Doug Fine bought a truck for his Funky Butte Ranch, near Silver City. He called it ROAT for Ridiculously Oversized American Truck. Still he wanted to continue his carbon-neutral experiment, so he couldn't rut it on diesel fuel.

Instead he had it converted to run on waste oil from fast food restaurants, and began looking for a source of VegOil. That proved difficult since others with the same idea. He imagined subsisting on french fries just to get the oil.

ROAT ran well on waste oil, when he finally arranged to relieve a Chinese restaurant of its supply. Sure, he had some minor problems. Cold VegOil clogs fuel lines like the cholesterol in it clogs our arteries. But he learned to keep the fuel heater going so the oil wouldn't congeal and lay down thick smoke screens.

Now the only problem Fine has is every time he drives he craves Kung Pao chicken, ROAT's exhaust stimulating his appetite.

You can hear Fine talk of his adventures at the Las Cruces Press Women event March 22 and 23 at the Convention Center.
