As part of ongoing efforts to reduce the university’s energy footprint, the university plans to fully upgrade its fleet of Georgetown University Transportation Shuttle buses to run on biodiesel.

Some of the university’s buses already run on biodiesel. “We’re finally making the jump to moving the entire fleet to biodiesel,” Georgetown Eco-Action President Kristin Ng (COL ’11) said.

Ng is a member of the Sustainability Action Committee, a coalition of students, administrators and faculty that is overseeing the switch to biodiesel-powered GUTS buses.

According to the National Biodiesel Board, biodiesels, previously almost exclusively used in the European Union, have increased in prevalence as a power source in the United States over the last few years. The rise in biodiesel use is fueled by its potential positive environmental impact.

The university aims to decrease its carbon emissions by switching to biodiesel, according to Ng.

“Awareness is definitely the key in this project,” Ng said. “Having the GUTS buses use biodiesel will hopefully make people think more about the impact that they have on the world.”

Ng said the Sustainability Action Committee hopes to put decals on the buses running on biodiesel.

“I would say that the short-term goal is really awareness – how making a change that does not really feel like a big change can have a beneficial impact on our Earth,” Ng said.

According to the NBB, biodiesels are vegetable oil or animal fat-based diesel fuels. The fuel can be produced at varying ratios or blends of biodiesel to petroleum. Typically, a blend of 20 percent biodiesel to 80 percent petroleum can power unmodified engines. Upgrading the engine will allow higher grades of biodiesel to run effectively.

“The long-term goal is turning that awareness into action. Hopefully people will see that conservation isn’t about giving up things, but making changes to things that they already do [or use],” Ng said.

The university has already taken steps to shrink its energy footprint by monitoring energy consumption in certain residence halls, such as LXR Hall, and posting reminders to decrease energy use in others, such as the Southwest Quad.”