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Weaver off in a 'McCloud' of dust By Myles Murphy Ashland Daily Tidings It's not "Gunsmoke" coming out of your car's tailpipe adding to the "McCloud" of pollution damaging the environment. Still, Dennis Weaver has a solution. Weaver, star of television classic series "Gunsmoke" and "McCloud," comes to Ashland Saturday to talk about alternate fuel vehicles. Weaver's nonprofit Institute of Ecolonomics promotes building a relationship between a strong economy and a healthy ecology. "We're talking about technologies that can replace the internal combustion engine and the fuel that drives it," Weaver said in a written statement. "Technologies that will free us from dependency on foreign oil." Weaver uses the word "Ecolonomics" to express the understanding that ecology and economics are two sides of the same coin. Ecolonomics is a movement away from behavior that is ecologically and economically destructive toward activities that protect the environment and nurture the economy. Weaver co-founded the Ridgway, Colo.-based Institute of Ecolonomics to demonstrate that creating a symbiotic relationship between a strong economy and a healthy ecology is the only formula for a sustainable future. The Institute is preparing for the Drive to Survive 2003, a caravan of hybrid and clean-burning renewable fuel vehicles traveling from California to Washington, D.C. to promote to technologies. "It is crystal clear we are facing an extremely serious energy crisis," Weaver said, looking at the brighter side of the situation. "Without the crisis, we could never feel the exhilaration of discovering the solution." The Drive to Survive features a three-week media tour, demonstrations of new technologies and discussions with students, corporations, consumers and politicians. The drive will showcase cutting-edge vehicles powered by hydrogen, electricity, compressed natural gas, biodiesel, methanol and ethanol. "Just imagine driving a hydrogen-powered, fuel cell automobile that cleans the air while you drive it rather than pollutes it with toxic waste." Weaver said. "This technology is available now." Weaver will talk about the Drive to Survive and Ecolonomics at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 4, at the Rogue Valley Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship, 87 Fourth St., Ashland. There is a suggested donation of $15. For more information about the Institute of Ecolonomics, see www.ecolonomics.org. For more about "Drive to Survive," see www.drivetosurvive.info. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -