34 | August/September 2011

5 MYTHS
ABOUT BIODIESEL
BIODIESEL IS BAD FOR
DIESEL ENGINES.
FACT: Biodiesel can be used
interchangeably with traditional
diesel in blends comprised of up to
20% biodiesel.
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SCENE |
MORE SCENE EXTRAS
SECOND LINES BIO-BLEND
T
he nations frst independent green
studio facility, New Orleans own
Second Line Stages has been
hosting extraordinary motion picture
projects since opening in 2010, all the
while honoring a vow to remain eco-
friendly. Te environmentally conscious
cuting-edge facility recently began
ofering biodiesel to the states thriving
flm industry, selling the alternative to
traditional diesel to flm productions. For
those crews shooting on-locations within
75 miles from SLS, delivery is also available.
Green maven Diane Wheeler-
Nicholson, director of sustainability at
Second Line Stages, is excited about the
new ofering. With the biodiesel program,
were not limited by who comes [to Second
Line Stages]. We can get an entire feet
and essentially the entire southeast region
of New Orleans on biodiesel, so were
excited about that, Wheeler-Nicholson
says. Its convenient and top notch
because we arrive at your location and
deliver fuel to your vehicles or fuel truck.
An alternative, clean-burning fuel,
biodiesel is produced from renewable
resources such as animal fats and vegetable
oils, including cooking oil. Tough it
contains no petroleum, it can be mixed
with standard petroleum diesel to create
a blend compatible with any traditional
diesel engine. Blends include B50 - a blend
of 50 percent biodiesel with 50 percent
petroleum diesel - to B2. Te American
Society for Testing and Materials recognizes
B5 to be interchangeable with traditional
diesel in the typical on-road vehicle.
Te quality-controlled biodiesel
used by Second Line Stages is locally
manufactured from spent cooking oil,
and the manufacturing process of these
blends seems to be drastically cuting
emissions. While some may be skeptical,
according to Te National Biodiesel Board,
biodiesel blend emissions are considerably
smaller than those of tradition diesel.
Te growing popularity of biodiesel
blends has not only struck a chord with
green enthusiasts, but the alternative fuel
also happens to be very cost competitive
in the business world. Ive been tracking
the prices of biodiesel versus traditional
diesel and they have consistently been
within pennies of each other, Wheeler-
Nicholson says. Te higher the biodiesel
blend, the more cost efcient it is
because biodiesel is currently cheaper
to manufacture than traditional diesel,
especially when diesel prices rise.
Te biodiesel-distributing program at
SLS targets diferent aspects of production,
ranging from cat cars and forklifs to
generators and big trucks. Whether its
generators that cool makeup and actor
trailers or catering trucks that power ovens
and freezers, says Wheeler-Nicholson,
[there are] just tons of opportunity
for environmental improvement.
Hollywood Trucks has already teamed
up with Second Line Stages in their efort
to go green. Te full-service Louisiana
flm feet now utilizes a B5 blend in their
trucks as opposed to traditional diesel.
Wheeler-Nicholson cautions, however,
that the process of switching a vehicle over
to a biodiesel blend should be done over
time. Te approach is to go slowly, not
to put a vehicle on B50 on day one. Te
higher the blend, the more quickly it will
fush out the old crud that traditional diesel
leaves behind. Switching to higher levels
of biodiesel requires more flter changes,
says Wheeler-Nicholson. At our fueling
program, our manufacturer of biodiesel
is providing the flters for the feets.
Second Line Stages hopes that the biodiesel
program, along with their environmentally
conscious state-of-the-art facility, is creating
healthy competition throughout the region
and will atract major business opportunities.
Hollywood is still on the track
[of going green]. Location work is the
hardest to achieve it because they have
so litle control when things are of
campus, Wheeler says. I see competitive
opportunity with our crew going green.
Were at the beginning but I want to get
people thinking in terms of Why not?
For more information on implementing
environmentally friendly practices in the flm
industry, visit www.secondlinestages.com.
,
S
BIODIESEL IS EXPENSIVE.
FACT: Low level blends with 5%
biodiesel are on par with the cost of
conventional diesel. Higher blends
are only marginally more expensive
on average.
2
BIODIESEL IS NOT A
QUALITY PRODUCT.
FACT: Commercial biodiesel must
meet or exceed the same quality
standards as traditional diesel.
3
BIODIESEL CONTRIBUTES TO
THE WORLDS RISING FOOD
PRICES.
FACT: Biodiesel is created from
a variety of renewable resources,
including plant oils, fats, recycled
grease and algae.
4
LAND IS CLEARED TO
GROW CROPS FOR
BIODIESEL, INCREASING
GREENHOUSE GASES.
FACT: Creating new cropland is not
needed to produce biodiesel because
it is largely produced from the co-
products of crops already being
grown. For instance, biodiesel may
utilize the oils from soybean, leaving
the protein to be used in soy food
products.
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For more information on biodiesel, visit
www.biosustainability.com.