Oh tannenbaum, oh tannenbaum!

Watch a short video on the Capitol Christmas tree project

I've waited long enough, well past the weeks of Christmas decorations being hung up in stores across America, to get into the holiday spirit. And what better way to fuse off-road equipment with the holidays than blogging about the EPA 2010 certified clean-diesel truck hauling the Capitol Christmas tree across the country?

Sponsored by DTF (Diesel Technology Forum) and DTF members like Volvo Group and Bosch, the 65-foot white fir Christmas tree that will be illuminated at the base of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. this Christmas season, began its 4,500-mile trek from the Stanislaus National Forest in northern California en route to the nation’s capital.

You can follow its journey on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/TracktheTree or on the Track the Tree official website http://www.trackthetree.com

If you want to read more about the truck and Clean Diesel Technology in place, feel free to read this press release from DTF: http://dieselforum.org/index.cfm?objectid=00A41A1E-0BBB-11E1-A68D000C296BA163

Here is an excerpt from the press release:

“The Mack Truck transporting the tree across the country is a showcase of clean diesel technology, one of the many pieces of modern diesel technology that will play a role in getting ‘The People's Tree’ to our nation’s capital,” said Allen Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Diesel Technology Forum.

"From the diesel-powered crane that placed the tree in the clean diesel truck that will transport it across the country using ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel, clean diesel technology plays a critical role in this holiday project as it does in the daily lives of all Americans. In addition, diesel-powered backup generators will provide power for the 12 ceremonies in communities along the journey designed to help celebrate this national event.”

However, I wanted to point out one comment our Assistant Editor Sara Jensen made as I was bopping around the office spreading holiday cheer: "Does it defeat the purpose of being 'clean' though, if the tree is being driven all the way from California to Washington, D.C.?

Head to our Facebook page to comment, or simply stay here and mingle a while, for the weather outside is frightful! :)

http://www.facebook.com/OEMOffHighway