Journey To The Ends of The Earth: Stories of the Conflict Between Colonial and Indigenous Cultures
A world record breaking expedition from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to Ushuaia, Argentina using a hydrogen powered vehicle. Upon completion of this journey I will be the first single person to drive the length of the Globe without fossil fuels.
On this record breaking 30,000 mile expedition to be the first single person to drive the length of North and South America without using any fossil fuels, I will document with stories and photos the effects that resource development policies and industries (namely the fossil fuels industry) have had on the indigenous cultures and ecosystems of the Americas.
This story is a very personal one to me for many reasons, one being that I am an enrolled member of the Caddo Indian Tribe of Oklahoma, which resides smack dab in the middle of United States oil country. My own family history can illustrate some of the results of the long and rocky relationship between resource development and indigenous culture. I see this relationship as exemplary of the kind of detriment that these industries can have on all of us, not just indigenous cultures.
I will cover topics such as the changing migration patterns of the Caribou in Inuit territory due to global warming and oil exploration; the long-term effects that the Exxon Valdez disaster has had on the coastal tribes and ecosystems of Alaska and Canada; the dried up springs and aquifers on the Navajo Reservation due to an experimental coal slurry line that sucks over 9 billion gallons of water a year from the only desert aquifer in that region; what is known as the Chernobyl of South America, where for dozens of years Chevron Corporation left oil sludge and chemical waste in tribal drinking waters, causing devastating mutations and disease among the Native people of Equador. These are just a few examples of the kinds of issues I will highlight in this documentary project.
There are dozens upon dozens of stories throughout the Americas of tribal people being dislocated, threatened, abused and even killed, as well as inundated with disease causing pollution and waste by resource development industries and the government policies that support them. For over a hundred years now the indigenous cultures of the Americas have paid the major share of the price for Western Civilization's insatiable appetite for fossil fuels. But now that all of society is having to pay tribute in the form of health, environment, war, and economy to that addiction, I believe the people as a whole are finally ready to listen and force a long overdue change for the betterment of us all. I feel that the plight of Native Peoples in this struggle for resources such as oil, or just plain clean air and drinking water, illustrates the bigger picture of the plight of us all and the price that we, and our children, and their children, are paying and will pay to feed this pointless addiction.
I hope to show the world with this project that if one man can drive from the top to the bottom of the planet without using ANY fossil fuels, then certainly the rest of us can drive the 5-10 miles to work every morning without harming ourselves and our future! The only reason we're still stuck in this rut is greed, pure and simple. The powers that be have no intention of releasing new and less harmful products to us until they have "cleared their inventory" so to speak, unless we force them to! Like so many of us, I love the freedom of the road, but I don't believe it has to come at the cost our of health, our children's future, or our lives!
Footnote: I have actually been planning this project for about 4 years now, and have done much of the groundwork and research already. I have calculated the costs and know that I can accomplish this journey using a converted hydrogen powered vehicle for under $50,000 in about 3-4 months. However, I have a detailed plan for obtaining sponsorship for this project as well, and plan to use the $50,000 in conjunction with sponsorship to broaden the scope of the project as much as possible, as well as share the project with as large an audience as possible through television documentary and magazine features.
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just sign up for this site, it only takes a second, then click pic it on my idea! ;) thanks!
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Get it Joe!!! I hope that you win brother!!!
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Good luck!
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Good luck, my friend!
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good luck joe--i hope you win!
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Good luck with this, Joe...it's a wonderful idea!...Brigette
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Good luck Joe:) Crystal
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Good luck! What a wonderful idea.
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Good luck Joe! Sounds awesome!
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Good luck to you Joe (friend of Quita's :)) !!! Would love to hear about your journey! What a great idea....to brighten the future of our children!
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great geat idea. hope you win. do you have a blog
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i blog on myspace.com/photojoe
and you can check out some of my photos there and at flickr.com/photos/joewhittle
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and thank you!
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done and done - this is an amazing idea Joe. I really hope this works out for you.
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Yeah! Good luck!
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Good luck Joe! Hannah
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Good luck, Joe! And it wasn't yarn I put in your hair, it was embroidery floss, and it was friggin' HOT! LOVE YOU, MAN!
-Kelly
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Good luck with your idea...I would really like to know more about the vehicle you are going to be making the journey with...can you provide more details?
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I will be using a kit that converts any vehicle to hydrogen power, and then as far as the vehicle make, probably an SUV like a Toyota Landrover. (We are in the process of determining which vehicle is most commonly used in S. America, so it will be easier to work on the chassey if things break down.)
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Good luck, Joe!
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Go Joe!! I hope you win!
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Great idea I hope you win Joe. Goodman
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Great idea...hope you win!
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That sounds great! I'm pulling for you.
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Hey everyone check out my photos if you haven't seen them! Just so you know I'll actually know how to work the camera once I'm on the road! ;)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joewhittle/
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Sounds fabulous... good luck!
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This would be incredible.... good luck!
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that's great to hear you've been planning this for a while. good luck to you! my idea is to help others by bringing awareness and unity for non-profits worldwide: http://www.nameyourdreamassignment.com/the-ideas/jenmay/unity-through-community/
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Good Luck!
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I would love to see this happen!
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http://current.com/items/89869951/journey_to_the_ends_of_the_earth_stories_of_the_conflict_between_colonial_and_indigenous_cultures.htm
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You go Joe!! Great idea! Makeitgogreen! You Rock!
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Ready to win? Get in there. 
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