Beef by-products, turned into bio-diesel, make up 20% of the fuel being used today by Amtrak's Heartland Flyer between Fort Worth and Oklahoma City.
Ariel Schwartz writes, "Amtrak says that the cow tallow (read: rendered fat from cattle) fuel reduces hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions by 10%, cuts down on particulates by 15%, and reduces sulfates by 20% compared to standard diesel."
The switch to beef power came about because Amtrak was seeking to source biodiesel locally, and the cow diesel is produced in Texas.
Marc Magliari, an Amtrak spokesperson, said on Triple Pundit, "We asked our local fuel provider for a bio-based product," he said. "There was not a lot of corn and soy based product [but] there is a lot of cattle production in that area."
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