I've been around human powered vehicles for about 14 years now. With today being Blog Action Day, I've been thinking about this year's theme: Climate Change. Over this time the vehicles have become quicker and the green movement has become bigger - are the two actually connected?
Way back in the '90s, 'Green' was for the hippies
Yep, I will let you imagine me as a young year 7 kiddie in Maryborough watching my older bro' Luke race
'Tenacious' for Bendigo Senior back in the 1996 RACV Energy Breakthrough.
(That still stands for me as one of the best team names ever btw) Unfortunately, I don't have a pic of Tenacious, but I do have one of our Year 10 trike -
Intensus.
Above is my mate Cam Hine racing our petrol / pedal hybrid in the 1999 RACV Energy Breakthrough
A few murmourings, but nothing more...
There was a few murmourings back then about the climate, greenhouses gases, collecting coke cans and recycling - but really the only ones talking about going 'green' were those from Castlemaine and those involved in the development of futuristic solar cars. I think solar cars diverted attention from real progress in some ways because few people have been able to ever translate the concepts into a real road-going production car.
We were more excited about getting fit and pedalling fast than saving the planet - but we did learn abit along the way too.
There were fuel-guzzling V8 Holdens and we used plenty of water to have water fights.
Now there are just 'slightly-more-fuel-economical' V8 Holdens & no water fights.
But, Pedal Power is fun!
As I crossed the barriers from spectator to participant, I was drawn into this world where we could make something that is pedal powered cruise above 40 km/h - and race it too!
Like solar cars, the idea of human powered vehicles translating into real transport solutions didn't really resonate that well with us back in 1996 and I'm not sure that it does now, either.
Bendigo Youth Racing - a case study
When we go racing with
Bendigo Youth Racing, the environment comes well down our list of priorities.
Winning is number one.
We learn about energy use as we're building the vehicles and developing concepts - we want to create the most energy efficient drive system we can.
But, we pump plenty of non-green resources into the construction process:
carbon fibre, kevlar, resin, - tyres, tubes, rims
- alloys, nuts, bolts,
- polycarb plastics for the windscreens,
- plus of course mountains of race tape, cable ties, paints and stickers too.
When we get to the track - the anti-green activities continue:
- We eat like soldiers,
- rubbish piles up from all of the parts, components and supplies we use and
- pit lane is (almost) full of generators powering our lights, power tools and tellies throughout the weekend.
Pedal Prix powered up - then the lights went out
A few years ago, the Australian International Pedal Prix tried to navigate the issue of every team having generators by using one large industrial generator for each pit lane. It worked a treat, but then they seemed to hit a few financial snags and weren't able to provide them again.
- That's one example - but what else can we do?
- Is it really fair to call these events a 'Green Grand Prix'?
- Yes, the racing on the track may be carbon neutral during that 24 hours, but what about the 10 months leading into the events? Or the pitlane?
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I'm posted this post because it's Blog Action Day today (Oct 15, 2009) and this is a blog. On one day each year, bloggers from around the world talk about one issue, how it relates to them and what they think about it. Last year the theme was 'Poverty'
and this year it is 'Climate Change'
. This is my post, thanks for reading
