The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this week awarded fifty-eight university teams $580,000 in People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Sustainability Design Competition grants, including grants to five colleges in Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania projects include:

· Carnegie Mellon University: replacing petroleum-based styrene with a biosynthesized yeast;

· Drexel University: a reactor design for efficient product of biodiesel from high free fatty acid oils;

· Elizabethtown College: a standalone green community center building hydrogen generation system;

· Pennsylvania State University: use of sustainable sources of feed stocks for biodiesel production; and

· Lehigh University: Phase 2 grant for research into the removal of arsenic from drinking water in remote Indiana Villages;

Businesses and consumers have learned that sustainable development or "green technology" results in both environmental protection and economic growth. And with some help from EPA, college students around the country are also catching the "green wave."

Since 2004, the People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) sustainability design competition has encouraged university teams to design and develop projects that:

· Benefit People by providing healthier home and work environments;

· Promote Prosperity by developing local economies and creating small businesses, and

· Protect the Planet by conserving resources and minimizing pollution.

"We want to tap the enthusiasm and knowledge of the next generation of scientists, engineers and decision-makers to make the world a better place," said George Gray, assistant administrator for the Office of Research and Development. "And we're succeeding. Past P3 projects have become new commercial ventures. The P3 competition has created several small businesses that are helping promote sustainability in India, South America, Africa, and the U.S."

A student from a former P3 team from Oberlin College is now the owner of a center that sells general energy efficiency supplies, runs a shop where cars are converted for vegetable oil use, and serves as a hub for energy-related educational initiatives. This unique resource center also plans to begin retail sales of ethanol and various biodiesel blends at the pump and run a biodiesel production coop using a bike-powered processor.

These student projects will be demonstrated on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on April 20-22, when the 58 new teams will compete for EPA's P3 Awards. The P3 awards are given to the six highest-rated student designs and include additional funding up to $75,000 for the teams to further develop their designs, test their projects in the field, and move them to the marketplace.

For more information, visit the People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Sustainability Design Competition webpage.

1/25/2008