By Hugh Fisher, www.salisburypost.com ;
Dan Menchey, vocalist and drummer for Boulder, Colo., alt-rock band Morsoul, said that anyone who wants to spread an Earth-conscious message ought to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. ;
That's why his band's bus — a 1986 model that started its career hauling schoolchildren — no longer runs on diesel fuel. ;
By leaving behind "dino-diesel," as Menchey calls it he's taking his band's environmental message on the road, literally. ;
"This is straight grease," he said, gesturing toward the back of the bus where aftermarket tanks store 100 gallons of used frying medium from restaurants. ;
The same cooking oil that fried up potatoes, or maybe Chinese food, just a few weeks before is carefully filtered and used to power the bus, which Menchey named Major Woody. ;
The savings are incredible. "It only took 40 bucks to get us from Boulder, Colorado to Washington, D.C.," Menchey said. ;
Compare that with regular diesel fuel: According to AAA, auto diesel in North Carolina hovered around $2.65 per gallon on average last week. ;
But almost every restaurant, from fast food to fine dining, has a deep fryer. The abundance of cheap fuel on the road is why Morsoul could head south on the spur of the moment after an invitation to play at Catawba College's student center Friday night. ;
The show was part of an event hosted by Environment Catawba Outreach (ECO), one of the campus's newest student organizations. ;
While Morsoul played, ECO club leaders handed out recycling information provided by the City of Salisbury. Fresh fruit and other refreshments provided by area businesses and local farmers. ;
"The bus is a big draw," ECO President Sarah Robinson said. "We're trying to spread awareness of alternative fuels." ;
Parked outside, the bus was a clear example of the possibilities that already exist for recycling and finding alternative energy sources. Read More...
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FULL STORY on SalisburyPost.com
PHOTOS: Morsoul Performs at Catawba
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- Environment Catawba Outreach (ECO) ;
- Center for the Environment ;
- Green Pig ;
- Catawba Recycles ;
- Environmental Science & Studies
