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February / March / April 2007 |
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The Big Green Bus |
15 college students, 1 bus and 7 weeks to drive across the country and back. Sound like a recipe for one wild and crazy summer? Well, yes but not in the sense that would make for some great National Lampoons-worthy experiences. Just ask the group of recent Dartmouth College grads who founded The Big Green Bus, a completely student-run project established to educate the public about alternative fuel sources by showcasing an example of the endless possibilities they offer—an old school bus renovated to run on waste vegetable oil (WVO). |
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Although they can assure you that every little detail of the trip was carefully organized well in advance of their departure date, promoting an eco-conscious message was not always a part of their plans. Having all met through their school’s intercollegiate ultimate team (ultimate is a sport that combines soccer, football and the art of the Frisbee-toss), the close-knit group originally conceived the idea for a road trip as a way to spend more time with each other while playing their favorite sport before going their separate ways post-graduation. But after the group opted for the more environmentally-friendly option of car-pooling into one large vehicle for their travels, several members of the team suggested that they take their eco-conscious thinking a step further by using WVO to fuel their bus and even taking advantage of the road trip as an opportunity to teach others about alternative fuel sources.
As with any forward-thinking idea, the suggestion was met with some skepticism. “I remember thinking, ‘Yeah, that would be really cool but that would never happen,’” recalls Ariel Dowling, the general manager of the project. In the end, however, they agreed it was too great an idea to simply pass over. So despite a bit of reluctance on their part to undertake a project of such large scope amidst their busy academic schedules, the students pledged both their time and skills to realizing their vision—or as treasurer Cliff Orvedal describes as “calling [their] own bluff”—throughout their final school year together.
When the time came to begin their journey in the early summer of 2005, the Big Green Bus team had accomplished much more than they had ever expected. Not only did they transform the diesel-powered engine of a dilapidated old school bus to one that converts WVO into a fuel source it can operate on (a process that involves heating and filtering the WVO), they also garnered the support of big name companies like Sobe and Annie’s Homegrown, raising over $30,000 to fund their project. Six weeks later, they had traveled to 25 different cities around the country encouraging others to challenge our dependency on fossil fuels for our transportation needs. At each point in their journey, the group gave presentations that informed the public about the environmental repercussions of fossil fuel use—i.e. the emission of greenhouse gases and global warming—and other eco-friendly energy sources that we can use as alternatives.
And while the Big Green Bus served well to heighten different communities’ awareness of alternative fuel sources, perhaps the most inspiring aspect of their project is the proof it offers of the wonderful things individuals and groups can accomplish if only they had faith in themselves and their ideals.
“The fact that we had this really big, crazy idea and that we actually did it and did it well is what really inspired people across the country and of all different ages,” says logistics and publicity team member Brooking Gatewood.
Today, the founders of the Big Green Bus have moved on to different jobs and graduate schools but the meaning and impact of their project continues to inspire other members of the Dartmouth community to uphold its legacy. In 2006, a new group of students set out to build upon the foundations of their predecessors with a sturdier bus (the old one is currently used by the school’s outdoor recreational group) and spread the mantra of the Big Green Bus to 35 cities, gaining the attention of such media outlets as USA Today, MTV and ABC News. And with plans to roll out the bus once more for the summer of 2007, the Big Green Bus is proving to be much bigger than anyone expected—surpassing even some of the founders’ wildest dreams.
