

We use a form of fuel sometimes referred to as biodiesel.  This is often confused with Ethanol since they are both Biofuels (gas that comes from organic sources). Ethanol is commonly made from corn and you're using it in your car right now.  It's added in small amounts to every gallon of gasoline sold in Washington. 

The sustainable fuel we use, biodiesel, can be made from any plant or animal based oil;  everything from soy to mustard seed to recycled french fry grease.  It can be made so biofriendly you can actually drink it... it's basically vegetable oil.  And the byproduct is glycerin which can be used in everything from facial soap to fertilizer for your garden.

According to the Washington State Government the following are just some of the benefits of our fuel:

• A reduction of CO2 emissions by more than 80% compared to vehicles now in use in the Seattle livery industry.

• Reduction of particulates of 47% when compared to petroleum diesel

• Reduction of carcinogenic compounds polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and nitrated PAH by 80 to 90%.

• As biodegradable as sugar

• 10 times less toxic than table salt

• A flash point of 300 degrees F makes biodiesel the safest fuel to use in fleet operation

To the right you'll find a couple of videos from Youtube on biodiesel if you're interested in more information.  There is also the Northwest Biodiesel Network if you really want to make a change.  This non-profit is full of ideas on using alternative energy.