Since the first oil crisis in the 1970s , concern has risen with regards to modern society’s consumption of crude oil and the way in which most countries depend on it to fuel their cars. Crude oil is a non-renewable source of energy and is extremely vulnerable to market price fluctuations. Armed conflicts or political instability in oil-producing regions can cause the price of the barrel to rise dramatically. The war in Iraq, for example, has resulted in making car owners across the globe pay a lot more money to fill their gas tanks than usual. This extra money spent could be used for something else, whether people are on a tight budget or not.

                   Atlanta, Georgia entrepreneur Rob del Bueno’s business deals with converting leftover cooking oil into biodiesel for cars and trucks. In addition to vegetable oil, biodiesel can be made from any other fat source. The interesting thing about this type of fuel is that it involves a form of recycling and, at the same time, does not release toxic gases into the atmosphere. Given the current global warming problem, this type of initiative is welcome.

            As far as Jamaica is concerned, a move such as the use of biodiesel would double as a recycling initiative and business opportunity. People could earn a living from the collecting of leftover cooking oil (from individuals and restaurants) and its delivery to processing plants. The other obvious opportunity would be for a business to do both the collecting and the processing.

                   Jamaicans would benefit tremendously from a shift to biodiesel as they would no longer suffer from the drastic increases of oil prices. Think about it. Leftover cooking oil is readily available on any part of the island. From the escoveitch fish-serving stalls on the beach to the kitchens of restaurants and homes, it is there in abundance.