Check out the "Drive Beyond Oil"!

4 people

1 hybrid SUV

1 ethanol-powered sedan

2,000 miles

One great road trip!

Four members of the Natural Resources Defense Council, a national conservation group, are zigzagging through nine states on the Drive Beyond Oil tour, seeking to spread the word about the real-world solutions that American families can take advantage of -- to save money at the gas pump, and to help ensure a clean, secure energy future for the nation.

Along the way they're meeting with mayors and farmers, searching high and low for gas stations that sell high-ethanol-content gas (E85), and trying not to strangle each other after 2,500 miles together.

Check out the words and pictures -- visit the DRIVE BEYOND OIL blog!

To visit the NRDC website and find out more about doing your part to protect the environment click here.

To join the discussion in the NRDC group on Gather, click the button below!

Not a Gather member? Click here to join in the conversation!

Comments: 7

Ted W. Aug 11, 2006, 9:37am EDT

They say they have been "hunting for E85 pumps" - is this the type that mixes ethanol with high levels of gasoline?

And can someone breakdown some of the concepts they mention in the blog entry - ie: how does corn yield ethanol in the first place?

reply to this comment

Ted W. Aug 11, 2006, 9:39am EDT

and would it be possible to just post that blog here - it's kind of annoying to go back and forth. thanks NRDC!

reply to this comment

NRDC staff Aug 11, 2006, 9:57am EDT

Hi Ted,

"E85" ethanol is 85% ethanol (which is a "biofuel" -- derived from corn or other crops) and 15% gasoline. There's a lot on NRDC's website about ethanol and biofuels.

I hear you about posting the blog here, but it's too time-consuming to do it by hand, post-by-post, back and forth. Rumor has it that Gather has a solution in the works for this, however, so you can expect more NRDC stuff to start showing up here.

Thanks for writing!

reply to this comment

Ted W. Aug 11, 2006, 10:24am EDT

wow - I never actually realized that E85 was the same as biofuel. I guess I should've known that but sometimes these terms just get thrown around and you don't actually know the detials. So biofuel is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline - is that the same percentage for the biofuel that BP and GM say they are using? (the live green, go yellow campaign)

I will check out the NRDC website to learn more about how corn is actually made into ethanol - thanks and I look forward to whatever' Gather's solution is to allowing NRDC to post more content. this is great!

reply to this comment

Dr. Arthur Rubin Aug 12, 2006, 12:59am EDT

Speakiing of BP and GM - does NRDC have a stance on BP's new beyond the barel campaign? Is it legitimate or just PR ploy?

reply to this comment

NRDC staff Aug 14, 2006, 10:53pm EDT

Hi Arthur, as far as I know NRDC hasn't weighed in on BP's new campaign, but in the past we've favorably contrasted BP against companies like ExxonMobil -- BP has made far more meaningful investment in clean sources of energy and has agreed to cap global warming emissions from its refineries and other facilities."

reply to this comment

Daniel A. Sep 9, 2006, 11:51am EDT

about ethanol, I've read studies that say it takes more oil to produce ethanol than you get out of it, producing ethanol uses up large amounts of water,and would require american farmers to double the amount of used farmland to satisfy american demand for ethanol. All this considered, is ethanol realy that envirnmentaly friendly?

reply to this comment

Check out the "Drive Beyond Oil"!

Comments: 7

Join the Conversation

You might also like

More by NRDC staff