This summer, fried foods are going green -big time. Dartmouth College's Big Green Bus has the perfect environmental recipe-a vehicle powered primarily by waste vegetable oil. The bus will roll into the streets of Long Beach, California from July 10-11.

Changing up the all-American notion of the great summer road-trip, 12 college students are crisscrossing the country from June through August in order to change the world. After three summers on the road, more than 35,000 miles traveled and 4,400 gallons of waste vegetable oil used instead of diesel, the Big Green Bus has evolved from the rag-tag invention of Dartmouth College's engineers and ultimate Frisbee community to a roving educational vehicle and mobile museum of sustainable living, making the world greener mile by mile.

"This year, we are expanding our mission to include advocacy as well as education," said Andrew Zabel, the general manager of the Big Green Bus. "At each stop we'll engage mayors and other city planners in discussion to see what American communities are doing to go green." Zabel, who plans to graduate from Dartmouth in 2009, rode on the bus three years ago.

Waste Management is a proud second annual sponsor of the environmental bus. Waste Management was selected to become a sponsor because of the company's commitment to alternative and renewable energy and recycling programs. 

"It's exciting to sponsor another green tour of our great nation," said Vickie Wippel of Waste Management of Los Angeles. "At Waste Management, we not only Think Green® in our daily operations, but we also power more than one million home each year with clean waste-based energy. We are dedicated to being good stewards of the environment, making our communities safer, cleaner and better places to live and work. The Big Green Bus is a perfect way to spread the word."

The focus is both local and national as the students begin their journey in Washington, D.C., to discuss climate change with senators of both parties. In addition, the students have laptops ready so that visitors can communicate with their local elected official via email to share their concerns about climate change.

"I'm excited about putting to use all the new teaching tools we have this year to help the public learn about the energy issues facing our society," said Elysa Corin, a 2008 graduate and education director of the Big Green Bus.

The bus serves as a science fair on wheels, making it a virtual exhibit for a sustainable future. This year the bus sports:

• State of the art solar panels across the roof

• Laptops equipped with mobile wireless internet

• Sustainably-harvested wood floors

• A small wind-turbine
  
• Solar demo kits

• Projector and awning for presentations and movie showings

• Response cards for instant public polling

• "What's-a-Watt?" plug in watt meters

• Compact florescent light versus incandescent light bulb demos

The Big Green Bus hit the road on June 9 and traveled more than 12,000 miles through 40 states from New Hampshire to California and back again, educating Americans about how to green their homes and their country.

"We'll be like honey bees, spreading effective environmentalism across the country," said Ro Wang, a 2008 graduate and member of the Big Green Bus. "And we could not make this journey without the generous support of Waste Management. We only contacted companies for sponsorship that are forward-thinking and environmentally conscious."

After the bus leaves town, local residents can still stay in touch with the students and their summer mission by following regular dispatches from the road and interact with the students in real time on the bus blog http://

www.changents.com/biggreenbus.  For a complete summer tour schedule of bus stops, please visit: www.thebiggreenbus.org.