CASE STUDY: University of Connecticut Backs Vegetable Power

By Molly Callahan

The University of Connecticut is amongst the thousands of responsible entities across the country that are making efforts to utilize biodiesel fuel, a clean burning fuel source produced from domestic, renewable resources.

According to the University of Connecticut's Office of Environmental Policy, the University of Connecticut has illustrated its support for renewable fuels by running its shuttle buses with a biodiesel fuel blend. This fuel is produced on-campus from waste cooking oil donated by campus-run dining locations. In the future, the University of Connecticut will be continuing its initiatives to support and promote biodiesel fuel.

While this fuel can be used in diesel engines with only slight or no alterations, biodiesel is biodegradable, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics. Biodiesel fuel is a byproduct of a chemical process during which glycerin is separated from vegetable oil. It is important to note that biodiesel is not the same thing as raw vegetable oil and that while these meets alternative fuel standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency, raw vegetable oil does not and is, therefore, not a legal motor fuel.

In a speech given to the Virginia Biodiesel Refinery in West Point, Virginia in May of 2005, President Bush stressed the significant advantages biodiesel fuel offers, both environmentally and economically.

"The final step toward making America less dependent on foreign oil is to develop new alternatives to gasoline and diesel," President Bush said. "Biodiesel can be used in any vehicle that runs on regular diesel, and delivers critical environmental and economic benefits."

According to the United States Department of Energy, biodiesel fuel also saves consumers between twenty to thirty cents per gallon at the gas Pump. While this fuel is available nationwide, it can be purchased directly from biodiesel producers, from petroleum distributors, or at a number of public pumps throughout the nation.

Molly Callahan is an expert on the field of mental illness. She enjoys reading all styles of literature and actively follows the new releases. During her spare time, she writes for a variety of web sites including hobo international and lancome cosmetics.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Molly_Callahan
http://EzineArticles.com/?University-of-Connecticut-Backs-Vegetable-Power&id=4171989