Presto Electro

A long time ago someone told me that UNT had a fleet of vehicles that ran on vegetable oil. Time passed, exams happened, and my memory of the conversation eroded away. The other day it popped into my head again, but I couldn't remember who told me. I looked around a little, and couldn't seem to find any evidence of it. I was starting to think I might have made the whole thing up. Or it was all part of some exceptionally sustainable dream…

Yesterday I finally got to the bottom of it! I spent the bulk of the afternoon chatting with a representative from the UNT Office of Sustainability, and she convinced me I wasn't totally crazy. UNT really does have cars that run on vegetable oil. The Recycling Center collects spent vegetable oil from dining services, and converts it into biodiesel. Biodiesel fuel can be used in place of diesel fuel (with some exceptions), and it only costs a dollar a gallon when you recycle!

Previously I always expected the weird little vans to be the veggie-powered vehicles. As it turns out, those lil guys are actually 100% electric. That explains why I can't recall ever hearing the sound of one idling.

Sustainability is fascinating as heck, and I spent the better part of an afternoon listening to all of the office's plans and ideas. My favorite out of the bunch involved wind power for the new stadium.

The Office of Sustainability recently wrote a grant application for three windmills to be built alongside the stadium. These mills could gather energy throughout the week, and then power the stadium on game days. They would also serve as a humongous and impressive demonstration of UNT's interest in sustainability. I think they should paint them Kelly Green for maximum affect.