by Mark Shirbroun
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So you're sitting in Marty's enjoying a hamburger and fries with your friends, and one of the farthest things from your mind has to be, "You know, I bet a lot of frying oil was used to make these fries." And since you don't stop to consider that, you probably don't think, "All that oil is wasted at the end of the day because of cooking so many meals like this." And since you're not thinking about this, you probably don't think about some of the ways in which this waste oil can be put to more productive uses. But it can be, and it's being done right here on Luther's campus. Graduating senior Kelly Crouthamel and Professor of Philosophy and Environmental Studies Jon Jenson are two members of the Luther community involved in recycling waste oil into fuel usuable in cars. But how exactly can the stuff that makes french fries taste so good power, and why should we care? |
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Making the actual biodiesel from waste oil is actually a fairly precise process that goes into more scientific detail than I really understand. You use lye, methanol, and the waste oil, blend it together, and something called trasesterification occurs. Basically, the glycerine in the oil transforms into alcohol, which you can now use to power your car. It's not quite as simple as that of course. You can't use biodisel in just any car, it has to be a car with a diesel engine. But biodiesel will work in any normal diesel car, it doesn't have to be converted. But what are the benefits to using biodiesel? |
The benefits of using biodiesel are rather stunning, especially in comparison with petroleum based fuels. With gas prices soaring these days, perhaps the most convincing argument in favor of biodiesel for the majority of people is the price. Homemade biodiesel costs about 60 cents per gallon to produce (not including your personal labor). With gas prices reaching almost two dollars, this difference in price would offer a typical family savings of almost nine hundred dollars per year. It seems obvious that demand could be found for a cheaper fuel that works just as well.
Other benefits of biodiesel come in the environmental impacts. Not only is waste oil, something tricky to dispose of in the first place, being used up by this process, biodiesel is almost far less harmful to the environment than either gasoline or normal diesel. In fact, the harmful emissions from a car running on biodiesel are almost nonexistant, making it one of the best options for environmentally friendly transportation.
Biodiesel on a large scale is feasible, and it's use is becoming more and more widespread in Europe and other places around the world. One way in which it's use could be furthered would be on Luther's own campus. While the initial investment in diesel vehicles would be a hindrance, producing biodiesel in quantities needed for many of Luther's vehicles would not be hard. With significant savings and environmental impacts linked to it's use, perhaps seeing SPO cops drive around powered by the remains of your meal at Marty's isn't such a far fetched idea.