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unplug
unplug magazine asks you to unplug from your current modes of thought and look at life in a new way, whether this means unplugging from our toxic consumer culture, mainstream society, the tv, or a limiting mindset. author megan prusynski explores life's alternatives and discusses activism, progressive thinking, and moving towards a "green" & sustainable life.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Sustainable Transportation
My boyfriend and I have just begun our journey towards a more sustainable mode of transportation. We got a diesel VW van and are converting it to run on bio-diesel and waste vegetable oil (WVO). In the process I'm learning a lot about alternative fuels, and I can't figure out why everyone hasn't caught on to this yet! Bio-fuels are carbon-neutral (because the plants grown for fuel take in as much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as burning the fuel produces). They also have lower emissions, fuel crops can be grown domestically (i.e. no foreign wars needed) which produces jobs and boosts the local economy, and is one step towards curbing global warming. Plus, any diesel car can be converted to run on bio-diesel with only a little modification (diesels can run on a blend like B20 without any modification) and waste veggie oil with a bit more work. We're hoping to set up our VW with 2 fuel tanks: one for WVO and one for bio-diesel (or diesel if we must use it). The engine has to warm up & start on diesel/bio-diesel, then switches over to grease after it is warm enough, which means that our "Volksvegan" (as I like to call it) will be the perfect road trip mobile! We are so excited about this project that I've set up a blog to detail our conversion to grease, restoration of our bus, and our many greasy travels: so check it out!
Bio-diesel and WVO systems only work on diesels, but there are other promising bio-fuels such as ethanol that can be used in gasoline engines. WVO systems are relatively affordable from places like Greasecar or Frybrid, and can be installed by a mechanic or anyone with a bit of mechanical skill and patience. Seneca's brother Andy just installed one on his 1975 Mercedes Benz, and we took it for a country drive the other day to test it out. The engine runs a bit better than it did previously (bio-diesel & WVO are natural engine lubricants) and yes, the exhaust does smell like french fries! We are in the process of doing our conversion now, after putting in a new canvas for our pop-top made of hemp and organic cotton. We've already secured a few sources for used fryer grease, and have started to filter & collect it. It seems that even used veggie oil is becoming a sought-after commodity as greasecars become more common (plus I live in Moscow, home of the University of Idaho which has done extensive research on bio-diesel, so it's pretty popular here).
I'm hoping that bio-fuels and other forms of alternative, sustainable transportation catch on quickly and soon become the norm. I've read about countless other "greasers" converting their diesels to run on WVO and hybrids are becoming more popular (although they're still not that sustainable—I call them transitional—since they require gasoline). With rising gas prices, hopefully people will start waking up and changing how & what they drive. Of course, even more good could come from dismantling the car-based society our oil-addicted culture has created. That would take a re-thinking of the way we design cities and communities as well as a shift away from the self-centered, independent thinking that permeates the American mindset. In a small town like the one I live in, it is possible to walk or bike for most errands, and we have a bike trailer that holds a large load of groceries, so I try to run errands using that most of the time. I wonder how long it will take until people are willing to make sacrifices and get off their lazy butts in order to live more sustainably and start reversing all the damage we've caused our planet....
Labels: environment/sustainability, lifestyle
