Pilot Attempting Record-Setting Flight With Least Amount of Fuel...to Fight Global Warming

On Sunday, Matevz Lenarcic, a Slovenia biologist and experienced long-distance pilot, took off on a 10-week journey around the world in an ultra-light plane, on which he hopes will set a record for least amount of unleaded fuel used on such a voyage.

According to the Daily Mail, Lenarcic's trip began yesterday afternoon from Slovenia to Morocco. Lenarcic plans to visit 60 countries on the seven continents, covering more than 60,000 miles. His plane -- a Pipistrel Virus-SW914 -- only weighs 640 pounds and can carry about 92 gallons of fuel, traveling about 2,300 miles.

Watch Lenarcic's takeoff:

Here's Reuters' news report with more details:

Lenarcic isn't just trying to fly around the world on the lightest plane using the least amount of fuel to set a record though. According to the Daily Mail, Lenarcic is taking part in the GreenLight WorldFlight project and during his trip will be collecting measurements of pollution at areas that have not yet been tracked:

"I want to make people understand that this world is the only one we've been given and if we destroy it, we and our descendants will be losing it for good," Mr.  Lenarcic said before taking off.

Here are some initial photos from Lenarcic's trip:

According to the project website, Lenarcic will be visiting 120 national parks as well as some of the world's highest mountains including Mt. Everest and Kilimanjaro.