Iowa View: Biofuels are a way to help the environment

More than four decades of Earth Day celebrations have passed, yet each year we still find ourselves searching for the best way to celebrate the event that has helped to inspire our commitment to protecting the environment.

On this Earth Day, I challenge you to switch to something that’s not only good for our environment, but also renewable, sustainable, inexpensive and produced locally. Filling up with renewable fuels like ethanol and biodiesel supports Iowa jobs, energy security and our economy.

A recent Life Cycle Associates study found that using ethanol in place of gasoline reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 34 percent. In fact, ethanol use in 2013 lowered carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse emissions from transportation by nearly 38 million metric tons. That’s like removing nearly twice the number of registered vehicles in Iowa from the road for an entire year.

When you add biodiesel to the mix, the benefits of renewable fuels only grow. For instance, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Energy report that from the field to the tank, biodiesel decreases life-cycle carbon dioxide emissions by 78 percent.

As you can see, the environmental benefits of using biofuels are very real. Whether it’s B20 (20 percent biodiesel) or E85 (85 percent ethanol); B5 or E10, you’re taking steps to reduce your impact on the environment.

We’ve already seen what rampant air pollution is doing in places like Beijing. We’ve also watched as oil spills have had devastating effects on our environment, like the Deep Horizon spill that polluted an area in the Gulf the size of Oklahoma.

So, instead of continuing to support a monopoly of dirty, expensive, finite fossil fuels that are a serious threat to our environment, you can use renewable, nontoxic and biodegradable biofuels. By using these less expensive, more environmentally friendly fuels you’re giving future generations a fighting chance when it comes to energy and the environment.

So I urge you, commit to making our environment a better place. Simply filling up your vehicle with ethanol or biodiesel today will make a better tomorrow.

THE AUTHOR:

TOM BROOKS is general manager of Western Dubuque Biodiesel. Contact: www.wdbiodiesel.net.