The EPA just announced the winner for its’ P3 (People, Prosperity, and the Planet) competition. Students from across the United States competed for $75,000 in prize money.

Congratulations to the six winners!

Appalachian State University – Closing the Biodiesel Loop: Self Sustaining Community Based Biodiesel Production
Lafayette College – Development of Sustainable Water Systems in Yoro, Honduras
Portland State University Whole systems, Integrated Site design for Education (WISE) Website: An Interactive Website for Educators and Students
Stanford University The Green Dorm: a Sustainable Residence and Living Laboratory for Stanford University
University of Massachusetts – Lowell – Biocatalytic Polymerization of Naturally Occurring Green Tea Flavonoids for Cancer Therapy
University of Michigan – Ann Arbor – Growing Alternative Sustainable Buildings: Bio-composite Products from Natural Fiber, Biodegradable and Recyclable Polymer Materials for Load-bearing Construction Components

These students have all worked incredibly hard to be able to see their project to completion, and I know that the folks at Appalachian State have spent countless hours working on making their biodiesel processor self-sustaining, easily replicable, and functionable. They used solar thermal heating, built a passive solar greenhouse, and make soap out of the waste of the biodiesel process. Congratulations for a hard-earned and well-deserved victory my friends!