In a move to reduce pollution in Costa Rica's capital city, approximately 130 city buses began running on biodiesel this week. The move is part of a pilot project to encourage the use of cleaner forms of energy in Costa Rica, according to Costa Rica's Environment Ministry.

Biodiesel is a non-polluting vegetable oil-based alternative to traditional fossil fuels that is gaining popularity around the world. The biodiesel used in Costa Rica is a mix of palm oil and oils discarded from fast food restaurants.

According to the Costa Rican Biodegradable Energy company, which produces the fuel for the project, biodiesel provides the same amount of energy to vehicles as traditional diesel, but is less expensive, translating into direct saving for consumers.

(Excepted from The Tico Times newspaper, www.ticotimes.net)