CNN honors local students for “heroic” environmental effort
Student program
heats local homes
By Will Collette
A little over a
year ago, I
wrote about a group of grade schoolers in Westerly who launched an
innovative project they called “TGIF” (Turn Grease Into
Fuel). They encouraged local restaurants to save their old oil and fats to
be recycled into biofuel by Newport Biodiesel.
The oil comes back to Westerly
for distribution to low-income households by Guardian Fuel and Energy.
Student leader
Cassandra Lin and her classmates were honored in 2011 by the United
Nations Environmental Program for their achievement.
The New London
Day reports there are 118 local restaurants in the network, plus ten
collection sites at town transfer stations, feeding waste in and resulting in
21,000 gallons of biofuel.
Last year, state
legislation sponsored by Rep. Donna Walsh as well as all of Westerly’s other
General Assembly members to encourage growth of the program was passed and
signed by Governor Chafee.
Ms. Lin told the
Sun that she hopes to see the program expand throughout New England.
TGIF was featured
on CNN's Heroes All-Star Tribute on December 1st
as part of their "Young Wonders" segment.
