Emergency Room Doctor Helps to Reverse Global Warming
Dr Lazzareschi's environmental passion fuels many of his lifestyle choices, including the desire to convert his 1985 Mercedes Benz into a lean, green veggie-oil running machine
Longtime Kaiser Santa Rosa physician and Santa Rosa resident Gerry Lazzareschi, MD, is a familiar face at the Santa Rosa Medical Center and throughout our local community. What you may not know about this emergency room doctor, however, is his commitment to "being green."
Dr Lazzareschi's environmental passion fuels many of his lifestyle choices, including the desire to convert his 1985 Mercedes Benz into a lean, green veggie-oil running machine! Dr Lazzareschi describes the personal drive behind his fuel conversion project.
How did you become interested in converting to a straight vegetable oil vehicle (SVO)?
I first became interested in veggie-oil cars when I found a website describing them. I've been reading about alternative energy sources for years, and this is the first project that seemed practical to implement at home immediately.
In simple terms, how does the SVO conversion work?
In essence, you need a diesel automobile. What many people don't know is that when Rudolf Diesel created his engine in Germany, he designed it to run on peanut oil. Although fossil fuel-based diesel is the standard, any diesel-engine car can run on "biodiesel", which is created by adding alcohol to decrease the viscosity of any vegetable oil (this takes a catalyst). By further modifying the injector ports and heating elements of a diesel-engine car, you can enable it to operate on straight vegetable oil.
Where are you in the conversion process?
Right now, my car runs 100% biodiesel (you can find local sources at www.biodiesel.org), but this year, I'm investing in the $2,000 conversion that allows it to accept straight vegetable oil.
What effort has this project required?
A lot of research and footwork to find the right used vehicle that would service my family, avoid contributing to global warming, and become a positive environmental statement.
What's been the greatest challenge?
Finding the time.
What's brought the greatest satisfaction?
Knowing that when I commute long distances, my contribution to greenhouse gases is almost nil.Who benefits from converting vehicles to biodiesel/SVO?
The world benefits. The more people convert to biodiesel/SVO, the less oil (fossil fuel) we'll need from the earth. Along with being completely nontoxic and nonhazardous, it smells great (like you're cooking), is renewable, and produces:
- 70% less greenhouse gases and 55% less hydrocarbons into the air than gasoline.
- 100% less sulfur, a major component of acid rain.
- No net CO2 gain in the atmosphere.
What do you most want others to know about biodiesel/SVO conversion?
Anyone can do it! And in the process, you can aid in reversing global warming one car at a time.
Find out more about Gerry Lazzareschi