Biodiesel, an environment-friendly fuel, reduces tailpipe emissions, visible smoke and noxious odors. Film This! has been using biodiesel in the company truck since January of 2005.
Biodiesel operates well in a conventional diesel engine with very few or no engine modifications. We have made no modifications to the Film This! pickup for it to run on biodiesel. However, we did add a second fuel tank to allow us to run on vegetable oil. We have formed an agreement with the Chinese restaurant in our office building to recycle all of their used oil. Because biodiesel is non-toxic, biodegradable and non-flammable, handling and storage are safer than conventional petroleum diesel fuel.
Technically speaking, biodiesel is Fatty Acid Methyl Ester. It is formed by removing the glycerol molecule from vegetable oil in the form of glycerin (soap). Once the glycerin is removed from the oil, the remaining molecules are, to a diesel engine, similar to petroleum diesel fuel.
There are some notable differences. The biodiesel molecules are very simple hydrocarbon chains, containing no sulfur, ring molecules or aromatics associated with fossil fuels. Biodiesel is made up of almost 10% oxygen, making it a naturally “oxygenated” fuel.
Film This! has successfully reduced our emissions by 70% and we have been using 100% American-grown fuel. Here at Film This! we strongly believe in our nation’s energy independence! We also believe biodiesel used in generators on set will help reduce the negative impact these machines can have on the surrounding communities. Dukes of Hazzard ran most if not all of their production vehicles on a 20% biodiesel blend, so we know it can be done!
All of us at Film This! plan to continue to promote this alternative fuel as both our Governor and our President have endorsed its use and promotion.