Saving the Environment, One Tank at a Time

Author: Charles Goulding

You won't find Ron Schildge '03 at the local Exxon station. That's because Schildge has been working to develop an alternative fuel called bio-diesel, which he hopes will be used as an environmentally safe alternative to conventional gasoline.

The fuel, made from Proctor's very own vegetable oil, gets processed at a refinery built by Schildge at the nearby Hannaford Career Center. While Schildge continues to develop and improve the refinery, the bio-diesel he has already produced works well in standard car engines. "I'm currently using it in my 1990 Volkswagen Jetta, [which has] a diesel engine and hope to be using it in a Middlebury vehicle very shortly," Schildge explained. The fuel has been found to work effectively, and significantly lowers the amount of pollution expelled into the environment.

The refinery itself is composed of a 20-gallon drum resting on stilts with an electric motor on top and a tap at the bottom. "In essence," Schildge elaborated, "it's a chemical mixer."

The success Schildge has achieved is even more impressive considering he is only a junior. According to Schildge, the environment has "always been an interest of mine."

Still, it didn't take long for Schildge to focus his attention on a particular facet of environmental safety and make significant headway. As a first-year, Schildge applied to be an electric outreach intern and began working to develop the bio-diesel refinery he currently operates. Schildge then received an environmental grant from the College's Environmental Council which allowed him to bring his plans for the refinery to fruition.

After this success, Schildge received a grant from the National Wildlife Federation to continue his work. He spent one semester of his junior year abroad in South Africa, where he continued to do research and plans to build a second refinery.

In May, Schildge's work in South Africa will come to an end. He is currently applying for another grant from the College. His plans for the money would include the creation of an Organization of Bio-diesel Electrical Chemists. Through this organization, Schildge hopes to expand his bio-diesel project as well as promote awareness of fuel consumption. For Middlebury students interested in Schildge's line of work, another source of information and contact is the Middlebury Initiative for Sustainable Development.

Schildge's work is of particular importance now in light of the Iraqi oil embargo and the ongoing debate over plans to use the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as an alternative source of fuel. As oil prices and environmental pollution continue to escalate, Shildge's research on alternative fuel sources compels us to see vegetable oil in a whole new light.