Dennis Weaver's Drive to Survive makes a pit stop in Ann Arbor, Michigan May 10th

Check out the website: http://www.drivetosurvive.info/

The Drive to Survive website describes this trek across America:

With actor and ecolonomist Dennis Weaver at the helm, the drive team is traveling, May 1-14, through major cities across the country: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Denver, Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia and Washington DC. And we'll hold "Pit Stops" in Bakersfield, Fresno and Sacramento, California; Reno, Nevada; Grand Junction, Colorado; Russell, Kansas; Columbia, Missouri and Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The drive team is emphasizing energy independence and educating the public about developing a hydrogen economy. During the two-week educational and media tour, the team is demonstrating new technologies and exchanging ideas with students and educators, corporations and consumers, constituents and politicians. The drive is also showcasing cutting-edge vehicles, such as those powered by hydrogen, electricity, compressed natural gas, biodiesel, methanol, ethanol, and even acetelyne.

When the caravan crosses its finish line in our nation’s capitol, Mr. Weaver will deliver a petition with thousands of signatures to Congress demanding that lawmakers make a declaration of energy independence by increasing fuel efficiency, promoting alternative fuels and decreasing our dependence on foreign oil.

Dennis Weaver preaches to the choir of alternative fuel vehicle drivers and ecolonomically minded attendees of the rally in Ann Arbor. After the speeches, the gathering of approximately 30 alternative fuel vehicles staged a parade through downtown Ann Arbor. It was wonderful to meet these dedicated travelers who were committing their time, money, and efforts to increase the awareness of the benefits of fuel efficiency.

I wish more people understood that bigger is not necessarily better when it comes to the amount of iron you're trundling around the roads of America. The current administration is providing enormous tax breaks for the largest SUVs while cutting the tax breaks for cars like the Honda and Toyota hybrids.

While they're discouraging people from buying fuel-efficient vehicles the powers in Washington are claiming that we can achieve energy independence by opening the Artic National Wildlife Refuge to the oil companies as soon as possible. Of course this resource will certainly be tapped in the future because the oil will eventually become incredibly expensive. But the administration should look just a few years into the future to realize that delaying this extraction could allow America to use up everyone else's oil while its still underpriced. It's like money in the bank that's gaining interest. And by the time the Arabian peninsula runs dry, America will have improved exploration and extraction techniques that could minimize the damage these activities would cause now.

Oh well, that's enough politics for now. Here are more photos from the May 10th Drive to Survive rally.

The corn kernel headed superhero blends in with the audience hearing Dennis Weaver's call to make America energy-independent.

One of the Honda Insights on the Drive to Survive

Biodiesels, hybrids, and electrics on display

Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje tries on an electric vehicle for size

On the tour: Toyota Prius, Honda Insight, and a multi-fuel Toyota truck

Short-range, zero emission electric and long-range low-emission Insight

InsightMan meets Dennis Weaver

This tour participant, Jeanne, belongs to a three-hybrid vehicle (two are Insights).

Jeanne is surprised to find InsightMan living in Ann Arbor