02 Aug
2006 - Cardiff, UK WWF recently invited politicians
in Wales to take part in a bike challenge to see
whether they could produce enough energy from
cycling to power a range of household and farming
appliances.
The WWF "Pedal for the
Planet" challenge highlighted the need to
reduce dependence on fossil fuels and produce
energy from alternative sources that do not produce
CO2, the main greenhouse gas that is contributing
to global warming.
Pedaling on specially adapted
stationary bikes that converted pedal power into
equivalent watts needed to power standard appliances,
Welsh Environment, Planning and Countryside Minister
Carwyn Jones generated enough watts to power a
sheep shearing machine and a microwave.
The Pedal for the Planet challenge
is a very effective way to communicate and raise
awareness of how much energy is needed to power
appliances in our homes and how they produce carbon
dioxide emissions," said Morgan Parry, Head
of WWF Wales.
"Our homes are responsible
for nearly a one-third of all CO2 emissions, so
changing the way we all use energy is crucial
if we want to prevent climate change.
END NOTES:
As the world burns increased
quantities of coal, oil and gas for energy, global
CO2 emissions are now around 12 times higher than
in 1900. The world is warming faster than at any
time in the last 10,000 years, with the 11000s
being the hottest decade in the past millennium.
Global warming and climate
change are affecting the well-being of people
and the survival of plants and animals around
the world. A study released by WWFshows that global
warming could fundamentally alter one-third of
plant and animal habitats by the end of this century.
Kim Richards
