4 kids from 6-to-60

Photos of World Oceans Day festival in Surrey BC Canada

2006-06-07T09:57:00.000-07:00

Blackie Spit Park in Surrey BC, is a bird sanctuary that is host to many migrating birds. Environmental groups, the City of Surrey, and non-government organizations brought their tents and educational displays to Blackie Spit to celebrate World Oceans Day, in June. Solar Power Roadshow brought light-powered bubble machines, a water-powered (it rains a lot here) clock and calculator, a solar (oven) cooker, and a crazy-fun electrocuting "lie detector" for laughs.

Even a Surrey officer tried the solar-powered lie detector, and passed! While strapped to the 10,000 volt electrocuting lie detector, we'd ask: "Do you do everything you can to recycle?" (If you told the truth, you didn't get zapped.)

The vegan samosas and organic eats served at the fest were delicious, and reminded us of Albert Einstein's wise words: "There is nothing more valuable in saving this planet than becoming a vegetarian."

Thanks, everybody, for inviting Solar Power Roadshow to bring some edu-fun to South Surrey's World Oceans Day festival!

Photos of edu-fun under the Van City tent at Pitt Meadows Day festival

2006-06-05T07:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks, everybody at Van City Pitt Meadows branch, for being good sports! It was fun being part of your parade! Solar Power Roadshow brought a clown bike that blew bubbles during the Pitt Meadows Day parade. Later, we were under the Van City tent with solar-charged bubble machines, a water-powered clock, a gravity-powered calculator, light-powered cooling hats, and other almost-impossible -energy devices. These devices made people think: How about a full size car with 10,000 shake-powered generators and electric motors, in our future? Kids had fun! Grown ups, too, with Solar Power Roadshow's solar-charged electrocuting lie detectors -- as the Van City crew were shocked to discover (pun intended.) Solar Power Roadshow can be reached at ( 6 0 4 ) 7 3 9 - 7 7 1 7 in Vancouver, BC.

Photos of South Hill Community Festival in Vancouver

2006-05-28T09:32:00.000-07:00

Kids and their parents were intrigued by water-powered deck clocks, calculators. These bright kids added water to this desk clock, and it started running! Solar-powered bubble machines were a big hit at this neighborhood festival, too.

But nobody expected a crazy-fun, solar-charged "electrocuting" lie-detector that gave out a 10,000 volt shock when it detected a lie! Popular questions included: "Do you do everything you can to recycle?" and "Do you waste a lot of water?" and "Do you buy locally, and choose BC products, whenever possible?" and, from kids to their parents, "Is brocolli really good for me?"
Susan explains how light and photovoltaic panels run the solar powered bubble machines.

Thanks to South Hill neighborhood volunteers and City of Vancouver staff for putting this sustainable event together, and inviting the Solar Power Roadshow.

4 kids from 6-to-60

2006-05-19T19:33:00.000-07:00

4 kids from 6-to-60

Solar Power Future Energy boring kids?

2006-05-19T18:02:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what the Stirling engine and Thermoelectricity could possibly have in common? Given that at one vending machine repair department, only one techie managed to comprehend how the Stirling engine worked. So, how do we explain this to a bunch of 10 year olds?

That's simple, compared to having to explain hydrolysis and a fuel-cell to the same group of kids.

Do you see the a link between trash, overfilled landfills, the energy crisis, and an umbrella repair tent at a festival?

Some say there's no point to teaching kids about solar cars because they're impractical. No, solar cars work only in 1/24th scale or so. They can't possibly be scaled up! Impossible! They're slow, too. And, the sun rarely shines in Vancouver ("Raincouver") in the Wet Coast, anyway. Boy, if think this way, you're sadly mistaken.

At Science World at Telus World of Science, something different has been shown. Solar Power Roadshow 's workshop used magic, contests, gags, and pranks to get kids from 6 to 60 charged up (sorry, bad pun) about Future Energy - the almost-possible kind, like using water to run a calculator, and yes, a car.

At the GVRD "Future In Our Hands" Sustainability festival at the Roundhouse Community Centre, Solar Power Roadshow (in a fun way) repaired damaged umbrellas, and brought them back to use. Its just a small demo, but if we RePair and ReUse, we'll all ReDuce the number of garbage trucks on our congested roads, and lower landfill loads, too. And, we'll reduce the energy used to manufacture umbrella parts.