As the world grapples with environmental challenges and seeks sustainable alternatives to traditional fossil fuels, there is a solution that’s already commercially available. Clean fuels not only reduce carbon emissions across industries but also promote healthier communities and a stronger economy. Low-carbon fuels, including biodiesel, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel, are meeting clean energy needs now in heavy-duty transportation.
Since its inception over the last 30 years, biodiesel has proven to offer better performance, immediate cost savings, lower emissions and positive economic impact when used as a replacement for petroleum-based fuel. Today, studies show that replacing traditional diesel fuel with 100% biodiesel can have a sizeable impact on human health while reducing carbon emissions by as much as 70%, and cleaner air means healthier, more equitable communities.
The Public Health Benefits of Switching to Clean Fuels
Clean Fuels Alliance America, the national trade association representing biodiesel, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel, has conducted research and used the data to identify the positive impacts when switching from petroleum-based fuels to 100% biodiesel in the transportation and home heating sectors. A recently commissioned study by Trinity Consultants further solidified the mounting evidence that biodiesel can and does move the needle on the health of our nation.
Immediate Impacts Were Found in Community Health, Including:
- More than 456,000 fewer asthma cases
- More than 142,000 fewer sick days
- The prevention of more than 910 premature deaths
- More than $7.5 billion in avoided health costs
- A 45% reduction in cancer risk when legacy heavy-duty trucks use B100 (100% biodiesel) and an 86%More than 456,000 fewer asthma cases
- More than 142,000 fewer sick days
- The prevention of more than 910 premature deaths
- More than $7.5 billion in avoided health costs
- A 45% reduction in cancer risk when legacy heavy-duty trucks use B100 (100% biodiesel) and an 86%reduction when Bioheat® fuel is used for home heating.
The benefits of using 100% biodiesel in 15 historically underserved Environmental Justice (EJ) communities were even more profound. By reducing pollution in legacy heavy-duty transportation and residential heating, two of the most difficult applications to decarbonize, these at-risk communities experienced:
- More than 456,000 fewer/reduced asthma cases per year
- More than 142,000 fewer sick days per year
- Cancer cases reduced by more than 9,400 (over a 70-year timeframe)
- The prevention of more than 910 premature deaths per year
- More than 456,000 fewer/reduced asthma cases per year
- More than 142,000 fewer sick days per year
- Cancer cases reduced by more than 9,400 (over a 70-year timeframe)
- The prevention of more than 910 premature deaths per year
Overall, switching to 100% biodiesel generates $7.5 billion in avoided health costs annually. These findings were based on a mere sample of communities across the country. If biodiesel was adopted nationwide, imagine the benefits.
For healthier, more equitable communities, switching to clean fuels can lead to generational change. Simply using biodiesel in the form of Bioheat® fuel to heat homes reduced cancer risk by 86 percent.
Biodiesel has also been proven to perform in cold weather. Using biodiesel blends with lower cold points, Cold Flow Operability measures up for even the most chilling climates. This change is not speculative or something that can only be attained in the future. Switching to clean fuels can happen now.
“Powerful change often starts at the local level, and we hope this report captures the attention of those who are committed to providing clean air for all,” says Clean Fuels Alliance America CEO Donnell Rehagen. “Although we’ve seen a decrease in diesel particulate matter overall thanks to improving technologies, a large gap remains between EJ and non-EJ communities. The time to act is now. Biodiesel and renewable diesel can make a difference in quality of life today – not waiting decades into the future.”
Clean Fuels Power Our Economy
Clean fuels have a profound economic impact. Because clean fuels are derived from renewable resources, generating these low-carbon fuels makes the clean fuel industry an economic powerhouse. The industry is at the center of more than $23.2 billion in economic activity each year, supporting 75,200 American jobs and doling out $3.6 billion in annual wages. Every 100 million gallons of production supports 3,200 jobs and $1.09 billion in economic opportunity for farm workers, producers and distributors.
Switching to biodiesel powers more than just jobs, it aids in the health of workers and production efficiency across industries. In underground mining, for example, the use of biodiesel helps companies meet underground air quality metrics with ease without sacrificing any performance. Performance is paramount in an industry where machinery is often required to move hundreds of tons of material. Doing so with cleaner air has been nothing short of game-changing for the industry.
Experts in the mining industry note that switching to biodiesel has also improved the efficiency of the machinery. Miners are able to get more done using less fuel. From scaling equipment, to production CATs, to loaders and heavy-duty drills, all of this equipment can run on biodiesel, keeping the air cleaner and production at maximum output.
For the Future of Our Planet
Reducing carbon emissions is no longer optional. To leave our planet thriving for generations to come, finding sustainable fuel solutions is crucial. Clean fuels will be a major component of a sustainable future. Biodiesel and renewable diesel reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 70% on average compared to petroleum diesel. Looking ahead, the future of clean fuels is optimistic. By 2030, clean fuels used in on-road, off-road, air, marine and rail transportation, as well as home heating applications, will exceed 6 billion gallons, eliminating more than 50 million metric tons of CO2-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions annually.
It’s time to rethink our approach to sustainability by prioritizing the switch to more clean fuels. In our homes and our communities, these fuels can make a difference in our health and our pocketbook. Learn more about the benefits of clean fuels at cleanfuels.org.