Free Republic

CHICAGO, July 12 — Biodiesel produced from soybeans produces more usable energy and reduces greenhouse gases more than corn-based ethanol, making it more deserving of subsidies, according to a study being published this month in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study, done by researchers at the University of Minnesota and at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., points to the environmental benefits of the biodiesel over ethanol made from corn, stating that ethanol provides 25 percent more energy a gallon than is required for its production, while soybean biodiesel generates 93 percent more energy. The study’s...

Biodiesel breakdown Trucking companies report engine problems after switching to blended fuel By RICK BARRETT rbarrett@journalsentinel.com Posted: Jan. 7, 2006 Only days after a Wisconsin trucking firm switched to biodiesel fuel, its trucks started breaking down on the road. Engines sputtered as fuel filters became plugged with unknown, slimy gunk. The problem worsened in cold weather. "We had trucks that couldn't make it up a hill," said Tom Chrismer, vice president of Valley Cartage trucking in Hudson. Valley Cartage buys fuel from a Minnesota supplier that mixed a soybean blend into diesel fuel last fall. Minnesota truckers were required to...