Cross-Country "Drive to Survive" Showcases Alternative Fuel Vehicles
Caravan of Hybrid, Hydrogen and Alternative Fuel Vehicles Led by Actor and National Activist Dennis Weaver to Promote Energy Independence

Los Angeles, April 30, 2003

- The Drive to Survive 2003 launched its cross-country journey today at the Santa Monica Pier led by actor and community leader Dennis Weaver. The Drive to Survive was created by the Institute of Ecolomonics (IOE) to demonstrate the viability and availability of hybrid, hydrogen and alternative fuel vehicles. Drive to Survive participants will leave Los Angeles on May 1, arrive Washington D.C. on May 14, and stop in cities across the country to showcase cutting-edge vehicles powered by electricity, hydrogen, compressed natural gas, biodiesel, methanol and ethanol.

"We can create cars that preserve the environment while enabling a robust economy," said IOE co-founder Weaver. "The Drive to Survive is an exciting way to demonstrate the success of these alternative fuel vehicles."

During its two-week tour the Drive to survive team will emphasize energy independence and inform the public about developing a hydrogen economy. The team will demonstrate new technologies and exchange ideas with students and educators, corporations and consumers, constituents and politicians.

"During my efforts to campaign for alternatives to gasoline, including hydrogen, I've seen progress toward lessoning our dependence on foreign oil," Weaver says. "However, there is still much change needed, and I'm very hopeful that by developing events like Drive to Survive, we can create a sustainable future for our kids!"

For nearly 10 years Dennis has been working to "Drive Hydrogen Home" by campaigning for hydrogen as an alternative to gasoline. In 2001, following a global energy conference, Dennis publicly called for President Bush to support the effort. During the President's 2003 State of the Union address Bush endorsed the concept and allocated more than a billion dollars toward the transition to hydrogen fuels.

With actor and ecolonomist Dennis Weaver at the helm in his Toyota Prius hybrid vehicle, the drive team will travel, May 1-14, through numerous cities across the country, including: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, Reno, Bakersfield, Fresno, Salt Lake City, Denver, Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, and Philadelphia. The journey will conclude on May 14 when the caravan reaches Washington D.C., its final destination.

When the caravan reaches the nation's Capitol, Weaver will deliver petitions with thousands of signatures to Congress urging lawmakers to make a declaration of energy independence by increasing fuel efficiency, promoting alternative fuels and decreasing our dependence on foreign oil. The Drive to Survive Finish Line event will celebrate this history-making victory with a hands-on vehicle expo and competition against the backdrop of the Capitol.

Co-founded in 1993 by Weaver with his wife Gerry, the mission of the nonprofit Institute of Ecolonomics is to demonstrate that "creating a symbiotic relationship between a strong economy and a healthy ecology is the only formula for a sustainable future."

The Drive to Survive send special thanks to their sponsors - The Annenberg Foundation, CSRwire, ener-chi, EV Rental Cars, Palomar Mountain Spring Water, Recycle American Alliance, Stuart Energy, Thales Navigation, Toyota and Whole Foods.

For a complete list of the Drive to Survive event route or more information, visit www.drivetosurvive.info.com.