Boston University is implementing a pilot program that will turn used dining hall cooking oil into heating biofuels for 13 university buildings, officials said.’ ‘
‘We take what would otherwise be waste from one process and convert it into a technical nutrient – fuel in this case,’ BU Sustainability Director Dennis Carlberg said in an email. ‘It reduces the university’s emissions that contribute to climate change compared to the oil we burn to heat our buildings.’
The idea for the program surfaced when BU found out that over 5,000 gallons of used cooking oil was thrown out every year on campus, Carlberg said.’
‘We felt this was the most effective solution,’ he said. ‘It is precisely this thinking that I hope one day will eliminate the whole concept of waste on campus.’
The program is moving forward cautiously, first testing small quantities of oil to make sure the equipment works before graduating to larger amounts, Carlberg said.’
In addition to being environmentally friendly, the program will save BU money per each unit of energy produced, Carlberg said.’
BU Energy Club Vice President and Engineering Representative Michael Cannamela said he thinks the program is beneficial for BU.
‘What you burn in the corn oil, that’s just that much less fossil fuel that you put in your burner because you were going throw it out anyway,’ Cannamela, a College of Engineering third-year graduate student, said. ‘It’s all savings. It’s a good thing to do, and it’s green.’
However, BU should continue to push ahead in making the campus greener, Cannamela said.’
‘You could save the same thing by turning the temperature down in wintertime,’ he said. ‘We need to buy less stuff, and take less aggressive AC and heating measures.’
BU’s excessive consumer culture also adds to waste on campus, he said.’
‘You need to stop buying more stuff ‘- the real usage of stuff, of energy, of resources, is in our consumer culture,’ Cannamela said.’
BU Energy Club Secretary Evan DaSilva said he thinks this is a good project for the university to take on, and burning the waste oil has ‘pure benefit’ since the oil has already been used for cooking.’
‘I think any project BU wants to undertake is positive and important,’ DaSilva, a School of Management second-year graduate student, said. ‘It’s good they’re trying to make this higher profile.”
DaSilva said he thinks BU should continue raising green awareness on campus.’
‘There are plenty of projects they could undertake, especially in energy efficiency,’ he said. ‘Stuff like shutting off computers and lights and temperature control in classrooms can go a long way, but this is a positive and scientifically interesting step for them to take.’
While this new program could be beneficial, BU should crack down more on using electricity in its academic and residential buildings, College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Robert Fera said.
‘The best way would be to go after electricity, because in dorm and school buildings, lights are constantly on,’ Fera said.
Investing in motion-detecting lights would probably be more environmentally-friendly than turning cooking oil into heating biofuels, Fera said.
‘It would probably be really expensive, but it would be beneficial,’ Fera said.
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