The Thornridge Biodiesel Club was organized by students because they are deeply concerned about the environment and wish to make a difference. Thornridge High School is located the near south suburbs of Chicago. As a result of our location, air pollution and global warming are important and sensitive issues to our students. The main topic of our action plan is Global Warming and Climate Change; however, because we planned to build a biodiesel processor, this project also covers Fossil Fuels and Renewable Energy. The biodiesel process converts used vegetable oil to environmentally friendly fuel. It is common knowledge that vegetable oil is produced from agricultural crops such as peanuts, soybeans, sunflower seeds, and corn. Because the process converts used vegetable oil into biodiesel, it is a renewable fuel.
Air pollution, without a doubt, affects the air we breathe. The students of Thornridge and other high schools in Chicago are the future leaders of tomorrow. If the air quality continues to decline, there may be no tomorrow for us. Besides air quality, climate change could dramatically impact the Midwest region. Global warming is a result of the accumulation of “greenhouse” gases and has the potential to change the weather and ecosystem of the Midwest. For example, warmer winters and rainier springs could result in more violent weather like torrential rains, hail storms, and tornados. During the summer and fall months, more droughts could occur. The Midwest is known as the “corn-belt” of America, these changes in our weather could have a devastating impact on the agriculture and economy of our region. Besides greenhouse gases, hydrocarbons are a significant part of combustion emissions and they are a major component in the formation of smog.
