Narrative
Biofuels Education Coalition, Inc. ("BEC") focuses on public and youth orientated education. BEC has undertaken the Oil and Water Project with a goal of grass roots biofuel education. For its main demonstration BEC will use a truck converted to be powered by 100% biofuel. The truck will carry equipment for processing locally grown crops into vegetable oil and biodiesel fuel, including a tank for collecting used cooking oil. The vehicle will be an example of how ordinary diesel vehicles can be easily and inexpensively modified to operate effectively on biofuel. The equipment on the truck will show how it is feasible to produce biofuels at the local level using locally grown crops or used cooking oil and simple equipment. The presentations will focus on educating school students and the general public about biofuels, renewable resources, and a sustainable future in regard to the consumption of energy. The project will also portray how the use of biofuels can reduce reliance on the international oil market and assist local environmental and conservation efforts. BEC is particularly interested in providing information about biofuels to school students, and to members of the public in developing or third world economies.
In addition to making presentations directly to school children, BEC intends to work with educators to develop a variety of curricula and educational materials involving biofuels which it will make available to educators at local, regional, and national levels in the United States and other countries around the world. In addition to educating students about biofuels issues such as crop production, manufacturing, distribution, technological ability, and economic and environmental advantages, BEC hopes to produce materials which will use the study of biofuels and related issues to develop students' ability to find creative and alternative solutions to problems in other areas. The curricula and materials developed for use in the United States will conform to national educational standards for textbooks, in order to facilitate their integration into school programs.