This coming Thursday is national “Dump the Pump Day,” a day when drivers are encouraged to use public transportation instead of their own vehicles to save money and fuel. Some of those folks will be running on biodiesel, as many communities use the green fuel to run their buses.
One such community is Springfield, Missouri, which runs 1.2 million miles of bus routes a year on biodiesel. And this story from the Springfield News-Leader says the city’s utilities Transit Service will give free rides on its buses on Thursday:
“By participating in the national ‘Dump the Pump Day,’ we hope people who have never used our services will give us a try instead of driving their car,” CU Transit Director Carol Cruise said. “We will welcome new riders and thank our regular riders.”
Public transportation is seeing an increased number of riders across the country. In 2007, CU Transit Services provided 2 million rides. CU’s biodiesel fueled buses drove 1.2 million miles and operated over 85,000 hours to provide transportation services to the Springfield community.
On a panel addressing the issue at the 2008 Fuel Ethanol Workshop Tuesday was Robert White with the 
Heavy equipment manufacturer Case has approved the use of B20 biodiesel for more than 85 percent of its products.
The annual “High Octane Award” was presented to David Kolsrud, president and CEO of 
The Award of Excellence for ethanol research was presented by Dr. Kevin Hicks with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service eastern research center. This year the award went to Dr. Jay Shetty, senior director of global applications and grain processing for 
The Subcommittee E of ASTM International, a group that establishes standards for a variety of things including fuels, has voted to recommend the passage of finished specifications for biodiesel blends. 
“We addressed the issues and concerns with solid, scientific research,” said Joe Jobe, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board. “Without the tremendous amount of scientific data provided by independent organizations like Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the Coordinating Research Council (CRC) and others, and the cooperation of the petroleum and engine communities, this would not have been possible.”
In April 2004, POET began full production at an ethanol plant in Ashton. Electricity is generated by a natural gas-fired turbine, which requires approximately 16 percent less fuel than typical on-site thermal generation and purchased electricity. Based on this comparison, the system reduces carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 18,900 tons per year, which is equivalent to removing the annual emissions from 3,100 cars or planting 3,900 acres of forest.
The East Kansas Agri-Energy dry mill ethanol plant in Garnett, Kan., began production in 2005. The steam turbine system generates approximately one-third of the facility’s electrical demands. It requires approximately 23 percent less fuel than typical on-site thermal generation and purchased electricity. Based on this comparison, the plant reduces carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 14,500 tons per year, which is equivalent to removing the annual emissions from 2,400 cars or planting 3,000 acres of forest.
According to Dr. Robert Zubrin, author of “
“In the beginning of February of this year, ethanol consumption surpassed that of gasoline,” Joel Velasco of the Brazilian Sugar Cane Industry Association said during an update on Brazil’s ethanol industry at the 2008 Fuel Ethanol Workshop in Nashville Tuesday. “My friends, that is a big victory. The oil company now is in a corner.”