Anjika Friedman-Jha

What did we do to spread awareness about biodiesel and its benefits?

When we walked into Southern Spice to talk to the owner, a family friend, regarding opportunities to take the restaurant’s waste oil and turn it into biodiesel, we did not know what to expect. We were nothing but surprised when we found through our conversations that he already sends his oil to a biodiesel-producer company and admittedly, he ultimately knew more about biodiesel than we did. He informed us about all the potential negatives of traditional waste management of oil as the oil seeps into drains and results in problems with infrastructure and blockages. Not only was he willing to talk to us about his extensive knowledge of biodiesel, but he also took us through his restaurant and showed us the large drum that he keeps the oil in until he sends it to the company. Beyond all of this, he agreed to have us film an interview with him asking him questions about his knowledge of biodiesel, which we posted on our Youtube video as an introduction to our project. Furthermore, we have began working with him to set up a presentation at his restaurant on Friday, November 9, in which we will invite our family and friends for a dinner and an informative video on biodiesel. In our school, we presented to two middle school students and brought candy to make sure they were engaged and would answer our questions. We also went to Long Island Academy and presented the same powerpoint to different students once their class was over. Finally, we went to Broadway Mall and asked passersby if they were interested in having a conversation with us about biodiesel and what they currently know about it.