Hacker News Reader

Citation needed "biodiesel is a dumb idea".

At scale it comes from crops on farmland that was previously the Amazon (palm oil), or causes competition with food consumers (soybeans). Ethanol is just as bad, it’s a handout to the ag lobby.

Works fine if it’s recycled vegetable oil, but that doesn’t scale. I love a truck that emits a French fry smell.

So, if fine from waste/recycled vegetable oil, the idea is not per de dumb. The industrial part could be tweaked sure. Corn & soybeans are global commodities, so to suggest it competes with food is not an accurate reflection of how food is priced. Also, I have yet to smell french fry exhaust from fatty acid methyl esters.

I don't believe I said it was a dumb idea, but that it wouldn't scale. Repurposing recycled or waste oils for vehicle combustion is a fine idea if you're properly managing the particulates emissions.

> Corn & soybeans are global commodities, so to suggest it competes with food is not an accurate reflection of how food is priced.

Food goes to whomever will pay the most for it, same as fuel. If there is greater demand for it as a fuel than those at the bottom affordability rungs for crops, there are no regulatory mechanisms to ensure those who need food get it instead of those who would burn it in vehicles.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com