Editor's Note: Minaz Kerawala is the latest addition to our writing team. Born in India, and currently living in Montreal, Canada, Minaz will be looking at subjects like consumerism, ecological justice, environmental ethics and the attenuation of environmental law, and more. Welcome Minaz!
Petrol and diesel prices have hit record highs across Canada, hitting die-hard petrolheads where it hurts most – the wallet. Montreal’s miffed motorists have sent opinions flying thick and fast over local airways in the last week. While they are not about to ditch their cars and hop onto bicycles, some of them are discovering an interesting new way to fuel the daily commute.
A Montreal mechanic’s ingenuity is providing the answer. Marc Amsden converts diesel vehicles at his garage, EcoAuto, to run on vegetable cooking oil. Marc, who’s been exceptionally busy since the fuel prices took off, says, “To me it's not a fuel-price issue; to me it's a pollution issue" (CBC News). He recommends his customers use recycled cooking oil instead of raiding supermarket shelves for the alternative fuel. In a city that loves poutine (fries with cheese curd and gravy), used deep-fryer oil is not hard to come by. Most restaurateurs are glad to give it away free because they usually have to pay to have their fryer oil carted away.
The only problem is that cooking oil has a much higher freezing temperature than diesel or petrol. And that, given Canada’s far-from-mild winters, poses a problem. While in summer, drivers can happily chug along after tanking up at the local greasy spoon, in winter they would have to run their cars on diesel long enough to first thaw the cooking oil. But this deters neither Marc’s many satisfied customers nor those who are flooding him with enquiries since the story broke.
This is not the first time cars have been adapted to run on vegetable oil, but Marc’s timing is perfect. With crude oil prices rising as they are, he is certain to do very well indeed. What is a bonanza for this clever mechanic is also good news for the environment. Using recycled cooking oil to run cars converts a problematic waste material into a valuable resource. It also saves hard-hit motorists a few dollars.
And, there is another fringe benefit. Users have reported that a faint odour of French fries hangs around these converted cars. Fancy that. A car that smells good enough to eat! The only fear is that driven by olfactory temptation, drivers may pull up into fast food joints for a French fries fix. And that would surely cancel out all the good that comes from not using diesel in your car.
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