This might be the year I trade out my 1989 Toyota Corolla for a new - or new to me - car.  I've had my little black coupe since 1998, when my newer model Toyota was totaled by a hit-and-run driver.  I was moving back from Canada and needed a replacement in a hurry with limited Canadian funds to work with. Knowing a little about planned obsolescence when it comes to vehicles, I thought I'd keep it a year, given age, mileage, and its bare minimum of accessories. 

Understanding the energy and resources it takes to make a new car, as opposed to keeping an older one running (if it's in good shape), it's now 13 years later.  An upgrade makes sense even though my little car is still great on gas, looks pretty sharp, and with regular service, consistently runs fine.  But safety features, like ABS brakes and airbags, are appealing as driving continues to be a necessity for me.

So it begs the question:  Gas, hybrid, electric, or biodiesel? 

Many considerations will impact a decision:  My 24-mile round trip work commute isn't going to change for a while; average daily use cost and environmental impact are equally important; I have a couple of road trips planned within the next two years; the upfront purchase price (and quite likely, monthly payments) must be affordable.

Biodiesel intrigues me, particularly the local variety.  For those who don't know, biodiesel is made from vegetable oil (the early versions were from peanut oil), unlike the current “regular” diesel or gasoline which are made from crude oil. Benefits vary, from keeping products out of our waste stream (think oil from fried foods), keeping farmland in production when the land is unsuitable for other crops, decreasing our need for fossil fuels, and low emissions, lessening our contribution to greenhouse gas.   (Interesting to note that biodiesel can also be used in oil furnaces.)

Any diesel vehicle can run biodiesel (the celebrity-supported Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance has a good FAQ.  My neighbor and workout pal Sara Longley is a committed biodiesel proponent, using locally-made fuel in her pretty vintage Mercedes.  She's on the board of the recently formed membership-based Sustainable Fuel Co-op [http://sustainablefuelco-op.com/], a Ballard business initially begun 10 years ago by Dan Freeman, or "Dr. Dan," who essentially brought clean fuel to Ballard.

It's a little more expensive, but not by much, given the trade-off.  And access to low-impact biodiesel continues to improve.  Sara explained, "There are a few biodiesel co-ops and places that sell retail in the area.”  She noted that the amount of ‘bio’ in the diesel varies, though, which impacts the pricing. A lot of the biodiesel on the market today isn't 100% - think Propel or Safeway.  It's often a blend of bio- and petroleum-based diesel – some of it no more than 5% bio - which means it's 95% petrol. 

Propel’s website says their fuel varies between 5 – 99 percent biodiesel depending on location.  So the price at one station may be different than another – all based on blend, but to the unknowing user, this may seem like price gouging.  Although the higher blends are more planet friendly, vehicle emissions are better with bio, no matter the percentage.  By law, pumps must state the blend, but, Sara adds, “Blends more than 5% but less than 20% can simply be labeled ‘biodiesel blend,’ while blends of more than 20% must state the exact percentage.”

Biodiesel got a bad rap a few years ago, but the negatives were fueled in large part by misinformation.  Large producers sourced unsustainable products from environmentally sensitive areas.  So this is yet another product where buying local and knowing your source makes a difference - something that's hard to do with gasoline, which comes from various faraway places, is non-renewable, eats up important resources, and  can be incredibly destructive.  And the only reason it's so - relatively - cheap is because it's highly subsidized by our government, with much of the actual costs externalized. 

When I worked for Snohomish County, they were piloting a program to test various oilseed crops.  The economic downturn limited the project, but there's optimism that when petrol becomes too costly, oilseed fuel will gain quick fans - likely since it now looks like Saudi Arabia, our third largest oil supplier, over-estimated their oil reserves by 40%.  Point being, we can grow and process just about anything we need right here, without relying on non-renewable resources from half-way around the planet. 

There's also some confusion between biodiesel and ethanol-based products (both biofuels) found at your corner gas station.  Ethanol is made from corn, which has a whole host of other issues attached to it (Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma, mentioned last column, has a chapter about corn production).

I asked Sara why a car that runs biodiesel would be a good choice over another efficiency model, especially when my-sized diesel-fueled vehicles are usually Volkswagen, Mercedes, Audi, and BMW brands – all but Volkswagen not really in my budget.  ‘Better emissions’ is an obvious answer, but she also mentioned something less obvious:  spill damage. 

She explained that a biodiesel spill has about the same impact of spilling vegetable oil in the average kitchen - unlike the molten damage by the BP spill in the Gulf. While that might be an extreme comparison, as anything inappropriately dropped into our eco-system can be damaging, biodiesel is benign in comparison.  Sara also points out that locally produced biodiesel isn’t shipped here by supertanker; instead, the raw materials are usually grown nearby.  And it doesn't need underground storage.  Bottom line, it's safe enough to store in your garage without worrying about a spill or possible explosion.

Of her vintage Mercedes, she says, "I'm pretty sure that biodiesel is the reason my 1978 car is still running.  It's now 33 years old and when I bought it in 2000, the odometer read 250,002 miles.  It had a terrible engine knock.  I ran it on regular diesel for a while, but when I became a Dr. Dan customer and put biodiesel in regularly, the noise quieted down considerably.  It will reach 300,000 miles within a few weeks, and I fully expect the body to rust apart before the engine quits."

About the road trips, she said it’s possible to string together fueling stations for a lengthy trip with some planning, especially if you stick to the interstates.  But for those of us who don’t always plan well, regular diesel can still be used (unlike electric car charging stations, which may be hard to find if you're traveling a distance).  

Formerly Dr. Dan's Biodiesel, the Sustainable Fuel Co-op will continue to operate from the Dr. Dan's store (912 NW 50th St), with a second location at Espresso Express (6500 15th Ave. NE).

Sara explained, "Dr. Dan's and our co-op will always use the highest blend possible of the most sustainably produced fuel we can find based on the feedstock, ideally a non-food competitor and low-impact cover crop like camelina."

She made a strong case, and it's one I'll seriously consider as I look at my options. 

Before making the switch to biodiesel, there are a few things to know, like blends and sources (mentioned above), understanding gel points and having the right type of hoses.  But it's not complicated and there are great resources available.  Speaking of:

The Sustainable Fuel Co-op is hosting its first membership drive and educational event on Sunday, February 20, from 1 - 5 p.m.  at Agua Verde Café. Whether you currently drive a bio-diesel powered vehicle, or you're just interested in learning more, come for information, food, beer, music, and see some custom cars.  For more details, visit http://sustainablefuelco-op.com/latest-news/.

And of course if you have an opinion, don't hesitate to let me know.