City project aims to plant SEEDs of change, Now you see Ford GT, now you won't

City project aims to plant SEEDs of change
The Saratogian - Saratoga,NY,USA
High school students are working on a plan to get Saratoga Springs City School District buses to run at least partially on biodiesel, a fuel usually made from ...

High school students are working on a plan to get Saratoga Springs City School District buses to run at least partially on biodiesel, a fuel usually made from vegetable oil, in place of petroleum-based fuels.'It would cut down on emissions,' said Jake Torpey, a 10th grader at Saratoga Springs High School.Another sophomore, P.J. Donworth, said their research has shown that the conversion would not end up costing that much more for the district, given the rising cost of petroleum.They are working through the Saratoga Environmental, Energy and Development (SEED) Project, run by city Mayor Valerie Keehn and a volunteer committee that includes Skidmore College students and other members of the community. The biodiesel bus idea is one of six projects. The high school students are working to satisfy their Participation in Government class requirements.Keehn said Friday that she is trying with the program to answer a lot of concerns she heard while campaigning door-to-door this past fall.Mark Torpey, Jake's father, works for the New York State Energy Research and Development Agency developing and promoting alternative energy forms.As for the buses, Schools Superintendent John MacFadden said the district will certainly consider a change.The other SEED projects are:<>- Business Environmental Stewardship Initiative -- SEED members plan to talk with local businesses about ways to cut waste, recycle and use environmentally friendly practices.- Skidmore College internship program- Saratoga Navigation Project, focusing on ways to use city-owned rights-of-way and other property as bike trails and walking paths- Renewable energy purchase, building on the city's practice of paying a $40,000 to $50,000 premium on its energy bill for wind power. Mark Torpey wants the city to work with other local businesses and governments to possibly own a fraction of a wind farm.- Green buildings in Saratoga -- an initiative to promote energy-efficient and environmentally friendly buildings using city zoning regulations.

Now you see Ford GT, now you won't
Toronto Star - Ontario, Canada
... Every Liberty diesel is fuelled with B5 — 5 per cent biodiesel — before it leaves the Toledo, Ohio, factory where it is built. ...