Quite often, construction projects such as bypasses and airports are brought to a halt by the actions of a small group of protesters. One of their tactics is to lie down in front of the oncoming bulldozers. Now, I noticed the other day some footage of a hovercraft being driven over a person lying on the ground - they were completely unharmed. So the solution is to equip bulldozers with hovercraft functionality (or fit a huge blade to the front of a hovercraft, whatever).
-- Stingray, Mar 25 2004

http://www.plustech.fi/Walking1.html http://www.plustech.fi/Walking1.html
[AO, Oct 04 2004]

(?) Origins http://www.alternat...ca/article1041.html
[Fussass, Oct 04 2004]

Maybe if you sneak up with a steel cable and pole, attach them around the tree like a tourniquet, and have workers quietly twist through the trunk.
-- FarmerJohn, Mar 25 2004


Bad science - as Tabs notes, a hoverdozer will be completely useless.

The way this is being solved in real life for logging trucks, if not bulldozers, is using superwide underinflated tires that can roll over a person without harming them. This is more to save loggers' lives in accidents than to necessarily save tree huggers, of course.
-- DrCurry, Mar 25 2004


You could just step over them. [link]
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Mar 25 2004


Ha !
-- skinflaps, Mar 25 2004


Well, it's not so much traction that's required, as force. I forgot to mention the 4 Rolls Royce Olympus turbojets fitted to the Hoverdozer. They'll have thrust vectoring to keep things straight, and of course, re-heat for the more recalcitrant obstructions
-- Stingray, Mar 25 2004


See the link for the origins of this term treehugger; a community based non-violent movement led mostly by women. Naturally we would want to neutralize it.
-- Fussass, Mar 25 2004



random, halfbakery