VOA标准英语2008年-Fish And Chip Oil Powers Road Trip Around Austr

A couple has embarked¹ on a journey around Australia in a car powered by leftover² vegetable oil from fish and chip shops.  Rachel and Gerard Mimmo plan to drive 18,000 miles in a specially³ designed four-wheel drive.  From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.
 
Rachel Mimmo's second-hand⁴ car is nicknamed "The Battered⁵ Fish" because of the pungent⁶ smell of fried fish from its exhaust fumes⁷. 

One of the car's two fuel tanks holds discarded fish and chip oil donated by restaurants. The other is for diesel⁸, which is used only in small quantities.

There have been mechanical problems and getting fuel has been difficult.  Many restaurants sell used frying oil for conversion⁹ into bio-diesel and are unwilling¹⁰ to give it away.

Rachel Mimmo, a British lawyer, says she and her husband want their journey to be as environmentally friendly as possible.

"We'll be staying in bush camps as much as possible rather than powered camp sites or hotels," Mimmo said. "We also have a solar panel on top of our car to fuel the battery for the car which generates power for our fridge. We've got a solar shower instead of trying to get into campsites with facilities."

Australia is one of the world's worst per capita emitters of greenhouse gases, which are widely thought to contribute to global warming.

Her Australian husband Gerard Mimmo says he wants to do his bit to help the environment.

"We were looking for an adventure," he explained. "We were moving out to Australia, so we decided¹¹ that we will combine the two. I just finished a sustainability degree over in the U.K., and I thought it would be a bit rude if I came out and added to the emissions¹² of Australia without trying to do something about it."

So far, the couple has driven from Sydney to Brisbane.  While the fishy¹³ fuel helps the environment on the tour, it also spares the Mimmo's the expense of record-breaking gasoline prices.