Hot Oil

Last weekend, when we were in Boulder, we filled up the Passat on biodiesel. It's a fuel made from vegetable oil, stuff's added to the oil, glycerin precipitates out, and what's left is good for a diesel engine. Kathy gave John a book on how to brew up batches, but, commercially, it's about $3 per gallon, so it's more than regular diesel, but less "more" now that diesel prices are way up. And, hey, it's CO2 neutral, in that the corn plant tied up as much carbon dioxide as we generate while we're burning up the results, so no *extra* greenhouses gasses over the lifecycle of the fuel.

The funny thing is that when we stop, now, the fumes in the air behind the car smell like a hot wok, a donut shop, or a french fryer. Mmm... an unexpected side benefit of running the stuff, it doesn't smell as bad. Hee.

Hot Oil

Last weekend, when we were in Boulder, we filled up the Passat on biodiesel. It's a fuel made from vegetable oil, stuff's added to the oil, glycerin precipitates out, and what's left is good for a diesel engine. Kathy gave John a book on how to brew up batches, but, commercially, it's about $3 per gallon, so it's more than regular diesel, but less "more" now that diesel prices are way up. And, hey, it's CO2 neutral, in that the corn plant tied up as much carbon dioxide as we generate while we're burning up the results, so no *extra* greenhouses gasses over the lifecycle of the fuel.

The funny thing is that when we stop, now, the fumes in the air behind the car smell like a hot wok, a donut shop, or a french fryer. Mmm... an unexpected side benefit of running the stuff, it doesn't smell as bad. Hee.