With every step they take, more than 4,000 students at Edward R. Murrow High School are moving toward a lower carbon footprint - powered by something unexpected: vegetable oil.

At the Midwood campus, four vegetable-oil biofuel boilers are now delivering 100% renewable heat, making Murrow the first New York City public school to operate a heating system entirely on vegetable oil. Science teacher and sustainability coordinator Dr. Jesse John says the fuel source is both familiar and forward-thinking.

“The same oil that you use in a household, we're repurposing it for fuel usage to heating buildings. Not only is this cleaner, but it's also safer.”

The impact is being felt throughout the building, especially during the recent cold snap. Custodian engineer Chris Wagner says the system has kept the school comfortable for the thousands who rely on it every day.

“It's been excellent, especially during this cold snap. There's about 6,000 people that go to school here and work here every day, and they're been able to come to a nice, warm building.”

Beyond warmth, the boilers are also helping improve air quality in New York City, one of the American Lung Association’s top 25 most polluted cities since 2025. Dr. John calls the project life-changing, noting its potential to address both climate change and public health.

“Burning this 100% biodiesel fuel, we have an opportunity to not only have an impact in climate change, but also make the air in New York City cleaner. We can change and impact the air we breathe with these sort of projects.”

Looking ahead, Dr. John says the work won’t stop in the boiler room. He plans to expand hands-on research opportunities for students, from renewable fuels to greenhouse food production.

“Whether that's students growing their food from seed to harvest in a greenhouse or working with renewable fuels - we want them to see that sustainability is real, that this is actually a place where they can have impact."