Wake Forest University: Global Warming
BIOFUEL MAKES DEBUT AT WAKE FOREST - 10/17/07
Lawn mowers, a backhoe, a wood chipper and about 20 other pieces of off-road maintenance equipment used by Wake Forest's Facilities Management department are now powered by a biodiesel blend.
The biofuel was made by two biology professors (Dave Anderson and Miles Silman), two staff members (Marcus Wright and Robert Vidrine) and a handful of students from waste oil collected at the Dixie Classic Fair and other local places.
The group is focused on making and promoting biologically-based fuels. The Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC) has also been involved in the project.
"This is a wonderful experience when we can partner with an academic department," said Jim Alty, assistant vice president for Facilities Management. "Not only does this partnership assist in student learning, but it provides the university with an alternative fuel source based on a renewable resource and reduces the impact of global warming.
Overall, this is a great example of a win-win for the entire university community." Facilities Management employees began using a 90 percent diesel/10 percent biodiesel mixture in selected equipment Oct. 3. In the future, the department may increase the percentage of biodiesel in the mix.
