More students in school districts from Texas to Vermont are getting lessons in green technology every time they board a school bus powered with vegetable oil. Not only does biodiesel fuel made from recycled restaurant cooking oil save money, it also cuts down on carbon emissions, and is a healthier alternative for students who breath exhaust on their way to and from school each day. Students in some districts are even contributing to experimentation about how to convert biofuels and test them effectively because cooking up school bus fuel alternatives is not without challenges. Just as salad dressing stored in a refrigerator congeals, for example, so does the biodiesel fuel used in cold climate school buses.

NSDL biofuels resources:

From the Environmental and Energy Resources Library (ERL)

Biofuel Utilization

http://bit.ly/18IQfg

These three activities introduce students to biofuel utilization and will help students understand that using biomass for energy production is much more than just burning wood.

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From Middle School Portal 2

Biomass : energy from wood, garbage, and agricultural waste

http://bit.ly/Kex91 

This resource explores the non-renewable resource of Biomass. As a organic material, biomass stores sunlight in the form of chemical energy.

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From Teach the Earth collection

Tribal Energies Program: Biodiesel Pilot Project

http://bit.ly/kKD9L

This site provides a project summary of Nez Perce Tribal involvements with biodiesel energy productions.