Film maker activists Josh Tickell and Rebecca Harrell Make History By Driving Cross Country in a Green Vehicle Caravan to Promote Opening of Award Winning film FUEL.

by Paul McGinniss (original article found here)

Back in the 1990s, Josh Tickell might have created the Veggie Van, an old Winnebago which runs on used fryer grease, but when he drove cross country in the colorfully painted van that smelled like french fries, he wasn’t vegging out. He was on a quest to get America off its oil addiction and to promote green energy.

Ten years, several books and a film, “FUEL”, later, Josh is at it again with his road tripping missionary work. This time he’s traveling with actress and “FUEL” producer, Rebecca Harrell, and 9 other people. And, instead of having just the Veggie Van, they have a whole green caravan that includes an electric motorcycle and a bio-diesel-powered school bus. The latter, converted into a hi-tech classroom, also has a whole roof of solar panels. Leading the caravan, Josh, Rebecca and their trusty dog, Mr. Brown, cruise in the Algaeus–a Toyota Prius that has been pimped up with extra batteries and is fueled, in part, with gasoline that includes a blend of Green Crude, America’s first Algae gasoline.

I spoke with Josh and Rebecca as they left Sacramento, California, the second city on the tour, heading toward the final destination, New York City. Their enthusiasm and sheer sense of inspiration wasn’t close to being preachy and their concern for the environment wasn’t so much doom and gloom as wishing for the moon and getting there Apollo 11 style. It was fun talking with them via cells phones as they traveled down the highway using bluetooth wireless, cameras filming them, in a one of a kind car with its own Algae gasoline stash, and their pooch, Mr. Brown, along for the ride.

I mentioned to Josh that they were a new version of the Merry Pranksters who traveled cross country in an old school bus as memorialized in Tom Wolfe’s book “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test”. Josh pondered the comparison with the Sixties road trip: “It’s like Ken Kesey. But, we’re driving 12 hours a day, having press conferences and film screenings in each city. This is the upgraded young America version of that trip.”

And, it’s true, unlike many creative radicals in the past who would have preferred to “tune in, turn on and drop out”, Josh and Rebecca, despite the psychedelic- looking Veggie Van, are hardly about dropping out to find inner bliss. The passionate duo may be mirthful like the Merry Pranksters, but they’re on a mission. As Rebecca said: “We have a very specific agenda. We want to wake people up. We want people to see the movie “FUEL”. But, we want people to be empowered and to change the world from a place of enthusiasm and inspiration.”

Naturally, being filmmakers, Josh and Rebecca are making a film about their trip across country that will end with a planned, grassroots campaign in Manhattan’s Time Square. The goal, they say, is “to jump start the Green Revolution.”

The famous anthropologist, Margaret Mead, once said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever does.”

Yes, people like Josh Tickell, Director of “FUEL”, and Producer Rebecca Harrell, along with a handful of people driving cross country, can change the world. And, they are. Yet, it’s a difficult journey. Josh reflected on all of the years of hard work that lead to this moment as the green vehicle caravan headed towards Reno, Nevada to meet up with Governor Jim Gibbons: “It’s hard to save the World all by Yourself.”

Copyright 2009 Paul McGinniss

Bringing the FUEL Film Tour to CA Colleges and Universities

What does our university community get from The Big Green Day Out?

Download the Veggie Van Tour Presentation

With an edutainment (educational + entertainment) event, you can help make this information accessible to your school.
Through our educational discussions, displays and symposium, your fellow students can establish an educated presence in the new green economy, regardless of their area of study.

Our edutainment event is completely informational and nonpolitical:
Your students can learn about sustainability from unbiased sources and leaders in the green industry.
You can inspire and lead your university administration to make a commitment to sustainability.

To learn more, please go to our Tour page.

We are a certified 501(c)(3) and we are on a mission! Stay tuned…