Band rides up to campus in van run on vegetable oil

Dozens of students lazed in the sun on the Frist South Lawn yesterday, enjoying the music of the Ithaca-based funk/rock band Revision. The group, which tours the country in a van fueled by used vegetable oil, came to play in honor of Earth Day, which was Tuesday, April 22.

“They show that environmental consciousness is just so easy; it doesn’t have to stress you out,” said Patty Chen ’11, who organized the event for Princeton Environmental Action (PEA). She explained that while environmental issues can seem intimidating, Revision members have incorporated environmentalism into their regular lives and saved money in the process.

Though the event was mainly organized as an opportunity for students to take a break and enjoy the weather, Chen said that she thought the band served as a good role model for Princeton students.

“They’re a good example of young people doing what they love and being sustainable,” PEA president Devon Damiano ’09 said.

The band began using vegetable oil to fuel its van to save money, drummer Devon Reehl explained after the concert. By going on “grease hunts” in restaurant dumpsters, Revision is able to drive cross-country virtually for free. The band recently drove to Colorado and spent only $150 on gas.

Though the vehicle primarily uses vegetable oil, the engine does require a minimal amount of diesel to ensure that the oil does not clog the fuel lines.

Using vegetable oil is carbon neutral because plants normally release carbon when they decompose, and burning vegetable oil also produces less soot than burning diesel, Reehl said.

Though being environmely friendly was not its original motivation, Reehl said the band was glad to reduce its carbon footprint.

“It’s something we believe in,” Reehl said. “We don’t write environmental lyrics, but we live it.”

He noted, however, that “there’s not enough [vegetable oil] to get the country off gas.”

Converting its van to run on vegetable oil cost about $4,000, but the group has more than made up for it in saved gas money, Reehl explained. The conversion entailed installing a second tank in the trunk and re-plumbing the fuel lines. A switch in the front of the vehicle determines whether the van uses diesel or vegetable oil. The vegetable oil is naturally heated by the van when driving so that it does not congeal.

Andrew Huelsenbeck ’09 said he came to the concert because “the weather and music were too nice to resist,” but he said he also felt that it was important to raise awareness about environmental issues.

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“In their chaotic lives, I don’t think students take a lot of time to sit back and watch the trees,” Huelsenbeck said. “As a result, I don’t think a lot of students realize the importance of preservation and the importance of nature.”

Pulane Mpotokwane ’10, however, said that the event had potential for raising awareness but was ultimately ineffective.

“These guys just seem like a gig,” she said, since their songs do not feature environmental lyrics. She also noted that the event needed more publicity, explaining that she accidentally stumbled upon the concert after eating in Frist.

Chen and Damiano said that they sent an e-mail to several listservs, made a facebook.com group and hung posters around campus, but that they would have liked higher attendance.

Chen added that she wanted to limit the amount of paper used to advertise the event, as it was an Earth Day concert.

The concert, which was co-sponsored by the Princeton Environmental Institute, the USG and the College Democrats, opened with a solo concert by Class of 2008 president Tom Haine.