Energie, vyrobená za pomoci bicyklu, osvětluje vánoční strom v Utrechtu

22.12.2004
UTRECHT [WWF]

In a symbolic action to promote the use of green power, 200 activists have produced enough electricity to light 6,000 small lamps on a Christmas tree in the Dutch city of Utrecht.

The activists produced the energy by sitting on jacked-up bicycles, pedaling for almost two hours in the cold to generate clean power for the tree's lights.

"This action is designed to emphasize the need for a sustainable energy future and the importance of choosing green electricity," said Eva van der Weiden of WWF-Netherland's Climate Change Programme, who participated in the event along with the Mayor of Utrecht and Niek van Heijst, CEO of WWF-Netherlands.

"It illustrates that CO2-free alternatives are available to power generation from burning coal."

The action was part of WWF's global PowerSwitch! campaign, which was officially launched on 30 November 2004. The campaign aims to clean up the power sector with public support, and to urge companies and governments to make the switch from coal to clean energy.

More than 40 per cent of all households in the Netherlands already purchase green power. WWF-Netherlands is working to increase this number.

In 2005, the PowerSwitch! campaign is considering other high profile actions using bicycle power, including providing electricity for a public hospital during an operation.

Notes:
• Coal-fired power plants are the biggest contributor to climate change. The power sector is responsible for 37 per cent of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions worldwide through the burning of fossil fuels, mainly coal. The power sector's contribution to climate change threatens the very development that electricity promotes and puts millions of people at risk from rising sea levels, loss of fresh water, extreme weather and disease.

• Renewable energy recognized by WWF are wind, solar, small hydro and biomass. WWF has chosen natural gas-CHP as the second-best choice after renewable energy, but WWF believes it should only be a bridging technology for the next couple of decades. According to WWF, sustainable renewable energy excludes waste incineration, most large-scale hydropower, and peat.

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