T
The420Guy
Guest
A 1983 Mercedes Benz turbo diesel station wagon named "HempCar" hit the
highways of North America this summer, with a clean, green message: hemp
and other plants can provide an affordable alternative to fossil fuels. To
prove it, HempCar ran up 10,000 miles on the speedometer, covering the
entire distance of their cross-continent journey fueled on biodiesel made
from hemp oil.
Biodiesel is produced by reacting a vegetable fat or oil with an alcohol in
the presence of a catalyst. It is petroleum-free and can be used in any
diesel engine with no major modifications. Compared to standard petroleum
diesel fuel, biodiesel reduces CO2 emissions by 78%.
So why use hemp oil when any vegetable oil could do?
"We wanted to prove the utility of industrial hemp to society," says Kellie
Sigler of Hampton, Virginia, one of HempCar's drivers, along with husband
Grayson Sigler. Scott Fur and Chuck Ruchalski round out the crew of four,
and are documenting the tour.
The colorful wagon, emblazoned with logos from its many sponsors, turned
out to be an effective mobile billboard for the twinned messages of
biofuels and hemp.
Starting off in Washington DC, media coverage picked up considerably when
they crossed the border into Canada. With appearances at various rallies
and events, including the Seattle Hempfest, the crew estimated that their
message had reached 70 million people.
Although prohibition means hemp is currently unavailable as a biofuel
source in the US, biodiesel production is increasing markedly. US biodiesel
production has increased from 5 million to 20 million gallons over the past
year. As bio-based fuel consumption grows, perhaps hemp could lend a
helping hand.
Hemp Car
Cannabis Culture www.cannabisculture.com
HempCar's clean green message
by Arthur Hanks (10 Dec, 2001)
Car runs 10,000 miles on hemp oil biodiesel
highways of North America this summer, with a clean, green message: hemp
and other plants can provide an affordable alternative to fossil fuels. To
prove it, HempCar ran up 10,000 miles on the speedometer, covering the
entire distance of their cross-continent journey fueled on biodiesel made
from hemp oil.
Biodiesel is produced by reacting a vegetable fat or oil with an alcohol in
the presence of a catalyst. It is petroleum-free and can be used in any
diesel engine with no major modifications. Compared to standard petroleum
diesel fuel, biodiesel reduces CO2 emissions by 78%.
So why use hemp oil when any vegetable oil could do?
"We wanted to prove the utility of industrial hemp to society," says Kellie
Sigler of Hampton, Virginia, one of HempCar's drivers, along with husband
Grayson Sigler. Scott Fur and Chuck Ruchalski round out the crew of four,
and are documenting the tour.
The colorful wagon, emblazoned with logos from its many sponsors, turned
out to be an effective mobile billboard for the twinned messages of
biofuels and hemp.
Starting off in Washington DC, media coverage picked up considerably when
they crossed the border into Canada. With appearances at various rallies
and events, including the Seattle Hempfest, the crew estimated that their
message had reached 70 million people.
Although prohibition means hemp is currently unavailable as a biofuel
source in the US, biodiesel production is increasing markedly. US biodiesel
production has increased from 5 million to 20 million gallons over the past
year. As bio-based fuel consumption grows, perhaps hemp could lend a
helping hand.
Hemp Car
Cannabis Culture www.cannabisculture.com
HempCar's clean green message
by Arthur Hanks (10 Dec, 2001)
Car runs 10,000 miles on hemp oil biodiesel
