Fahrt is German for drive, to clear things up immediately.\u00a0 Both Toyota and BMW are experimenting with the cruder form of the word, though, to bring about greener, cleaner driving.\u00a0 Both have bio-energy plans that use animal and even human waste to generate methane \u2013 a greenhouse gas that when burnt, combats air pollution.\u00a0 Variations on the theme may someday power our aircraft.<\/p>\n
This is not a new idea.\u00a0 Harold Bate, a Devonshire farmer, became a counter-culture hero in the 1970s by powering his Hillman Minx sedan with manure.\u00a0 Like all visionaries, Harold was a bit ahead of his time, but became well known and envied when the Arab oil embargo of that decade left motorists waiting in line for fuel and confronted with rationing for the first time since WWII.<\/p>\n
The charming film from the National Film Board of Canada highlights the simplicity of his homegrown approach and the depth of his understanding.\u00a0 We should have paid attention then.\u00a0 At about the 10-minute mark, note the pile of correspondence he received from all over the world, probably encouraged by the write-ups his work received in publications such as Mother Earth News.<\/p>\n