Lights... Camera... Recycling... Bathrobes?

Lights... Camera...

It's a pretty safe bet that no one in the audience expected to see

National Clean Cities Program Director, Jeff Hardy, dressed in a

Recycling... Bathrobes?

flowery bathrobe during the conference's opening video. But there

he was, smiling and waving a cheerful "Hello" to the video's narrator,

Tom Gross, DOE's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Technologies, as he brought his recycling bin to the

front of his house, just as he does every week. It was no fashion show, but it clearly illustrated a very important point:

most Americans are willing to make responsible energy choices, even if it means dragging a big plastic bin to the curb in

your bathrobe.

In this lighthearted kickoff to Monday morning's plenary session, Gross, along with celebrity pals Barney Fife,

Dr. Spock, Jack Webb, and the Addams Family (from familiar television programs many of us grew up with), used the

recycling movement to illustrate how people are willing to make a little extra effort and even spend a few extra dollars

to save energy and clean the environment. In a walk down memory lane, Gross traced the history of recycling from the

earlier days of the "throw-away lifestyle" through the first government regulations for recycling, all the way up to the

present nationwide network of curbside recycling programs. The similarities between the history of recycling and the

experiences of AFV advocates thus far were evident. "The proponents of recycling faced barriers, just like we have with

alternative fuels," said Gross. He continued to describe how, similar to those first involved in the recycling movement,

Clean Cities and alternative fuel industry stakeholders are finding working solutions that result in more AFVs on the road

and the construction of more refueling stations. It's likely to be a while before the decision to purchase an AFV is as

automatic as separating newspapers, bottles, and cans, but recycling has proven that public/private partnerships DO work.

State of the AFV Industry

In a unique departure from the traditional keynote speech format,

this year's conference featured "Academy Awards" style industry

presentations. In the "State of the Industry" presentations, players from

inside Washington, D.C., and around the country, from government and

from industry, each gave updates on their AFV progress and experiences.

Each reiterated the importance of fulfilling the promise of AFVs, and

asked for continued support of the alternative fuels industry.

Forrest Jehlick (pictured above), a student

at the University of California at Riverside,

shared his personal experiences partici-

pating in the Ethanol Vehicle Challenge