Why don't they just shoot the ethical vegetarians and make biodiesel out of us?

As a vegetarian, I find the suggestion of creating biodiesel from animal fat to be most reprehensible.  One could argue that rendering plants which create the subject fat will dispose of it one manner or another, and it might as well be used to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.  However, my argument would be that such an endeavor will only support the meat industry to which I am completely opposed for ethical and environmental reasons.  Meat production contributes nothing positive to the environment and the health of humans, while making a substantial contribution to water pollution and global warming.

Marylou Noble

Lowes has offered a no VOC paint (Olympic) for a while now and it is great. Hopefully Home Depot is about to do the same. The average DIYer isn't even aware of this. A lot of the people in the paint department aren't aware of this. Hopefully all paint will soon be Green.

This is my first post... VERY exciting!

I have some issues with that article which I would love to have someone answer

1st: There are lots of problems with ethanol production right now because Corn might be almost as energy intensive as oil. Most of our farm animals eat corn (at least that is what I was told), and eating meat is waay more energy intensive than eating vegetables... if this is all correct, how is animal fat biofuel a good alternative to oil?

2nd: Good job Conoco, way to piss of vegetarians and enviros

3rd: What is Home Depot talking about? I would like more details about what they consider to be green. I don't know much about the issue, but last I heard there was a big debate about sustainable forestry labeling.

I am always down for big businesses taking responsibility and I have always rooted for those that do, but these two examples sound a lot like PR campaigns rather than real commitments.

Tommaso

I also find it sickening and appalling to use animal fat for fuel.  This will give even more leverage to the meat industry.  The argument that the fat is an inevitable result of the slaughtering etc holds no more weight than saying that leather will be "produced" from the meat industry, so why not wear it?  There's big money involved in the leather trade, as there will be in biodiesel.  If it doesn't sell, they won't produce it.
  Every bit of participation in the chain of abuse flows back to the source.  And at the source, there is nothing but suffering...the suffering of the animals and the suffering of the planet.

Claudia

People complain about a company/industry for not trying to cleanup, but when they do, they just get more complaints about how they're doing it.  If someone is willing to experiment, say trying animal fat for fuel, and look into some alternative, then so be it...lets see what happens before we complain.

There is a difference between environmentally responsible, an environmentalist, and a vegetarian.