These guys are my current heroes. Not only did they cross Alaska in a Japanese Toyota firetruck powered by sardines, but they also traveled down the entire Pan-American Highway! Can you imagine how many different cultures and sights these guys got to see? And what blows my mind is that they did it all without a single drop of petroleum. Powered by several alternative fuels, especially waste grease from local restaurants, but also including palm oil and ethanol, these guys made it from the northernmost tip of Alaska all the way down to the southernmost point of Argentina, and got sponsored big time for it. They’ve made a difference in the lives of thousands along the way.
My brother Ray and I went to the free showing of their video documentary Oil and Water here on campus a couple nights ago and were thoroughly impressed and inspired. Ray mentioned a project he’d read about some time ago in which a group is building an electric vehicle powered by wind and break friction, essentially providing unlimited energy to run on.
This project really convinced me that we can all make a difference in our lives and others as well, just like these people. One of my goals this summer is to see just how cheap, even profitable (economically and personally) a roadtrip can be. I hear people say that they’ve always wanted to do what my friends and I are doing this summer, or that they can’t because of the economy or their own well-being or etcetera. The worst is when I hear “It’s too late for me”. Well, we want to prove otherwise. A nomadic lifestyle outside of spendthrift western society is possible and very (if not exponentially more) advantageous, and we’re going to prove it!
These guys are a real inspiration to my friend group. If you haven't already, you should find a copy of the documentary somewhere, it's worth watching.
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