Crude oil has been around for many, many decades and is continually used to this day. Many things come from crude oil like gasoline, some lipsticks and ultra-low sulfur diesel. Diesel fuel is typically used in cars like big trucks that transport goods across long distances. They are also used in off-road diesel engines like bulldozers, backhoes, cranes, bobcats and diesel generators because the fuel is so cheap. It can also be used to warm homes. It may save a pretty penny, but it is costing the environment a lot…
Diesel fuel is heavier and oilier than gasoline. After the oil crisis of 1970, people started using diesel in their cars. Red diesel fuel is chemically the same as diesel used in cars, but it is dyed red so that law officials can quickly identify if someone is using the fuel illegally. This first came into practice in 1961. Because red diesel is less expensive than regular diesel, it can be tempting for people to fuel their cars with red diesel. Doing so can get you charged for fuel tax evasion. That is why it is only permitted to fuel certain types of cars today.
Red diesel is typically used within the farming community, but it can also be found in sectors like private watercraft, freight trains, back-up generators and other small scale machinery. This can be problematic when finding cleaner ways to provide energy to these types of machinery. In a study done from The London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory found, construction sites are responsible for 7.5 percent of total nitrogen oxide emissions, eight percent of total large particle matter emissions and sixth of all fine particulate emissions. The pollutants were from the excessive amounts of excavators, generators and other machinery powered by red diesel. These statistics might alarm you, but it is not all bad.
In an attempt to search for ways to make diesel fuel more environmentally safe, researchers have made diesel fuel cleaner and have improved engine performance for the machines and automobiles that use it. New direct injection devices controlled by computers monitor fuel combustion, leading to an increase in energy efficiency and reduced emissions. There are other things like CRT particulate filters and catalytic converters that are reducing soot, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions.
In March 2020, United Kingdom Chancellor Rishi Sunak confirmed The Government will remove a tax “loophole” around red diesel, that would allow for cleaner fuel alternatives to be used. The tax break will be done away within two years’ time. Removal of the tax loophole will make it so that people will not get the benefit of using red diesel and will likely consider other ways to fuel their machines and engines.
This is a step towards a cleaner environment. If you see a “diesel barrels for sale” sign, you do not have to worry. Red diesel may not be the best thing for the environment, but there are plans in place to help things eco-friendly.
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