Under a $1.3 million dollar program, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) will turn a very large and problematic waste product into a renewable fuel:

Fats, oils and grease have been a significant problem for San Francisco’s sewers, SFPUC officials said. When not disposed of properly, the greasy waste can form thick layers inside the pipes. Sewage flow becomes constricted, which causes odors, attracts rats and leads to backups in The City’s sewer system, all of which create costly cleanup problems."

This problem is not unique to San Francisco - any restaurant with a deep fryer produces a steady stream of waste vegetable oil (WVO). The used oil is generally stored and picked up by chemical companies, who process and incorporate it into various products including animal feed and cosmetics. In some parts of the country the oil is just thrown away.

But it's relatively easy to turn WVO into a fuel, and it can be a substantial untapped resource. SFPUC official Lewis Harrison stated that at least 1 million gallons of biodiesel could be produced from left-over restaurant grease, which is "more than enough" to run the city's entire bus fleet on B20. Since WVO is a waste stream, offsetting petro-diesel usage with WVO biodiesel is particularly advantageous: the use of 1 million gallons of WVO-biodiesel would offset 19,600,000 lbs (9800 tons) of carbon dioxide emissions each year. It also has significant economic and public health benefits: municipal biodiesel production should beat the $4/gallon price of fuel in San Francisco, and B20 biodiesel blends cut diesel soot emissions by 20-40%.

SFPUC officials are hoping to have the city buses running on B20 by the end of 2007.

The Examiner (April 3, 2007) Fats to grease Muni’s wheels
More on Biodiesel: Biodiesel Mythbuster

Photo Credit: http://www.davidsuzuki.org/

Atlanta: Arms Around Atlanta sounds like a blast. It's all going down at Grant Park on Saturday & Sunday.

Boston: Clean Up the Charles on Saturday, April 21!

Chicago: Check out Green Festival happening all weekend long! Green vendors & organizations galore!

Dallas: Run, don't walk to downtown today for EarthFest from 10am - 2pm.

Denver: Visit the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and enjoy yourself at their Earth Day Renewable Energy Expo April 21-22.

Houston: The Houston Zoo is celebrating Earth Day all weekend - family fun.

Los Angeles: Lots to choose from. Clean Rivers, go to a Conscious Living Fair, or Let Worms Eat Your Garbage!

Miami: Check out EarthFest:WaterFest Gone Green a full day of music, eco-village, food, and fun. (Organized by yours truly.)

New York: Choose from a variety of events, and don't forget the slideshow in Grand Central!

San Francisco: Get on over to East Bay on Saturday and have fun at the Berkeley Earth Day Festival.

Seattle: Do a little Earth Day tour and check out several events this weekend in Seattle.

Washington, D.C.: Go to GreenDC Week Earth Day Celebration or check out some other events.

I didn't mention your city? Search for local events at Earth Day Network or EnviroLink.

Rather not party it up? Do something green like a beach clean-up or planting a tree.

Featuring 7 biodiesel-powered dance stages and a sound system run entirely by people on bikes, the theme of this year’s How Weird turns green as it aims to incorporate sustainable technology and solutions into all aspects of the Faire.

Along with the recycling, compost, and bike-powered educational exhibits, How Weird will also be documenting the process of going green (almost zero-waste!) to give others an opportunity to see the necessary steps involved in greening up an event.

If you go and find yourself looking for a calm oasis in the midst of this urban creative hub, visit the down-tempo scene in “Ambient Alley,” or flop down on the giant “mandala of grass” to relax and reconnect in the middle of 12th and Howard Street.

For more info, or directions, visit www.howweird.org/. And be sure to check out the bike parking valet service!