THE BIG GREEN BUS

Students build bus that runs on solar energy and french fry oil
By: Ethan K.

It has been nicknamed the "Big Green Bus". It is the product of the work of 12 Dartmouth students who are showing the the world that alternative fuels do indeed work. They converted a diesel bus into a "vegetable waste oil" bus. They are on a 10,000 mile trek across the United States in their bus that will be fueled with the help of waste vegetable oil from restaurants along the way.

To keep the vegetable oil from thickening in the fuel lines, the students affixed a SunPower SPR-215 solar panel to the roof which powers a fuel warming system. The solar panel provides enough electricity to also power their camera and computer gear inside. It is truly an incredible machine that proves the value of alternative fuel sources and it may be coming to a town near you.

Save the environment !

You can save the environment! That's right- you heard me. By making your concern for the environment a priority, you will be motivated to take the necessary steps to leave a smaller ecological footprint. Most people don't understand how easy it is to implement a lot of the habits and routines that will help the environment. They can be very simple, cost effective, and contagious to those around you. Use our suggested tips or come up with your own- just make it a daily habit to treat our planet with respect.

• Change out all your regular light bulbs with energy saving light bulbs.
• Make your next move a move to a smaller, more energy efficient home
• Put your outside lights on timers.
• Recycle your waste water (also known as grey water) and use it for gardening or watering the lawn.
• Turn off and unplug your appliances when they are not in use. Washing machines, dryers, microwaves, TVs, computers, etc. can all be unplugged or put on a power strip to ensure they do not draw energy when not in use.
• Make your own fertilizer with a compost pile.
• Set your refrigerator temperature at 36 to 38 degrees and your freezer at 0 to 5 degrees.
• Buy only products that can be reused.
• Purchase only Energy Star™ appliances.
• Get educated about your watershed. Use safe cleaning solutions to clean your house.
• Buy an electric lawn mower or a push reel mower.
• Use natural methods of insect repellants instead of harmful chemicals.

By utilizing just some of the tips that we gave above, you can make a huge impact on the environment. Don't let anyone discourage you from trying to leave this world a better place. You can make a difference, and your actions could inspire others to do the same.