The Brown & White

Biodiesel and new buses are the latest steps in Lehigh's efforts to fulfill its climate commitment and act upon student suggestions.

Lehigh received its first shipment of the fuel in August, and is now using biodiesel in all of its diesel engine fleet.

Lehigh uses 40 thousand gallons of diesel fuel each year. Two percent of Lehigh's extensive diesel fuel consumption now comes from biological products. The percentage used may seem low, said Brynn Buskirk, assistant director of marketing for Lehigh Business Services, "but it is actually a good starting level."

While only one-sixth of Lehigh vehicles use the biodiesel blend, one-third of Lehigh's fuel consumption is for those vehicles. Affected vehicles include the landscaping trucks used throughout campus and the bus services provided to the students.

Within the next week, Lehigh's two new buses will enter rotation for student use. The new buses will be the primary buses used by students, but may be rotated out for one of the older buses when they need maintenance.

The Brown and White previously reported that during the week of Sept. 21 both Lehigh buses were undergoing repairs and maintenance, forcing Transportation to use TRACS vans to move people around campus.

With the new buses, Chris Christian, director of Transportation and Parking Services, hopes that Lehigh will be able to avoid previous maintenance problems.

The new buses will immediately make use of the biodiesel blend and will continue to use it throughout their lifetime.

The new buses come with an improved braking system that will be better equipped to handle the strains of their difficult routes.

"Our buses have to stop and start on steep inclines, they really aren't built for that," Christian said.

There are, however, some significant challenges to the use of biodiesel. Jason Slipp of the Lehigh Environmental Advisory Group (LEAG) said it is slightly more expensive than regular diesel, requires extensive man-hours to produce and is not as green as people may think.

Slipp brews his own biodiesel using leftover frying oil from Lehigh's fraternities.

"While biodiesel burns nearly carbon-neutral, it requires some fossil fuels to be produced. Biodiesel will never replace our use of fossil fuels, but we can make a dent in our environmental impact."

Slipp hopes one day that his brewing project can become student-run.

"It really is a training opportunity for anyone from engineers to accountants," he said.

Buskirk said Lehigh's decision to use biodiesel came from the community.

"Students had been requesting it, and with Dr. Gast signing the climate commitment document, timing was right to bring biofuel in," Buskirk said.

When some students heard about the biodiesel initiative, they worried that Lehigh might have been spending its money in the wrong place.

Buskirk wanted to make sure students knew where the budget came from for the new initiatives.

"Money for transportation and parking comes parking fees and fines. It is in its own separate budget and not part of tuition rates. Your tuition will not go up because of the new buses," Buskirk said.

Some students were skeptical of the new fuel, while other thought it was a good idea.

"I think the new buses a are good start, since older buses tend to be worse on gas mileage and therefore CO2 emissions, but no to the new fuel. Lehigh should instead focus on recycling," said Courtney Valenzano, '10.

"I think it's a good conscious effort for conservation and sustainability. In light of the new buses, I'm satisfied with the improvements Lehigh is making to its transportation infrastructure," said Jordan Weith-Glushko, '11.