BIODIESEL * Canada - Now a Reality in Canada

Ontario,Canada -Driving Today, by Jack Nerad -February 25, 2011: -- As you may guess, the new Canadian regulations that mandate the nationwide use of 2-percent biodiesel fuels were applauded by industry groups like the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), which called the decision “good news for consumers, farmers and energy diversity in Canada” ...  But the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) is not nearly as positive about the new regs. In fact, it challenged government claims that its members stand to reduce their carbon footprint in any significant manner through the biodiesel mandate"...   According to CTA, there is strong evidence -- including a 2009 study done by EcoRessources Consultants (ERC) for Environment Canada -- that shows the environmental impact of a biodiesel mandate in terms of greenhouse gas reduction is negligible, and the benefits of that reduction are outweighed by the costs. According to ERC, the total incremental cost to society of the proposed biodiesel regulation for on-road use would be $4.5 billion between 2011 and 2035, whereas the benefits -- in the form of reduced greenhouse gas emissions -- are valued at only a tad over $860 million...