"AAAAH! The ice caps are melting! We're all fucked," I hear you say. Well you're probably right, but instead of despairing, or (worse yet) vesting any hope in the most untrustworthy people in the intire world (politicians), some enterprising young fellows are taking matters into their own hands. All across the world self-taught mechanics are converting their diesel vehicles to run off used vegetable oil that they collect from cafes and fish and chip shops.

Not many people know this but Rudolf Diesel originally designed his engine to run off peanut oil. But then the Germans (maybe) killed him because he refused to let them use his engines to power their submarines.

This is a million ideological miles away from Bush and his biofuel revolution, which many environmental experts such as George Monbiot have warned will cause many more problems than it solves (read this). It is about taking a waste product that would have only gone into landfill and using it to power our vehicles. The emissions are significantly lower than normal diesel and the smell is better. We talked to Tara Prowse from an Australian arts organisation called Trax (www.trax.org) who gave us a step by step breakdown of how to convert your own car to run off veggie oil. Read on:

Steps...

Step 1: Seek veggie oil. We have always used RECYCLED veggie oil rather than the new stuff. This means oil that is already considered by most to be a waste product (it’s already cooked the fish and chips and is on its way to landfill or to become lipstick). Local chippies or cafes are good, but Chinese restaurants are the best bet because they generally use canola or other vegetable based oil rather than your chippie which is most likely to use pig fat!! Arrgh! Will clog arteries AND fuel lines, beware.

The filter

Step 2: Filter it! Pour the oil through a catering filter (available at any good restaurant supply shop) to get rid of the random dross such as cigarette butts, left over chips, gristle and (yes true story) bits of old tights. If catering filters are not forthcoming, use an old sock. Or two. Or maybe three.

Step 3: Convert your vehicle! It must be a diesel. Preferably have an indirect injection engine (i.e. the injectors are poking out your engine block at an angle) and an inline injection pump (consult mechanic for 30 seconds).

Turbo diesels are even better as they mix more fuel with air to make more efficient little tiny explosions, which move the bits that make your car go. Research your vehicle online first before assuming you can convert it. You will likely find a story online about someone who has converted your type of vehicle and their results. When running veggie oil you will always start and end your journey on diesel to keep the injectors flushed through.

Parts: Second fuel tank, in-line electric heater, fuel filter that is below 10 microns (i.e. stops teeny weeny bits from going through), fuel hose, an electric (solenoid) switch and a fistful of hose clamps.

For the veggie oil to fire in the same way as diesel does, you need to decrease its viscosity, or thickness. Basically this means you need to heat it up! There are different methods and we have probably tried them all at some point, but we now swear by this electric in-line heater - a bit like a kettle element, that roasts the veggie oil as it passes through on its way to the engine (see http://www.independentbiofuels.com/components/VEGTHERM.php). This way you ensure the oil gets to about 75oC before it fires in the engine, otherwise you lots of choking, smoke and angry neighbours.

Filter and unit

You then mount a switch on your dash board, which when flicked, sends a signal to the solenoid (another switch with the fuel lines going through it, a bit like traffic lights) to send either veggie oil or Diesel to the engine.

Before it hits the engine block, the veggie oil passes through that second filter that makes extra sure that the oil is clean, in case you missed some bits when pre-filtering.

Ta Da! You should now be running on recycled chip fat!

For more information on converting your vehicle, check out these links:

http://www.veggievan.org/biodiesel/#Technical%20Biodiesel

www.afdc.doe.gov

www.cityofseattle.net/cleancities

www.usda.gov/rus/electric/renewables

www.biodiesel.co.uk/emissions_from_liquid_biofuels.html www.biodiesel.org