Take a trip to the Antarctic on a walnut oil-powered Polar Traverse Vehicle — or at least pretend to. Tomorrow, the nonprofit Drive Around the World will showcase in Santa Monica one of four alt-fuel vehicles that’ll be heading to the Antarctic in 2009 as part of its climate science project, Zero South.
The walnut oil-powered vehicle will be a highlight of Santa Monica Museum of Art event, “Watch the Wattage and Cool the Fuel,” which’ll highlight Drive Around the World’s work as well as serve as a hands-on workshop by letting participants create one-of-a-kind functional objects that make use of alternative energy sources.
When: Saturday, June 28, 1 - 4 pm
Where: SMMoA, Bergamot Station, Building G1, 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica
Cost: $15 for SMMoA members; $20 for non-members. All ages are welcome. RSVP required to Asuka Hisa at asuka.hisa@smmoa.org.
Drive Around the World basically puts together very long trips to “promote cross-border understanding and good will through innovative educational programs” — in this case, about climate change. The nonprofit’s website’s pretty inspiring — if a bit outdated….
Image courtesy of SMMoA
am i the only one to see the irony of that contraption being a modified hummer?
Comment by hayduke — June 28, 2008 @ 7:30 am
Wow, I attended this program and found it to be a solid and well-conceived education/outreach project that makes sense on so many levels. Don’t let the vehicle choice fool you. The project incorporates bio fuels in a hybrid-electric Hummer that gets tripple the mileage over a stock vehicle. I enjoyed the display outside the vehicle, especially the ice display. They haven’t even gone and already one vehicle has been turned into a mobile theater/classroom. This is an example of reuse, recycle, and repurpose in the most dramatic and incredible form. What these folks are doing with alternative fuels is extraordinary. It will resonate with audiences for years to come.
Comment by Dan Baldwin — June 29, 2008 @ 12:45 pm