鄉村音樂巨擎海格(Merle Haggard)和朋友們將藉著一系列太陽能和生質能源發電的火車音樂會，宣導環保運動，這班列車預計從2009年春季開始巡迴美國。音樂家、演員、運動員、科學家、環境運動人士和媒體將隨綠色列車行訪二十八州，演出八場音樂會，還會在城市和社區舉辦數十場「汽笛聲停靠站」。
聲援綠色列車的藝術家包括雪兒(Cher)、聚合靈魂(Collective Soul)、大衛馬修樂團(Dave Matthews Band)、文斯吉爾(Vince Gill)、珠兒(Jewel)、藍色少女(The Indigo Girls)、克里斯克里斯多佛森(Kris Kristofferson)、約翰梅爾(John Mayer)和威利尼爾森(Willie Nelson)。
2004年，威利尼爾森從他妻子安妮(Annie)得知生質能源，從此不遺餘力地全力支持，甚至自行生產柴油和生質燃料混合驅動的卡車，在德州35號州際公路、達拉斯(Dallas)和瓦口(Waco)之間路段的卡爾卡車驛站(Carl’s Corner truck)製造。目前有6個州、12個賣場可以找到威利的生質柴油。
綠色列車將由生質柴油驅動，停靠站則利用替代能源發電，預計至少運載20輛汽車和兩個平底舞台，參與者將親身參與綠色生活。海格和他的夥伴伍浮(Bob Wolfe)一起推動這趟旅程，伍浮認為：「人們願意改變，但他們不知道能怎麼做。海格和我決定用這個老套來散播這個嶄新且簡單的訊息：主題火車告訴你如何在摩登世界活得更綠！」
海格和伍浮之所以選擇火車的原因在於火車本身就是一種大眾交通和運輸貨物的替代方式，此外也考量到火車所具有的普及性：全世界大多數國家都有火車。目前只有少數國家有生質燃料火車，英國有一班生質燃料火車營運中，華盛頓州東部從6月底開始試營另一班列車。
東華盛頓鐵路系統(The Eastern Washington Gateway Railroad )正在進行為期三個月的生質燃料列車測試營運，這條位在臣尼市(Cheney)和庫立(Coulee)之間的109英哩路段，主要用於運送穀物，大豆、玉米油、油脂，其他未公開的原物料將用25%的生質燃料混合油測試。
綠色列車預計2009年4月從奧瑞岡州波特蘭出發，六週行經美國各區，終點在首府華盛頓特區。
音樂會地點包括波特蘭、洛杉磯、丹佛、芝加哥、紐奧良、夏洛特、北卡、紐約和華盛頓特區，已規劃的汽笛聲站則有沙加緬度、曼非斯、亞特蘭大和波士頓。綠色列車計畫在2010年巡行歐洲，2011年在世界各大洲同步出發。
Country music giant Merle Haggard and his friends are climbing aboard the environmental movement by organizing a sun and biofuel powered concert tour by rail through the United States next spring. Carrying musicians, actors, athletes, scientists, environmental activists and media, The Green Train will visit 28 states, giving eight major concerts and performing dozens of smaller "acoustic whistle-stops" in cities and communities on the route, according to The Green Train website.
Among the artists supporting The Green Train are Cher, Collective Soul, Dave Matthews Band, Vince Gill, Jewel, The Indigo Girls, Kris Kristofferson, John Mayer and Willie Nelson. Nelson is a big promoter of biodiesel, having learned about the fuel in 2004 from his wife Annie. The country music artist began producing his own mix of conventional diesel and biodiesel from Carl's Corner truck stop on Interstate 35 between Dallas and Waco in Texas.
Now WillieDiesel is sold at 12 outlets in six states. The Green Train will run on biodiesel, and its stops will be powered by alternative energy. The train will carry at least 20 cars, plus two flat-bed acoustical stages. Participants will campaign on behalf of greener living.
Haggard is partnering with friend and fellow musician Bob Wolf to promote the tour. Wolf says on the website, "People do really want to make a difference - they just need to know how. The Hag and I came up with an old-fashioned way to deliver a new and simple message: A World's-Fair-themed train carrying exhibits and simple solutions to living green in a modern world."
Haggard and Wolf chose a train to highlight its importance as a form of alternative passenger transportation and carrier of goods. They also consider it a symbol of unity, because most countries of the world have trains, they say on the site. While not many countries have trains that run on biodiesel, there are a few. A biodiesel train is now operating in the UK and a new one took its first test run in eastern Washington state at the end of June.
The Eastern Washington Gateway Railroad is conducting a three month test of biodiesel for its 109 mile rail line between Cheney and Coulee City. The line is used for grain harvest transporatation. Soy, canola oil, grease, other undisclosed feedstocks will be tested in a 25 percent biodiesel blend. The musicians' Green Train tour is scheduled to depart from Portland, Oregon in April 2009, The Green Train will pass through every geographic region in the United States during a six-week whistle stop tour finishing in Washington, DC.
A route map shows major concerts scheduled for Portland, Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, New Orleans, Charlotte, North Carolina, New York and Washington, DC. Acoustic whistle-stops are scheduled so far in Sacramento, Memphis, Atlanta and Boston. The Green Train plans to reprise the tour in Europe in 2010, and run simultaneous tours of each continent of the world in 2011.
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In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
