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Emissions Reduction:

Biodiesel's lack of polluting emissions is the most dramatic difference between it and petroleum. These figures show B100's reduction in emissions from petroleum diesel.

78% reduction in greenhouse gases- namely CO2
90% reduction of carcinogens
55% reduction of particulates- the classic nasty black cloud of soot
56% reduction of hydrocarbons- a smog contributor
100% reduction of sulfurs- cause of acid rain

There is a slight increase in NOx- a smog contributor- with biodiesel. However, with sulfur-free fuels becoming standard in 2007 and on, you can use a catalytic converter to substantially reduce NOx.

Above figures are taken from the NREL Biodiesel Handling Guide.

The Carbon Cycle and Global Warming:

The carbon cycle is the exchange of carbon between the biosphere and the atmosphere. Plants absorb carbon dioxide, and, using the energy of sunlight through photosynthesis, store the carbon in a solid form. When the plants die and decompose, get eaten by animals, burn or otherwise perish, the carbon is released back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.

As we all know by now, carbon dioxide plays a part in the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is what keeps the earth warm enough to support life. Radiant energy from the sun hits the earth in the form of light; that energy is absorbed by the earth and radiated back out as heat energy; some of that heat escapes into space, and some of it is retained in our atmosphere, trapped by greenhouse gasses. Carbon dioxide is one of the primary greenhouse gasses. The more carbon dioxide there is in the atmosphere, the more energy gets trapped in the atmosphere.

Our present-day carbon cycle was a closed loop of interchange of CO2 until humans discovered fossil fuels a couple hundered years ago. Suddenly, we started injecting carbon that had been kept underground in cold storage for 150 million years into our modern day carbon cycle. This use of petroleum fuel is what scientists consider to be the main cause of global warming.

Using biofuels is considered carbon neutral. By combusting biofuels we are not reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but we are least using carbon that is part of our modern-day carbon cycle, from plants that grew last year, rather than carbon from plants from the Cretaceous era.

Mechanical Advantages:

Your car will love you for using biodiesel. Biodiesel has increased lubricity over petrodiesel and will increase the life of your engine. And all that black smoke? Gone. Biodiesel is a solvent and will give your engine a thorough cleaning- just be prepared to change out your fuel filter from all the gunk it picks up. There have been extensive studies done in the U.S. on biodiesel, mostly using B20, by the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Stanadyne Automotive Corp, among others. A study done by NREL and the US Postal Service can be found here. Hundreds of fleets and thousands of biodiesel enthusiasts have logged millions of miles running biodiesel. Aside from that, biodiesel is the only alternative fuel to have completed the Health Effects testing requirements of the Clean Air Act. Its effects on the environment and car engines are well known.

Toxicity:

Biodiesel is made of two biodegradable substances- alcohol and vegetable oil. It's less toxic than table salt. if you spill it on the ground, it will biodegrade quickly into natural organic residues. Biodiesel is used in marine environments to reduce pollution in waterways. The flash point of biodiesel is so high, it will put out a match.

Economics:

No matter how you look at it, biofuels make economic sense. On the smallest scale, if you make it yourself, biodiesel costs about 60 cents a gallon. If you are collecting and filtering your own SVO, it costs even less. On a larger scale, by using biodiesel, you are supporting processors and farmers- preferably local, growing sustainable feedstocks- instead of Oil Corporations and foreign regimes.

The price of petroleum fuel is kept artificially low. If you were to directly pass on to the consumer at the pump all the geopolitical, social and environmental costs of their petroleum fuel, people wouldn't stand for it. Those costs are instead being left to future generations to deal with. With biofuels, you are paying up front for everything.

California is still relatively untouched by the big biodiesel players from the midwest. This is largely due to the fact that we have no real oilseed crops here. By supporting locally produced B100 made from locally grown and harvested California crops and WVO, we are providing a model for sustainable use of B100 fuel.

Renewability

In essence, biofuels are solar energy. Plants use the sun's energy to photosynthesize CO2 into a solid energy source. When we use biofuels, we are using that stored energy. As long as the sun is shining, we will be able to grow plants for fuel. Petroleum is a limited resource. Eventually, oil production will slow as it becomes more depleted, affecting everything in our society.