There's a fuel "grown" in America that could help relieve the burden of relying on imported oil, requiring little or no engine modifications for its use. Bio-based and completely compatible with conventional diesel fuel, it is much cleaner burning than petrodiesel and is biodegradable, too. What is this wonder fuel? Biodiesel, typically created from soybean oil, dispensed "neat" as completely renewable B100 or mixed with conventional diesel in varying percentages to create cleaner-burning B20, B10, or B5 motor fuels. According to the EPA, biodiesel substantially reduces emissions of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter compared to conventional diesel fuel. Green Car Journal magazine covers this topic thoroughly in its Fall 2004 issue in a feature titled, "Biofuels: The User-Friendly Alternative Fuel." The article provides a comprehensive overview of this renewable fuel, including its benefits, challenges, costs, and potential. Complementing this is an article by editor and publisher Ron Cogan that discusses the experience of driving a 100-percent biodiesel-powered "Bio-Beetle" from a Hawaiian rental car fleet. The use of biodiesel, as well as other biofuels, is increasingly on the minds of those who would like to see the U.S. break free of its growing dependence on foreign oil. Among those promoting the biofuels message is the Sustainable Energy Coalition, which includes such notable member groups as the Natural Resources Defense Council, Alliance to Save Energy, and Union of Concerned Scientists. The Coalition is calling for a shift in energy policy that would include a significant increase in the use of biofuels for transportation over the next two decades. Through features like "Biodiesel" (Fall 2004), "Pumped!" (Summer 2004), "Muscling in on Gasoline" (Spring 2004), and "Alternative Fuels" (2003 Special Edition), Green Car Journal seeks to educate readers, opinion leaders, policymakers, and the media on the state-of-the-art, and the possibilities, of cleaner fuels like biodiesel, ethanol, hydrogen, LPG, natural gas, and reformulated gasoline and diesel. The Green Car Journal print magazine's companion web site, Green Car Journal Online, presents excerpts and selected articles from the magazine at www.greencar.com.
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