Information: Health and Environment

A cleaner, safer alternative
Biodiesel exhaust has significantly less impact on human health than pure diesel fuel due to lower levels of the aromatic hydrocarbons and compounds identified as potential cancer causing compounds.

Reducing everyday truck emissions
Using just 20% biodiesel in a clean diesel engine results in substantial reductions of tailpipe emissions, including:
• 13% reduction in hydrocarbons, a smog precursor;
• 8% reduction in carbon monoxide; and
• 7% reduction in particulate matter/

Overall, the ozone (smog) forming potential of the emissions from biodiesel is nearly 50% less than that for diesel fuel. New Mexico's laws requiring all diesel fuel sold to road-going diesel vehicles to contain at least 5% biodiesel by 2012 will move the state significantly forward in this direction.

An important defense against global warming
Biodiesel represents a closed "carbon cycle." This means that the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere when biodiesel is burned is then recycled by growing feedstock plants, which are later processed into more biodiesel fuel. Consequently, as estimated by the U.S. EPA, biodiesel results in 67.6% fewer lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions than pure diesel.