12. Event title:
Solar Cars or Flying Saucers:
An interactive introduction to sustainable transport
13. Description of the core message of your event and key topics to be covered (c.100 words):
Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but only changed from one form to another. So if we want to keep moving we need to consider carefully how we use energy.
Hybrid and electric vehicles are currently taking the market by storm, but these are still deriving their energy from non-renewable, polluting sources such as coal fired power stations. Meanwhile individuals are jumping on the band wagon of creating their own electricity with solar panels on their roofs. Is it even conceivable that vehicles could be powered from these renewable sources?
Gwawr, the Welsh Solar Car Team, run interactive workshops delving into the technology behind sustainable transport. Investigating areas such as where energy comes from, how it can be stored and how this energy can be used to power vehicles.
16. How does your event relate to this year's theme of 'Making waves'?:
“You are not saving the world, you are saving SPEED!” was the controversial statement made at one of the workshops Gwawr has run recently. If a nine year old has started to pick up on the message that things have to change in the future, that they may not have easy access to the transport or motor racing that are currently available then it is also the time for today’s generation to start taking more responsibility for the world’s resources and how they are utilised.
Whilst looking at future technology of driving a car powered solely by the sun and the conservation of energy whilst driving with a limited power source, this has implications on how people’s current driving style from fast accelerations using power unnecessarily to if a journey in a vehicle is even required in the first place.
