Originally published at The Crux
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MANILA, Philippines – Cardinal Jose Advincula, the archbishop of Manila, is mounting an unconventional response to the energy crisis caused by the U.S.-Israel war on Iran.
In a circular posted on social media on April 26, Advincula rallied his 3.3-million-strong archdiocese to collect used cooking oil for conversion into biodiesel.
Biodiesel “is a renewable, biodegradable fuel manufactured domestically from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled restaurant grease,” according to the U.S. energy department. It is often mixed with petroleum diesel, and is viewed as a way to lessen the Philippines’ dependence on imported oil.
The Philippines imports 95-98 percent of its oil from the Middle East, making it one of the countries hardest hit by the U.S.-Israel war on Iran. The Philippines has only enough oil to last 52 days as of April 21, according to the Marcos government, which is now scrambling for alternatives such as fuel rationing.
Advincula, 74, said the archdiocese is collecting used cooking oil “in the face of growing global challenges related to energy supply and environmental sustainability.”
He explained that used cooking oil, when properly collected, “can be transformed into biodiesel, a renewable and cleaner fuel derived from recycled oils.” He said that
