Claim 5
“Biodiesel produces as much or more
emissions of carbon dioxide, compared to
petroleum diesel, and therefore is not any
‘greener’ than petroleum diesel.”
Jason Salazar, Andrew Peabody, Tram Nguyen, Samantha Tanner
Overview
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

Compare the emission of carbon
dioxide in combustion of petrodiesel
and biodiesel.
Decide whether biodiesel is in fact
‘greener’ than petrodiesel.
Compare the lifecycle of carbon
dioxide emissions in petrodiesel and
biodiesel.
Definitions of ‘greener’
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Beneficial to the environment:
green recycling policies.
Favoring or supporting
environmentalism: green legislators
who strengthened pollution controls.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition.
Petrodiesel Combustion

2C12H26 + 37O2 → 24CO2 + 26H2O + E

340g petrodiesel → 1060g carbon dioxide

1g petrodiesel → 3g carbon dioxide
Petrodiesel Combustion

2C12H26 + 37O2 → 24CO2 + 26H2O + E

340g petrodiesel → 1060g carbon dioxide

1g petrodiesel → 3g carbon dioxide
Biodiesel Combustion

C20H36O2 + 29O2 → 20CO2 + 18H2O + E

310g Biodiesel → 880g Carbon Dioxide

1g Biodiesel → 3g Carbon Dioxide
Biodiesel Combustion

C20H36O2 + 29O2 → 20CO2 + 18H2O + E

310g Biodiesel → 880g Carbon Dioxide

1g Biodiesel → 3g Carbon Dioxide
Petrodiesel vs. Biodiesel
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
1g of either petrodiesel or biodiesel both
create about the same amount of carbon
dioxide at 3grams.
Carbon dioxide is among the least
effective (at heat trapping) of the
greenhouse gases.
3
2.5
2
Petrodiesel
1.5
1
Biodiesel
0.5
0
Carbon Dioxide (g)
Global Atmospheric Concentration of
Greenhouse Gases (1992)
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Carbon Dioxide (ppm)
Methane (ppm)
Nitrous Oxide (ppm)
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 1996.
CFC-11 (ppm)
CFC12 (ppm)
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis
6CO2 + 12H2O + light → C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H2O
Carbon Dioxide + Water + Light energy → Glucose + Oxygen + Water
Net CO2 Life Cycle Emissions
NREL, 1998.
References
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition.
An Overview of Biodiesel and Petroleum Diesel Life Cycles. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1998.
Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 23 Oct. 2005. Wikimedia Foundation. 23 Oct. 2005 <http://en.wikipedia.org>.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Climate Change 1995: The Science of Climate Change Cambridge, UK:
Cambridge University Press, 1996.
Campbell, Biology 7th Ed. New York: Benjamin Cummings, 2004.
18 Nov. 2006 http://www.wiseenergy.ca/index_files/biodiesel.htm
27 Nov. 2006 http://chemfinder.cambridgesoft.com
Which do you want next to your home?