On the side of Walla Walla Valley Transit Buses is a small decal proudly announcing that the buses have started burning biodiesel. The Whitman Mission uses biodiesel to run their maintenance vehicles, and there is even a gas station on Issacs St. that offers biodiesel.

Biodiesel is rapidly gaining popularity, not just in Walla Walla but also throughout the country. The 2007 energy bill gave large subsidies to biodiesel, much to the delight of President Bush who said that “everytime we use homegrown biodiesel, we support American farmers, not foreign oil producers.”

Biodiesel is bringing together environmentalists and farmers, two groups that have often been at odds with each other. Farmers like biodiesel because it is made from crops like soybeans or corn. Glycerin is separated from the fat or vegetable oil through a process called transesterification.

Environmentalists champion biodiesel because it is made from renewable resources and has lower emissions than petroleum diesel. It is usually blended with petroleum as it is likely to freeze in its pure form in colder temperatures.

However, even a blend of 20 percent petroleum diesel will significantly reduce carcinogenic emissions and greenhouse gases. According to Pacific Biodiesel, biodiesel blends can reduce particulate matter by 31 percent, carbon monoxide by 21 percent and total hydrocarbons by 47 percent using this blend. The U.S. Department of Energy has recognized biodiesel as a viable alternative fuel.

Perhaps most importantly biodiesel can be used in a regular diesel engine with no modifications needed. In fact, biodiesel actually increases engine life. It has a higher flash point than regular diesel so it is even safer to transport. Biodiesel even smells good, kind of like french fries.

One local farmer, Scott Johnson, recently lectured at a climate change conference in Walla Walla about the benefits of biodiesel. He described how he originally started using biodiesel because it was cheaper than using regular petroleum. It wasn’t until a couple of years of using biodiesel   in his own equipment that he learned of the environmental benefits of biodiesel. Soon after he decided to start a biodiesel company, GenX Energies.

As Johnson’s story demonstrates, biodiesel has the potential to bring together environmentalists and farmers in way that is both economically sensible and good for the earth.