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FAIRFIELD, Conn. Sustainable energy runs in the family for Fairfields John and Adrienne Beckmann. The couple returned Friday from Orlando, Fla., where their grandson won a national science fair for his experiments with solar panels. So the Beckmanns knew they needed to check out the Big Green Bus when it made its visit to Sherman Green on Saturday.
Were in love, Adrienne said. We think its important for the whole world. Solar is the way to go.
The Big Green Bus is the work of 13 students at Dartmouth College. The modified Greyhound runs on a unique propulsion system that uses vegetable oil instead of fossil fuels along with solar panels to provide electricity. Each year a different group of students climbs aboard and spends the summer driving across the country and teaching people about sustainability.
Though the Ivy Leaguers have been raising money since October for the journey, they rely heavily on the kindness of people along the way. They plan to get most of their fuel from restaurants that support their cause. And they have planned their stops around Dartmouth alums and friends of the bus who are willing to give them places to stay for the night. For example, they chose Fairfield because Big Green Bus rider Morgan Curtis grandparents offered their home for Saturday night.
This summer marks the seventh cross-country road trip for the Big Green Bus. Each year, the students choose a different theme for their educational stops. This year, the focus is on sharing stories. With each stop, they collect more anecdotes about what people are doing in their towns to work toward sustainability. The 13 students will take stories such as the Beckmann's and share them with other green-minded individuals in 31 states.
You learn a lot of cool stuff, said David Garczynski, one of the bus riders. As much as you want to teach people this is going to be a learning trip for us most of all. It should be really cool to travel the country and just get a new story in each town.
Did you check out the Big Green Bus? What green projects in Fairfield would you have told them about? Share your ideas in the comments below.
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