2008 Woodie Awards
Q&A All fueled up on biodiesel
Jad Sleiman
Issue date: 4/2/08 Section: News
As temperatures and oil prices rise around the world, two recent university graduates have decided to abandon fossil fuels in favor of a cleaner-burning, plant-matter based alternative: biodiesel.
Adam Schwartz and Andrea Calderon said they hope to get the Washington area on the vegetable-oil-based fuel as well by starting the area's first biodiesel cooperative, The Green Guild. For starters, the eco-conscious duo will bulk purchase biodiesel and distribute it to members of the co-op before gathering waste vegetable oil from local businesses and producing their own supply.
Biodiesel is a fuel that contains no petroleum. It is biodegradable, nontoxic and can be used in regular diesel engines with little or no modification. The fuel can be made from waste vegetable oil through a chemical process where glycerin is separated from the vegetable oil, leaving methyl esters, or biodiesel, behind. The fuel pumps less carbon dioxide into the air than petroleum-based diesel fuels and gasoline, and it comes from renewable resources.
The Diamondback spoke with one of the co-founders of The Green Guild Co-op to find out more about their project:
The Diamondback: Why start a biodiesel co-op, especially here?
Adam Schwartz: I studied environmental science and policy at the university. It was something that I continually kept learning about from researching and doing projects about alternative fuel. Biodiesel just appealed to me because it was very concrete and it was very do-it-yourself. With a couple of other folks, we decided it's something we could do. There is just kind of a vacuum for biodiesel in this area. There's really no opportunities for getting biodiesel in the area.
DBK: What do you think about when you drive past a gas station, especially when you see the prices?
Schwartz: Everyone is feeling the crunch. The price is coming up, and it's only going to keep going up. It presents us with a big challenge and a big opportunity. I think that, on the one hand, those increasing prices are going to push people toward alternatives, so that's the good part. But the bad part really is that people are gonna feel that crunch along with other economic issues.
Adam Schwartz and Andrea Calderon said they hope to get the Washington area on the vegetable-oil-based fuel as well by starting the area's first biodiesel cooperative, The Green Guild. For starters, the eco-conscious duo will bulk purchase biodiesel and distribute it to members of the co-op before gathering waste vegetable oil from local businesses and producing their own supply.
Biodiesel is a fuel that contains no petroleum. It is biodegradable, nontoxic and can be used in regular diesel engines with little or no modification. The fuel can be made from waste vegetable oil through a chemical process where glycerin is separated from the vegetable oil, leaving methyl esters, or biodiesel, behind. The fuel pumps less carbon dioxide into the air than petroleum-based diesel fuels and gasoline, and it comes from renewable resources.
The Diamondback spoke with one of the co-founders of The Green Guild Co-op to find out more about their project:
The Diamondback: Why start a biodiesel co-op, especially here?
Adam Schwartz: I studied environmental science and policy at the university. It was something that I continually kept learning about from researching and doing projects about alternative fuel. Biodiesel just appealed to me because it was very concrete and it was very do-it-yourself. With a couple of other folks, we decided it's something we could do. There is just kind of a vacuum for biodiesel in this area. There's really no opportunities for getting biodiesel in the area.
DBK: What do you think about when you drive past a gas station, especially when you see the prices?
Schwartz: Everyone is feeling the crunch. The price is coming up, and it's only going to keep going up. It presents us with a big challenge and a big opportunity. I think that, on the one hand, those increasing prices are going to push people toward alternatives, so that's the good part. But the bad part really is that people are gonna feel that crunch along with other economic issues.
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keith
posted 9/28/08 @ 1:17 PM EST
After you use biodeisel in your tank can you use standard deisel again if you are on the road and there are no where to buy bio.
thank in advance
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