Thursday, February 17, 2011

The Green Way Up: From Australia to Norway on Biodiesel


Here's a cool project that was sent my way a few days back. It seems a group of Aussie boys have come up with the idea of driving from Hobart, Australia to Norway using nothing but biodiesel. Now that, in and of itself, sounds like a fun road trip adventure, but not necessarily all that out of the ordinary. But the four travelers don't plan on stopping at a single petrol station along the way.

Dubbed "The Green Way Up," the plan is to get underway in March from the southernmost tip of Australia and the project won't end until they reach the most northerly tip of Norway. Along the way, they'll cross through 30 countries and cover more than 45,000km (27,961 miles), making this the longest car trip on alternative fuels ever.

The aim of the project it to spotlight those alternative fuels and how important they are to the future of our planet. The four men built a special processor that can turn waste oil and animal fat into fuel to power their vehicle, so as they drive they'll be stopping at local places, such as restaurants and pubs, to collect their cooking oil and other products that can then be converted into fuel for the car. They're even building a biodiesel fueled boat to carry them from Darwin to Singapore, stopping off on islands in East Timor, Indonesia and Malaysia along the way.

The entire journey is being made into a documentary film that is expected to be released later this year as well. That film will not only cover the trip, but highlight important sustainable project that are being conducted on he local level along the way. The message is clear  – alternative fuels are important and viable for generating power and we need to find more ways to incorporate them into our lifestyle.

If everything goes according to plan, the journey will begin in just a few weeks time. Follow along with Oscar, Justin, Chuck, and Bob on the expedition's website once they hit the road.

Thanks to Jess for the tip on this one! :)



Green Way Up from Jo Melling on Vimeo.

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