On The Road
September 27, 2009
Pedalling for power today and tomorrow
Posted by Jacquie Lambert
Where: Langley
Within a miniature wilderness, surrounded by tall coniferous trees and a pristine meadow was the location of our event last weekend: the 30th Annual BC Rivers Day Festival. Williams Park in Langley provided a scenic backdrop for this celebration of Canada’s rivers, and the Surrey Community Outreach team arrived eager and ready to discuss energy conservation.
Events such as this, with such strong conservation ideas and messages are a dream for us. Our beloved lamp mascot even had the opportunity to get up on stage and perform the electrifying, electricity dance! The children admired our energy efficient lamp, and were keen to dance along. They acted out creating rain and tunnels, spinning turbines as fast as they could and flinging electricity off into their homes.
The children we interacted with were overjoyed to be pedaling our bright lime green Power the Games bobsleds, and completely elated when the lights flashed all the way to the top. One child just could not believe that she had the power to create electricity. I asked her, with a grin, how she would like having bobsleds installed in her house.
“Imagine if you had to pedal, as hard as you could, just to watch half an hour of your favourite television show or to play on your computer,” I asked. The young girl thoughtfully contemplated the question, and finally said: “If we had bobsleds at home and at school, people would probably not use lights as much, and watch less television.”
Her mom chimed in, “If I had to pedal to power the clothes dryer, I would definitely be hanging my clothes up to dry instead.”
Got an idea?
Although this installation is pretty impractical, not to mention interior designers everywhere would have nightmares trying to match these lime green bobsleds to the home decor, the idea is there and it provides people with a platform for imagining new ways to conserve. Until November 8th BC Hydro is inviting individuals between the ages of 13 and 24 to dream up, or concoct an idea about conserving energy, creating a sustainable product or adopting a lifestyle change in a contest called Invent the Future. I hear heaps of strange and unexpected ideas every week on the job at community events and story times on how energy should be conserved.
So far the bobsled in the house idea has been a tough sell; perhaps if they were available in eggshell next season.
Jacquie Lambert is a Community Outreach representative based out of Surrey and will be at community events throughout the fall.
