Concordia’s new buses are not only giving new visibility to the university, they’re helping to decrease greenhouse gases by running on biodiesel.
“It’s great to see the university taking a step in the right direction,” said Caley Mulholland of Sustainable Concordia.
On March 1, Concordia inaugurated the first newly decorated shuttle buses. Their design follows the pattern of the advertisements that can be seen in metros and publications across the city. There are four new buses and one spare, used for replacement or to add to service when four buses don’t meet demand.
The new buses are using two per cent biodiesel (B2), which is the minimum necessary to see a reduction in greenhouse gases. “Anything below [two per cent] is inconsequential,” said Mulholland.
Biodiesel is a clean burning alternative fuel, produced from renewable feed stocks. It contains no petroleum, but it can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel. Biodiesel is better for the environment because it is biodegradable, made from renewable resources and less toxic than table salt. Also, since it can be made locally from renewable resources such as soybeans, its use decreases dependence on foreign oil. In the summer of 2002, over 100 Montreal city buses switched to a diesel mixture made from animal fat and old restaurant grease.
What’s the down side? It can be costly. Biodiesel is most commonly purchased through private fuel companies that ship it from the United States or at small pilot plants in Canada.
Mulholland said though it’s “slightly more expensive,” the advantages outweigh the costs.
Sustainable Concordia approached the university’s distribution and transportation staff last year as part of its campaign for environmentally-friendly buses. It was also helped by a group of students studying campus sustainability who researched the feasibility of biodiesel and also meet with the administration.
“In this case, the university is really supportive of the idea,” said Mulholland. She also warned B2 is just the beginning. “Biodiesel is not the best solution to energy problems,” she said. “It’s just an interim fuel to use.” She said that solar, hydrogen and wind energy systems are more ideal in the long run, though the technologies are not readily available on the market yet. She hopes that Concordia will continue to “take the lead” in the environmental sector by introducing a greater percentage of biodiesel in the fuel blend over time and eventually switching to electric buses. Students seemed happy with the new buses. Business student Camilo Mesa said although he is not terribly concerned about the environment, he supports the switch to B2. He also likes the new design, which takes part of giving greater visibility to Concordia. “It gives an identity to the university,” he said. “People get to know it and we get recognition.”
The capacity of the new buses has also increased. The old buses could take a maximum of 53 passengers while the new ones support 80. Also, a second wheelchair space is available on every new shuttle.
“As long as they get here on time, we’re fine [with the new buses],” said psychology student Anna Vshevkova.
